Substrate cleaning apparatus and its turnover device

Abstract

The substrate cleaning device and the overturning device thereof comprises a groove, a lifting mechanism and an overturning mechanism. The lifting mechanism is arranged on one side of the groove and is configured to receive the substrate and drive the substrate to lift. The overturning mechanism is arranged on the groove and is configured to overturn the substrate and move between a receiving position and a taking position relative to the lifting mechanism. The receiving position is the position where the overturning mechanism receives the substrate from the lifting mechanism. The taking position is the position where the overturning mechanism takes out the substrate. In the present application, the multiple substrates which are cleaned in the groove can be transferred to the lifting mechanism at one time and then are quickly transferred to the process robot by the overturning mechanism for multiple times. This not only reduces the residence time of the substrates which are cleaned in the groove, but also improves the efficiency of the substrate cleaning device and the transmission speed of the substrate overturning device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, and more specifically, to a substrate cleaning apparatus and its flipping device. Background Technology

[0002] In substrate cleaning processes, to balance cleaning efficiency and effectiveness, tank cleaning and single-wafer cleaning processes are usually combined.

[0003] The substrate cleaning equipment includes multiple substrate cleaning tanks, multiple single-wafer cleaning chambers, a flipping device, and multiple robotic arms. The multiple robotic arms include a first robotic arm, a second robotic arm, and a process robotic arm. The first robotic arm is responsible for transferring substrates to the multiple substrate cleaning tanks, the second robotic arm is responsible for removing substrates from the substrate cleaning tanks and transferring them to the flipping device, and the process robotic arm is responsible for removing substrates from the flipping device and transferring them to the single-wafer cleaning chamber.

[0004] The substrate cleaning tank is configured to process multiple vertically placed substrates in batches. The single-piece cleaning chamber is configured to process one horizontally placed substrate at a time. The flipping device is configured to rotate the substrate that has completed tank cleaning in the substrate cleaning tank from a vertical direction to a horizontal direction, so that the process robot can horizontally transfer the substrate to the single-piece cleaning chamber.

[0005] Considering factors such as cost and transmission stability, process robots are typically equipped with two robotic arms, transporting two substrates at a time. The substrates are exposed to air in the flipping device, where airborne particles and other contaminants easily adhere to their surfaces. To minimize the waiting time of substrates in the flipping device, the number of substrates flipped at one time does not exceed the number picked up by the process robot; that is, the flipping device flips one or two substrates at a time. Correspondingly, the second robotic arm picks up one or two substrates from the substrate cleaning tank and places them into the flipping device. This allows the substrates transported by the second robotic arm to the flipping device to be promptly transferred to the single-substrate cleaning chamber for cleaning by the process robot. However, the substrate cleaning tank is a batch processing device, handling 7, 13, 25, or more substrates at a time. Therefore, after a batch of substrates has been cleaned in the substrate cleaning tank, the process robot needs to repeat the process of picking up substrates with the second robotic arm, flipping with the flipping device, and transferring substrates to the process robot multiple times to transfer multiple substrates from the batch to multiple single-substrate cleaning chambers. This prolongs the time substrates spend in the substrate cleaning tank, reduces substrate transmission efficiency, and affects the output per unit time of the substrate cleaning equipment. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a substrate flipping device that can solve the problem of low substrate transfer efficiency in existing substrate flipping devices, which affects the output of substrate cleaning equipment per unit time. At the same time, it can ensure that the substrate remains wetted in the substrate flipping device, reducing the adhesion of contaminants such as particles.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a substrate flipping device, comprising:

[0008] A trough, used to hold liquids;

[0009] A lifting mechanism is located on one side of the tank. The lifting mechanism is configured to receive the substrate and drive the substrate to rise and fall so that the substrate is immersed in the liquid in the tank or lifted out of the tank.

[0010] A flipping mechanism is disposed on the slot for flipping the substrate. The flipping mechanism is configured to move relative to the lifting mechanism between a receiving position and a picking position, wherein the receiving position is the position where the flipping mechanism receives the substrate from the lifting mechanism, and the picking position is the position where the substrate is picked up from the flipping mechanism.

[0011] Another object of the present invention is to provide a substrate cleaning apparatus that improves the transfer efficiency and output per unit time. To achieve this object, the substrate cleaning apparatus provided by the present invention includes:

[0012] A tank cleaning module includes a first flipping device, at least one substrate cleaning tank, at least one robot and a second flipping device. The at least one substrate cleaning tank is used to perform a tank cleaning process on the substrate. The first flipping device is used to rotate the substrate from a horizontal direction to a vertical direction. The at least one robot is responsible for vertically transferring the substrate to the first flipping device, the at least one substrate cleaning tank and the second flipping device. The second flipping device is used to rotate the substrate that has completed the tank cleaning from a vertical direction to a horizontal direction.

[0013] A single-piece cleaning module includes at least one single-piece cleaning chamber for performing single-piece cleaning and drying processes on a substrate.

[0014] A process robot is used to remove the substrate from the second flipping device and horizontally transfer it to at least one single-wafer cleaning chamber of the single-wafer cleaning module.

[0015] The second flipping device is any one of the substrate flipping devices described above.

[0016] In this invention, the substrate that has completed the tank cleaning can be transferred to the lifting mechanism in one go, which can reduce the residence time of the substrate in the substrate cleaning tank and thus increase the output of the substrate cleaning equipment.

[0017] Meanwhile, the flipping mechanism is configured to not only rotate the substrate from the vertical direction to the horizontal direction, but also translate it relative to the lifting mechanism, and move back and forth between the receiving position and the picking position, so as to quickly transfer multiple substrates on the lifting mechanism to the process robot in multiple steps, which helps to improve the transmission speed of the substrate flipping device.

[0018] In addition, when the flipping mechanism transfers the substrate to the process robot, the substrate remaining on the lifting mechanism can be immersed in the tank as the lifting mechanism descends, keeping it moist, thereby shortening the exposure time of the substrate in the air and preventing pollutants such as air particles from contaminating the substrate surface. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the substrate flipping device provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the groove provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Enlarged view of a portion of point A in the middle;

[0022] Figure 4 A perspective view of the lifting mechanism provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 5 for Figure 4 Enlarged view of a section at point B in the middle;

[0024] Figure 6 This is a perspective view of the substrate flipping device provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention, wherein the housing of the flipping mechanism is hidden;

[0025] Figure 7 This is a perspective view of the flipping mechanism provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention, wherein the housing of the flipping mechanism is hidden;

[0026] Figure 8 A perspective view of the flipping mechanism provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 9 This is another perspective view of the flipping mechanism provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 10 This is a perspective view of the substrate holder provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 11 for Figure 10 Cross-sectional view of the middle substrate holder along the X direction;

[0030] Figure 12 for Figure 11 Enlarged view of a section at point C;

[0031] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the robotic arm placing a substrate onto the support base when the substrate flipping device provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention is in its initial state.

[0032] Figures 14(a) to 14(h)The operation flow of the substrate flipping device provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention to transfer the substrate to the process robot is as follows: the substrate holder receives the substrate from the support for the first time.

[0033] Figures 15(a) to 15(h) The operation flow of the substrate flipping device provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention for transferring a substrate to a process robot includes, wherein the substrate holder receives the substrate from the support for the second time; and

[0034] Figure 16 This is a plan view of the substrate cleaning equipment provided in Embodiment 2 of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0035] To illustrate the technical content, structural features, objectives, and effects of the present invention in detail, the following will provide a detailed description in conjunction with embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0036] Example 1

[0037] Figures 1 to 12 A substrate flipping device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention is disclosed. The substrate flipping device is disposed between a tank cleaning module and a single-wafer cleaning module, and is used to flip a vertically oriented substrate into a horizontally oriented substrate, thereby facilitating the horizontal transfer of the substrate to the single-wafer cleaning module by a process robot. Figure 1 The diagram shows the structure of the substrate flipping device in this embodiment. The substrate flipping device mainly includes a groove 10, a lifting mechanism 20 and a flipping mechanism 30.

[0038] The tank 10 is used to hold liquid. A lifting mechanism 20 is disposed on one side of the tank 10. The lifting mechanism 20 is configured to receive a substrate and move the substrate up and down so that the substrate is immersed in the liquid in the tank 10, or lifted from the tank 10. A flipping mechanism 30 is disposed on the tank 10 for flipping the substrate. Preferably, the flipping mechanism 30 is disposed at the top of the tank 10. The flipping mechanism 30 is configured to move relative to the lifting mechanism 20 between a receiving position and a picking position, wherein the receiving position is the position where the flipping mechanism 30 receives the substrate from the lifting mechanism 20, and the picking position is the position where the substrate is removed from the flipping mechanism 30.

[0039] like Figure 1 As shown, the top opening of the tank 10 is roughly square, and includes a first sidewall 10a and a second sidewall 10b arranged opposite each other, as well as a third sidewall 10c and a fourth sidewall 10d arranged opposite each other. The tank 10 is used to hold liquids, such as deionized water, carbon dioxide deionized water, etc.

[0040] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the groove is shown. (As shown) Figure 2As shown, tank 10 includes an inner tank 101, an outer tank 102, and a liquid supply pipe 103. The inner tank 101 is placed inside the outer tank 102, and liquid is supplied to the inner tank 101 through the liquid supply pipe 103. The upper edge of the inner tank 101 is lower than the upper edge of the outer tank 102, allowing liquid in the inner tank 101 to overflow into the outer tank 102 through its upper edge. Additionally, a first drain pipe 1011 is provided at the bottom of the inner tank 101, which is connected to the outer tank 102. A second drain pipe 1021 is provided at the bottom of the outer tank 102, which is connected to the plant's drainage system. Liquid in the inner tank 101 can be quickly discharged through the first drain pipe 1011 and the second drain pipe 1021.

[0041] To ensure the cleanliness of the interior space of the tank 10, an exhaust vent is also provided on the tank 10. In one embodiment, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the exhaust vent 104 is installed on the outer tank 102 and is connected to the plant's exhaust ventilation system to continuously exhaust air from the interior area of ​​the tank 10. Since the tank 10 contains liquids such as deionized water, water mist may exist inside the tank 10. If this water mist is drawn into the plant's exhaust ventilation system, it can damage the system's pipes or fans. To solve this problem, the exhaust vent 104 is designed with a double-layer structure, such as... Figure 3 As shown, it includes a first exhaust plate 1041 and a second exhaust plate 1042, with a cavity formed between the first exhaust plate 1041 and the second exhaust plate 1042. The first exhaust plate 1041 and the second exhaust plate 1042 are provided with exhaust holes 1043 that are staggered with each other. The staggered exhaust holes 1043 can play a certain role in intercepting water mist in the air and reducing the water mist drawn into the exhaust system.

[0042] Figure 4 A structural diagram of the lifting mechanism is shown. (See diagram for example.) Figure 4 As shown, the lifting mechanism 20 includes a support base 201, a support rod 202, and a first drive assembly 203. One end of the support base 201 is used to receive the substrate, and the other end of the support base 201 is fixed to the support rod 202. The first drive assembly 203 drives the support base 201 to rise and fall via the support rod 202, so that the support base 201 is immersed in the liquid in the tank 10 or rises from the tank 10. In one embodiment, the first drive assembly 203 includes a drive motor and a lead screw. The drive motor drives the support base 201 to rise and fall via the lead screw and the support rod 202. Of course, in other embodiments, the first drive assembly 203 may also employ other linear transmission mechanisms, such as a linear motor.

[0043] The support base 201 is used to receive multiple substrates transferred from the robotic arm. Typically, the support base 201 can receive 7, 13, or 25 substrates. When the first drive assembly 203 drives the support base 201 to descend into the tank 10, the substrates placed on the support base 201 can be immersed in a liquid such as deionized water in the tank 10 to ensure that the surface of the substrate is wetted.

[0044] The lifting mechanism 20 is also equipped with a fine-tuning component. This component allows for fine-tuning of the mounting positions of the lifting mechanism 20 and the support base 201, ensuring that the support base 201 is directly opposite the wafer placement position. This ensures that the support base 201 can accurately receive multiple substrates transferred by the robotic arm. The wafer placement position is the position where the support base 201 receives the substrates from the robotic arm. See also... Figure 4 The fine-tuning components may include a first fine-tuning component 204 and / or a second fine-tuning component 205. The lifting mechanism 20 is mounted on a mounting plate 40 via the first fine-tuning component 204 to adjust its mounting position in a first direction so that the support 201 is directly opposite the film placement position. The mounting plate 40 may be parallel to the side wall of the slot 10. The support 201 is mounted on a support rod 202 via the second fine-tuning component 205 to adjust its mounting position in a second direction so that the support 201 is directly opposite the film placement position.

[0045] In one embodiment, such as Figure 1 As shown, the fine-tuning assembly includes a first fine-tuning component 204 and a second fine-tuning component 205. The mounting plate 40 is disposed parallel to the outer side of the first sidewall 10a of the groove 10. The first direction and the second direction are perpendicular to each other in the horizontal plane; specifically, the first direction is the horizontal X direction, and the second direction is the horizontal Y direction. (See also...) Figure 4 and Figure 5 The first fine-tuning component 204 is disposed on the mounting plate 40 and includes a transverse guide rail 2041, a slider 2042, a first fastener 2043, and a fine-tuning screw 2044. The transverse guide rail 2041 is disposed on the mounting plate 40 along the horizontal X direction. The lifting mechanism 20 is slidably mounted on the transverse guide rail 2041 via the slider 2042. The fine-tuning screw 2044 is disposed on the mounting plate 40, and one end of the fine-tuning screw 2044 contacts the lifting mechanism 20. The fine-tuning screw 2044 can push the lifting mechanism 20 to move along the transverse guide rail 2041. When the lifting mechanism 20 is adjusted to a predetermined position in the horizontal X direction, the first fastener 2043 fixes the lifting mechanism 20 in the predetermined position, thus completing the adjustment of the installation position of the lifting mechanism 20 in the horizontal X direction. To improve the installation stability of the lifting mechanism 20 on the mounting plate 40, multiple transverse guide rails 2041 can be provided, and the multiple transverse guide rails 2041 are arranged in parallel. In one embodiment, as shown... Figure 1 and Figure 4As shown, two transverse guide rails 2041 are arranged at intervals in the vertical direction of the mounting plate 40.

[0046] See you again Figure 4 The second fine-tuning component 205 includes a first adjusting member 2051, a second adjusting member 2052, and a second fastener. The first adjusting member 2051 and the second adjusting member 2052 are arranged along the horizontal Y-direction. One end of the first adjusting member 2051 is fixed to the support rod 202, and one end of the second adjusting member 2052 is fixed to the support base 201. Both the first adjusting member 2051 and the second adjusting member 2052 have adjusting holes 2053. The second fastener passes through the overlapping portion of the adjusting holes 2053 of the first adjusting member 2051 and the second adjusting member 2052, thus fixing them together. The adjusting holes 2053 are elongated holes. By changing the overlap length of the first adjusting member 2051 and the second adjusting member 2052, the position of the support base 201 in the horizontal Y-direction is changed, thereby adjusting the installation position of the support base 201 in the horizontal Y-direction.

[0047] Figure 6 The diagram shows the overall structure of the substrate flipping device, in which the housing of the flipping mechanism is hidden. Figure 7 The internal structure of the flipping mechanism is shown. (Example) Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, the flipping mechanism 30 includes a substrate holder 301, a second drive assembly 302, and a third drive assembly 303. The substrate holder 301 is used to hold the substrate and is laterally disposed at the top of the slot 10, as shown. Figure 6 As shown, the substrate holder 301 spans the top opening of the slot 10 and is parallel to either the first sidewall 10a or the second sidewall 10b of the slot 10. The substrate holder 301 is connected to a second drive assembly 302, which drives the substrate holder 301 to rotate. In this embodiment, the second drive assembly 302 is mounted on a third drive assembly 303, which can drive the second drive assembly 302 to translate, thereby moving the substrate holder 301 between the wafer receiving position and the wafer picking position.

[0048] The substrate holder 301 receives the substrate from the support 201 at the wafer receiving position. Specifically, when the substrate holder 301 moves to the wafer receiving position under the drive of the third drive component 303, the substrate holder 301 is located below the support 201 and directly facing at least a portion of the substrate on the support 201. During the descent of the support 201, at least a portion of the substrate is transferred into the substrate holder 301. When the substrate holder 301 moves to the wafer picking position under the drive of the third drive component 303, the substrate holder 301 moves away from the support 201, and the substrate holder 301 and the support 201 do not interfere with each other. The substrate holder 301 can perform a substrate flipping action at the wafer picking position. Specifically, the substrate holder 301 flips the substrate from the vertical direction to the horizontal direction so that the process robot can horizontally remove the substrate from the substrate holder 301 and transfer it to the single-wafer cleaning module. In other embodiments, the substrate holder 301 may be moved to a position between the bonding position and the pick-up position to perform a substrate flipping operation. Alternatively, the substrate holder 301 may simultaneously perform a substrate flipping operation while moving from the bonding position to the pick-up position.

[0049] The flipping mechanism 30 also has a second liquid receiving groove 306 on the side of the groove 10 near the tablet taking position. The second liquid receiving groove 306 can be fixed to the side wall of the groove 10, such as... Figure 6 As shown, the second liquid receiving tank 306 is fixed to the top of the second side wall 10b. During the process of the substrate holder 301 rotating the substrate from the vertical direction to the horizontal direction, or the process robot removing the substrate from the substrate holder 301, the second liquid receiving tank 306 can collect the liquid dripping from the substrate, keeping the internal environment of the equipment clean.

[0050] In this embodiment, as Figure 7As shown, the second drive assembly 302 may include a second drive motor 3021 and a reduction coupling 3022, and the third drive assembly 303 may include a third drive motor 3031, a third slide rail 3032, a third sliding seat 3033, and a third lead screw 3034. The second drive motor 3021 is connected to the rotation shaft 3014 of the substrate holder 301 via the reduction coupling 3022 to drive the substrate holder 301 to rotate. The third drive assembly 303 is provided with two third slide rails 3032, which are fixed on both sides of the water tank 10. Specifically, the two third slide rails 3032 are respectively arranged on the outer side of the third side wall 10c and the fourth side wall 10d of the tank 10. Each third slide rail 3032 is provided with a third sliding seat 3033. In one embodiment, the third drive motor 3031 drives the third sliding seat 3033 to translate along the third slide rail 3032 via a pulley and the third lead screw 3034. The substrate holder 301 and the second drive assembly 302 are fixed as a whole to the third sliding seat 3033 by the mounting bracket 3020, so that the substrate holder 301 and the second drive assembly 302 are driven to translate by the third drive assembly 303.

[0051] Figure 8 and Figure 9 A structural diagram of the flipping mechanism is shown. Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, the flipping mechanism 30 also includes a housing 304, and the second drive assembly 302 and the third drive assembly 303 are disposed within the housing 304, thereby preventing the second drive assembly 302 and the third drive assembly 303 from being corroded by the chemical liquid. Figure 6 As shown, the third slide rail 3032 of the third drive assembly 303 is disposed on the outside of the third sidewall 10c and the fourth sidewall 10d of the groove 10. In order to protect the second drive assembly 302 and the third drive assembly 303, the housing 304 is divided into two parts, as shown. Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, these are denoted as the first housing 304a and the second housing 304b. In this embodiment, as... Figure 1 As shown, the first housing 304a is arranged on the outside of the fourth sidewall 10d, and the second housing 304b is arranged on the outside of the third sidewall 10c.

[0052] See you again Figure 8 and Figure 9 To further reduce the damage of the external environment to the second drive assembly 302 and the third drive assembly 303, an air inlet pipe 305 is also provided inside the housing 304. The air inlet pipe 305 is used to supply positive pressure gas into the housing 304, thereby preventing external environmental gas from entering the housing 304. In addition, an exhaust port 3041 is also provided on the housing 304. The exhaust port 3041 is used to connect to the plant ventilation system to discharge the gas inside the housing 304, so as to keep the microenvironment inside the housing 304 clean.

[0053] The top of the housing 304, especially the top of the housing 304 located below the robotic arm conveying path, such as the top of the first housing 304a, can be recessed inward to form a first liquid receiving tank 3042. A guide channel 3043 is formed on the side wall of the housing 304 opposite to the groove 10. The guide channel 3043 is connected to the first liquid receiving tank 3042 to guide the liquid in the first liquid receiving tank 3042 to the outside of the substrate flipping device. In one embodiment, one side of the substrate flipping device is a substrate cleaning tank, and the guide channel 3043 guides the liquid in the first liquid receiving tank 3042 to the substrate cleaning tank. In this embodiment, the other side of the substrate flipping device is the electrical control equipment area, which is a dry area. Therefore, the second housing 304b does not have a first liquid receiving tank 3042 and a guide channel 3043. In other embodiments, both parts of the housing 304, namely the first housing 304a and the second housing 304b, can be equipped with a first liquid receiving tank 3042 and a guide channel 3043 according to the equipment layout requirements.

[0054] See Figures 10 to 12 The substrate holder 301 includes a connector 3011 and a pair of clamping portions 3012. The connector 3011 has opposing sidewalls, and the pair of clamping portions 3012 are detachably mounted on the two ends of the two sidewalls of the connector 3011. At least one pair of clamping grooves 3013 are provided on the opposite side of the two clamping portions 3012, and each pair of clamping grooves 3013 is used to receive one substrate. A rotating shaft 3014 is provided on the opposite surface of the two sidewalls of the connector 3011, and a second drive assembly 302 drives the substrate holder 301 to rotate through the rotating shaft 3014. Some chemical liquids or contaminants may accumulate in the clamping grooves 3013 of the clamping part 3012. To keep the clamping grooves 3013 clean, a cleaning channel 3015 is provided in each clamping groove 3013. Cleaning fluid is supplied to the clamping grooves 3013 through the cleaning channel 3015 to clean the clamping grooves 3013. One end of the cleaning channel 3015 communicates with the clamping groove 3013, and the other end is connected to a liquid inlet pipe 3016. In one embodiment, the liquid supply pipe 103 that supplies deionized water to the inner tank 101 can be connected to the liquid inlet pipe 3016 through a branch pipe (not shown) to provide deionized water to the clamping grooves 3013 for cleaning.

[0055] The following will combine Figures 14(a) to 14(h) and Figures 15(a) to 15(h) Describe the operating steps of the substrate flipping device, in Figures 14(a) to 14(h) and Figures 15(a) to 15(h) In the original design, the lifting mechanism was simplified, retaining only the support base 201. When the substrate flipping device is in its initial state, as... Figure 13As shown, the support base 201 is empty, rising from the slot 10 and positioned in the substrate placement position, ready to receive the substrate transferred by the robot arm R1; the substrate holder 301 is empty, rotated to the vertical direction, and positioned in the substrate picking position. For ease of description, the following explanation will use an example where the support base 201 can receive 13 substrates and the substrate holder 301 can receive 2 substrates.

[0056] Step 1, attach the support 201 piece. (Example) Figure 13 As shown in Figure 14(a), the support 201 rises to the wafer placement position, and the robot R1 places multiple substrates (e.g., 13 substrates) onto the support 201, and then the robot R1 moves away.

[0057] Step 2: The substrate holder 301 moves to the bonding position. As shown in Figure 14(b), the substrate holder 301 translates toward the support 201, moving from a pick-up position away from the support 201 to the first bonding position directly below the support 201. At this time, the substrate holder 301 is directly facing the two substrates on the support 201. In one embodiment, the substrate holder 301 picks up substrates starting from the leftmost end of the support 201, and the substrate holder 301 corresponds to the two leftmost substrates of the support 201 at the first bonding position.

[0058] Step 3: Substrate holder 301 attaches substrates. After the substrate holder 301 moves to the attachment position, as shown in Figure 14(c), the support 201 begins to descend, and the substrate holder 301 receives two substrates. Then, as shown in Figure 14(d), the support 201 continues to descend into the groove 10. During the substrate holder 301 attachment process, the support 201 first descends at a first speed. After the substrate holder 301 attaches the substrates, the support 201 descends into the groove 10 at a second speed, so that the remaining substrates on the support 201 are completely immersed in the liquid in the groove 10. The first speed is less than the second speed, which avoids the support 201 descending too quickly during attachment, preventing the substrates from colliding with the substrate holder 301 and causing damage.

[0059] Step 4: The substrate holder 301 moves to the wafer pick-up position. After the support 201 descends into the slot 10, as shown in Figure 14(e), the substrate holder 301 carries two substrates from the wafer receiving position to the wafer pick-up position.

[0060] Step 5: The substrate holder 301 performs a flipping operation. As shown in Figures 14(f) and 14(g), the substrate holder 301 slowly flips the substrate from a vertical direction to a horizontal direction at the wafer pick-up position. During this process, the substrate holder 301 slowly flips the substrate from a vertical direction to a horizontal direction at a third speed of 10° to 50° / s.

[0061] Step 6, the process robot picks up the substrate. After the substrate holder 301 flips the substrate to a horizontal position, as shown in Figure 14(h), the process robot R2 removes the substrate from the substrate holder 301.

[0062] Step 7: The substrate flipping device returns to its initial state. As shown in Figure 15(a), the support 201 rises again to the wafer placement position, and the empty substrate holder 301 quickly flips from the horizontal direction to the vertical direction, returning to its initial state. Preferably, since the substrate holder 301 and the support 201 do not interfere with each other in the wafer picking position, the action of the support 201 rising again to the wafer placement position can be synchronized with the flipping action of the substrate holder 301 in the wafer picking position and the wafer picking action of the process robot, thus improving the wafer transfer efficiency of the substrate flipping device. In step 7, the substrate holder 301 is empty and quickly flips from the vertical direction to the horizontal direction at a fourth speed. The fourth speed is greater than the third speed. The fourth speed is 90°~180° / s.

[0063] Step 8: The substrate holder 301 moves to the bonding position. As shown in Figure 15(b), the substrate holder 301 translates towards the support base 201, moving from the pick-up position to the second bonding position. At this time, the substrate holder 301 is directly facing the other two substrates on the support base 201. The second bonding position is adjacent to the first bonding position, so that the substrate holder 301 receives the substrates on the support base 201 sequentially from left to right, simplifying the control logic of the substrate holder 301's operation. Of course, in other embodiments, the substrate holder 301 can also receive the substrates on the support base 201 sequentially from right to left.

[0064] Step 9, substrate holder 301 attaches the substrates. After the substrate holder 301 moves to the attaching position, as shown in Figures 15(c) and 15(d), the support 201 begins to descend at a first speed, and the substrate holder 301 receives two substrates. Then, the support 201 continues to descend into the slot 10 at a second speed, wherein the first speed is less than the second speed.

[0065] Step 10: The substrate holder 301 moves to the wafer pick-up position. After the support 201 descends into the slot 10, as shown in Figure 15(e), the substrate holder 301 carries two substrates from the wafer receiving position to the wafer pick-up position.

[0066] Step 11, the substrate holder 301 performs a flipping action. As shown in Figures 15(f) and 15(g), the substrate holder 301 slowly flips the substrate from the vertical direction to the horizontal direction at a third speed from the pick-up position.

[0067] Step 12, the process robot picks up the substrate. After the substrate holder 301 flips the substrate to a horizontal position, as shown in Figure 15(h), the process robot R2 removes the substrate from the substrate holder 301.

[0068] Next, steps 7 to 12 are repeated until the substrate holder 301 has removed all the substrates from the support 201. In this embodiment, the support 201 receives 13 substrates, and the substrate holder 301 can transfer 2 substrates at a time. Therefore, the substrate holder 301 needs to repeat the action of receiving substrates from the support 201 7 times. In the first 6 times, it receives 2 substrates each time, and in the 7th time, it receives 1 substrate. And so on. If the support 201 receives 7 substrates, the substrate holder 301 needs to repeat the action of receiving substrates from the support 201 4 times; if the support 201 receives 25 substrates, the substrate holder 301 needs to repeat the action of receiving substrates from the support 201 13 times.

[0069] As a preferred embodiment, the number of substrates that the substrate holder 301 can receive is matched with the number of wafers picked up by the process robot, thereby improving the utilization rate of the process robot. For example, when the process robot is configured with two arms, the number of clamping slots 3013 configured in the substrate holder 301 is not less than two pairs, that is, the number of substrates that the substrate holder 301 can receive is not less than two wafers. For another example, when the process robot is configured with three arms, the number of substrates that the substrate holder 301 can receive is not less than three wafers.

[0070] In the substrate flipping device, the support base 201 can receive multiple substrates, so that the substrates that have completed the tank cleaning can be transferred to the substrate flipping device at one time, which can reduce the dwell time of the substrates in the substrate cleaning tank and thus increase the output of the substrate cleaning equipment.

[0071] Meanwhile, the substrate holder 301 is configured to not only rotate the substrate from the vertical direction to the horizontal direction, but also translate it relative to the support 201 and move back and forth between the bonding position and the pick-up position. This allows multiple substrates on the support 201 to be quickly transferred to the process robot R2 in multiple batches, which helps to improve the transfer speed of the substrate flipping device.

[0072] In addition, when the substrate holder 301 transfers the substrate to the process robot R2, the substrate remaining on the support 201 can be immersed in the liquid in the tank 10 as the support 201 descends, keeping it moist, thereby shortening the exposure time of the substrate in the air and preventing pollutants such as particles in the air from contaminating the substrate surface.

[0073] Example 2

[0074] See Figure 16This invention discloses a substrate cleaning apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. The substrate cleaning apparatus includes a main frame 100, a front-end equipment module 200, a tank cleaning module 300, a single-wafer cleaning module 400, and a process robot 500.

[0075] The front-end equipment module 200 includes multiple loading ports 210 and a front-end robot 220. The loading ports 210 are arranged longitudinally along the Y direction and are used to hold substrate boxes containing multiple substrates; typically, 25 substrates are contained within a substrate box. The front-end robot 220 is used to transfer substrates from the front-end equipment module 200 to the tank cleaning module 300 for tank cleaning, or to transfer substrates that have completed single-wafer cleaning and drying processes from the single-wafer cleaning module 400 back to the front-end equipment module 200.

[0076] The tank cleaning module 300 includes a first flipping device 310, at least one substrate cleaning tank (321-325), at least one robot (341, 342), and a second flipping device 350. The first flipping device 310, at least one substrate cleaning tank (321-325), and the second flipping device 350 are arranged laterally along the X-direction. The first flipping device 310 is located near the front-end equipment module 200. The front-end robot 220 horizontally transfers the substrate to the first flipping device 310, which rotates the substrate from a horizontal to a vertical orientation. At least one substrate cleaning tank (321-325) is used to perform a tank cleaning process on the substrate. At least one robot (341, 342) is responsible for vertically transferring the substrate to the first flipping device 310, at least one substrate cleaning tank (321-325), and the second flipping device 350. The second flipping device 350 rotates the substrate from a vertical to a horizontal orientation so that the process robot 500 horizontally transfers the substrate to the single-piece cleaning module 400.

[0077] The second flipping device 350 has the same structure as the substrate flipping device in Embodiment 1, and includes a groove 351, a lifting mechanism 352, and a flipping mechanism 353. After receiving multiple substrates at once by the lifting mechanism 352, the second flipping device 350 transfers some of the substrates to the flipping mechanism 353. The flipping mechanism 353 rotates the substrates from the vertical direction to the horizontal direction. Then, the process robot 500 removes the substrates from the flipping mechanism 353 and transfers them to the single-wafer cleaning module 400, where the single-wafer cleaning and drying process is performed on the substrates in the single-wafer cleaning chamber 410.

[0078] The number of substrates that the flipping mechanism 353 can accommodate can be determined based on the number of robotic arms configured in the process robot 500. Typically, the number of substrates that the flipping mechanism 353 can accommodate is not less than the number of robotic arms configured in the process robot 500. The number of robotic arms configured in the process robot 500 is determined based on the number of single-wafer cleaning chambers 410 configured in the single-wafer cleaning module 400. For example, when there are 8 single-wafer cleaning chambers 410, considering both transfer efficiency and equipment cost, a process robot 500 with 2 robotic arms is selected between the second flipping device 350 and the single-wafer cleaning module 400. At the same time, the flipping mechanism 353 is configured to accommodate at least 2 substrates.

[0079] In this embodiment, each substrate cleaning tank (321-325) is also equipped with a lifting mechanism 3201. The lifting mechanism 3201 in the substrate cleaning tank (321-325) has the same structure as the lifting mechanism 352 in the second flipping device 350. According to Embodiment 1, the lifting mechanism 3201 is independently set relative to the substrate cleaning tank (321-325), which allows the installation position of the lifting mechanism in each substrate cleaning tank to be adjusted independently. Specifically, each substrate cleaning tank can use the fine-tuning component configured in the lifting mechanism 3201 to make the support of the lifting mechanism 3201 face the wafer placement position. The wafer placement position is the position where the lifting mechanism 3201 receives the substrate from at least one robotic arm (341, 342). The specific structure of the lifting mechanism 3201 is described in Embodiment 1 and will not be repeated here.

[0080] In one embodiment, multiple substrate cleaning tanks (321-325) are provided, divided into at least two groups. Each group of substrate cleaning tanks is equipped with at least one robotic arm. A robotic arm cleaning tank is arranged between two adjacent groups of substrate cleaning tanks. The robotic arm cleaning tank is used to clean the robotic arms arranged in the adjacent two groups of substrate cleaning tanks. Each group of substrate cleaning tanks may include at least one chemical solution tank and at least one water tank. The chemical solution tank contains a chemical solution, such as HF or SPM, and the water tank contains DIW. Typically, the substrate is first placed in the chemical solution tank for cleaning, then transferred to the water tank for cleaning, and then transferred to the chemical solution tank of the next group of substrate cleaning tanks for cleaning. The number of chemical solution tanks and water tanks configured in each group of substrate cleaning tanks is determined according to the actual process requirements.

[0081] like Figure 16As shown, multiple substrate cleaning tanks (321-325) are divided into two groups: a first group of substrate cleaning tanks 320a and a second group of substrate cleaning tanks 320b. Multiple robotic arms include a first robotic arm 341 and a second robotic arm 342. The first robotic arm 341 transports substrates to the first group of substrate cleaning tanks 320a, and the second robotic arm 342 transports substrates to the second group of substrate cleaning tanks 320b. The second robotic arm 342 is also responsible for transporting substrates that have completed tank cleaning in the second group of substrate cleaning tanks 320b to the lifting mechanism 352 of the second flipping device 350. A robotic arm cleaning tank 330 is disposed between the first group of substrate cleaning tanks 320a and the second group of substrate cleaning tanks 320b, and this robotic arm cleaning tank 330 can clean the first robotic arm 341 and the second robotic arm 342.

[0082] The single-wafer cleaning module 400 is arranged opposite to the tank-type cleaning module 300. In one embodiment, the single-wafer cleaning module 400 is provided with a plurality of single-wafer cleaning chambers 410, which are arranged along the horizontal X direction. The single-wafer cleaning chambers 410 are used to perform single-wafer cleaning and drying processes on the substrate. A process robot 500 is arranged between the tank-type cleaning module 300 and the single-wafer cleaning module 400. The process robot 500 is used to remove the substrate from the flipping mechanism 353 of the second flipping device 350 of the tank-type cleaning module 300 and horizontally transfer the substrate to the single-wafer cleaning chamber 410. In addition, the process robot 500 is also responsible for transferring the substrate that has completed the single-wafer cleaning and drying process back to the front-end equipment module 200.

[0083] In the substrate cleaning equipment provided in Embodiment 2, the second flipping device 350 adopts the substrate flipping device provided in Embodiment 1. The lifting mechanism 352 of the second flipping device 350 has the same structure as the lifting mechanism of the substrate cleaning tank (321-325), so that the number of substrates received by the second flipping device at one time can be the same as the number of substrates processed by the substrate cleaning tank at one time. Therefore, the second flipping device can share the same robot arm with the substrate cleaning tank. For example, in Figure 16 In this design, substrate cleaning tanks 323, 324, and 325 share the second robotic arm 342 with the second flipping device 350. This arrangement reduces the number of robotic arms required in the substrate cleaning equipment, thus saving costs. Furthermore, substrates that have completed the tank cleaning process in the tank cleaning module 300 do not need to remain in the substrate cleaning tank waiting to enter the second flipping device. They can be transferred in one go to the lifting mechanism 352 in the second flipping device 350, reducing the time substrates spend in the substrate cleaning tank and allowing the tank to be emptied promptly to receive the next batch of substrates to be cleaned, thereby improving the efficiency of the substrate cleaning equipment.

[0084] When the flipping mechanism 353 in the second flipping device 350 rotates the substrate, the lifting mechanism 352 can carry the remaining substrate on it into the tank 351 to keep the substrate surface moist and avoid the adhesion of contaminants such as particles.

[0085] In addition, the substrate cleaning equipment is equipped with a robotic arm cleaning tank 330 between two adjacent sets of substrate cleaning tanks, which facilitates the cleaning of multiple robotic arms (341, 342) to keep each robotic arm clean, reduce the contamination of the substrate by impurities on the robotic arms (341, 342), and help improve the yield of the substrate cleaning equipment.

[0086] In summary, through the above-described embodiments and related drawings, this invention has specifically and thoroughly disclosed the relevant technology, enabling those skilled in the art to implement it. The above-described embodiments are merely illustrative of the invention and not intended to limit it; the scope of the invention should be defined by the claims. Any changes in the number of elements or substitutions of equivalent elements described herein should still fall within the scope of this invention.

Claims

1. A substrate flipping device, characterized in that, include: A trough, used to hold liquids; A lifting mechanism is located on one side of the tank. The lifting mechanism is configured to receive the substrate and drive the substrate to rise and fall so that the substrate is immersed in the liquid in the tank or lifted out of the tank. A flipping mechanism is disposed on the slot for flipping the substrate. The flipping mechanism is configured to move relative to the lifting mechanism between a receiving position and a picking position, wherein the receiving position is the position where the flipping mechanism receives the substrate from the lifting mechanism, and the picking position is the position where the substrate is picked up from the flipping mechanism. The flipping mechanism includes a substrate holder, a second driving component, and a third driving component. The substrate holder is horizontally disposed at the top of the slot. The second driving component is used to drive the substrate holder to rotate. The third driving component is used to drive the substrate holder to move relative to the lifting mechanism between the receiving position and the picking position.

2. The substrate flipping device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The trough is provided with an exhaust port for connecting to the plant's ventilation system. The exhaust port includes a first exhaust plate and a second exhaust plate, with a cavity formed between the first exhaust plate and the second exhaust plate. The first exhaust plate and the second exhaust plate are provided with exhaust holes that are staggered with each other.

3. The substrate flipping device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lifting mechanism includes a support base, a support rod, and a first driving assembly. One end of the support base is used to receive the base plate, and the other end is fixed on the support rod. The first driving assembly drives the support base to rise and fall through the support rod.

4. The substrate flipping device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The lifting mechanism also includes a fine-tuning component, which is used to align the support of the lifting mechanism with the substrate placement position, which is the position where the lifting mechanism receives the substrate from the robotic arm.

5. The substrate flipping device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The fine-tuning component includes a first fine-tuning component. The lifting mechanism is mounted on a mounting plate via the first fine-tuning component. The first fine-tuning component adjusts the installation position of the lifting mechanism in a first direction so that the support of the lifting mechanism is directly opposite the plate placement position.

6. The substrate flipping device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The first fine-tuning component includes a transverse guide rail, a slider, a first fastener, and a fine-tuning set screw. The transverse guide rail is arranged along a first direction. The lifting mechanism is slidably mounted on the transverse guide rail via the slider. One end of the fine-tuning set screw contacts the lifting mechanism. When the fine-tuning set screw pushes the lifting mechanism to move along the first direction and adjust it to a predetermined position, the lifting mechanism is fixed in the predetermined position by the first fastener.

7. The substrate flipping device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The fine-tuning component includes a second fine-tuning component. The support base is mounted on the support rod via the second fine-tuning component. The second fine-tuning component adjusts the installation position of the support base in the second direction so that the support base is directly facing the film placement position.

8. The substrate flipping device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The second fine-tuning component includes a second fastener and a first adjusting member and a second adjusting member arranged along a second direction. One end of the first adjusting member is fixed to the support rod, and one end of the second adjusting member is fixed to the support base. Adjustment holes are provided on the other ends of the first adjusting member and the second adjusting member. The second fastener passes through the overlapping part of the adjustment holes of the first adjusting member and the second adjusting member to fix them together.

9. The substrate flipping device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The substrate holder has at least one pair of clamping slots, each of which has a cleaning channel. Cleaning fluid is supplied to the clamping slot through the cleaning channel to clean the clamping slot.

10. The substrate flipping device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flipping mechanism also includes a housing, the second drive assembly and the third drive assembly are located inside the housing, the top of the housing is provided with a first liquid receiving tank, and a guide channel is formed on the side wall of the housing away from the tank. The guide channel is connected to the first liquid receiving tank to guide the liquid in the first liquid receiving tank to the outside.

11. The substrate flipping device according to claim 10, characterized in that, The housing is also equipped with an air inlet pipe for supplying positive pressure gas into the housing.

12. The substrate flipping device according to claim 10, characterized in that, The housing has an exhaust port, which is used to connect to the plant's ventilation system.

13. The substrate flipping device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flipping mechanism also includes a second liquid receiving tank, which is disposed on the side wall of the tank near the tablet taking position.

14. A substrate cleaning device, characterized in that, include: A tank cleaning module includes a first flipping device, at least one substrate cleaning tank, at least one robot and a second flipping device. The at least one substrate cleaning tank is used to perform a tank cleaning process on the substrate. The first flipping device is used to rotate the substrate from a horizontal direction to a vertical direction. The at least one robot is responsible for vertically transferring the substrate to the first flipping device, the at least one substrate cleaning tank and the second flipping device. The second flipping device is used to rotate the substrate that has completed the tank cleaning from a vertical direction to a horizontal direction. A single-piece cleaning module includes at least one single-piece cleaning chamber for performing single-piece cleaning and drying processes on a substrate. A process robot is used to remove the substrate from the second flipping device and horizontally transfer it to at least one single-wafer cleaning chamber of the single-wafer cleaning module. The second flipping device is the substrate flipping device according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. The substrate cleaning equipment according to claim 14, characterized in that, Each of the substrate cleaning tanks is equipped with a lifting mechanism, and the lifting mechanism in the substrate cleaning tank is the same as the lifting mechanism in the second flipping device.

16. The substrate cleaning equipment according to claim 14, characterized in that, The substrate cleaning tanks are multiple, and the multiple substrate cleaning tanks are divided into at least two groups. Each group of substrate cleaning tanks is equipped with a robot arm. A robot arm cleaning tank is arranged between two adjacent groups of substrate cleaning tanks. The robot arm cleaning tank is used to clean the robot arms arranged in each of the two adjacent groups of substrate cleaning tanks.

Images