Wafer flipping and transferring apparatus and method

Abstract

The application provides a wafer overturning and transferring device and method, which comprises a bearing device, a grabbing device, a lifting device, a first rotary joint, a second rotary joint and the like, wherein the grabbing device comprises two grabbing arms, can alternately grab wafers from both sides in succession, and can overturn and transfer the wafers, and can continuously place the wafers in a box, complete the continuous transfer of the wafers, and ensure the accuracy of the wafer position. The device can continuously and stably place the wafers in the box, ensure the continuity and stability of the wafer placement, and greatly improve the efficiency of the wafer overturning and transferring. The application solves the problem of empty return in the wafer overturning and transferring process, and greatly improves the efficiency of the wafer overturning and transferring process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of wafer processing technology, and in particular to a wafer flipping and transferring device and a flipping and transferring method. Background Technology

[0002] In the wafer fabrication process at a fab, many types of cassettes are used to load wafers, which need to be flipped using transfer equipment. The orientation and front and back of the wafers in the cassettes must be consistent, and the orientation and markings on the wafer surfaces must be consistent.

[0003] Current wafer transfer machines only support single-sided transfer technology. During wafer transfer, the gripping arm needs to repeatedly move between the gripping and flipping positions, and after gripping, the wafer needs to be flipped and transferred to the hopper. During the transfer return process, the gripping arm is in an empty state without wafers, and the wafer needs to be repeatedly gripped and positioned during the reciprocating movement. This directly leads to the problem of long time consumption and low efficiency in the wafer flipping and transfer process. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the aforementioned problems, this invention provides a wafer flipping and transfer device and a wafer flipping and transfer method. This invention solves the problem of no-load return during the wafer flipping and transfer process, and greatly improves the efficiency of the wafer flipping and transfer process.

[0005] To solve the above problems, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows: A wafer flipping and transferring device includes: The support device includes a first support platform and a second support platform spaced apart, and a third support platform is movably disposed between the first support platform and the second support platform; The gripping device, mounted on the surface of the third support platform, has two symmetrically arranged gripping arms. A lifting device is installed between the first and second load-bearing platforms to control the vertical movement of the third load-bearing platform; The first rotating joint is located on the side wall of the third bearing platform and is used to control the two gripping arms to rotate around the axis. The second rotating joint is located above the second bearing platform and is used to control the bearing device and the gripping arm to rotate in the horizontal plane. In this process, after the gripping arm picks up the wafer, the second rotary joint controls the gripping arm to rotate on the horizontal plane. After rotating to the predetermined position, the first rotary joint controls the gripping arm to flip around the axis, thus completing the wafer transfer.

[0006] Preferably, the first rotating joint includes a first rotating body and a first rotating end, the first rotating end passing through both sides of the first rotating body and fixed to the two gripping arms.

[0007] Preferably, the lifting device includes a hydraulic telescopic rod and a guide rod located outside the hydraulic telescopic rod, the guide rod being located between the first bearing platform and the second bearing platform and passing through the third bearing platform.

[0008] Preferably, the second rotating joint includes a second rotating end, and the second rotating end is fitted with an adjusting device. During the rotation of the second rotating joint, hydraulic oil is pumped into the hydraulic telescopic rod through the adjusting device to control its extension.

[0009] Preferably, the adjusting device includes an adjusting component, the adjusting component includes an adjusting sleeve, an adjusting shaft is rotatably disposed at the axis position of the adjusting sleeve, the adjusting shaft is fixedly connected to a second rotating end, a first adjusting baffle is fixedly connected to the side wall of the adjusting shaft, a second adjusting baffle is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the adjusting sleeve, and a pumping device is disposed between the first adjusting baffle and the second adjusting baffle.

[0010] Preferably, the pumping device includes a pumping component and a control component, the pumping component having a pumping end, wherein the control component is located on the movement path of the pumping end, and the pumping amount of the pumping component is adjusted by adjusting the rigid length of the control component.

[0011] Preferably, the regulating device further includes a storage tank, which is connected to the pumping assembly via a pumping pipe. A one-way valve is installed in the pumping pipe. The storage tank is connected to the hydraulic telescopic rod via a pressure relief pipe, which is equipped with a pressure relief valve. An elastic element for resetting is installed in the hydraulic telescopic rod.

[0012] Preferably, the adjustment components are arranged in two sets, one above the other, with the two sets of adjustment components rotating in opposite directions.

[0013] Preferably, it also includes a driving device, which brings the gripping device close to the material box to complete the placement of the wafer.

[0014] A wafer flip-over method includes the following steps: S1. Control the first gripping arm to the predetermined position on the outside and complete the gripping of the first wafer; S2. After the first wafer is picked up, the two gripping arms are controlled to rotate horizontally through the second rotary joint, so that the first gripping arm rotates to the predetermined inner position. S3. Control the first gripping arm to flip through the first rotary joint to complete the flipping and transfer of the first wafer; S4. After the first gripping arm completes the flipping and transfer of the first wafer, the second gripping arm directly completes the gripping of the second wafer. S5. Repeat the above steps to complete the continuous flip-load of multiple wafers.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: Compared to traditional wafer flipping and transfer methods, this method uses two symmetrically positioned gripping arms to continuously grip and flip wafers, reducing the time spent idle and positioning the wafers during the flipping and transfer process, thus greatly improving the efficiency of wafer flipping and transfer. Furthermore, by controlling the gripping arms to rotate in a horizontal plane through a second rotary joint, the time spent rotating the wafer with the flipped side facing down can be reduced, ensuring stability and positioning accuracy during wafer transfer, further improving the efficiency of wafer flipping and transfer. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the main structure of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a side view of the structure of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a top view of the structure of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the adjustment component of the present invention; Figure 6 For the present invention Figure 5 A top-view structural diagram.

[0017] In the diagram: 100, material box; 110, wafer; 200, drive device; 300, gripping device; 310, gripping arm; 400, first rotating joint; 410, first rotating body; 420, first rotating end; 500, lifting device; 510, hydraulic telescopic rod; 520, guide rod; 600, second rotating joint; 700, adjusting device; 710, adjusting assembly; 711, adjusting sleeve; 712, second adjusting baffle; 713, adjusting shaft; 714, first adjusting baffle; 720, storage tank; 800, bearing device; 810, third bearing platform; 820, first bearing platform; 830, second bearing platform; 900, pumping device; 910, pumping assembly; 920, control assembly. Implementation

[0018] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0019] See attached document Figure 1 - Appendix Figure 6A wafer flipping and transferring device includes a carrying device 800, a gripping device 300, a lifting device 500, a first rotating joint 400, a second rotating joint 600, and other devices. The gripping device 300 includes two gripping arms 310, which can alternately grip and flip wafers continuously from both sides, continuously placing wafers 110 into a material box 100 to complete continuous wafer transfer and ensure accurate wafer placement. The device can continuously and stably place wafers 110 into the material box 100, ensuring continuous and stable wafer placement and greatly improving the efficiency of wafer flipping and transferring.

[0020] The carrier device 800 includes a first carrier platform 820 and a second carrier platform 830 spaced apart. A third carrier platform 810 is movably disposed between the first carrier platform 820 and the second carrier platform 830. The third carrier platform 810 is positioned opposite the material box 100, installed in the middle position and movable, and can move up and down to different positions of the material box 100 to achieve accurate placement of the wafer 110.

[0021] The gripping device 300 is mounted on the surface of the third support platform 810 and has two symmetrically arranged gripping arms 310. After the first gripping arm 310 finishes gripping the wafer 110 from the outside, it is controlled to rotate to the inside, i.e., the position of the material box 100, and then controlled to rotate again, which can flip the wafer 110. After the flipped wafer 110 is accurately positioned, it is pushed into the material box 100 to complete the placement of the wafer 110. After the first gripping arm 310 rotates, the second gripping arm 310 is located on the outside, which can continuously grip the wafer 110, reducing the gripping time of the wafer 110. Compared with the traditional single robot gripping or two robot gripping in cooperation, it can continuously grip the wafer and can position both gripping arms 310 at one time, which greatly improves the efficiency of wafer gripping positioning and subsequent flipping and loading. The gripping arms 310 mentioned above can be selected to use a negative pressure gripping method.

[0022] The lifting device 500 is disposed between the first carrier platform 820 and the second carrier platform 830 and is used to control the third carrier platform 810 to move up and down. The lifting device 500 can control the third carrier platform 810 to move up and down to different positions to correspond to different storage positions of the material box 100, so that the wafers 110 can be continuously stacked in the predetermined positions in the material box 100.

[0023] The first rotary joint 400 is located on the side wall of the third bearing platform 810 and is used to control the two gripping arms 310 to rotate around the axis, that is, to allow the gripping arms 310 to be rotated 180° to achieve wafer flipping; the first rotary joint 400 can be selected as a hydraulic or pneumatic rotary joint for rotation control.

[0024] The second rotating joint 600 is located above the second carrier platform 830 and is used to control the carrier device 800 and the gripping arm 310 to rotate on the horizontal plane; that is, it can allow the two gripping arms 310 to switch horizontal positions, rotating from the outer gripping position to the position of the material box 100, completing the horizontal transfer of the wafer 110, so as to facilitate the subsequent flipping of the wafer.

[0025] In this process, after the gripping arm 310 grips the wafer 110, it first controls the second rotary joint 600 to rotate on the horizontal plane. After rotating to the predetermined position, the first rotary joint 400 controls the gripping arm 310 to flip around the axis, completing the transfer of the wafer 110. By first controlling the wafer 110 to rotate on the horizontal plane and then controlling it to flip, the movement distance of the wafer 110 after flipping can be shortened, reducing the requirements of the gripping arm 310 on the wafer 110, ensuring its stability in gripping the wafer 110, ensuring its stability during the movement, improving the wafer 110 transfer efficiency, and ensuring accurate positioning during the transfer process, avoiding problems such as wafer detachment and positioning deviation.

[0026] Please refer to the appendix for details. Figure 2 The first rotating joint 400 includes a first rotating body 410 and a first rotating end 420. The first rotating end 420 passes through both sides of the first rotating body 410 and is fixed to two gripping arms 310. The two gripping arms 310 are on the same horizontal plane and the suction cups are adsorbed in opposite directions. While the suction cup of the first gripping arm 310 flips downward, the second gripping arm 310 faces upward, which can continuously transfer the suction cups and improve the transfer efficiency. At the same time, the synchronous and stable rotation of the two gripping arms 310 can be ensured by controlling the rotation of the two gripping arms 310, ensuring the accuracy of the flipping process and the positioning during the gripping process.

[0027] The lifting device 500 includes a hydraulic telescopic rod 510 and a guide rod 520 located outside the hydraulic telescopic rod 510. The guide rod 520 is located between the first bearing platform 820 and the second bearing platform 830 and passes through the third bearing platform 810. The two guide rods 520 can play a guiding role, allowing the third bearing platform 810 to slide up and down in a predetermined position. The hydraulic telescopic rod 510 can control the up and down extension of the third bearing platform 810 so that the end wafer 110 is aligned with different positions of the material box 100, thereby realizing the placement of the wafer.

[0028] The second rotating joint 600 includes a second rotating end, and an adjusting device 700 is provided on the outer sleeve of the second rotating end. During the rotation of the second rotating joint 600, hydraulic oil is pumped into the hydraulic telescopic rod 510 through the adjusting device 700 to control its extension. By setting the adjusting device 700, hydraulic oil can be automatically pumped into the hydraulic telescopic rod 510 after the wafer 110 is deflected once, so that the end of the hydraulic telescopic rod 510 can be lowered by a predetermined distance, realizing automatic descent control, so that the subsequent wafer can be automatically placed in the corresponding placement slot below, realizing the automatic control process.

[0029] As a preferred adjustment method, the adjustment device 700 includes an adjustment assembly 710, which includes an adjustment sleeve 711. An adjustment shaft 713 is rotatably mounted on the axis of the adjustment sleeve 711. The adjustment shaft 713 is fixedly connected to a second rotating end. A first adjustment baffle 714 is fixedly connected to the side wall of the adjustment shaft 713, and a second adjustment baffle 712 is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the adjustment sleeve 711. A pumping device 900 is disposed between the first adjustment baffle 714 and the second adjustment baffle 712. During the rotation of the adjustment shaft 713 by the second rotating end, the first adjustment baffle 714 fixed thereto can be rotated. At this time, the distance between the first adjustment baffle 714 and the second adjustment baffle 712 shortens, which can compress the corresponding pumping device 900. This process enables the pumping of hydraulic oil, which in turn controls the extension and retraction of the hydraulic telescopic rod 510, achieving automatic positioning for the next wafer 110 placement. The device automatically controls the vertical height of the gripping arm 310 during rotation, ensuring efficient control during horizontal rotation. Furthermore, the hydraulic oil control method ensures a consistent descent distance, accurate and automatic control with a low failure rate, making it suitable for wafer positioning and transport. In particular, the linear pumping of oil into the hydraulic telescopic rod 510 ensures a stable and controllable descent process, preventing mechanical failures that could cause jamming or inaccurate docking, thus guaranteeing the stability of the wafer transfer process and the accuracy of the placement.

[0030] Please refer to the appendix for details. Figure 5 and appendix Figure 6The pumping device 900 includes a pumping assembly 910 and a control assembly 920. The pumping assembly 910 has a pumping end, and the control assembly 920 is located on the moving path of the pumping end. The pumping volume of the pumping assembly 910 is adjusted by adjusting the rigid length of the control assembly 920. The pumping assembly has resilience and can return to its initial position after the pressure is removed to ensure the next pumping of oil. At the same time, the pumping assembly 910 is arc-shaped and its structure is similar to that of a hydraulic telescopic rod. The amount of liquid pumped at one time is constant, and it is set inside the adjusting sleeve 711, which can be adapted to the rotating first adjusting baffle 714 to ensure the stability of the squeezing pumping process.

[0031] It should be noted that the control component 920 is located on the rotation path of the pumping component 910. By changing the rigidity length of the control component 920, the amount of oil pumped by the pumping component 910 can be changed, controlling the descent height of the gripping device 300 and the wafer 110. It can be adapted and adjusted according to the vertical spacing of the placement slots in the material box 100, enabling adaptive transfer. The control component 920 can select several arrayed telescopic pads for telescopic control to achieve different rigidity lengths, changing the movement distance of the pumping component 910 and realizing the adaptation adjustment process. Similarly, it can select several parallel airbags, each equipped with electrorheological fluid and individually energized for conductivity control. By controlling different numbers of airbags to become rigid in a conductive state, the rigidity length can also be adjusted. Controlling through electrorheological fluid has a fast response speed and a simpler control structure.

[0032] The regulating device 700 also includes a storage tank 720, which is connected to the pumping assembly 910 via a pumping pipe equipped with a one-way valve. The storage tank 720 is also connected to the hydraulic telescopic rod 510 via a pressure relief pipe equipped with a pressure relief valve. The hydraulic telescopic rod 510 contains an elastic element for resetting. During the descent control process, the pressure relief valve is closed. During the horizontal rotation of the gripping device 300, the pumping assembly 910 pumps the oil from the storage tank 720. The current unidirectional pumping process allows the hydraulic telescopic rod 510 to descend intermittently in one direction. After descending to the lowest point, the pressure relief valve is opened. At this time, under the action of the elastic element, the hydraulic telescopic rod 510 can drive the gripping device 300 to return to the initial position. At the same time, the oil is pumped back into the storage tank 720, realizing the return of the oil. The above device can realize the closed-loop processing of the oil control circuit, which is not affected by the external environment. At the same time, the oil equipment can automatically realize the pumping and return of oil, improve the automation effect, and ensure the efficiency of wafer 110 transfer.

[0033] When the above adjustment method is adopted, the adjustment components 710 are arranged in two sets, one above the other, with the two sets of adjustment components 710 rotating in opposite directions. This ensures that the pumping control process can be realized when the gripping device 300 is rotated in both directions, thus guaranteeing the stability of the pumping control.

[0034] The device also includes a drive unit 200, which guides the gripping device 300 closer to the material box 100 to place the wafer 110. The drive unit 200 can adjust the position of the gripping device 300 to be closer to the material box 100, allowing the gripping arm 310 to extend into the material box 100, enabling the placement of the flipped material box 100 and ultimately completing the transfer process.

[0035] A wafer flip-over method includes the following steps: S1. Control the first gripping arm 310 to the predetermined position on the outside and complete the gripping of the first wafer 110. The gripping arm 310 can grip the wafer 110 by means of negative pressure. At this time, the wafer 110 is located above the first gripping arm 310. The above gripping method can be controlled by a robotic arm outside the equipment to cooperate in gripping.

[0036] S2. After the first wafer 110 is picked up, the two gripping arms 310 are controlled to rotate horizontally by the second rotating joint 600, so that the first gripping arm 310 rotates to the inner predetermined position, that is, rotates to the position corresponding to the material box 100, so that the position of the gripping arm 310 corresponds to the material box 100, and the wafer 110 corresponds to the placement slot in the material box 100, so as to ensure the accuracy of the placement position of the wafer 110.

[0037] S3. The first gripping arm 310 is flipped by the first rotating joint 400 to complete the flipping and transfer of the first wafer 110. After the gripping arm 310 rotates, the wafer 110 is located at the lower end of the gripping arm 310. At this time, the wafer 110 is flipped. Subsequently, the gripping arm 310 is extended into the material box 100 by the drive device 200 to complete the transfer of the wafer 110.

[0038] S4. After the first gripping arm 310 completes the flipping and transfer of the first wafer 110, the second gripping arm 310 directly completes the gripping of the second wafer 110. At this time, the second gripping arm 310 is located on the outside and can grip the wafer 110 at the same time. The above gripping process can be carried out continuously.

[0039] S5. Repeat the above steps to complete the continuous flipping and transfer of multiple wafers 110. Repeating the above operation can continuously grasp the wafers 110, ensuring the continuous and efficient operation of the grasping process, and ensuring the efficiency and accuracy of the wafer 110 flipping and transfer.

[0040] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A wafer flipping and transferring device, characterized in that, include: The support device (800) includes a first support platform (820) and a second support platform (830) spaced apart, and a third support platform (810) is movably disposed between the first support platform (820) and the second support platform (830). The gripping device (300) is mounted on the surface of the third support platform (810) and has two symmetrically arranged gripping arms (310). A lifting device (500) is disposed between the first bearing platform (820) and the second bearing platform (830) for controlling the vertical movement of the third bearing platform (810); The first rotary joint (400) is located on the side wall of the third bearing platform (810) and is used to control the two gripping arms (310) to rotate around the axis; The second rotating joint (600) is located above the second bearing platform (830) and is used to control the bearing device (800) and the gripping arm (310) to rotate in the horizontal plane; In this process, after the gripping arm (310) grips the wafer (110), the second rotary joint (600) controls the gripping arm (310) to rotate on the horizontal plane. After rotating to the predetermined position, the first rotary joint (400) controls the gripping arm (310) to flip around the axis to complete the transfer of the wafer (110). The lifting device (500) includes a hydraulic telescopic rod (510). The second rotating joint (600) includes a second rotating end, and the second rotating end is fitted with an adjusting device (700). During the rotation of the second rotating joint (600), hydraulic oil is pumped into the hydraulic telescopic rod (510) through the adjusting device (700) to control its extension. The adjusting device (700) includes an adjusting assembly (710), which includes an adjusting sleeve (711). An adjusting shaft (713) is rotatably mounted on the axis of the adjusting sleeve (711). The adjusting shaft (713) is fixedly connected to a second rotating end. A first adjusting baffle (714) is fixedly connected to the side wall of the adjusting shaft (713). A second adjusting baffle (712) is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the adjusting sleeve (711). A pumping device (900) is provided between the first adjusting baffle (714) and the second adjusting baffle (712). The pumping device (900) includes a pumping assembly (910) and a control assembly (920), the pumping assembly (910) having a pumping end, wherein the control assembly (920) is located on the movement path of the pumping end, and the pumping amount of the pumping assembly (910) is adjusted by adjusting the rigid length of the control assembly (920).

2. The wafer flipping and transfer equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first rotating joint (400) includes a first rotating body (410) and a first rotating end (420). The first rotating end (420) extends through both sides of the first rotating body (410) and is fixed to the two gripping arms (310).

3. The wafer flipping and transfer equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lifting device (500) includes a guide rod (520) located outside the hydraulic telescopic rod (510), the guide rod (520) being located between the first bearing platform (820) and the second bearing platform (830) and passing through the third bearing platform (810).

4. The wafer flipping and transfer equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The regulating device (700) also includes a storage tank (720), which is connected to the pumping assembly (910) via a pumping pipe. A one-way valve is installed in the pumping pipe. The storage tank (720) is connected to the hydraulic telescopic rod (510) via a pressure relief pipe. A pressure relief valve is installed in the pressure relief pipe. An elastic element for resetting is installed in the hydraulic telescopic rod (510).

5. A wafer flipping and transfer device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The adjustment components (710) are arranged in two sets, one above the other, with the two sets of adjustment components (710) rotating in opposite directions.

6. A wafer flipping and transferring device according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, It also includes a drive unit (200) that allows the gripping device (300) to approach the hopper (100) to place the wafer (110).

7. A wafer flipping and loading method, characterized in that, Using the wafer flipping and transferring apparatus according to any one of claims 1-6 includes the following steps: S1. Control the first gripping arm (310) to the predetermined position on the outside and complete the gripping of the first wafer (110); S2. After the first wafer (110) is picked up, the two gripping arms (310) are controlled to rotate horizontally through the second rotating joint (600), so that the first gripping arm (310) rotates to the predetermined inner position. S3. Control the first gripping arm (310) to flip through the first rotating joint (400) to complete the flipping and transfer of the first wafer (110); S4. After the first gripping arm (310) completes the flipping and transfer of the first wafer (110), the second gripping arm (310) directly completes the gripping of the second wafer (110). S5. Repeat the above steps to complete the continuous flip-load of multiple wafers (110).

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