Wafer cooling device

Abstract

The application provides a wafer cooling device, and belongs to the technical field of wafer processing. The wafer cooling device comprises a cooling system and a wafer supporting jaw for placing a wafer on the cooling system. The cooling system comprises a cooling seat for placing the wafer and a cooling assembly for cooling the wafer. The wafer supporting jaw comprises a wafer supporting piece for supporting the edge of the wafer and a sealing cover plate arranged above the wafer supporting piece. The wafer supporting jaw is arranged above the cooling seat. A driving device for driving the wafer supporting jaw to ascend and descend is connected to the wafer supporting jaw. The driving device drives the wafer supporting jaw to descend, and the sealing cover plate cooperates with the cooling seat to form a closed cooling chamber, and the wafer supporting piece and the wafer are located in the cooling chamber. The cooling assembly comprises a gas pipeline connected to the cooling chamber. The wafer can be air-cooled in the closed cooling chamber. The wafer is supported at the edge of the wafer, and the wafer is less damaged.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of wafer processing technology, and more particularly to a wafer processing cooling device. Background Technology

[0002] In modular wafer fabrication, cooling chambers are required to cool the wafers according to processing needs. The design of a wafer cooling chamber typically includes one or more cooling pads placed beneath the wafer to reduce its temperature. Existing technologies usually use the circulation of coolant to remove the heat generated by the wafer.

[0003] The invention patent application with application number (CN202311365622.X) discloses a cooling chamber, including a first cavity and a second cavity communicating with the first cavity. The liquid cooling plate is disposed in the first cavity, and the driving end of the cooling lifting drive member passes through the cavity wall of the second cavity and is placed in the second cavity. The cooling lifting member includes a lifting positioning plate, which is disposed in the second cavity. One side of the lifting positioning plate is connected to the driving end of the cooling lifting drive member, and the other side of the lifting positioning plate is provided with a plurality of pins. The pins can pass through the liquid cooling plate and are positioned higher than the liquid cooling plate.

[0004] However, the above method requires placing the wafer on a pin for support. The pin is located at the center of the wafer. This placement method is very easy to wear down the center of the wafer, which is the location used to manufacture chips in subsequent processes. This support method can easily damage the wafer. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this application is to provide a new wafer cooling device. By setting up a closed cooling chamber, the wafer is placed in the closed cooling chamber, and cooling gas can be filled in to cool the wafer for air cooling, while water cooling can also be performed, resulting in better cooling effect. Furthermore, the cooling chamber is formed by the sealing cover plate connected to the drive device and the cooling seat for cooling, so that the wafer is placed on the cooling seat and a sealed cavity is formed at the same time, making the wafer easy to pick up and put down. On the other hand, this application can prevent damage to the wafer by gripping the wafer from the side, and the wafer picking and putting down is also more stable.

[0006] This application provides a wafer cooling device, comprising:

[0007] A cooling system and wafer claws for placing wafers in the cooling system;

[0008] The cooling system includes a cooling pad for placing the wafer and a cooling assembly for cooling the wafer;

[0009] The wafer support claw includes a wafer holder that supports the edge of the wafer and a sealing cover plate disposed above the wafer holder;

[0010] The wafer claw is positioned above the cooling base; and a drive device for driving the wafer claw to move up and down is connected to the wafer claw.

[0011] The driving device drives the wafer holder to descend, and the sealing cover plate cooperates with the cooling seat to form a closed cooling chamber, and the wafer holder and the wafer are located in the cooling chamber;

[0012] The cooling assembly includes gas piping that connects to the cooling chamber.

[0013] By adopting the above technical solution, a closed cooling chamber is formed, enabling the cooling device to cool the wafer by air cooling. The drive device and wafer claws are placed above the cooling system. The sealed cooling chamber is formed by the sealing cover on the wafer claws and the cooling seat on the cooling system. The drive device is set independently of the cooling system, making it easier to maintain and replace the drive system. The wafer is lifted and placed on the cooling seat. This placement method allows the wafer claws to support the edge of the wafer and prevents wear on the center of the wafer used to form the wafer.

[0014] In some embodiments, the wafer claws further include a pressing member disposed on the sealing cover plate, the pressing member being disposed corresponding to the outer periphery of the cooling chamber;

[0015] The sealing cover is connected to the drive device via the pressing member.

[0016] If the drive unit is directly connected to the sealing cover plate via a connecting rod, the edge of the cooling chamber may be subjected to uneven force. Areas with lower pressure at the edge of the cooling chamber are prone to air leakage, affecting the sealing effect. The above technical solution enables the drive unit to better press against the edge of the sealed cooling chamber, resulting in a better sealing effect.

[0017] In some embodiments, the wafer holder is disposed on the lower bottom surface of the sealing cover plate and includes a first wafer holder and a second wafer holder. The first wafer holder and the second wafer holder are symmetrically disposed relative to the wafer and respectively support the wafer from both sides of the wafer edge.

[0018] The cooling base is provided with a receiving groove corresponding to the plate holder. The receiving groove is located inside the cooling chamber and accommodates the plate holder.

[0019] By adopting the above technical solution, two wafer holders are set up to support the wafer from both sides, which makes it convenient for the wafer to be put into one direction from the two wafer holders and taken out from the other direction. At the same time, the edges of the wafer holders can also avoid wear on the part of the wafer center used for chip manufacturing.

[0020] In some embodiments, the first support includes a vertical portion connected to the sealing cover plate, and the lower end of the vertical portion is provided with two support protrusions for placing the wafer. The upper surface of the support protrusions is provided with a limiting groove adapted to the edge of the wafer.

[0021] In some embodiments, a sealing ring is provided between the cooling seat and the sealing cover plate. The sealing ring is arranged around the outer periphery of the cooling chamber. The sealing cover plate and the cooling seat abut against and squeeze the sealing ring to form a closed cooling chamber.

[0022] A positioning sheath is also provided between the cooling seat and the sealing cover to determine their relative positions.

[0023] The use of sealing rings for sealing results in a simple structure and convenient maintenance. The positioning pins facilitate the positioning of the wafer claws and cooling base during installation, making installation easier. They also ensure the alignment of the wafer claws and cooling base during equipment operation, guaranteeing the sealing of the cooling chamber.

[0024] In some embodiments, the cooling assembly further includes an air-cooling assembly and a water-cooling assembly;

[0025] The air-cooling component includes a gas pipeline connected to the cooling chamber for cooling the cooling chamber.

[0026] The water-cooling assembly includes a water-cooling cavity disposed inside the cooling base and a liquid pipeline communicating with the water-cooling cavity, for cooling the cooling base.

[0027] In some embodiments, the contact surface of the cooling seat that supports the wafer is provided with air cooling patterns, at least one end of the air cooling patterns extending through the cooling seat along its extension direction and communicating with the cooling chamber;

[0028] The air-cooling texture is formed by the downward indentation of the cooling seat and is distributed in a mesh pattern;

[0029] In some embodiments, the gas pipeline includes an inlet for delivering gas and an outlet for returning gas; the inlet is located at the bottom of the cooling base and communicates with the air-cooling pattern.

[0030] By adopting the above technical solution, a liquid cooling cavity is set in the cooling seat, which can simultaneously perform water cooling and air cooling, resulting in faster cooling speed and better cooling effect. Placing the wafer on the cooling seat increases the contact surface between the wafer and the wafer seat, allowing the liquid cooling cavity in the wafer seat to cool the wafer better. At the same time, in order to increase the contact surface between the gas and the wafer, air cooling patterns are set on the contact surface of the cooling seat that supports the wafer, and the outlet of the cooling gas is connected to the air cooling patterns to avoid the situation where the cooling gas cannot enter the high-temperature air cooling patterns, thus improving the cooling effect.

[0031] In some embodiments, the driving device includes a closed driving cavity, a cylinder disposed in the driving cavity, and a transmission rod passing through the driving cavity;

[0032] The cylinder is fixedly mounted on the drive cavity by a fixing plate and drives the transmission rod to move up and down;

[0033] The upper end of the transmission rod is fixedly connected to the output end of the cylinder, and the lower end of the transmission rod is fixedly connected to the wafer support claw.

[0034] A bellows is fitted on one side of the transmission rod extending out of the drive cavity. The upper end of the bellows is sealed and fixed to the outer surface of the drive cavity by a flange, and the upper end of the bellows is sealed and fixed to the wafer claw by a flange.

[0035] In some embodiments, there are multiple cylinders arranged in the same direction on the fixed plate. The multiple cylinders are symmetrically arranged around the transmission rod, and the output ends of the multiple cylinders are connected to the transmission rod through connectors. The multiple cylinders jointly drive the transmission rod to rise and fall through the connectors.

[0036] Using the above technical solution, the cylinder can stably drive the transmission rod to rise and fall, while providing uniform pressure to seal the cooling chamber.

[0037] In some embodiments, the wafer cooling device is disposed within a closed housing, the housing being provided with a wafer transfer port for transferring wafers and a sealing mechanism that can cover the wafer transfer port, the sealing mechanism being able to seal or open the wafer transfer port;

[0038] The housing is connected to the wafer transport device;

[0039] The wafer transfer device is provided with a transfer channel connected to the wafer transfer port and a transfer device for transferring wafers. When the sealing mechanism is opened, the transfer device picks up and puts wafers in the wafer cooling device through the transfer channel.

[0040] The wafer transport device is also connected to a wafer processing device, and the transport device transports the wafers that need to be cooled in the wafer processing device to the wafer cooling device through the transport channel.

[0041] In some embodiments, a first wafer transfer port and a second wafer transfer port are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the housing;

[0042] The first wafer transfer port is connected to the wafer transfer device;

[0043] The second wafer transfer port is connected to the wafer placement cavity, and when the sealing mechanism is opened, the wafer cooling device is connected to the wafer placement cavity;

[0044] The wafer placement cavity is provided with a wafer box for storing wafers. The transmission device can pass through the first wafer transmission port and the second wafer transmission port, and transmit wafers between the wafer cooling device and the wafer box.

[0045] Using the above technical solution, the housing is connected to the wafer transfer device, which is also connected to other wafer processing equipment. After the sealing mechanism is opened, the wafer transfer device can quickly place the wafer that needs to be cooled into the wafer cooling device, and at the same time, it can also transfer the cooled wafer to other wafer processing cavities. The wafer transfer efficiency is high, which can improve the wafer processing speed. In addition, the housing is equipped with a sealing mechanism, which allows the wafer cooling device to be in a closed state, which facilitates the cooling of the wafer and reduces the influence of other cavities on the wafer cooling process. The sealing mechanism achieves the sealing of the housing, and the cooling chamber achieves a second layer of sealing, making it less likely to be contaminated during the wafer cooling process and resulting in higher cleanliness.

[0046] In some embodiments,

[0047] Wafer cooling methods include:

[0048] S1. Place the wafer onto the wafer tray;

[0049] S2. The housing is sealed by the sealing mechanism, the wafer cooling device is sealed inside the housing, and the housing is evacuated for the first time through the gas pipeline.

[0050] S3. Drive the wafer holder to descend until the sealing cover plate abuts against the cooling seat and forms a closed cooling chamber, with the wafer holder and wafer located in the cooling chamber;

[0051] S4. Perform a second vacuuming of the cooling chamber where the wafer is placed through the return air port;

[0052] S5. Cooling gas is introduced into the cooling chamber through the gas pipeline, and cooling liquid is introduced into the liquid cooling chamber through the liquid pipeline to cool the wafer;

[0053] S6. After the wafer is cooled, the cooling gas in the cooling chamber is extracted through the gas pipeline, and the cooling chamber is evacuated for the third time.

[0054] S7. Drive the wafer claws to rise, and the cooling chamber opens to complete the cooling of the wafer;

[0055] S8. Open the sealing mechanism and take out the wafer through the wafer transfer device.

[0056] By adopting the above technical solution, the wafer is cooled in a sealed environment to prevent interference during the cooling process. During the cooling process, air cooling and water cooling can be used together for better cooling effect. For the air cooling process, the closed cooling chamber can prevent the cooling gas from escaping and affecting other wafer processing equipment.

[0057] Other features and corresponding beneficial effects of the present invention will be described in the latter part of the specification, and it should be understood that at least some of the beneficial effects will become obvious from the description in the specification. Attached Figure Description

[0058] Figure 1 A first-view perspective perspective view of a wafer cooling device provided for an embodiment of this application;

[0059] Figure 2 A perspective view of a wafer cooling device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0060] Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of a wafer cooling device provided in this application, along the horizontal direction at the lower half of the wafer gripper;

[0061] Figure 4 A perspective view of a cooling base for a wafer cooling device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0062] Figure 5 A cross-sectional view along the vertical direction of a wafer cooling device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0063] Figure 6 This is a perspective view showing the connection between a wafer cooling device, a wafer transport device, and a wafer placement cavity, as provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0064] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0065] 1. Cooling base;

[0066] 11. Cooling chamber; 12. Sealing ring; 13. Receiving groove; 14. Air cooling texture;

[0067] 2. Cooling components

[0068] 21. Air-cooled components;

[0069] 211. Air inlet; 212. Air outlet;

[0070] 22. Water-cooled components;

[0071] 221. Water-cooled cavity; 222. Liquid piping;

[0072] 3. Wafer claws;

[0073] 31. Piece support;

[0074] 311. Vertical part; 312. Limiting groove;

[0075] 32. Sealing cover plate; 33. Pressing component;

[0076] 4. Drive unit;

[0077] 41. Drive chamber; 42. Cylinder; 43. Transmission rod; 44. Bellows;

[0078] 5. Wafer transport device; 6. Housing; 7. Wafer placement cavity. Detailed Implementation

[0079] The following specific embodiments illustrate the implementation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification. Although the description of the present invention is presented in conjunction with preferred embodiments, this does not mean that the features of the invention are limited to these embodiments. On the contrary, the purpose of describing the invention in conjunction with embodiments is to cover other options or modifications that may be derived based on the claims of the present invention. To provide a deep understanding of the invention, many specific details will be included in the following description. The invention may also be implemented without using these details. Furthermore, to avoid confusion or obscuring the focus of the invention, some specific details will be omitted in the description. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of the present invention can be combined with each other.

[0080] It should be noted that in this specification, similar reference numerals and letters in the following figures indicate similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures.

[0081] The technical solution of the present invention will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. 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.

[0082] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing the invention and for simplifying the description, and do not 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 the invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, features defined with "first," "second," etc., may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0083] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0084] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention clearer, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0085] Figure 1 A first-view perspective perspective view of a wafer cooling device provided for an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 A perspective view of a wafer cooling device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0086] See Figure 1 As shown in the figure, this application provides a wafer cooling device, including:

[0087] Cooling system and wafer claws 3 for placing wafers in the cooling system;

[0088] The cooling system includes a cooling pad 1 for placing the wafer and a cooling assembly 2 for cooling the wafer;

[0089] The wafer support claw 3 includes a wafer holder 31 that supports the edge of the wafer and a sealing cover plate 32 disposed above the wafer holder 31;

[0090] The wafer claw 3 is positioned above the cooling base 1; and the wafer claw 3 is connected to a drive device 4 for driving the wafer claw 3 to rise and fall.

[0091] The drive device 4 drives the wafer claw 3 to descend, and the sealing cover 32 cooperates with the cooling base 1 to form a closed cooling chamber 11, with the wafer tray 31 and the wafer located in the cooling chamber 11;

[0092] The cooling assembly 2 includes a gas pipeline that connects to the cooling chamber 11.

[0093] In this application, a sealed cooling chamber 11 is formed by the cooling base 1 and the wafer claws 3 above the cooling base 1. This allows the wafer to enter the sealed cooling chamber 11 simultaneously as it descends onto the cooling base 1. During operation, cooling gas can be injected into the cooling chamber 11 to cool the wafer, resulting in better cooling performance. Furthermore, in this application, the wafer holder 31 also enters the cooling chamber 11, allowing for a simpler structure to lift the wafer. The wafer holder 31 in this application lifts the wafer from the edge, preventing wear on the central portion of the wafer used for chip manufacturing. Further, a drive device 4 is mounted on the wafer claws 3. The cooling chamber 11 is formed by the cooperation of a sealing cover 32 and the cooling base 1. The drive device 4 places the sealing cover 32 onto the cooling base 1 while simultaneously placing the wafer downwards, helping to form a sealed cooling chamber 11. The drive device 4 is separate from the cooling base 1, facilitating maintenance and replacement.

[0094] In the existing technology, a support pin is set on the cooling support, and the support device is set inside the cooling support. The support pin penetrates the cooling support from below and supports the wafer. When the support pin retracts from the cooling support, the wafer is placed on the support pin. In this way, the support device supports the middle position of the wafer, and the support pin is small with a small contact area with the wafer, which can easily scratch the wafer and affect the yield. On the other hand, only liquid cooling can be used, which has a poor cooling effect. Moreover, the drive device 4 and the cooling support are set as a whole, which makes maintenance difficult.

[0095] In some embodiments, cooling gas can be introduced into the cooling chamber 11 to cool the wafer, or other cooling or processing devices can be provided to process the wafer in a closed environment.

[0096] The drive unit 4 and the cooling seat 1 are respectively fixed to the external components. In one embodiment, a positioning pin is provided between the sealing cover plate 32 and the cooling seat 1 to help position the relative positions of the sealing cover plate 32 and the cooling seat 1 so that their positions correspond accurately.

[0097] In one embodiment, the wafer claw 3 further includes a pressing member 33 disposed on the sealing cover plate 32, the pressing member 33 being disposed on the outer periphery of the cooling chamber 11;

[0098] The sealing cover 32 is connected to the drive device 4 via the pressing member 33.

[0099] By using the pressing member 33 to drive the sealing cover 32, the force point for the driving device 4 to drive the sealing cover 32 to rise and fall is located at the outer periphery of the cooling chamber 11, making it easier to seal the cooling chamber 11.

[0100] In one embodiment, the pressing member 33 includes a mounting plate fixedly connected to the output end of the driving device 4 and a plurality of pressing protrusions fixedly disposed below the mounting plate. The plurality of pressing protrusions are spaced around the outer periphery of the cooling chamber 11 to reduce the contact area between the pressing member 33 and the sealing cover plate 32, increase the pressure, and thereby further improve the sealing effect.

[0101] Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of a wafer cooling device provided in this application, along the horizontal direction at the lower half of the wafer gripper; Figure 4 A perspective view of a cooling base for a wafer cooling device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0102] See Figure 3 and 4 As shown, in one embodiment, the wafer holder 31 is disposed on the lower bottom surface of the sealing cover plate 32, and includes a first wafer holder 31 and a second wafer holder 31. The first wafer holder 31 and the second wafer holder 31 are symmetrically arranged with respect to the wafer, and respectively support the wafer from both sides of the wafer edge.

[0103] The cooling base 1 is provided with a receiving groove 13 corresponding to the plate holder 31. The receiving groove 13 is located in the cooling chamber 11 and accommodates the plate holder 31.

[0104] The wafer holder 31 is positioned above the cooling device, allowing for stable lifting and lowering of the wafer simply by lifting it from both sides. Using two symmetrically arranged wafer holders 31 minimizes their volume while ensuring wafer stability. Since the wafer holders 31 extend into the cooling chamber 11, reducing their volume is equivalent to increasing the volume of the cooling chamber 11, thereby improving cooling efficiency. Furthermore, it reduces structural weight, resulting in a simpler structure.

[0105] The wafer is constrained from below. When the wafer is placed on the cooling base 1, it can automatically detach from the wafer holder 31 and contact the cooling base 1. When removing the wafer, it is only necessary to drive the wafer holder 31 to rise, and the wafer holder 31 will lift the wafer.

[0106] In one embodiment, the first support plate 31 includes a vertical portion 311 connected to the sealing cover plate 32. The lower end of the vertical portion 311 is provided with two support protrusions for placing wafers. The upper surface of the support protrusions is provided with a limiting groove 321 that matches the edge of the wafer.

[0107] The first wafer holder 31 can be the same as the second wafer holder 31. Using such a structure can further reduce the volume of the wafer holder 31 without affecting the wafer lifting. When the wafer is lifted, the first wafer holder 31 and the second wafer holder 31 lift the wafer from both sides of the bottom of the wafer. One of the wafer holders 31 is provided with two support protrusions, so that the wafer and the wafer holder 31 have at least three contact points. Furthermore, the limiting groove 321 that matches the edge of the wafer can also play a role in holding the wafer in place and preventing the wafer from moving left and right, so as to lift and place the wafer more stably.

[0108] In one embodiment, a sealing ring 12 is provided between the cooling seat 1 and the sealing cover plate 32. The sealing ring 12 is arranged around the outer periphery of the cooling chamber 11. The sealing cover plate 32 and the cooling seat 1 abut against and squeeze the sealing ring 12 to form a closed cooling chamber 11.

[0109] The drive device 4 presses the cooling seat 1 and the sealing cover plate 32 together, and the sealed cooling chamber 11 is formed between the cooling seat 1 and the sealing cover plate 32. Therefore, by setting the sealing ring 12 between the cooling seat 1 and the sealing cover plate 32, the sealing effect can be easily achieved.

[0110] In one embodiment, the cooling base 1 and the sealing cover plate 32 are respectively provided with corresponding sealing ring 12 grooves, and the sealing ring 12 grooves are arranged around the outer periphery of the cooling chamber 11, thereby achieving the sealing of the cooling chamber 11.

[0111] In some embodiments, the cooling assembly 2 includes an air-cooled assembly 21 and a water-cooled assembly 22;

[0112] The air-cooling assembly 21 includes a gas pipeline that connects to the cooling chamber 11 for cooling the cooling chamber 11;

[0113] The water-cooling assembly 22 includes a water-cooling cavity 221 disposed inside the cooling base 1 and a liquid pipeline 222 communicating with the water-cooling cavity 221, for cooling the cooling base 1.

[0114] During operation, cooling gas is introduced into the cooling chamber 11 through the air cooling component 21, while the cooling liquid is also cooled down on the cooling base 1 through the water cooling component 22. Compared with the prior art, which only uses water cooling to cool the wafer, this application has a faster cooling effect. The cooling speed of the wafer can be controlled by controlling the temperature and flow rate of the cooling gas and cooling liquid. In addition, other wafer processing components can be set in the cooling chamber 11 to perform simple processing during the wafer cooling process, which has a higher degree of freedom.

[0115] In one embodiment, the contact surface of the cooling base 1 that supports the wafer is provided with air cooling patterns 14, at least one end of the air cooling patterns 14 extends through the cooling base 1 along its extension direction and communicates with the cooling chamber 11.

[0116] The air-cooling texture 14 is formed by the downward indentation of the cooling seat 1 and is distributed in a mesh pattern;

[0117] The air cooling pattern 14 is set on the side of the wafer that is not exposed to the cooling chamber 11. The air cooling pattern 14 increases the contact surface between the wafer and the cooling gas, while minimizing the impact on the contact between the cooling seat 1 and the wafer.

[0118] In one embodiment, the gas pipeline includes an inlet 211 for conveying gas and an outlet 212; the inlet 211 is located at the bottom of the cooling base 1 and communicates with the air cooling ripples 14.

[0119] Cooling gas is introduced into the cooling chamber 11 through the air inlet 211. The low temperature and high pressure cooling gas first enters the air cooling ripple 14 and is then extracted from the air return port 212. This prevents high temperature gas from filling the air cooling ripple 14 and makes it difficult for the cooling gas to enter the air cooling ripple 14.

[0120] In one embodiment, the air inlet 211 is located at the center of the wafer, and the air cooling pattern 14 is distributed in a spider web pattern around the air inlet 211, and is connected to the cooling chamber 11 at multiple locations in the extension direction.

[0121] In one embodiment, multiple air inlets 211 are provided to allow the cooling gas to cool the wafer more evenly.

[0122] Figure 5 A cross-sectional view along the vertical direction of a wafer cooling device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0123] See Figure 5 As shown, in one embodiment, the drive device 4 includes a closed drive cavity 41, a cylinder 42 disposed in the drive cavity 41, and a transmission rod 43 passing through the drive cavity 41.

[0124] The cylinder 42 is fixedly mounted on the drive cavity 41 by a fixing plate and drives the transmission rod 43 to rise and fall;

[0125] The upper end of the transmission rod 43 is fixedly connected to the output end of the cylinder 42, and the lower end of the transmission rod 43 is fixedly connected to the wafer support claw 3.

[0126] A bellows 44 is fitted on one side of the transmission rod 43 extending out of the drive cavity 41. The upper end of the bellows 44 is sealed and fixed to the outer surface of the drive cavity 41 by a flange, and the upper end of the bellows 44 is sealed and fixed to the wafer claw 3 by a flange.

[0127] During operation, cylinder 42 drives transmission rod 43 to rise and fall, placing the wafer, and pressing the sealing cover plate 32 by pressing the pressing member 33. In some embodiments, servo motor or other drive device 4 can also be used to drive transmission rod 43.

[0128] In one embodiment, there are multiple cylinders 42, which are arranged in the same direction on the mounting plate. The multiple cylinders 42 are symmetrically arranged around the transmission rod 43, and the output ends of the multiple cylinders 42 are connected to the transmission rod 43 through connectors. The multiple cylinders 42 jointly drive the transmission rod 43 to rise and fall through the connectors.

[0129] In one embodiment, two cylinders 42 are provided, both of which are mounted on a fixed plate. The output end of the cylinders 42 is connected through a connecting plate, and the center of the connecting plate is connected to the transmission component. The two cylinders 42 jointly drive the transmission rod 43 to rise and fall through the connecting plate.

[0130] Figure 6 A perspective view of a wafer cooling device connected to a wafer transport device and a wafer placement cavity, provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0131] See Figure 6 As shown, in one embodiment, the wafer cooling device is disposed inside the housing 6, and the housing 6 is sealed and connected to the wafer transport device 5;

[0132] The housing 6 has a wafer inlet / outlet for transporting wafers, and the wafer transport device 5 is provided with multiple transport channels. The wafer inlet / outlet is sealed and detachably connected to one of the transport channels of the wafer transport device 5.

[0133] The wafer transfer device 5 is also connected to the wafer processing cavity through other transfer channels. The wafer transfer device 5 is also equipped with a robotic arm, which can transfer wafers between the various processing cavities.

[0134] The wafer transfer device 5 is also equipped with a vacuum pumping device to ensure that the vacuum transfer device and the cavity connected to it are in a vacuum state.

[0135] The robotic arm takes the wafer that needs to be cooled from other cavities into the housing 6 in a vacuum environment, and cools the wafer through the wafer cooling device.

[0136] In one embodiment, the housing 6 has opposing wafer inlets and outlets on both sides, and the two wafer inlets and outlets are respectively sealed to the wafer transport device 5 and the wafer placement cavity 7 and are detachably connected.

[0137] The wafer placement cavity 7 is equipped with a wafer box for placing wafers and a wafer box lifting device for lifting the wafer box. The wafer box lifting device lifts the wafer box to be opposite to the wafer inlet and outlet, and is used to receive the wafers after cooling.

[0138] The robotic arm can pass through the wafer inlet and outlet and transfer wafers between the housing 6 and the wafer placement cavity 7;

[0139] The robotic arm picks up the wafer that needs to be cooled, enters the housing 6, places the wafer on the wafer tray, and the wafer cooling device cools the wafer. After cooling is complete, the robotic arm enters the housing 6 to pick up the wafer, then passes through the wafer transfer port into the wafer placement cavity 7 and places the wafer in the wafer box.

[0140] During operation, the robotic arm places the wafer to be processed onto the wafer holder 3. The protrusions and limiting grooves 321 on the wafer holder 3 ensure wafer stability. Then, the drive unit 4 drives the wafer holder 3 to descend, and the sealing cover 32 contacts the cooling base 1, compressing the sealing ring 12 to form a closed cooling chamber 11. At this time, the wafer holder 3 and the wafer are located inside the cooling chamber 11, with the wafer placed on and in contact with the cooling base 1. Cooling gas is introduced into the cooling chamber 11 through the air inlet 211, and cooling liquid is simultaneously introduced into the liquid cooling chamber through the liquid pipeline 222. The cooling rate is controlled by adjusting the flow rates of the cooling gas and cooling liquid, thus cooling the wafer. After the wafer has cooled completely, the cooling gas is extracted through the air return port 212, creating a vacuum inside the cooling chamber. The wafer holder 3 is then driven to rise, and the robotic arm removes the wafer for the next processing device.

[0141] In some embodiments, the wafer cooling device is disposed within a closed housing 6. In some embodiments, the housing 6 is provided with a wafer transfer port for transferring wafers and a sealing mechanism that can cover the wafer transfer port. The sealing mechanism can seal or open the wafer transfer port.

[0142] The housing 6 is connected to the wafer transfer device 5;

[0143] The wafer transfer device 5 is equipped with a transfer channel connected to the wafer transfer port and a transfer structure for transferring wafers. When the sealing mechanism is opened, the transfer structure picks up and puts wafers in the wafer cooling device through the transfer channel.

[0144] The wafer transfer device 5 is also connected to a wafer processing equipment. The transfer structure transfers the wafers that need to be cooled in the wafer processing equipment to the wafer cooling device through the transfer channel.

[0145] It can prevent the wafer from being contaminated during the cooling process, resulting in higher cleanliness.

[0146] In some embodiments, a first wafer transfer port and a second wafer transfer port are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the housing 6;

[0147] The first wafer transfer port is connected to the wafer transfer device 5;

[0148] The second wafer transfer port is connected to the wafer placement cavity 7. When the sealing mechanism is opened, the wafer cooling device is connected to the wafer placement cavity 7.

[0149] The wafer placement cavity 7 is equipped with a wafer box for storing wafers. The transfer device can pass through the first wafer transfer port and the second wafer transfer port, and transfer wafers between the wafer cooling device and the wafer box.

[0150] Specifically, the wafer transfer device 5 is equipped with multiple transfer channels, which are connected to multiple wafer processing equipment to facilitate the rapid transfer of wafers in different processing steps. Wafer cooling is also one of the wafer processing steps. The wafer cooling chamber is connected to the wafer transfer device 5, and the transfer structure in the wafer transfer device 5 can quickly pick up the wafers that need to be cooled and place them in the wafer cooling device.

[0151] In some embodiments, the wafer cooling method includes:

[0152] S1. Place the wafer onto the wafer tray 31 using the wafer transfer device 5;

[0153] S2. Close the sealing mechanism to seal the wafer cooling device inside the housing 6 and isolate the wafer cooling device. Then, perform the first vacuuming of the environment inside the housing 6 through the return air port.

[0154] S3. The wafer holder is driven to descend by the cylinder 42 until the sealing cover 32 covers the cooling seat, forming a closed cooling chamber 11 between the sealing cover 32 and the cooling seat. The wafer holder 31 and the wafer are located in the cooling chamber 11. The cylinder 42 continuously applies pressure to the sealing cover 32 through the pressing member 33, pressing the sealing ring 12 to ensure the sealing of the cooling chamber 11.

[0155] S4. The air inside the cooling chamber 11 where the wafer is placed is extracted through the return air port 212 to create a vacuum inside the cooling chamber 11, and a second vacuuming is performed.

[0156] S5. Cooling gas is continuously introduced into the cooling chamber through the air inlet 211, and the cooling gas after absorbing heat is drawn back through the air return 212. The cooling speed is controlled by controlling the charging speed of the cooling gas.

[0157] S6. After the wafer is cooled, the air inlet 211 is sealed, and the cooling gas in the cooling chamber 11 is extracted through the air return port 212 to perform a third vacuuming of the cooling chamber.

[0158] S7. The sealing cover is driven to rise by cylinder 42, and the cooling chamber 11 is opened to complete the cooling of the wafer.

[0159] S7. The robotic arm picks up the wafer from the wafer tray 31 and transfers it to the next process.

[0160] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A wafer cooling device, characterized in that, include: A cooling system and wafer claws for placing wafers in the cooling system; The cooling system includes a cooling pad for placing the wafer and a cooling assembly for cooling the wafer; The wafer support claw includes a wafer holder that supports the edge of the wafer and a sealing cover plate disposed above the wafer holder; The wafer claw is positioned above the cooling base; and a drive device for driving the wafer claw to move up and down is connected to the wafer claw. The driving device drives the wafer holder to descend, and the sealing cover plate cooperates with the cooling seat to form a closed cooling chamber, and the wafer holder and the wafer are located in the cooling chamber; The cooling assembly includes a gas pipeline connecting to the cooling chamber; The wafer support claw also includes a pressing member disposed on the sealing cover plate, the pressing member being disposed corresponding to the outer periphery of the cooling chamber; The sealing cover is connected to the driving device via the pressing member; The pressing component includes a mounting plate fixedly connected to the output end of the driving device and a plurality of pressing protrusions fixedly disposed below the mounting plate. The plurality of pressing protrusions are spaced apart around the outer periphery of the cooling chamber. A sealing ring is provided between the cooling seat and the sealing cover plate. The sealing ring is arranged around the outer periphery of the cooling chamber. The sealing cover plate and the cooling seat abut against and squeeze the sealing ring to form a closed cooling chamber. A positioning sheath is also provided between the cooling seat and the sealing cover to determine their relative positions.

2. The wafer cooling apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The wafer support is disposed on the bottom surface of the sealing cover plate and includes a first wafer support and a second wafer support. The first wafer support and the second wafer support are symmetrically arranged relative to the wafer and respectively support the wafer from both sides of the wafer edge. The cooling base is provided with a receiving groove corresponding to the plate holder. The receiving groove is located inside the cooling chamber and accommodates the plate holder.

3. The wafer cooling apparatus as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The first support includes a vertical portion connected to the sealing cover plate. The lower end of the vertical portion is provided with two support protrusions for placing the wafer. The upper surface of the support protrusions is provided with a limiting groove that matches the edge of the wafer.

4. The wafer cooling apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The cooling system also includes an air-cooling system and a water-cooling system; The air-cooling component includes a gas pipeline connected to the cooling chamber for cooling the cooling chamber. The water-cooling assembly includes a water-cooling cavity disposed inside the cooling base and a liquid pipeline communicating with the water-cooling cavity, for cooling the cooling base.

5. A wafer cooling apparatus as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The contact surface of the cooling seat that supports the wafer is provided with air cooling patterns, and at least one end of the air cooling patterns extends through the cooling seat along its extension direction and communicates with the cooling chamber. The air-cooling texture is formed by the downward indentation of the cooling seat and is distributed in a mesh pattern; The gas pipeline includes an inlet for conveying gas and an outlet for returning gas; the inlet is located at the bottom of the cooling base and is connected to the air-cooling pattern.

6. A wafer cooling apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The driving device includes a closed driving cavity, a cylinder disposed in the driving cavity, and a transmission rod passing through the driving cavity; The cylinder is fixedly mounted on the drive cavity by a fixing plate and drives the transmission rod to move up and down; The upper end of the transmission rod is fixedly connected to the output end of the cylinder, and the lower end of the transmission rod is fixedly connected to the wafer support claw. A bellows is fitted on one side of the transmission rod extending out of the drive cavity. The upper end of the bellows is sealed and fixed to the outer surface of the drive cavity by a flange, and the upper end of the bellows is sealed and fixed to the wafer claw by a flange.

7. A wafer cooling apparatus as described in claim 6, characterized in that, There are multiple cylinders, which are arranged in the same direction on the fixed plate. The multiple cylinders are symmetrically arranged around the transmission rod, and the output ends of the multiple cylinders are connected to the transmission rod through connecting parts. The multiple cylinders drive the transmission rod to rise and fall together through the connecting parts.

8. A wafer cooling method, characterized in that, Includes the wafer cooling apparatus as described in any one of claims 1 to 7; Wafer cooling methods include: S1. Place the wafer onto the wafer tray; S2. The environment of the wafer holder supporting the wafer is sealed, and the environment of the wafer holder is evacuated for the first time through the gas pipeline. S3. Drive the wafer holder to descend until the sealing cover plate abuts against the cooling seat and forms a closed cooling chamber, with the wafer holder and wafer located in the cooling chamber; S4. Perform a second vacuuming of the cooling chamber where the wafer is placed through the gas pipeline; S5. Cooling gas is introduced into the cooling chamber through the gas pipeline; S6. After the wafer is cooled, the cooling gas in the cooling chamber is extracted through the gas pipeline, and the cooling chamber is evacuated for the third time. S7. Drive the wafer claws to rise, and the cooling chamber opens to complete the cooling of the wafer.

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