Wafer conveying system and wafer conveying method

Abstract

The present application relates to a wafer conveying system and a wafer conveying method, which can improve the efficiency of conveying wafers. The wafer conveying system includes: a semiconductor equipment front-end module, a cache module arranged in sequence at intervals in the circumferential direction, a first reaction module and a second reaction module; the semiconductor equipment front-end module includes a first robotic finger and a second robotic finger connected by a rotating shaft, the first robotic finger is provided with a first front finger and a first rear finger at opposite ends, and the second robotic finger is provided with a second front finger and a second rear finger at opposite ends, the first robotic finger and the second robotic finger are simultaneously picked up when the fingers are combined, and simultaneously placed when the fingers are separated; the cache module is used to cache wafers, the first reaction module includes two first reaction chambers, and the second reaction module includes two second reaction chambers; the wafer conveying system also includes a wafer cooling table, which is located between the second reaction module and the cache module.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of semiconductor equipment technology, and in particular to a wafer transfer system and a wafer transfer method. Background Art

[0002] The wafer transfer process in the semiconductor manufacturing debonding process is usually carried out in the atmosphere or under vacuum. Since the manufacturing vacuum environment requires additional equipment, it sometimes increases the cost of the machine. However, the atmospheric environment does not require additional equipment, so the cost can be greatly reduced. Therefore, wafer transfer in the atmosphere can be taken into consideration in the machine design. In addition to cost, wafer transfer efficiency is also one of the considerations of the equipment. The existing wafer transfer machines in the atmosphere generally have large-scale rotation of the robotic arms, multiple movement paths, unreasonable transfer logic, and unreasonable cavity layout, resulting in low wafer transfer efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Based on this, it is necessary to propose a wafer transfer system with high transfer efficiency. A wafer transfer method is also proposed.

[0004] According to one aspect of the present application, a wafer conveying system includes: a semiconductor equipment front-end module, a cache module circumferentially surrounding the semiconductor equipment front-end module and arranged in sequence at intervals, a first reaction module and a second reaction module; the semiconductor equipment front-end module includes a robotic arm, the robotic arm includes a first robotic finger and a second robotic finger connected by a rotating shaft, the first robotic finger and the second robotic finger are located in the upper layer, and the second robotic finger is located in the lower layer, the first robotic finger is provided with a first front finger and a first rear finger at opposite ends, respectively, the second robotic finger is provided with a second front finger and a second rear finger at opposite ends, the first robotic finger and the second robotic finger are simultaneously picked up when the fingers are combined, and simultaneously placed when the fingers are separated; the cache module is used to cache wafers, the first reaction module includes two first reaction chambers, and the second reaction module includes two second reaction chambers; the wafer conveying system also includes a wafer cooling platform, which is located between the second reaction module and the cache module.

[0005] In some embodiments, the robotic arm also includes a lifting shaft, a horizontal drive shaft arranged on the lifting shaft and capable of rotating in a horizontal plane, the rotating shaft is connected to the horizontal drive shaft, and the first robotic finger and the second robotic finger are closed or separated under the control of the horizontal drive shaft.

[0006] In some embodiments, the first front finger and the first rear finger each include two bifurcated support arms.

[0007] In some embodiments, the second front finger and the second rear finger each include two bifurcated support arms.

[0008] In some embodiments, the cache module includes two wafer storage racks arranged side by side.

[0009] In some embodiments, the first reaction module and the second reaction module are both degumming modules.

[0010] In some embodiments, the first reaction chamber and the second reaction chamber have different heights.

[0011] In some embodiments, an angle between the wafer cooling stage and the first reaction module in the circumferential direction is less than 90 degrees.

[0012] According to another aspect of the present application, a wafer transfer method is applied to the wafer transfer system, the method comprising:

[0013] S1, controlling the first front finger and the second front finger to simultaneously pick up wafers from the buffer module;

[0014] S2, controlling the first rear finger and the second rear finger to simultaneously pick up wafers from the buffer module;

[0015] S3, controlling the first front finger and the second front finger to place wafers into the two first reaction chambers in a one-to-one correspondence and then withdraw from the first reaction chamber;

[0016] S4, controlling the first rear finger and the second rear finger to place the wafers into the two second reaction chambers in a one-to-one correspondence and then withdraw from the second reaction chambers;

[0017] S5, controlling the first front finger and the second front finger to pick up wafers from the buffer module again simultaneously;

[0018] S6, controlling the first rear finger and the second rear finger to move outside the first reaction chamber and the second reaction chamber where the operation will be completed first;

[0019] S7, controlling the first rear finger and the second rear finger to remove the processed wafer from the first completed operation, and controlling the first front finger and the second front finger to place the wafer again;

[0020] S8, controlling the first rear finger and the second rear finger to place the processed wafer on the wafer cooling table;

[0021] S9. Control the first front finger and the second front finger to pick up the cooled wafer and place it in the cache module in a closed state, or control the first rear finger and the second rear finger to pick up the cooled wafer and place it in the cache module in a closed state.

[0022] In some embodiments, controlling the first front finger and the second front finger to simultaneously pick up wafers from the cache module includes: controlling the first robotic finger and the second robotic finger to close together while rotating the first front finger and the second front finger toward the cache module.

[0023] The first and second front fingers can perform dual wafer placement and pick-up, while the first and second rear fingers can perform dual wafer placement and pick-up, increasing the number of wafers transferred per unit time. This application significantly improves wafer transfer efficiency by reducing the robot arm's rotation angle range and increasing the number of wafers transferred per unit time. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the system composition of a wafer transfer system provided in one embodiment of the present application.

[0025] Figure 2a to Figure 2b The diagram illustrates a process in which a first front finger and a second front finger of a wafer transfer system provided by an embodiment of the present application enter a buffer module to pick up wafers.

[0026] Figure 3a to Figure 3b The diagram illustrates a process in which a first rear finger and a second rear finger of a wafer transfer system provided by an embodiment of the present application enter a buffer module to pick up wafers.

[0027] Figures 4a to 4c The process diagram shows the first front finger and the second front finger separating and placing the wafer into two first reaction chambers.

[0028] Figures 5a to 5c The process of separating the first rear finger and the second rear finger and placing the wafer into two second reaction chambers is illustrated.

[0029] Figure 5d It shows that the first front finger and the second front finger enter the buffer module again to pick up the wafer.

[0030] Figure 5e It shows that the first rear finger and the second rear finger move to the front of the first reaction chamber where the reaction is about to be completed.

[0031] Figure 5f It is shown that the first rear finger and the second rear finger pick up the wafer from the first reaction chamber.

[0032] Figure 5gThe first front finger and the second front finger are shown pointing to the first reaction chamber to place the wafer again.

[0033] Figure 5h The first front finger and the second front finger are shown exiting from the first reaction chamber.

[0034] Figures 6a to 6f The diagram illustrates a process in which the first front finger and the second front finger transfer the wafer from the first reaction chamber to the wafer cooling stage.

[0035] Figures 7a to 7f The diagram illustrates a process in which the first rear finger and the second rear finger transfer the wafer from the second reaction chamber to the wafer cooling stage.

[0036] Figures 8a to 8d The diagram illustrates the process of the first front finger and the second front finger transferring the wafer from the wafer cooling table to the buffer module.

[0037] Description of reference numerals:

[0038] 100. Wafer transfer system; 10. Semiconductor equipment front-end module; 110. Rotating shaft; 120. Robotic arm; 130. First robotic finger; 131. First front finger; 132. First rear finger; 140. Second robotic finger; 141. Second front finger; 142. Second rear finger; 150. Support arm; 160. Horizontal drive shaft; 161. First rotating arm; 162. Second rotating arm; 20. Cache module; 210. Wafer storage rack; 30. First reaction module; 310. First reaction chamber; 40. Second reaction module; 410. Second reaction chamber; 50. Chamber door; 60. Wafer cooling platform; 200. Wafer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] To make the above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages of the present application more clearly understood, the specific embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following description sets forth many specific details to facilitate a full understanding of the present application. However, the present application can be implemented in many other ways than those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar improvements without violating the scope of the present application. Therefore, the present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0040] In the description of this application, it should be understood that if the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc. appear, the orientation or position relationship indicated by these terms is based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, which is only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on this application.

[0041] In addition, if the terms "first" or "second" appear, these terms are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood to indicate or imply relative importance or implicitly specify the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature specified as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of such features. In the description of this application, if the term "plurality" appears, "plurality" means at least two, for example, two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0042] In this application, unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," "connected," "fixed," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, these terms may refer to fixed connections, removable connections, or integration; mechanical connections or electrical connections; direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediary; and internal communication between two components or interaction between two components, unless otherwise specified. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of these terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0043] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, if a first feature is described as being "above" or "below" a second feature, or similar descriptions, this may mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or that the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, when a first feature is described as being "above," "above," or "above" a second feature, it may mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is at a higher level than the second feature. When a first feature is described as being "below," "below," or "below" a second feature, it may mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is at a lower level than the second feature.

[0044] It should be noted that if an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "disposed on" another element, it may be directly on the other element or there may be an intermediate element. If an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it may be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intermediate element. If any, the terms "vertical", "horizontal", "upper", "lower", "left", "right" and similar expressions used in this application are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only embodiment.

[0045] The first aspect of the present application provides a wafer transfer system. Figure 1 The wafer transfer system 100 of one embodiment of the present application includes a semiconductor equipment front-end module 10 (EFEM), a cache module 20 circumferentially surrounding the semiconductor equipment front-end module 10 and arranged in sequence at intervals, a first reaction module 30 and a second reaction module 40, and a wafer cooling platform 60, wherein the wafer cooling platform 60 is located between the second reaction module 40 and the cache module 20.

[0046] The buffer module 20 is used to buffer wafers 200. Optionally, the buffer module 20 includes two wafer storage racks, each of which is provided with storage bays for storing wafers 200. A plurality of storage bays are provided along the height direction.

[0047] The first reaction module 30 and the second reaction module 40 are used to process the wafers 200. The first reaction module 30 and the second reaction module 40 are both specifically, but not limited to, resist stripping modules. The first reaction module 30 includes two first reaction chambers 310, and the second reaction module 40 includes two second reaction chambers 410. Each reaction chamber is equipped with a door 50 that can be opened or closed.

[0048] The semiconductor equipment front-end module 10 is used to realize the transfer of the wafer 200 between the cache module 20 and the first reaction module 30 and the second reaction module 40, and to realize the transfer of the wafer 200 between the first reaction module 30 and the second reaction module 40 and the wafer cooling platform 60, and to realize the transfer of the wafer 200 between the wafer cooling platform 60 and the cache module 20.

[0049] The semiconductor device front-end module 10 includes a robotic arm 120. The robotic arm 120 includes a first robotic finger 130 and a second robotic finger 140 connected by a rotating shaft 110. The first robotic finger 130 and the second robotic finger 140 are located on the upper layer, and the second robotic arm assembly is located on the lower layer. The first robotic finger 130 is provided with a first front finger 131 and a first rear finger 132 at opposite ends, respectively. The second robotic finger 140 is provided with a second front finger 141 and a second rear finger 142 at opposite ends, respectively. When the first robotic finger 130 and the second robotic finger 140 are joined together, they can simultaneously pick up two wafers 200. When they are separated, they can simultaneously place two wafers 200.

[0050] The first robot finger 130 and the second robot finger 140 can both rotate around the rotation axis 110 in the horizontal plane, thereby realizing the closing or opening of the fingers. Specifically, when the first robot finger 130 and the second robot finger 140 close together, the first front finger 131 and the second front finger 141 are aligned in the height direction of the front mold of the semiconductor device (refer to FIG. Figure 2a and Figure 2b ), the first rear finger 132 and the second rear finger 142 are aligned in the height direction of the front end mold of the semiconductor device (refer to Figure 3a and Figure 3b When the first front finger 131 and the second front finger 141 extend into the buffer module 20, they can simultaneously pick up two wafers 200 in the buffer module 20. Similarly, when the first rear finger 132 and the second rear finger 142 extend into the buffer module 20, they can simultaneously pick up two wafers 200 in the buffer module 20.

[0051] like Figures 4a to 4c When the first robot finger 130 and the second robot finger 140 are separated, the first front finger 131 and the second front finger 141 can place the wafers 200 picked up by each of them into the two first reaction chambers 310 of the first reaction module 30 in a one-to-one correspondence at the same time. Figures 5a to 5c The first rear finger 132 and the second rear finger 142 can place the wafers 200 picked up by each of them into the two second reaction chambers 410 of the second reaction module 40 at the same time in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0052] In the present application, the first front finger 131 and the second front finger 141 of the robot arm 120 can realize dual pick-up and dual placement of two wafers 200, and the first rear finger 132 and the second rear finger 142 of the robot arm 120 can realize dual pick-up and dual placement of two wafers 200, which can increase the number of wafers 200 transferred per unit time. Therefore, the present application greatly improves the transfer efficiency of wafers 200 by reducing the rotation angle range of the robot arm 120 and increasing the number of wafers 200 transferred per unit time.

[0053] In the prior art, the reaction modules are staggered 150 degrees. In the present application, however, the buffer module 20, the first reaction module 30, and the second reaction module 40 are staggered 60-120 degrees circumferentially. By reducing the angle between the wafers 200 being transferred, the robot arm 120 can be prevented from rotating significantly during the transfer process. Preferably, the buffer module 20, the first reaction module 30, and the second reaction module 40 are staggered 90 degrees circumferentially, thereby preventing the robot arm 120 from rotating significantly during the transfer process while also leaving sufficient room for movement.

[0054] In some embodiments, the robotic arm 120 further includes a lifting shaft (not shown) and a horizontal drive shaft 160 disposed on the lifting shaft and capable of rotating in a horizontal plane. The rotating shaft 110 is connected to the horizontal drive shaft 160, and the first robotic finger 130 and the second robotic finger 140 close or separate their fingers under the control of the horizontal drive shaft 160. The first robotic finger 130 and the second robotic finger 140 are raised and lowered under the drive of the lifting shaft. The horizontal drive shaft 160 includes a first rotating arm 161 and a second rotating arm 162; one end of the second rotating arm 162 is rotatably connected to the first rotating arm 161, and the other end of the second rotating arm 162 is connected to the rotating shaft 110. The cooperation of the first rotating arm 161 and the second rotating arm 162 enables the first robotic finger 130 and the second robotic finger 140 to be extended and retracted in any direction in the horizontal plane.

[0055] The lifting shaft drives the robotic fingers up and down, allowing them to pick up wafers 200 at different heights. The horizontal drive shaft 160 drives the first and second robotic fingers 130, 140 to close or separate, and to move the first and second robotic fingers 130, 140 in various directions within the horizontal plane. This allows the first front finger 131 and the second front finger 141 to pick up and place wafers 200 together, or the first rear finger 132 and the second rear finger 142 to pick up and place wafers 200 together.

[0056] In some embodiments, the first front finger 131 and the first rear finger 132 each include two bifurcated support arms 150. In some embodiments, the second front finger 141 and the second rear finger 142 each include two bifurcated support arms 150.

[0057] Taking the first front finger 131 as an example, the two support arms 150 of the first front finger 131 are used to lift a wafer 200. This eliminates the need for vacuum lines on the first front finger 131 to place and retrieve the wafer 200, simplifying the structural design of the first front finger 131. The structures of the first rear finger 132, second front finger 141, and second rear finger 142 are identical to those of the first front finger 131 and will not be further described.

[0058] In some embodiments, the cache module 20 includes two wafer storage racks 210 arranged side by side. Both wafer storage racks 210 are used to store wafers 200. The large wafer 200 access capacity reduces downtime and improves operational efficiency. One of the two wafer storage racks 210 can be used to store unprocessed wafers 200, while the other is specifically used to store processed wafers 200. In some embodiments, the first reaction chamber 310 and the second reaction chamber 410 have different heights.

[0059] In some embodiments, the circumferential angle between the wafer cooling table 60 and the second reaction module 40 is less than 90 degrees. This smaller angle allows the robotic finger to rotate within a smaller range when transferring the wafer 200 from the second reaction module 40 to the wafer cooling table 60, thereby enabling the wafer 200 to be cooled more quickly. Furthermore, while the wafer cooling table 60 is closer to the second reaction module 40, it is also tilted toward the first reaction module 30, which, to a certain extent, reduces the range of rotation of the robotic finger when transferring the wafer 200 from the first reaction module 30 to the wafer cooling table 60.

[0060] The wafer transfer system 100 of the present application, the semiconductor equipment front-end module 10, and each reaction chamber are all communicatively connected to a host computer, and the host computer controls the operation according to a preset program.

[0061] The second aspect of the present application provides a wafer transfer method, which is applied to the above-mentioned wafer transfer system 100. Figures 2a to 8d The wafer transfer method of the present application is introduced in detail.

[0062] S1 . Control the first front finger 131 and the second front finger 141 to simultaneously pick up wafers 200 from the buffer module 20 .

[0063] like Figure 2a As shown, the first front finger 131 and the second front finger 141 move toward the buffer module 20 and pick up the wafer 200. Figure 2b As shown, after picking up the wafer 200 , the first front finger 131 and the second front finger 141 are retracted.

[0064] Furthermore, S1 includes: S11 , controlling the first robotic finger 130 and the second robotic finger 140 to close together, while causing the first front finger 131 and the second front finger 141 to rotate toward the slave buffer module 20 .

[0065] Specifically, the two actions of the first robotic finger 130 and the second robotic finger 140 closing together and the first front finger 131 and the second front finger 141 rotating toward the cache module 20 are performed simultaneously, so that the first front finger 131 and the second front finger 141 are quickly in a position where they can enter the cache module 20, thereby improving the transmission efficiency.

[0066] S2 , controlling the first rear finger 132 and the second rear finger 142 to simultaneously pick up wafers 200 from the buffer module 20 .

[0067] like Figure 3a As shown, the first rear finger 132 and the second rear finger 142 are controlled to rotate toward the buffer module 20 and move toward and pick up the wafer 200 from the buffer module 20. Figure 3b As shown, after picking up the wafer 200 , the first rear finger 132 and the second rear finger 142 are retracted.

[0068] S3 , controlling the first front finger 131 and the second front finger 141 to place the wafers 200 into the two first reaction chambers 310 in a one-to-one correspondence and then withdrawing the wafers 200 from the first reaction chambers 310 .

[0069] Specifically, if Figure 4a As shown, the first robotic finger 130 and the second robotic finger 140 are controlled to separate, and the first front finger 131 and the second front finger 141 are rotated to face the first reaction module 30. The first front finger 131 and the second front finger 141 correspond one-to-one with the two first reaction chambers 310. Furthermore, the separation of the first robotic finger 130 and the second robotic finger 140 and the rotation of the first front finger 131 and the second front finger 141 to face the first reaction module 30 are performed synchronously, thereby improving transfer efficiency.

[0070] like Figure 4b As shown, the first front finger 131 and the second front finger 141 are extended into the first reaction chamber 310 and the wafers 200 picked up by each are placed in the corresponding first reaction chamber 310 .

[0071] like Figure 4c As shown, the first front finger 131 and the second front finger 141 are retracted to exit from the first reaction chamber 310 .

[0072] S4 , controlling the first rear finger 132 and the second rear finger 142 to place the wafers 200 into the two second reaction chambers 410 in a one-to-one correspondence, and then withdrawing from the second reaction chambers 410 .

[0073] Specifically, if Figure 5aAs shown, the first rear finger 132 and the second rear finger 142 rotate to face the second reaction module 40, and the first rear finger 132 and the second rear finger 142 correspond one-to-one with the two second reaction chambers 410. During this process, the first rear finger 132 and the second rear finger 142 only need to rotate 90 degrees, and there is no need to re-separate the fingers.

[0074] like Figure 5b As shown, the first rear finger 132 and the second rear finger 142 are extended into the second reaction chamber 410 and the wafers 200 picked up by each are placed in the corresponding second reaction chamber 410 .

[0075] like Figure 5c As shown, the first rear finger 132 and the second rear finger 142 are retracted to exit from the second reaction chamber 410 .

[0076] S5 , controlling the first front finger 131 and the second front finger 141 to pick up the wafer 200 from the buffer module 20 again simultaneously.

[0077] The specific execution process of S5 is the same as that of step S1.

[0078] S6 , controlling the first rear finger 132 and the second rear finger 142 to move to outside the first reaction chamber 310 and the second reaction chamber 410 where the operation will be completed first.

[0079] S7 , controlling the chamber that first completes the operation to take out the processed wafer, and controlling the first front finger 131 and the second front finger 141 to place the wafer 200 again.

[0080] Based on steps S5 to S7, when wafers 200 are present in the two first reaction chambers 310 and the two second reaction chambers 410, the first front fingers 131 and the second front fingers 141 can be used to pre-retrieve wafers 200 from the buffer module 20. The first rear fingers 132 and the second rear fingers 142 move to the outside of the chamber that will complete the operation first according to the control system's instructions. This allows the first rear fingers 132 and the second rear fingers 142 to remove the wafers 200 from the chamber that will complete the operation first, after the door of the chamber that will complete the operation first is opened.

[0081] When the wafer 200 in the chamber that has completed the operation first is taken out, a new wafer 200 can be quickly replenished, thereby improving the wafer 200 transfer efficiency.

[0082] Specifically, refer to Figure 5d to Figure 5h , the chamber that first completes the operation is taken as the first reaction chamber 310 as an example. It is easy to understand that after step S4, the wafers 200 are placed in both first reaction chambers 310.

[0083] refer to Figure 5d , control the first front finger 131 and the second front finger 141 to enter the buffer module 20 again and pick up a wafer 200 each.

[0084] refer to Figure 5e , controlling the first rear finger 132 and the second rear finger 142 to move outside the two first reaction chambers 310 , and the first rear finger 132 and the second rear finger 142 are in a separated state.

[0085] refer to Figure 5f The first rear finger 132 and the second rear finger 142 respectively enter the first reaction chamber 310 to pick up the wafer 200 after the operation is completed. After that, there is no wafer 200 in the two first reaction chambers 310.

[0086] refer to Figure 5g and 5h The first front finger 131 and the second front finger 141 re-enter the two first reaction chambers 310 and place wafers therein. This allows for rapid replenishment of new wafers 200, improving wafer 200 transfer efficiency. S8 , the first rear finger 132 and the second rear finger 142 are controlled to place the processed wafers on the wafer cooling stage 60 .

[0087] In this step, the first rear finger 132 and the second rear finger 142 transfer the wafer 200 taken out from the chamber that has completed the operation first to the wafer cooling stage 60. During this process, the first rear finger 132 and the second rear finger 142 are in a closed state.

[0088] S9. Control the first front finger 131 and the second front finger 141 to pick up the cooled wafer and place it in the cache module 20 in the closed state, or control the first rear finger 132 and the second rear finger 142 to pick up the cooled wafer 200 and place it in the cache module 20 in the closed state.

[0089] It is easy to understand that steps S5 to S8 can be repeated multiple times before executing step S9.

[0090] In other embodiments, the first front finger 131 and the second front finger 141, the first rear finger 132 and the second rear finger 142 may be used simultaneously to transfer the wafer 200 from the two first reaction chambers 310 and the two second reaction chambers 410. Specifically,

[0091] S5', after the wafer 200 is processed in the first reaction chamber 310, the first front finger 131 and the second front finger 141 are controlled to take out the processed wafer 200, and the first front finger 131 and the second front finger 141 are controlled to put the processed wafer 200 on the wafer cooling platform 60.

[0092] like Figure 6a As shown, the first front finger 131 and the second front finger 141 rotate to face the first reaction module 30 , and the first front finger 131 and the second front finger 141 correspond to the two first reaction chambers 310 one by one.

[0093] like Figure 6b As shown, the first front finger 131 and the second front finger 141 are extended into the first reaction chamber 310 and pick up the wafer 200 .

[0094] like Figure 6c As shown, the first front finger 131 and the second front finger 141 are retracted to exit from the first reaction chamber 310 .

[0095] like Figure 6d As shown, the first front finger 131 and the second front finger 141 are brought together and rotated toward the wafer cooling stage 60 .

[0096] like Figure 6e As shown, the first front finger 131 and the second front finger 141 place the wafers 200 picked up by them respectively on the wafer cooling stage 60 .

[0097] like Figure 6f As shown, the first front finger 131 and the second front finger 141 are retracted away from the wafer cooling stage 60 .

[0098] S6', after the wafer 200 is processed in the second reaction chamber 410, the first rear finger 132 and the second rear finger 142 are controlled to take out the processed wafer 200, and the first rear finger 132 and the second rear finger 142 are controlled to put the processed wafer 200 on the wafer cooling platform 60.

[0099] like Figure 7a As shown, the first rear finger 132 and the second rear finger 142 rotate to face the second reaction module 40 , and the first rear finger 132 and the second rear finger 142 correspond to the two second reaction chambers 410 one by one.

[0100] like Figure 7b As shown, the first rear finger 132 and the second rear finger 142 are extended into the second reaction chamber 410 and pick up the wafer 200 .

[0101] like Figure 7cAs shown, the first rear finger 132 and the second rear finger 142 are retracted to exit from the second reaction chamber 410 .

[0102] like Figure 7d As shown, the first rear finger 132 and the second rear finger 142 are joined together and rotated toward the wafer cooling stage 60 .

[0103] like Figure 7e As shown, the first rear finger 132 and the second rear finger 142 place the wafers 200 picked up by each of them on the wafer cooling stage 60 .

[0104] like Figure 7f As shown, the first front finger 131 and the second front finger 141 are retracted away from the wafer cooling stage 60 .

[0105] It should be noted that step S6 may be performed earlier or later than step S7. Specifically, the host computer controls the implementation of step S6 or S7 according to the signals fed back by the first reaction chamber 310 and the second reaction chamber 410.

[0106] S7 ′, controlling the first front finger 131 and the second front finger 141 to pick up the cooled wafer 200 in a closed state and place the wafer 200 into the buffer module 20 .

[0107] like Figure 8a As shown, the first front finger 131 and the second front finger 141 are rotated toward the wafer cooling stage 60 in the closed state.

[0108] like Figure 8b As shown, the first front finger 131 and the second front finger 141 pick up two wafers 200 from the wafer cooling stage 60 at the same time in the closed finger state.

[0109] like Figure 8c As shown, the first front finger 131 and the second front finger 141 pick up the wafer 200 and retreat away from the wafer cooling stage 60 .

[0110] like Figure 8d As shown, the first front finger 131 and the second front finger 141 store the wafers 200 picked up by them into the buffer module 20 .

[0111] S8 ′, controlling the first rear finger 132 and the second rear finger 142 to close in a closed state to pick up the cooled wafer 200 and place it into the buffer module 20 .

[0112] The process of picking up the cooled wafer 200 from the first rear finger 132 and the second rear finger 142 and placing it into the buffer module 20 is similar to the process of Figures 8a to 8d Same, no more details.

[0113] In the wafer conveying method of the present application, the angle between the cache module 20, the first reaction module 30 and the second reaction module 40 is small, so the rotation angle range of the robot arm 120 is small when conveying the wafer 200. The first front finger 131 and the second front finger 141 of the robot arm 120 can realize double taking and double placing of two wafers 200, and the first rear finger 132 and the second rear finger 142 of the robot arm 120 can realize double taking and double placing of two wafers 200, which can increase the number of wafers 200 conveyed per unit time, thereby improving the conveying efficiency of the wafer 200.

[0114] Finally, it should be noted that the various technical features of the above-described embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. In order to make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the various technical features in the above-described embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0115] The above-described embodiments merely represent several implementation methods of the present application. While the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that a person of ordinary skill in the art may make various modifications and improvements without departing from the spirit of the present application, and these modifications and improvements fall within the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present patent application shall be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A wafer transfer system, characterized in that: include: The semiconductor device front-end module surrounds the semiconductor device in the circumferential direction. A front-end module of the conductor device and a cache module, a first reaction module and a second reaction module arranged in sequence; The semiconductor equipment front-end module includes a robotic arm, which includes a first robotic finger and a second robotic finger connected by a rotating shaft, the first robotic finger is located on the upper layer, and the second robotic finger is located on the lower layer. The first robotic finger is provided with a first front finger and a first rear finger at opposite ends, respectively, and the second robotic finger is provided with a second front finger and a second rear finger at opposite ends, respectively. When the first robotic finger and the second robotic finger are joined together, two wafers can be picked up at the same time, and when they are separated, two wafers can be placed at the same time. The cache module is used to cache wafers, the first reaction module includes two first reaction chambers, and the second reaction module includes two second reaction chambers; The wafer transfer system further includes a wafer cooling platform, wherein the wafer cooling platform is located between the second reaction module and the cache module; The robotic arm further includes a lifting shaft, a horizontal drive shaft disposed on the lifting shaft and capable of rotating in a horizontal plane, the shaft being connected to the horizontal drive shaft, and the first robotic finger and the second robotic finger being controlled by the horizontal drive shaft to close or separate; the horizontal drive shaft includes a first rotating arm and a second rotating arm; the lifting shaft drives the robotic fingers to rise and fall, thereby being capable of picking up wafers at different heights; The wafer control system includes the following steps: S1: Controlling the first front finger and the second front finger to simultaneously pick up a wafer from the buffer module; specifically, the first robotic finger and the second robotic finger are brought together, and the first front finger and the second front finger are rotated toward the buffer module. These two actions are performed simultaneously; S2: Controlling the first rear finger and the second rear finger to simultaneously pick up wafers from the buffer module; S3: Controlling the first front finger and the second front finger to place wafers into the two first reaction chambers in a one-to-one correspondence and then withdrawing them from the first reaction chamber; controlling the first robotic finger and the second robotic finger to separate, and the first front finger and the second front finger to rotate toward the first reaction module, with the first front finger and the second front finger corresponding to the two first reaction chambers in a one-to-one correspondence; and the separation of the first robotic finger and the second robotic finger, and the rotation of the first front finger and the second front finger toward the first reaction module are performed simultaneously; S4: Controlling the first rear finger and the second rear finger to place the wafers into the two second reaction chambers in a one-to-one correspondence, and then withdrawing from the second reaction chambers; the first rear finger and the second rear finger rotate to face the second reaction module, and the first rear finger and the second rear finger correspond to the two second reaction chambers in a one-to-one correspondence; during this process, the first rear finger and the second rear finger only need to rotate 90 degrees, and there is no need to re-separate the fingers; S5: Controlling the first front finger and the second front finger to pick up a wafer from the buffer module again simultaneously; specifically, the first robotic finger and the second robotic finger are brought together, and the first front finger and the second front finger are rotated toward the buffer module. These two actions are performed simultaneously; S6: controlling the first rear finger and the second rear finger to move to outside the first reaction chamber and the second reaction chamber where the operation will be completed first; S7: Controlling to take out the processed wafer from the chamber that first completes the operation, and controlling the first front finger and the second front finger to place the wafer again; S8: controlling the first rear finger and the second rear finger to place the processed wafer on the wafer cooling table; S9. Control the first front finger and the second front finger to pick up the cooled wafer and place it in the cache module in a closed state, or control the first rear finger and the second rear finger to pick up the cooled wafer and place it in the cache module in a closed state.

2. The wafer transfer system according to claim 1, wherein: The first front finger and the first rear finger each include two bifurcated support arms.

3. The wafer transfer system according to claim 1, wherein: The second front finger and the second rear finger each include two bifurcated support arms.

4. The wafer transfer system according to claim 1, wherein: The cache module includes two wafer storage racks arranged side by side.

5. The wafer transfer system according to claim 1, wherein: The first reaction module and the second reaction module are both degumming modules.

6. The wafer transfer system according to claim 1, wherein: The first reaction chamber and the second reaction chamber have different heights.

7. The wafer transfer system according to claim 1, wherein: An angle between the wafer cooling stage and the first reaction module in the circumferential direction is less than 90 degrees.

8. A wafer transfer method, characterized in that: Applied to the wafer transfer system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, the method comprising: S1, controlling the first front finger and the second front finger to simultaneously pick up wafers from the buffer module; S2, controlling the first rear finger and the second rear finger to simultaneously pick up wafers from the buffer module; S3, controlling the first front finger and the second front finger to place wafers into the two first reaction chambers in a one-to-one correspondence and then withdraw from the first reaction chamber; S4, controlling the first rear finger and the second rear finger to place the wafers into the two second reaction chambers in a one-to-one correspondence and then withdraw from the second reaction chambers; S5, controlling the first front finger and the second front finger to pick up wafers from the buffer module again simultaneously; S6, controlling the first rear finger and the second rear finger to move outside the first reaction chamber and the second reaction chamber where the operation will be completed first; S7, controlling the first rear finger and the second rear finger to take out the processed wafer from the chamber that first completes the operation, and controlling the first front finger and the second front finger to place the wafer again; S8, controlling the first rear finger and the second rear finger to place the processed wafer on the wafer cooling table; S9. Control the first front finger and the second front finger to pick up the cooled wafer and place it in the cache module in a closed state, or control the first rear finger and the second rear finger to pick up the cooled wafer and place it in the cache module in a closed state.

9. The wafer transfer method according to claim 8, wherein: Controlling the first front finger and the second front finger to simultaneously pick up wafers from the buffer module includes: controlling the first mechanical finger and the second mechanical finger to close together while rotating the first front finger and the second front finger toward the buffer module.

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