Wafer centering mechanism, wafer heating system and wafer centering method

Abstract

The invention relates to a wafer centering mechanism, a wafer heating system and a wafer centering method.The wafer centering mechanism comprises a guide disc, a rotating disc and a locking piece, the guide disc is provided with a guide hole channel, the guide hole channel defines a guide track, and the linear distance between the guide hole channel and the center of a first disc body in the direction from one end to the other end is gradually shortened; the rotating disc is provided with an adjusting hole channel, the adjusting hole channel defines an adjusting track, the linear distance between the adjusting hole channel and the center of the second disc body in the direction from one end to the other end is gradually shortened, the guide hole channel of the guide disc and the adjusting hole channel of the rotating disc are axially opposite, and the locking piece is movably assembled in the pair of the guide hole channel and the adjusting hole channel which are matched with each other. The locking piece protrudes out of the surface of the first disc body of the guide disc through the guide hole channel. The guide disc and the rotating disc of the wafer centering mechanism are relatively rotated, the locking pieces synchronously move along the guide hole channel and the adjusting hole channel, all the locking pieces make contact with the platform edge of the wafer heating platform, and centering of the wafer and the wafer heating platform is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of wafer manufacturing technology, and in particular to a wafer centering mechanism, a wafer heating system and a wafer centering method. Background Art

[0002] When the wafer is placed on the wafer heating platform for heating, it is necessary to realize the centering process between the wafer and the wafer heating platform. At present, the centering between the wafer and the wafer heating platform includes the use of automatic wafer centering mechanism and manual wafer centering mechanism. However, the automatic wafer centering mechanism is relatively complex in structure and needs to be equipped with special sensors. The production and use costs are relatively high, and it is generally only carried on specific equipment for collaborative use. In the manual wafer centering mechanism, not only does the standard disk used for centering have processing errors, but there are also horizontal errors when manually placed, which leads to large errors in wafer centering using the manual wafer centering mechanism and poor wafer centering effect.

[0003] Therefore, there is an urgent need in the art to provide a wafer centering mechanism with low production and use costs and good centering effect to meet the centering requirements between the wafer and the wafer heating platform. Summary of the invention

[0004] Based on this, it is necessary to provide a wafer centering mechanism, a wafer heating system and a wafer centering method to address the above-mentioned technical problems.

[0005] The present application provides a wafer centering mechanism, the wafer centering mechanism comprising:

[0006] A guide plate, the guide plate having a first plate body center and a first center hole located at the first plate body center, two side plate body surfaces of the guide plate being a first plate body surface and a second plate body surface parallel to each other, a plurality of guide channels penetrating the first plate body surface and the second plate body surface are provided on the guide plate, the guide channels are used to define a guide track, and a straight-line distance between the guide channels and the first plate body center gradually shortens in a direction from one end to the other end;

[0007] A rotating disk, the rotating disk having a second disk body center and a second center hole located at the center of the second disk body, two side disk body surfaces of the rotating disk are a third disk body surface and a fourth disk body surface parallel to each other, a central rotating shaft is assembled in the first center hole of the guide disk and the second center hole of the rotating disk, at least one of the guide disk and the rotating disk can rotate relative to the central rotating shaft, the second disk body surface and the fourth disk body surface are opposite, the third disk body surface is used to carry a wafer, a plurality of adjustment channels are provided on the rotating disk, the adjustment channels are used to define an adjustment trajectory, and the straight-line distance between the adjustment channels and the center of the second disk body is gradually shortened in the direction from one end to the other end;

[0008] The locking piece is provided with a guide hole of the guide plate and an adjustment hole of the rotating plate which are axially opposite to each other, and the locking piece is movably assembled in a pair of axially opposite guide holes and adjustment holes, and the locking piece protrudes from the guide hole of the guide plate to the surface of the first plate body of the guide plate.

[0009] In one embodiment, the guide channel, the adjustment channel, and the locking piece are all provided in three or more numbers, and the guide channel, the adjustment channel, and the locking piece are provided in a one-to-one corresponding manner;

[0010] All of the guide holes are distributed on the guide disk along a circular trajectory with the center of the first disk body as the center, and the distribution of all of the guide holes on the guide disk has rotational symmetry with the center of the first disk body as the center; all of the adjustment holes are distributed on the rotating disk along a circular trajectory with the center of the second disk body as the center, and the distribution of all of the adjustment holes on the rotating disk has rotational symmetry with the center of the second disk body as the center.

[0011] In one embodiment, a plurality of centering clamps are arranged on the surface of the third disk body of the rotating disk, and the plurality of centering clamps are distributed on the rotating disk along a circular trajectory with the center of the second disk body as the center, and a wafer accommodating area is formed between the plurality of centering clamps, and the wafer accommodating area is used to center the wafer on the surface of the third disk body of the rotating disk.

[0012] In one of the embodiments, a plurality of supporting protrusions are provided on the surface of the third disk body of the rotating disk, and the supporting protrusions are used to support the wafer.

[0013] In one embodiment, the guide plate comprises a first annular body and a plurality of first connecting ribs arranged in an inner ring of the first annular body, and the guide channel is arranged on the first annular body along a circular trajectory with the center of the first plate as the center; and / or,

[0014] The rotating disk includes a second annular body and a plurality of second connecting ribs arranged on the inner ring of the second annular body, and the adjusting channel is arranged on the second annular body along a circular trajectory with the center of the second disk as the center.

[0015] In one of the embodiments, the adjustment channel passes through the third disk surface and the fourth disk surface of the rotating disk, and the locking member is lower than or equal to the third disk surface of the rotating disk.

[0016] In one embodiment, the locking member includes a first locking rod segment and a second locking rod segment which are coaxially arranged, the first locking rod segment and the second locking rod segment are axially connected, the end of the first locking rod segment away from the second locking rod segment protrudes from the first disk body surface of the guide disk, and the end of the second locking rod segment away from the first locking rod segment is lower than or equal to the third disk body surface of the rotating disk.

[0017] In one of the embodiments, a first limiting portion is provided between the first locking rod segment and the second locking rod segment, a second limiting portion is provided at the end of the second locking rod segment away from the first locking rod segment, a first limiting step facing the surface of the second disk body is provided inside the guide hole, a second limiting step facing the surface of the third disk body is provided inside the adjustment hole, the first limiting portion is limitedly assembled with the first limiting step, and the second limiting portion is limitedly assembled with the second limiting step.

[0018] The present application provides a wafer heating system, the wafer heating system comprising:

[0019] The wafer centering mechanism;

[0020] A wafer heating platform, wherein the wafer heating platform has a platform reference center, and the platform edge of the wafer heating platform has at least a plurality of centering contact positions, the linear distances between the plurality of centering contact positions and the platform reference center are all equal, and the centering contact positions are used for centering and limiting contact with the locking member of the wafer centering mechanism;

[0021] A lifting assembly is used to lift and lower the wafer in a direction perpendicular to gravity.

[0022] The present application provides a wafer centering method based on the wafer heating system, and the wafer centering method comprises:

[0023] The wafer centering mechanism is placed on the wafer heating platform, the third disk surface of the rotating disk is placed in a horizontal upward direction, the wafer is placed on the third disk surface of the rotating disk, the center of the wafer is kept aligned with the center of the second disk of the rotating disk, and the wafer is kept parallel to the wafer heating platform;

[0024] Relative rotation of the guide plate and the rotating plate of the wafer centering mechanism, controlling the locking member of the wafer centering mechanism to move synchronously along the guide hole of the guide plate and the adjustment hole of the rotating plate, until all the locking members are in contact with the centering contact position of the platform edge of the wafer heating platform, so that the wafer centering mechanism is centered with the wafer heating platform, and further the center of the wafer is aligned with the platform reference center of the wafer heating platform;

[0025] The wafer is vertically lifted by the lifting assembly, the wafer centering mechanism is removed, and then the wafer is vertically lowered by the lifting assembly so that the wafer is centered and placed on the wafer heating platform.

[0026] In one of the embodiments, a plurality of centering clamps are provided on the surface of the third disk body of the rotating disk, and the plurality of centering clamps are distributed on the rotating disk along a circular trajectory with the center of the second disk body as the center. The wafer is placed in a wafer accommodating area formed by the plurality of centering clamps of the rotating disk, and the plurality of centering clamps are matched with the size of the wafer to keep the center of the wafer aligned with the center of the second disk body of the rotating disk.

[0027] Based on the above-mentioned wafer centering mechanism, wafer heating system and wafer centering method, when wafer centering is required, the wafer can be placed on the surface of the third disk body of the rotating disk, and the center of the wafer is kept aligned with the center of the second disk body of the rotating disk. At this time, the guide disk and the rotating disk of the wafer centering mechanism are relatively rotated, and the locking parts of the wafer centering mechanism are controlled to move synchronously along the guide channel of the guide disk and the adjustment channel of the rotating disk until all the locking parts contact the platform edge of the wafer heating platform, so that the center of the wafer is aligned with the platform reference center of the wafer heating platform, thereby realizing the centering between the wafer and the wafer heating platform. After centering, the current spatial position of the wafer relative to the wafer heating platform can be identified and located, so that the wafer robot can directly take other wafers based on the spatial position that has been identified and located, and there is no need to repeat the centering of the wafer again.

[0028] The wafer centering mechanism only includes a guide plate, a rotating plate and a locking piece, and has a very low manufacturing cost. During use, only the guide plate and the rotating plate need to be rotated relative to each other, and the locking piece is used to realize the centering operation between the wafer and the wafer heating platform. It is very convenient to use and can meet the centering requirements between the wafer and the wafer heating platform based on low-cost investment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Figure 1 A first-perspective stereoscopic image of a wafer centering mechanism provided in one embodiment of the present application.

[0030] Figure 2 A second perspective stereoscopic image of a wafer centering mechanism provided in one embodiment of the present application.

[0031] Figure 3 A schematic structural diagram of a guide plate provided in one embodiment of the present application.

[0032] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of a rotating disk provided in one embodiment of the present application.

[0033] Figure 5 A schematic structural diagram of a locking member provided in one embodiment of the present application.

[0034] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the structure of a wafer heating platform and a lifting assembly provided for one embodiment of the present application.

[0035] Figure 7 A first perspective stereoscopic image of a wafer heating system provided in accordance with an embodiment of the present application.

[0036] Figure 8 A second perspective stereoscopic image of a wafer heating system provided in accordance with an embodiment of the present application.

[0037] Fig. 9 A top view of a wafer heating system provided in accordance with an embodiment of the present application.

[0038] Fig.10 A perspective view of a wafer heating system provided according to one embodiment of the present application.

[0039] Fig.11 A cross-sectional view of a wafer heating system provided in accordance with an embodiment of the present application.

[0040] Figure Number:

[0041] 10. Wafer;

[0042] 100. Wafer centering mechanism; 200. Wafer heating platform; 300. Lifting assembly;

[0043] 200a, platform perforation; 201, wafer robot;

[0044] 301, lifting rod; 302, bracket;

[0045] 1000, guide plate; 2000, rotating plate; 3000, locking member;

[0046] 1000a, guide channel; 1100, first annular body; 1200, first connecting rib; 1300, central rotating shaft;

[0047] 2000a, adjusting hole; 2000b, supporting protrusion; 2100, second annular body; 2200, second connecting rib; 2300, centering clamp;

[0048] 3100, first locking rod section; 3200, second locking rod section; 3000a, first limiting portion; 3000b, second limiting portion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] In order to make the above-mentioned purposes, features and advantages of the present application more obvious and easy to understand, the specific implementation methods of the present application are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the following description, many specific details are set forth to facilitate a full understanding of the present application. However, the present application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar improvements without violating the connotation of the present application, so the present application is not limited by the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0050] In the description of the present 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 the present 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 the present application.

[0051] In addition, if the terms "first" or "second" appear, these terms are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of this application, if the term "plurality" appears, the meaning of "plurality" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0052] In this application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, if the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like appear, these terms should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integrated connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements, unless otherwise clearly defined. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0053] In the present application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, if there is a description that a first feature is "above" or "below" a second feature, etc., or similar descriptions appear, it 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. Moreover, the first feature being "above", "above" and "above" the second feature may mean that the first feature is directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. The first feature being "below", "below" and "below" the second feature may mean that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0054] 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 a central 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 a central element at the same time. 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 implementation method.

[0055] See also Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the present application provides a wafer centering mechanism 100, which includes a guide plate 1000, a rotating plate 2000 and a locking member 3000. The guide plate 1000 may be defined as having a first plate body center and a first center hole located at the first plate body center, and the two side plate body surfaces of the guide plate 1000 are a first plate body surface and a second plate body surface that are parallel to each other. The first plate body center may be determined according to the shape of the guide plate 1000. For example, when the guide plate 1000 is a circular plate, the first plate body center is the center of the guide plate 1000. The rotating plate 2000 has a second plate body center and a second center hole located at the second plate body center, and the two side plate body surfaces of the rotating plate 2000 are a third plate body surface and a fourth plate body surface that are parallel to each other. The second plate body center may be determined according to the shape of the rotating plate 2000. For example, when the rotating plate 2000 is a circular plate, the second plate body center is the center of the rotating plate 2000.

[0056] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the first disk surface of the guide disk 1000 is Figure 2The surface shown in the figure, when used relative to the wafer heating platform 200, the first disk surface is used to face the wafer heating platform 200. The rotating disk 2000 and the guide disk 1000 can be coaxially rotated along the same central axis passing through the center of the first disk and the center of the second disk. For example, the first center hole of the guide disk 1000 and the second center hole of the rotating disk 2000 are equipped with a central rotating shaft, and at least one of the guide disk 1000 and the rotating disk 2000 can be rotated relative to the central rotating shaft. The second disk surface and the fourth disk surface are opposite, and the third disk surface of the rotating disk 2000 is Figure 1 As shown in the figure, when used relative to the wafer heating platform 200, the surface of the third plate is away from the wafer heating platform 200, so that the surface of the third plate is used to carry the wafer 10.

[0057] The guide plate 1000 is provided with a plurality of guide channels 1000a which pass through the first plate surface and the second plate surface of the guide plate 1000. The guide channels 1000a have a guiding function, and thus the guide channels 1000a are used to define a guide trajectory. The straight-line distance between the guide channel 1000a and the center of the first plate gradually shortens in the direction from one end to the other end, that is, in the process of moving from one end to the other end along the guide channel 1000a, the straight-line distance between each point on the moving trajectory and the center of the first plate gradually shortens. For example, the tangent direction of the guide channel 1000a can be directed toward the center of the first plate or gradually shifted toward the center of the first plate in the direction from one end to the other end. The guide trajectory can be defined as a curved trajectory or a straight-line trajectory, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2 In the example shown, the guide channel 1000a is a straight line toward the center of the first disk. In one embodiment, the number of the guide channels 1000a is set to be more than three, and all the guide channels 1000a are distributed on the guide disk 1000 along a circular trajectory with the center of the first disk as the center of the circle, and the distribution of all the guide channels 1000a on the guide disk has rotational symmetry with the center of the first disk as the center of the circle. That is, when the guide disk 1000 is rotated one circle along the center of the first disk, each guide channel can axially overlap with other guide channels.

[0058] The guide plate 1000 is not limited to a circular plate. For example, the guide plate 1000 may also be a square, arc-shaped, or other regular or irregular shapes. In one embodiment, the guide plate 1000 may include a first annular body 1100 and a plurality of first connecting ribs 1200 disposed in the inner ring of the first annular body 1100. A plurality of guide channels 1000a are disposed on the first annular body 1100 along a circular trajectory with the center of the first plate as the center. At this time, a hollow hole is formed between the first annular body 1100 and the plurality of first connecting ribs 1200. For example, the plurality of first connecting ribs 1200 are connected radially toward the center of the first annular body 1100. The hollow hole on the guide plate 1000 can be used to pass the lifting pin 301 to form contact with the bottom surface of the wafer 10, thereby being used to lift the wafer 10 and control the vertical lifting and lowering of the wafer 10.

[0059] Regardless of the shape of the guide disk 1000, a circular trajectory for distributing all the guide holes 1000a can be defined on the guide disk 1000, and the center of the circular trajectory is the center of the first disk body of the guide disk 1000. At this time, all the guide holes 1000a can be set along the circular trajectory on the guide disk 1000, so that all the guide holes 1000a can be evenly distributed circumferentially on the guide disk 1000.

[0060] The rotating disk 2000 is provided with a plurality of adjustment holes 2000a, and the adjustment holes 2000a are used to define an adjustment track, and the straight-line distance between the adjustment holes 2000a and the center of the second disk body gradually shortens from one end to the other end. The adjustment track can be defined as a curved track or a straight track, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2 In the example shown, the adjustment channel 2000a is a curved track toward the center of the second disk. In one embodiment, the number of the adjustment channels 2000a is set to be more than three, and all the adjustment channels 2000a are distributed on the rotating disk 2000 along a circular track centered on the center of the second disk. The distribution of all the adjustment channels 2000a on the rotating disk has rotational symmetry with the center of the second disk as the center of the circle. The setting principle of the adjustment channel 2000a is the same as the setting principle of the above-mentioned guide channel 1000a, which will not be repeated here.

[0061] The rotating disk 2000 is not limited to a circular disk. For example, the rotating disk 2000 may also be a square, arc-shaped, or other regular or irregular shapes. In one embodiment, the rotating disk 2000 includes a second annular body 2100 and a plurality of second connecting ribs 2200 disposed in the inner ring of the second annular body 2100. A plurality of adjusting channels 2000a are provided on the second annular body 2100 along the circumferential direction of the second annular body 2100. At this time, a hollow hole is formed between the second annular body 2100 and the plurality of second connecting ribs 2200. For example, the plurality of second connecting ribs 2200 are connected to the center along the radial direction of the second annular body 2100. The hollow hole on the rotating disk 2000 can be used to pass the lifting pin 301 to form contact with the bottom surface of the wafer 10, thereby being used to lift the wafer 10 and control the vertical lifting and lowering of the wafer 10.

[0062] In one embodiment, a plurality of support protrusions 2000b are provided on the third disk surface of the rotating disk 2000, and the support protrusions 2000b are used to support the wafer 10. Therefore, when the wafer 10 is placed on the third disk surface of the rotating disk 2000, the plurality of support protrusions 2000b on the third disk surface can support the side of the wafer 10 facing the rotating disk 2000, and the wafer 10 can be stably placed on the third disk surface of the rotating disk 2000 based on the support of the support protrusions 2000b. Among them, the guide disk 1000 and the rotating disk 2000 can form hollow holes through which the lifting pin 301 can pass through by the above structure or other similar structures, and the shape and number of the hollow holes are not limited, as long as the lifting pin 301 can lift the wafer 10. The lifting assembly 300 is not limited to the case including the lifting pin 301. Any lifting structure that can realize vertical lifting of the wafer can implement the present invention. The description of this specific method only provides a possible implementation method and does not serve as a limitation on the technical solution.

[0063] Regardless of the shape of the rotating disk 2000, a circular track for distributing all the adjustment holes 2000a can be defined on the rotating disk 2000, and the center of the circular track is the center of the second disk body of the rotating disk 2000. At this time, all the adjustment holes 2000a can be arranged along the circular track of the rotating disk 2000, so that all the adjustment holes 2000a can be distributed on the rotating disk 2000 along the circular track centered on the center of the second disk body. Among them, the adjustment track of each adjustment hole 2000a extends along the circumferential direction around the center of the second disk body, and each adjustment track gradually shifts toward the center of the second disk body along the circumferential direction of the center of the second disk body. The distribution of all the adjustment holes 2000a on the rotating disk has rotational symmetry with the center of the second disk body as the center. That is, when the rotating disk 2000 is rotated one circle along the center of the second disk body, each adjustment hole can axially coincide with other adjustment holes.

[0064] Moreover, at this time, the number of guide holes 1000a set on the guide plate 1000 and the adjustment holes 2000a set on the rotating plate 2000 are the same, and they correspond one to one. When the guide plate 1000 and the rotating plate 2000 are coaxially assembled, each guide hole 1000a is axially opposite to a matching adjustment hole 2000a, so that each locking member 3000 can be movably inserted into a pair of axially corresponding guide holes 1000a and adjustment holes 2000a. Moreover, the horizontal length of each pair of axially opposite guide channels 1000a and adjustment channels 2000a is also determined according to the movement of the locking member 3000 in the two. For example, before the guide plate 1000 and the rotating plate 2000 rotate, each locking member 3000 can be located at one end of the matching pair of guide channels 1000a and adjustment channels 2000a. When the guide plate 1000 and the rotating plate 2000 rotate relative to each other, each locking member 3000 can move along the matching pair of guide channels 1000a and adjustment channels 2000a until they reach the other end of the pair of guide channels 1000a and adjustment channels 2000a at the same time. Therefore, the length of each pair of axially opposite guide channels 1000a and adjustment channels 2000a can be determined according to actual conditions, and those skilled in the art can set it according to needs, which is not limited here.

[0065] A locking member 3000 may be provided between the guide plate 1000 and the rotating plate 2000, and the number of the locking members 3000 is set to match the number of the guide holes 1000a and the adjusting holes 2000a. The locking member 3000 is used to be movably assembled between the guide holes 1000a and the adjusting holes 2000a. For example, the multiple guide holes 1000a of the guide plate 1000 and the multiple adjustment holes 2000a on the rotating plate 2000 can be axially opposite to each other one by one. At this time, the number of guide holes 1000a of the guide plate 1000 and the number of adjustment holes 2000a of the rotating plate 2000 can be the same, and the position of the guide hole 1000a on the guide plate 1000 corresponds to the position of the adjustment hole 2000a on the rotating plate 2000 one by one, allowing each locking member 3000 to be simultaneously movably assembled in a pair of matching guide holes 1000a and adjustment holes 2000a, and the locking member 3000 protrudes from the guide hole 1000a of the guide plate 1000 to the first plate body surface of the guide plate 1000.

[0066] Therefore, when the guide plate 1000 and the rotating plate 2000 rotate relative to the central axis 1300, the locking member 3000 can simultaneously move along a pair of guide channels 1000a and adjustment channels 2000a that are matched with each other, that is, as the guide plate 1000 and the rotating plate 2000 rotate relative to the central axis 1300, the locking member 3000 can move along one end of the adjustment channel 2000a to the other end, and at the same time, the locking member 3000 will also move along one end of the guide channel 1000a to the other end.

[0067] The linear distance between the adjusting hole 2000a and the center of the second disk body is gradually shortened in the direction from one end to the other end; if the locking member 3000 moves along the end of the adjusting hole 2000a that is relatively far from the center of the second disk body to the end that is relatively close to the center of the second disk body, the linear distance between the locking member 3000 and the center of the second disk body will also become closer and closer, thereby allowing the locking member 3000 to gradually approach the center of the first disk body along the guide hole 1000a on the guide disk 1000. At this time, all the locking members 3000 will move synchronously toward the center of the first disk body of the guide disk 1000, forming a movement toward the center of the first disk body, thereby forming a centering clamping effect toward the center of the first disk body, which can be used to center and clamp the wafer heating platform 200.

[0068] Alternatively, if the locking member 3000 moves along the end of the adjustment channel 2000a that is relatively close to the center of the second plate body to the end that is relatively far from the center of the second plate body, the linear distance between the locking member 3000 and the center of the second plate body will also become farther and farther, thereby allowing the locking member 3000 to synchronously move away from the center of the first plate body along the guide channel 1000a on the guide plate 1000. At this time, all the locking members 3000 will synchronously move toward the direction of the center of the first plate body that is away from the guide plate 1000, forming a separation away from the center of the first plate body, thereby releasing the centering clamping effect toward the center of the first plate body, and can be used to release the wafer heating platform 200.

[0069] In one embodiment, a plurality of centering clamps 2300 may be provided on the third disk body surface of the rotating disk 2000, and the plurality of centering clamps 2300 are distributed on the rotating disk 2000 in a circumferential direction around the center of the second disk body, wherein the plurality of centering clamps 2300 are at equal straight-line distances from the center of the second disk body, thereby forming a wafer 10 accommodating area between the plurality of centering clamps 2300. When the wafer 10 is placed in the wafer 10 accommodating area, the edge of the wafer 10 will be in limiting contact with the plurality of centering clamps 2300, thereby allowing the wafer 10 accommodating area to be used for centering the wafer 10 on the third disk body surface of the rotating disk 2000.

[0070] In one embodiment, the adjustment channel 2000a passes through the thickness direction of the rotating disk 2000 to form a through channel. At this time, the locking member 3000 can be limited to be lower than or equal to the third disk surface of the rotating disk 2000. Therefore, since the locking member 3000 does not protrude from the third disk surface of the rotating disk 2000, when the wafer 10 is placed on the third disk surface of the rotating disk 2000, the bottom surface of the wafer 10 can contact the third disk surface of the rotating disk 2000, so that the edge of the wafer 10 can contact the multiple centering clamps 2300 mentioned above, and the locking member 3000 will not affect the surface of the wafer 10 during the movement.

[0071] The locking member 3000 may be provided with a corresponding structure and shape to achieve a stable assembly with the guide disk 1000 and the rotating disk 2000. For example, in one embodiment, the locking member 3000 may include a first locking rod segment 3100 and a second locking rod segment 3200 that are coaxially arranged, and the first locking rod segment 3100 and the second locking rod segment 3200 are axially connected. For example, one end of the first locking rod segment 3100 is connected to one end of the second locking rod segment 3200. The first locking rod segment 3100 is used to be movably assembled in the guide channel 1000a of the guide disk 1000, and the end of the first locking rod segment 3100 away from the second locking rod segment 3200 protrudes from the first disk body surface of the guide disk 1000. The second locking rod segment 3200 is used to be movably assembled in the adjustment channel 2000a of the rotating disk 2000, and the end of the second locking rod segment 3200 away from the first locking rod segment 3100 is lower than or equal to the third disk body surface of the rotating disk 2000.

[0072] In one embodiment, a first limiting portion 3000a may be provided between the first locking rod segment 3100 and the second locking rod segment 3200, and a second limiting portion 3000b may be provided at the end of the second locking rod segment 3200. The first limiting portion 3000a and the second limiting portion 3000b may form a section on the locking member 3000 for assembling the guide disk 1000 and the rotating disk 2000, so that the guide disk 1000 and the rotating disk 2000 are limitedly assembled with the locking member 3000. In one embodiment, the first limiting portion 3000a may be an annular protrusion around the circumference of the locking member 3000 or other protrusion structure with the same or similar function, and the second limiting portion 3000b may be an annular protrusion around the circumference of the locking member 3000 or other protrusion structure with the same or similar function. A first limiting step facing the second disk surface is arranged inside the guide hole 1000a, a second limiting step facing the third disk surface is arranged inside the adjustment hole 2000a, the first limiting portion 3000a is limitedly assembled with the first limiting step, and the second limiting portion 3000b is limitedly assembled with the second limiting step. Due to the first limiting portion 3000a and the second limiting portion 3000b, the locking member 3000 can limit the locking member 3000 in the axial direction relative to the fourth disk surface and the third disk surface of the rotating disk 2000, respectively, so that the locking member 3000 can only move horizontally in the adjustment hole 2000a of the rotating disk 2000, that is, when the rotating disk 2000 and the guide disk 1000 rotate relative to each other, the locking member 3000 can remain axially arranged in the guide hole 1000a and the adjustment hole 2000a without axial tilting.

[0073] When the wafer 10 needs to be centered, the wafer 10 can be placed on the third disk surface of the rotating disk 2000, and the center of the wafer 10 is kept aligned with the center of the second disk of the rotating disk 2000, for example, by using the above-mentioned centering clamp 2300 to achieve centering. At this time, the guide disk 1000 and the rotating disk 2000 of the wafer centering mechanism 100 are relatively rotated, and the locking member 3000 of the wafer centering mechanism 100 is controlled to move synchronously along the guide channel 1000a of the guide disk 1000 and the adjustment channel 2000a of the rotating disk 2000 until all the locking members 3000 are in contact with the centering contact position of the platform edge of the wafer heating platform 200, so that the center of the wafer 10 centering mechanism 100 is aligned with the platform reference center of the wafer heating platform 200. Due to the centering between the wafer 10 and the centering mechanism 100, the centering between the wafer 10 and the wafer heating platform 200 can be achieved.

[0074] After the wafer 10 and the wafer heating platform 200 are aligned, the wafer centering mechanism 100 can be removed with the help of an adaptive lifting assembly 300 and auxiliary equipment such as a wafer manipulator 201, and finally the wafer 10 is centered and placed on the wafer heating platform 200. The lifting assembly 300 is used to lift and lower the wafer in the vertical direction of gravity. The lifting assembly 300 includes a plurality of lifting pins 301, and the wafer heating platform is provided with a plurality of platform through-holes that penetrate the thickness direction of the wafer heating platform, and the platform through-holes are used to penetrate the lifting pins 301. For example, the lifting assembly 300 can be used to vertically lift the wafer 10 along the height direction of the wafer heating platform 200, remove the wafer centering mechanism 100, and then vertically drop the wafer 10 along the height direction of the wafer heating platform 200, so that the wafer 10 is centered and placed on the wafer heating platform 200. During the lifting and dropping process of the wafer 10, the already determined centering state between the wafer 10 and the wafer heating platform 200 needs to be maintained. Those skilled in the art can use feasible methods to achieve the removal of the wafer centering mechanism 100, which is not limited here.

[0075] See also Figures 6 to 11 As shown, the present application provides a wafer 10 heating system, and the wafer 10 heating system includes a wafer centering mechanism 100, a wafer heating platform 200 and a lifting assembly 300. The wafer heating platform 200 is not limited to a circular platform. For example, the wafer heating platform 200 can also be a square, arc-shaped, and other regular or irregular shapes. The wafer heating platform 200 can define a platform reference center, and the platform edge of the wafer heating platform 200 has at least a plurality of centering contact positions, and the linear distances between the plurality of centering contact positions and the platform reference center are all equal, and the centering contact positions are used for centering limit contact with the locking member 3000 of the wafer centering mechanism 100.

[0076] Regardless of the shape of the wafer heating platform 200, a circular track for distributing a plurality of centering contact positions can be defined on the wafer heating platform 200, and the center of the circular track is the platform reference center of the wafer heating platform 200. In this case, the plurality of centering contact positions are all arranged along the circular track on the wafer heating platform 200. In one embodiment, the wafer heating platform 200 can directly adopt a circular platform, and in this case, the platform edge of the wafer heating platform 200 can all be used for centering and limiting contact with the locking member 3000 of the wafer centering mechanism 100, thereby realizing the centering of the wafer 10.

[0077] The lifting assembly 300 includes a plurality of lifting pins 301, wherein the plurality of lifting pins 301 can be fixedly assembled together by a bracket 302, and the type of the bracket 302 is not limited. The wafer heating platform 200 is provided with a plurality of platform through-holes 200a that penetrate the wafer heating platform 200 in the thickness direction, and the platform through-holes 200a are used to pass the lifting pins 301. Therefore, when the wafer 10 is placed on the third disk surface of the rotating disk 2000, the lifting pins 301 can pass through the platform through-holes 200a of the wafer heating platform 200, and pass through the hollow holes of the guide disk 1000 and the rotating disk 2000, thereby forming contact with the bottom surface of the wafer 10, thereby being used to lift the wafer 10 and control the vertical lifting of the wafer 10.

[0078] The present application provides a wafer centering method based on a wafer centering mechanism 100 or a wafer heating system, and the wafer centering method includes: placing the first disk surface of the guide disk 1000 of the wafer centering mechanism 100 toward the wafer heating platform 200, placing the wafer centering mechanism 100 on the wafer heating platform 200 in this direction, and placing the wafer 10 on the third disk surface of the rotating disk 2000. At this time, the center of the wafer 10 can be kept aligned with the center of the second disk of the rotating disk 2000, and the wafer 10 can be kept parallel to the wafer heating platform 200. For example, a wafer 10 accommodating area is formed by a plurality of centering clamps 2300. After the wafer 10 is placed in the wafer 10 accommodating area, the edge of the wafer 10 will contact with the plurality of centering clamps 2300 in a limiting manner, so that the wafer 10 accommodating area can be used to center the wafer 10 on the third disk surface of the rotating disk 2000.

[0079] Then, the guide plate 1000 and the rotating plate 2000 of the wafer centering mechanism 100 are rotated relative to each other, and the locking parts 3000 of the wafer centering mechanism 100 are controlled to move synchronously along the guide channel 1000a of the guide plate 1000 and the adjustment channel 2000a of the rotating plate 2000 until all the locking parts 3000 contact the centering contact position of the platform edge of the wafer heating platform 200, so that the center of the wafer 10 is aligned with the platform reference center of the wafer heating platform 200.

[0080] At this time, the wafer centering mechanism 100 can be removed, and the center of the wafer 10 is kept aligned with the platform reference center of the wafer heating platform 200. For example, the wafer 10 can be vertically lifted along the height direction of the wafer heating platform 200 using the lifting pin 301. During the lifting process, except for the change in the vertical distance between the center of the wafer 10 and the platform reference center of the wafer heating platform 200, the center of the wafer 10 and the platform reference center of the wafer heating platform 200 remain in the centered state. Then, the wafer centering mechanism 100 is removed. For example, at this time, a robot can be used to support the wafer and locate the centering position, and then the lifting pin 301 is lowered to remove the wafer centering mechanism 100. Raise the lifting pin 301 to support the wafer 10, remove the robot, lower the lifting pin 301, and drop the wafer 10 vertically along the height direction of the wafer heating platform 200. During the falling process, except for the change in the vertical distance between the center of the wafer 10 and the platform reference center of the wafer heating platform 200, the center of the wafer 10 and the platform reference center of the wafer heating platform 200 remain in a centered state. After the wafer 10 falls back to the wafer heating platform 200, the wafer 10 can be centered and placed on the wafer heating platform 200.

[0081] After the wafer 10 is centered and placed on the wafer heating platform 200, the current spatial position of the wafer 10 relative to the wafer heating platform 200 can be identified and located; or in the process of removing the wafer centering mechanism 100, when the robot supports the wafer, the spatial position is the reference position for the wafer robot 201 to pick up the wafer 10, so that the wafer robot 201 can directly take other wafers 10 based on the already identified and located spatial position when taking other wafers 10 subsequently, and there is no need to repeat the centering of the wafer 10 when taking other wafers 10 subsequently, thereby improving the efficiency of the wafer robot 201 in operating the wafer 10.

[0082] Since the specific structure, functional principle, technical effect and other technical contents of the above-mentioned wafer centering mechanism 100 and wafer heating platform 200 have been described in detail in the previous text, they will not be repeated here. Any technical contents related to the above-mentioned wafer centering mechanism 100 and wafer heating platform 200 can be referred to above.

[0083] The technical features of the above embodiments may be combined arbitrarily. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above 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.

[0084] The above embodiments only express several implementation methods of the present application, and the descriptions thereof are relatively specific and detailed, but they cannot be understood as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be pointed out that, for a person of ordinary skill in the art, several variations and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present application, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the patent application shall be subject to the attached claims.

Claims

1. A wafer centering mechanism, characterized in that: The wafer centering mechanism comprises: A guide plate, the guide plate having a first plate body center and a first center hole located at the first plate body center, two side plate body surfaces of the guide plate being a first plate body surface and a second plate body surface parallel to each other, a plurality of guide channels penetrating the first plate body surface and the second plate body surface are provided on the guide plate, the guide channels are used to define a guide track, and a straight-line distance between the guide channels and the first plate body center gradually shortens in a direction from one end to the other end; A rotating disk, the rotating disk having a second disk body center and a second center hole located at the center of the second disk body, two side disk body surfaces of the rotating disk are a third disk body surface and a fourth disk body surface parallel to each other, a central rotating shaft is assembled in the first center hole of the guide disk and the second center hole of the rotating disk, at least one of the guide disk and the rotating disk can rotate relative to the central rotating shaft, the second disk body surface and the fourth disk body surface are opposite, the third disk body surface is used to carry a wafer, a plurality of adjustment channels are provided on the rotating disk, the adjustment channels are used to define an adjustment trajectory, and the straight-line distance between the adjustment channels and the center of the second disk body is gradually shortened in the direction from one end to the other end; The locking piece is provided with a guide hole of the guide plate and an adjustment hole of the rotating plate which are axially opposite to each other, and the locking piece is movably assembled in a pair of axially opposite guide holes and adjustment holes, and the locking piece protrudes from the guide hole of the guide plate to the surface of the first plate body of the guide plate.

2. The wafer centering mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The number of the guide holes, the adjustment holes, and the locking pieces are all three or more, and the guide holes, the adjustment holes, and the locking pieces are matched and arranged one by one; All of the guide holes are distributed on the guide disk along a circular trajectory with the center of the first disk body as the center, and the distribution of all of the guide holes on the guide disk has rotational symmetry with the center of the first disk body as the center; all of the adjustment holes are distributed on the rotating disk along a circular trajectory with the center of the second disk body as the center, and the distribution of all of the adjustment holes on the rotating disk has rotational symmetry with the center of the second disk body as the center.

3. The wafer centering mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: A plurality of centering clamps are arranged on the surface of the third disk body of the rotating disk, and the plurality of centering clamps are distributed on the rotating disk along a circular trajectory with the center of the second disk body as the center. A wafer accommodating area is formed between the plurality of centering clamps, and the wafer accommodating area is used to center the wafer on the surface of the third disk body of the rotating disk.

4. The wafer centering mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The guide plate comprises a first annular body and a plurality of first connecting ribs arranged in the inner ring of the first annular body, and the guide channel is arranged on the first annular body along a circular trajectory with the center of the first plate as the center; and / or, The rotating disk includes a second annular body and a plurality of second connecting ribs arranged on the inner ring of the second annular body, and the adjusting channel is arranged on the second annular body along a circular trajectory with the center of the second disk as the center.

5. The wafer centering mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The adjusting hole passes through the third disk body surface and the fourth disk body surface of the rotating disk, and the locking member is lower than or equal to the third disk body surface of the rotating disk.

6. The wafer centering mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that: The locking member includes a first locking rod segment and a second locking rod segment coaxially arranged, the first locking rod segment and the second locking rod segment are axially connected, the end of the first locking rod segment away from the second locking rod segment protrudes from the first disk body surface of the guide disk, and the end of the second locking rod segment away from the first locking rod segment is lower than or equal to the third disk body surface of the rotating disk.

7. The wafer centering mechanism according to claim 6, characterized in that: A first limiting portion is arranged between the first locking rod segment and the second locking rod segment, a second limiting portion is arranged at the end of the second locking rod segment away from the first locking rod segment, a first limiting step facing the surface of the second disk body is arranged inside the guide hole, a second limiting step facing the surface of the third disk body is arranged inside the adjustment hole, the first limiting portion is limitedly assembled with the first limiting step, and the second limiting portion is limitedly assembled with the second limiting step.

8. A wafer heating system, characterized in that: The wafer heating system comprises: The wafer centering mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 7; A wafer heating platform, wherein the wafer heating platform has a platform reference center, and the platform edge of the wafer heating platform has at least a plurality of centering contact positions, the linear distances between the plurality of centering contact positions and the platform reference center are all equal, and the centering contact positions are used for centering and limiting contact with the locking member of the wafer centering mechanism; A lifting assembly is used to lift and lower the wafer in a direction perpendicular to gravity.

9. A wafer centering method based on the wafer heating system of claim 8, characterized in that: The wafer centering method comprises: The wafer centering mechanism is placed on the wafer heating platform, the third disk surface of the rotating disk is placed in a horizontal upward direction, the wafer is placed on the third disk surface of the rotating disk, the center of the wafer is kept aligned with the center of the second disk of the rotating disk, and the wafer is kept parallel to the wafer heating platform; Relative rotation of the guide plate and the rotating plate of the wafer centering mechanism, controlling the locking member of the wafer centering mechanism to move synchronously along the guide hole of the guide plate and the adjustment hole of the rotating plate, until all the locking members are in contact with the centering contact position of the platform edge of the wafer heating platform, so that the wafer centering mechanism is centered with the wafer heating platform, and further the center of the wafer is aligned with the platform reference center of the wafer heating platform; The wafer is vertically lifted by the lifting assembly, the wafer centering mechanism is removed, and then the wafer is vertically lowered by the lifting assembly so that the wafer is centered and placed on the wafer heating platform.

10. The wafer centering method according to claim 9, characterized in that: A plurality of centering clamps are arranged on the surface of the third disk body of the rotating disk, and the plurality of centering clamps are distributed on the rotating disk along a circular trajectory with the center of the second disk body as the center. The wafer is placed in the wafer accommodating area formed by the plurality of centering clamps of the rotating disk, and the plurality of centering clamps match the size of the wafer to keep the center of the wafer aligned with the center of the second disk body of the rotating disk.

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