Wafer transport device, polishing system and polishing process

Abstract

The present invention discloses a wafer handling device, a polishing system, and a polishing process. The wafer handling device comprises: a box body, which is equipped with a fluid medium, has an opening at the top, and has at least a first working position and a second working position; a wafer box, which has a plurality of cavity slots for placing wafers, and can be placed in the box body from the top opening of the box body; a transfer mechanism, which is used to obtain the wafer in the wafer box and transfer it to the polishing area, and is arranged corresponding to the second working position; at the first working position, the wafer box is placed in the fluid medium of the box body; at the second working position, the transfer mechanism transports the wafer box in the fluid medium outward; and a moving mechanism, which is used to drive the wafer box to move in the fluid medium and between the first working position and the second working position. The wafer of the present invention is in the fluid medium during the movement process between the first working position and the second working position, so as to keep the wafer in a wet state, avoid dirt or dust adhering to the surface of the wafer, keep the wafer in a good state, and avoid defects in the wafer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of semiconductor integrated circuit chip manufacturing, and in particular relates to a wafer transport device, a polishing system, and a polishing process. Background Art

[0002] During the processing of wafers, the wafers need to be stored and inspected by the wafer loading device, and then the wafers are transferred by the wafer transfer equipment to a specific location for the next process. The robot takes the wafer out of the wafer box, transports it to the wafer transfer equipment, and transfers it to the wafer processing equipment after pre-alignment. Before the robot takes the wafer out of the wafer box, it needs to effectively detect the status of the wafer in the wafer box to ensure that the robot can accurately and safely take out the wafer and transport it.

[0003] In some specific environments, such as dry environments, during the polishing or cleaning steps, the dirt adhered to the wafer surface in the previous step is difficult to remove, which increases the workload. Under humid conditions, the wafer surface will not adhere to dirt or dust, and can be transported to the processing equipment of the next process. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a wafer handling device and a wafer polishing system that can operate in a humid environment. Summary of the invention

[0004] In order to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art, the present invention provides a wafer transport device, a polishing system, and a polishing process, which move the wafer in a fluid medium to keep the wafer moist and prevent dirt or dust from adhering to the wafer surface.

[0005] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve the technical problem is: a wafer transport device, comprising:

[0006] A box body, containing a fluid medium, having an opening on the top, and having at least a first working position and a second working position;

[0007] A wafer box has a plurality of cavity slots for placing wafers and can be placed in the box through the top opening of the box;

[0008] A transfer mechanism, used for obtaining the wafer in the cassette and transferring it to the polishing area, and arranged corresponding to the second working position;

[0009] At the first working position, the tablet box is placed in the fluid medium of the box body; at the second working position, the transfer mechanism transports the tablet box in the fluid medium outward;

[0010] The moving mechanism is used to drive the film box to move in the fluid medium between the first working position and the second working position.

[0011] Furthermore, the first working position and the second working position are arranged at intervals along the length direction of the box body.

[0012] Furthermore, the moving mechanism includes a track arranged near the box body, a lifting unit which can move along the track, and a supporting part connected to the lifting unit, the film box is placed on the supporting part, and the track extends from the first working position to the second working position.

[0013] Furthermore, the supporting part has a rotation limiting member, which has a first limiting portion and a second limiting portion that can abut against adjacent side walls of the film box, and the first limiting portion and / or the second limiting portion have an adjustment groove.

[0014] Furthermore, the top of the cavity slot is open, and the wafer box is placed at an angle, so that the wafer in the cavity slot is tilted, and the tilt angle with the vertical direction is 2-20°.

[0015] Furthermore, the box body comprises an inner box body and an outer box body, the film box is placed in the inner box body, and the fluid medium in the inner box body overflows into the outer box body.

[0016] Furthermore, it also includes a sensor for monitoring the position and state of the wafer, and the signal emitted by the sensor is parallel or nearly parallel to the plane where the wafer in the cavity slot is located.

[0017] Further, the sensor is located below the fluid medium of the box, or the sensor is located above the fluid medium.

[0018] Furthermore, the sensor and the cavity slot are both located in the fluid medium; or, the sensor and the cavity slot are both located in an area outside the fluid medium; or, the sensor is located in an area outside the fluid medium, and the cavity slot is located in the fluid medium.

[0019] Furthermore, the box body is provided with a liquid level sensor.

[0020] Furthermore, the number of the boxes is two, which are arranged side by side so that the second working positions of the two boxes are adjacent;

[0021] or,

[0022] There are two boxes, which are arranged in parallel, so that the first working positions of the two boxes are adjacent to each other, and the second working positions of the two boxes are adjacent to each other.

[0023] Furthermore, the fluid medium is a transparent liquid, which is pure water or a sodium hydroxide solution.

[0024] Furthermore, the transfer mechanism at least includes a base, a first rotating body connected to the base, a second rotating body, and a clamp for obtaining the wafer.

[0025] The present invention also discloses a polishing system, comprising:

[0026] The wafer handling device as described above;

[0027] The polishing unit is arranged in the polishing area, and comprises at least a first polishing unit and a second polishing unit located on the same side of the box body, and the connecting line of the first polishing unit and the second polishing unit is parallel or tends to be parallel to the connecting line of the first working position and the second working position.

[0028] Furthermore, the number of the boxes is two, which are arranged side by side so that the second working positions of the two boxes are adjacent;

[0029] The number of the polishing units is two, which are arranged side by side; or, the number of the polishing units is four, wherein two polishing units are arranged side by side on the same side of the two boxes, and the other two polishing units are arranged side by side on the other same side of the two boxes; or, the number of the polishing units is 2n+2m, wherein 2n polishing units are arranged side by side on the same side of the two boxes, and the other 2m polishing units are arranged side by side on the other same side of the two boxes, and m and n are the same or different.

[0030] Furthermore, the transfer mechanism is located between the two boxes.

[0031] The present invention further discloses a polishing process, which relies on the polishing system and includes the following steps:

[0032] S1, placing a first wafer box containing wafers to be polished into a first box body with a built-in fluid medium, and fixing the first wafer box on a first moving mechanism, at which time the wafers in the first wafer box are completely immersed in the fluid medium, and the first moving mechanism is located at a first working position;

[0033] The second wafer box containing the wafer to be polished is placed in the second box body with the fluid medium built in, and the second wafer box is fixedly installed on the second moving mechanism, at this time, the wafer in the second wafer box is completely immersed in the fluid medium, and the second moving mechanism is located at the first working position;

[0034] S2, the first moving mechanism transfers the first wafer box from the first working position to the second working position, and the wafers in the first wafer box are kept in a state of being completely immersed in the fluid medium;

[0035] The second moving mechanism transfers the second wafer box from the first working position to the second working position, and the wafer in the first wafer box remains in a state of being completely immersed in the fluid medium;

[0036] S3, the transfer mechanism takes out the wafer in the fluid medium from the first wafer box and transfers it to the polishing area;

[0037] S4, after the wafer in the first cassette is polished, the transfer mechanism transfers it to the second cassette, so that the polished wafer is immersed in the fluid medium again;

[0038] S5, after all wafers in the first wafer box have been polished, the first moving mechanism transfers the first wafer box from the second working position to the first working position, and the wafers in the first wafer box remain completely immersed in the fluid medium;

[0039] At this time, the transfer mechanism takes out the wafer in the fluid medium from the second cassette and transfers it to the polishing area;

[0040] At this time, the first wafer box is taken out as a whole together with the polished wafer at the first working position, and enters the next process flow, and another wafer box with unpolished wafers is placed in the first box;

[0041] S6, after the wafer in the second cassette is polished, the transfer mechanism transfers it to the second cassette, so that the polished wafer is re-immersed in the fluid medium;

[0042] At this time, the first moving mechanism transfers the first wafer box from the first working position to the second working position, and the wafer in the first wafer box remains in a state of being completely immersed in the fluid medium;

[0043] S7, after all wafers in the second cassette have been polished, the second moving mechanism transfers the second cassette from the second working position to the first working position, and the wafers in the second cassette remain completely immersed in the fluid medium;

[0044] The transfer mechanism takes out the wafer in the fluid medium from another updated wafer box and transfers it to the polishing area.

[0045] Furthermore, the step S2 further includes a step S21 after the step S2, detecting the position of the wafer in the cavity slot of the first wafer box, and transmitting the position signal to the transfer mechanism.

[0046] Furthermore, the step S1 further includes a step S11 after the step S1, wherein a liquid level sensor detects a change in the liquid level in the box to determine whether the wafers in the cassette are completely immersed in the fluid medium and / or determine whether the number of wafers in the cassette is correct.

[0047] Furthermore, in step S1, the motion trajectory of placing the first film box into the first box is projected onto a line connecting the first working position and the second working position in the first film box.

[0048] The present invention discloses a polishing process, which is based on the polishing system and includes the following steps:

[0049] S11, placing a first wafer box containing wafers to be polished into a first box body with a built-in fluid medium, and fixing the first wafer box on a first moving mechanism, wherein the wafers in the first wafer box are completely immersed in the fluid medium, and the first moving mechanism is located at a first working position;

[0050] The second wafer box containing the wafer to be polished is placed in the second box body with the fluid medium built in, and the second wafer box is fixedly installed on the second moving mechanism, at this time, the wafer in the second wafer box is completely immersed in the fluid medium, and the second moving mechanism is located at the first working position;

[0051] S12, the first moving mechanism transfers the first wafer box from the first working position to the second working position, and the wafers in the first wafer box are kept in a state of being completely immersed in the fluid medium;

[0052] The second moving mechanism transfers the second wafer box from the first working position to the second working position, and the wafer in the first wafer box remains in a state of being completely immersed in the fluid medium;

[0053] S13, the transfer mechanism takes out the wafer in the fluid medium from the first wafer box and transfers it to the polishing area;

[0054] S14, after the wafer in the first wafer box is polished, the transfer mechanism transfers it to the first wafer box, so that the polished wafer is re-immersed in the fluid medium;

[0055] S15, after all wafers in the first wafer box have been polished, the first moving mechanism transfers the first wafer box from the second working position to the first working position, and the wafers in the first wafer box remain completely immersed in the fluid medium;

[0056] At this time, the transfer mechanism takes out the wafer in the fluid medium from the second cassette and transfers it to the polishing area;

[0057] At this time, the first wafer box is taken out as a whole together with the polished wafer at the first working position, and enters the next process flow, and another first wafer box with unpolished wafers is placed in the first box;

[0058] S16, after the wafer in the second cassette is polished, the transfer mechanism transfers it to the second cassette, so that the polished wafer is re-immersed in the fluid medium;

[0059] At this time, the first moving mechanism transfers the updated another wafer box from the first working position to the second working position, and the wafers in the other wafer box are kept in a state of being completely immersed in the fluid medium;

[0060] S17, after all wafers in the second cassette have been polished, the second moving mechanism transfers the second cassette from the second working position to the first working position, and the wafers in the second cassette remain completely immersed in the fluid medium;

[0061] The transfer mechanism takes out the wafer in the fluid medium from another updated wafer box and transfers it to the polishing area;

[0062] At this time, the second wafer box is taken out together with the polished wafers at the first working position, and enters the next process flow, and another wafer box with unpolished wafers is placed in the second box.

[0063] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: 1) the wafer is in the fluid medium during the movement process between the first working position and the second working position, so the wafer is kept moist, dirt or dust is prevented from adhering to the surface of the wafer, the wafer is kept in a good state, and defects are prevented from occurring on the wafer; 2) the wafer is moved by means of a cassette and a moving mechanism, so the movement dimension of the transfer mechanism is reduced, the use cost is reduced, and the transfer mechanism focuses on the placement of the wafer, the transfer mechanism has a high efficiency in acquiring the wafer, and the efficiency of the polishing process is improved; 3) after the wafer moves to the second working position with the cassette, the transfer mechanism performs the action of placing and taking the wafer, so the efficiency of the transfer mechanism in taking and taking the wafer is improved. Safety of placing wafers; 4) The polishing system has strong compatibility, and wafers can be transported from one box, two boxes, or multiple boxes to one polishing unit, two polishing units, or an even number of polishing units on both sides of the polishing area, or to a cleaning unit, which can adapt to the layout of different polishing areas and has high flexibility; 5) The second working positions of the two boxes are arranged adjacent to each other, so that the positions of the transfer mechanism for taking and placing wafers are relatively concentrated, the transfer mechanism has high continuity in transmitting wafers, and the efficiency of taking and placing wafers is high; 6) A wafer box is built in a box to prevent the shaking of the liquid when the wafer box moves from affecting the state of wafers in other wafer boxes. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0064] Figure 1 A partial three-dimensional view of the wafer handling device provided by the present invention Figure 1 At this time, the film box moves from the second working position to the first working position.

[0065] Figure 2 A partial three-dimensional view of the wafer handling device provided by the present invention Figure 2 .

[0066] Figure 3 A partial three-dimensional view of the wafer handling device provided by the present invention Figure 3 .

[0067] Figure 4 A partial three-dimensional view of the wafer handling device provided by the present invention Figure 4 , which indicates that the film box enters and exits the box.

[0068] Figure 5 A partial three-dimensional view of the wafer handling device provided by the present invention Figure 5 .

[0069] Figure 6 A partial schematic diagram of the moving mechanism provided by the present invention.

[0070] Figure 7The wafer transport device provided by the present invention is a three-dimensional Figure 1 , at this time, the two boxes are set side by side.

[0071] Figure 8 The wafer transport device provided by the present invention is a three-dimensional Figure 2 , at this time, the two boxes are set side by side.

[0072] Fig. 9 This is a schematic diagram of the transfer mechanism provided by the present invention clamping a wafer.

[0073] Fig.10 A three-dimensional diagram of a box provided by the present invention.

[0074] Fig.11 A top view of the wafer handling device provided by the present invention Figure 1 , at this time, both film boxes are located at the first working position.

[0075] Fig.12 A top view of the wafer handling device provided by the present invention Figure 2 , at this time, both film boxes are located at the second working position.

[0076] Fig.13 A top view of the wafer handling device provided by the present invention Figure 3 , at this time, it is indicated that the film box moves between the first working position and the second working position.

[0077] Fig.14 A top view of the polishing system provided by the present invention Figure 1 .

[0078] Fig.15 A top view of the polishing system provided by the present invention Figure 2 .

[0079] Fig.16 A top view of the polishing system provided by the present invention Figure 3 .

[0080] Fig.17 A top view of the polishing system provided by the present invention Figure 4 .

[0081] Fig.18 A top view of the polishing system provided by the present invention Figure 5 .

[0082] Fig.19 A top view of the polishing system provided by the present invention Figure 6 .

[0083] Fig. 20 A top view of the polishing system provided by the present invention Figure 7 .

[0084] Fig.21 A top view of the polishing system provided by the present invention Figure 8 .

[0085] Fig. 22 A top view of the polishing system provided by the present invention Figure 9 .

[0086] Fig.23 This is a simplified top view of two boxes arranged side by side in the present invention.

[0087] Among them, 1-box, 11-inner box, 12-outer box, 121-drain outlet, 2-chip box, 21-cavity slot, 211-positioning step, 3-transfer mechanism, 31-base, 32-first rotating body, 33-second rotating body, 34-clamp, 4-moving mechanism, 41-track, 42-lifting unit, 43-supporting part, 44-rotation limiter, 441-first limiter, 442-second limiter, 443-adjusting slot, 5-polishing area, 51-first polishing unit, 52-second polishing unit, 53-third polishing unit, 54-fourth polishing unit, 55-transmission device, 61-sensor, 62-liquid level sensor, 7-wafer, 81-first working position, 82-second working position, 9-cleaning unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0088] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the solutions of the present invention, the following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0089] like Figure 1-Figure 5 As shown, a wafer handling device includes a box 1 with a fluid medium built in, a wafer box 2 that can be placed in the box 1, a transfer mechanism 3, and a moving mechanism 4.

[0090] The box body 1 has an opening at the top, and the box body 1 has at least a first working position 81 and a second working position 82, which are arranged at intervals along the length direction of the box body 1, or in other words, the line connecting the first working position 81 and the second working position 82 is parallel or tends to be parallel to the longitudinal center axis of the box body 1. At the first working position 81, the film box 2 is placed in the fluid medium of the box body 1, and at the second working position 82, the transfer mechanism 3 transports the film box 2 in the fluid medium outward.

[0091] The fluid medium is a transparent liquid, which can be pure water or a sodium hydroxide solution.

[0092] The wafer box 2 has a plurality of cavity slots 21 for placing the wafers 7, and the wafer box 2 can be placed into the box body 1 from the top opening of the box body 1. The top of the cavity slot 21 is open, so that the wafer 7 can be placed into the cavity slot 21 conveniently. A plurality of positioning steps 211 are evenly spaced in the cavity slot 21, and the outer edge of the wafer 7 can abut against the positioning steps 211.

[0093] The transfer mechanism 3 is used to obtain the wafer 7 in the cassette 2 and transfer it to the polishing area 5. Fig.13 As shown, the area indicated by the dotted circle is the working area of ​​the transfer mechanism 3. The polishing area 5 here is a broad concept, which includes not only the polishing unit, but also the cleaning unit 9 arranged near the polishing unit. The transfer mechanism 3 is arranged corresponding to the second working position 82 of the box body 1. In this embodiment, the transfer mechanism 3 is located on the central axis of the length direction of the box body 1 and is close to the second working position 82.

[0094] like Fig. 9 As shown, the transfer mechanism 3 at least includes a base 31, a first rotating body 32 connected to the base 31, a second rotating body 33, and a clamp 34 for obtaining the wafer 7. The first rotating body 32 and the second rotating body 33 have different rotation directions. Specifically, as shown in FIG. Fig. 9 Taking the direction shown as an example, the first rotating body 32 rotates in the direction perpendicular to the paper plane, the second rotating body 33 rotates in the direction perpendicular to the paper plane, and the clamping claw 34 can also rotate in the direction perpendicular to the paper plane. The first rotating body 32, the second rotating body 33, and the clamping claw 34 can be structures in the prior art, and are not specifically limited.

[0095] The moving mechanism 4 is used to drive the film box 2 to move between the first working position 81 and the second working position 82 in the fluid medium. Figure 1 As shown, the moving mechanism 4 includes a track 41 arranged near the box body 1, a lifting unit 42 that can be translated along the track 41, and a supporting part 43 connected to the lifting unit 42, and the film box 2 is placed on the supporting part 43. Specifically, the track 41 is located above the frame of the box body 1, and extends along the length direction of the box body 1, and its extension length at least extends from the first working position 81 to the second working position 82. The lifting unit 42 is used to lift the supporting part 43 upward out of the fluid medium, so that when the film box 2 is taken in and placed, the lifting unit 42 lifts the supporting part 43 upward to above the liquid level to prevent the operator from contacting the fluid medium in the box body 1 when placing the film box 2 in the fluid medium in the box body 1. When the operation is completed, the lifting unit 42 is lowered to immerse the film box 2 in the fluid medium.

[0096] like Figure 6As shown, the supporting portion 43 has a rotation limiter 44, and the rotation limiter 44 has a first limiter 441 and a second limiter 442 that can abut against the adjacent side walls of the film box 2. Specifically, four rotation limiters 44 are arranged on the supporting portion 43, and the cross-section of each rotation limiter 44 is L-shaped, that is, the angle between the first limiter 441 and the second limiter 442 is 90°, so that the four rotation limiters 44 firmly clamp the box body 1 at the four corners of the box body 1. Since the volume of the box body 1 may have a slight deviation, an adjustment groove 443 is formed on the first limiter 441, so that the rotation limiter 44 can be moved to a suitable position according to the size of the box body 1, and then the fastener is passed through the adjustment groove 443 and fixedly assembled with the supporting portion 43. Of course, the adjustment groove 443 can also be arranged on the second limiter 442, or the adjustment groove 443 is provided on both the first limiter 441 and the second limiter 442, and there is no specific limitation. Of course, as Figure 6 As shown, the two rotation limiting members 44 can also be installed at an angle, thereby realizing a fixing method of two corners + four contact points, thereby achieving a stable limitation of the box body 1.

[0097] When the film box 2 is placed vertically, the wafer 7 is in a vertical state. Since the existing standard film box 2 lacks a structure to limit the inclination of the wafer 7, and if a structure to limit the inclination of the wafer 7 is set, it will also have an adverse effect on the transfer mechanism 3 to obtain the wafer in the film box 2. Therefore, the state of the wafer 7 in the film box 2 and the fluid medium will be uncontrollable (the wafer 7 is tilted to the left or right). In order to make the state of the wafer 7 determined and unified, and to reduce the floating of the wafer 7 in the fluid medium, the top of the cavity slot 21 is open, and the film box 2 is placed on the supporting part 43 at an angle. Therefore, when the wafer 7 is vertically placed in the cavity slot 21, the wafer in the cavity slot 21 is placed at an angle. Specifically, the inclination angle of the wafer 7 with the vertical direction is 2-20°. At this time, the wafer 7 is tilted toward the positioning step 211 in the cavity slot 21 due to the action of gravity.

[0098] Compared with the traditional wafer box that is open on the side, that is, the wafer is in a horizontal state in the wafer box, the opening of the wafer box 2 is set at the top, so that the wafer 7 is placed vertically at an angle, which makes it easier for the wafer 7 to always be in a fluid medium environment and avoid dirt from adhering to the surface of the wafer 7. At the same time, the vertical placement also facilitates the transfer mechanism 4 to take and place.

[0099] In order to facilitate monitoring of the position and status of the wafer 7, Figure 1-Figure 3 As shown, a sensor 61 is provided above the box 1 at a position corresponding to the film box 2. The signal emitted by the sensor 61 is parallel or parallel to the plane where the wafer 7 in the cavity slot 21 is located. In other words, the signal emitted by the sensor 61 is also inclined relative to the vertical plane.

[0100] As described above, the sensor 61 can be set above the fluid medium. Of course, the sensor 61 can also be set below the fluid medium, or in other words, when the sensor 61 performs detection, the position of the sensor 61 is not limited. With respect to the relative position of the sensor 61 and the cavity slot 21, the sensor 61 and the cavity slot 21 can be both located in the fluid medium; or, the sensor 61 and the cavity slot 21 can be both located in the area outside the fluid medium for detection; or, the sensor 61 can be located in the area outside the fluid medium, and the cavity slot 21 can be located in the fluid medium for detection.

[0101] like Figure 2 As shown, the box 1 is provided with a liquid level sensor 62, which is used to monitor the change of the liquid level in the box 1, and judge whether there are wafers in the box 1, the number of wafers, and other information through the change of the liquid level. Specifically, there is a fluid medium in the box 1, and the liquid level is monitored by the liquid level sensor 62. The liquid level sensor 62 is set to have a height of H, a liquid surface area of ​​S, a volume of a single wafer 7 of V1, and the maximum number of wafers 7 that can be accommodated by the wafer box 2 is n, and the volume of the part of the wafer box 2 and the transfer mechanism 3 immersed in the liquid is V2. Assuming that the wafer box 2 is full of wafers 7 and the wafer box 2 is in the liquid, the liquid level is read by the liquid level sensor 62 as H1. When the number of wafers in the wafer box 2 changes, the liquid level will change, and the height change is linearly related to the change in the number of wafers, that is, the change in the number of wafers can be calculated by the formula (H2-H1)*S / V1, where H2 and H1 are the heights after and before the liquid level change, respectively. Furthermore, the presence or absence of wafers or cassettes 2 in the box 1 can be detected by the change in the liquid level.

[0102] In order to ensure that the fluid medium in the box 1 is relatively pure or not contaminated and reduce the impact on the wafer 7 in the fluid medium, as shown in FIG. Fig.10 As shown, the box 1 includes an inner box 11 and an outer box 12, the film box 2 is placed in the inner box 11, and the fluid medium in the inner box 11 is always in an overflow state. Specifically, a water inlet 111 and a water outlet 112 are provided at the bottom of the inner box 11, the water inlet 111 is always in a water intake state, and the water outlet 112 is closed. When the fluid medium in the inner box 11 is full, it overflows to the outer box 12 and is then discharged through the drain port 121 of the outer box 12. When the fluid medium in the inner box 11 needs to be emptied, the water outlet 112 is opened for drainage.

[0103] like Figure 8 , Fig.11 As shown, the number of boxes 1 can be two, and the two boxes 1 are arranged side by side so that the second working positions 82 of the two boxes 1 are adjacent. Fig.23 As shown, the two boxes 1 may also be arranged side by side, so that the first working positions 81 of the two boxes 1 are adjacent to each other, and the second working positions 82 of the two boxes 1 are adjacent to each other.

[0104] like Figure 4 As shown, a polishing system includes a wafer handling device of the above structure and a polishing unit, wherein the polishing unit is arranged in a polishing area 5, wherein the polishing area 5 includes not only the polishing unit but also a cleaning unit 9. Fig.19 , Fig. 20 As shown, specifically, Fig.19 As shown, when the cleaning unit 9 is used, the cleaned wafer 7 cannot usually be returned to the original position because the original wafer box 2 is immersed in liquid. When returning to the original position, the cleaned wafer 7 will be contaminated. Therefore, the cleaned wafer 7 can be placed in the wafer box 2 of another box 1 through the transfer mechanism 3, and the box 1 on the other side can choose whether to inject liquid as needed, such as Fig. 20 As shown, wafer handling devices are provided on both sides of the cleaning unit 9, one side of the wafer handling device stores the wafers before cleaning, and the other side stores the wafers after cleaning, to ensure that the cleaned wafers are not contaminated; it may also include a cleaning unit 9 and a temporary storage area, such as Fig.18 It may also include a transmission device 55, such as Fig.14 As shown; a polishing unit, a cleaning unit 9, a transmission device 55, a temporary storage area, etc. can also be set in the polishing area 5, without specific limitation.

[0105] There are two boxes 1, which are arranged side by side, and the second working positions 82 of the two boxes 1 are adjacent. The polishing unit at least includes a first polishing unit 51 and a second polishing unit 52 located on the same side of the box 1, and the line connecting the first polishing unit 51 and the second polishing unit 52 is parallel or tends to be parallel to the line connecting the first working position 81 and the second working position 82. In other words, one of the boxes 1 is arranged side by side with the first polishing unit 51, and the other box 1 is arranged side by side with the second polishing unit 52. At this time, the transfer mechanism 3 is arranged between the two boxes 1. Specifically, the two boxes 1 and the transfer mechanism 3 are arranged side by side, and the transfer mechanism 3 is in the middle of the central axis of the two boxes 1 in the length direction.

[0106] like Fig.15 , 16 As shown, two boxes 1 are arranged side by side, and the number of polishing units is four, namely, a first polishing unit 51, a second polishing unit 52, a third polishing unit 53 and a fourth polishing unit 54. The first polishing unit 51 and the second polishing unit 52 are arranged side by side on the same side of the two boxes 1, and the third polishing unit 53 and the fourth polishing unit 54 are arranged side by side on the other same side of the two boxes 1.

[0107] Of course, the number of polishing units may be 2n+2m, where 2n polishing units are arranged side by side on the same side of the two boxes 1, and another 2m polishing units are arranged side by side on the other same side of the two boxes 1, and m and n may be the same or different.

[0108] like Fig.16 As shown, four polishing units are arranged on the upper side of the two boxes 1, and the polishing units are divided into two groups, each group includes two polishing units, the two polishing units are arranged side by side, and the two groups of polishing units are arranged side by side. At this time, the polishing units on the lower side of the two boxes 1 are not limited, and can be two polishing units, four polishing units, or six polishing units.

[0109] Of course, if Fig.21 , Fig. 22 As shown, polishing units are arranged on one side or both sides of the two boxes 1 . The polishing units can be any structure in the prior art, and can be four polishing heads that rotate respectively close to the transfer mechanism 3 .

[0110] A polishing process, relying on the polishing system of the above structure, such as Fig.14 As shown, the left box body 1 arranged side by side is defined as the first box body, and the left box body 1 contains the first film box and the first moving mechanism; the right box body 1 is the second box body, and the right box body 1 contains the second film box and the second moving mechanism, the number of the transfer mechanism 3 is one, the polishing unit includes the first polishing unit 51 and the second polishing unit 52, and the polishing process includes the following steps:

[0111] S1, placing a first wafer box containing wafers to be polished into a first box with a built-in fluid medium, and fixing the first wafer box on a first moving mechanism, at which time the wafers in the first wafer box are completely immersed in the fluid medium, and the first moving mechanism is located at a first working position of the first box;

[0112] Here, the projection of the motion trajectory of the first moving mechanism for placing the first film box into the first box falls on the line connecting the first working position and the second working position in the first film box. Preferably, the projection of the motion trajectory of the first moving mechanism for placing the first film box into the first box falls on the first working position. Specifically, the manual operation position for placing the first film box into the first box can be the position outside the first box and close to the first working position, that is, the position in the width direction of the first box.

[0113] The second wafer box containing the wafers to be polished is placed in a second box with a built-in fluid medium, and the second wafer box is fixedly mounted on the second moving mechanism, at which time the wafers in the second wafer box are completely immersed in the fluid medium, and the second moving mechanism is located at the first working position of the second box;

[0114] Here, the projection of the motion trajectory of the second moving mechanism of placing the second film box into the second box falls on the line connecting the first working position and the second working position in the second film box. Preferably, the projection of the motion trajectory of the second moving mechanism of placing the second film box into the second box falls on the first working position.

[0115] S11, the liquid level sensor 62 detects the liquid level change in the first box and the second box, so as to determine whether the wafers in the first box and the second box are completely immersed in the fluid medium, and / or determine whether the number of wafers in the first box and the second box is correct;

[0116] S2, the first moving mechanism transfers the first wafer box from the first working position to the second working position, and the wafers in the first wafer box are kept in a state of being completely immersed in the fluid medium;

[0117] The second moving mechanism transfers the second wafer box from the first working position to the second working position, and the wafer in the first wafer box remains in a state of being completely immersed in the fluid medium;

[0118] S21, the sensor 61 detects the position of the wafer in the cavity slot of the first wafer box, and transmits the position signal to the transfer mechanism 3, so that the transfer mechanism 3 can quickly locate and obtain the wafer;

[0119] S3, the transfer mechanism takes out the wafer in the fluid medium from the first wafer box and transfers it to the polishing area;

[0120] Here, the polishing area may include a first polishing unit and a second polishing unit. If the wafers in the first cassette only need one polishing process to complete polishing, then the wafers in the first cassette may be placed in the first polishing unit for polishing, or may be placed in the second polishing unit for polishing; if the wafers in the first cassette need two different polishing processes to complete polishing, then the wafers in the first cassette need to be placed in the first polishing unit and the second polishing unit for polishing in sequence. At this time, the polishing processes of the first polishing unit and the second polishing unit are different, and the specific polishing liquids, etc. are different;

[0121] S4, after the wafer in the first cassette is polished, the transfer mechanism transfers it to the second cassette, so that the polished wafer is immersed in the fluid medium again;

[0122] S5, after all wafers in the first wafer box have been polished, the first moving mechanism transfers the first wafer box from the second working position to the first working position, and the wafers in the first wafer box remain completely immersed in the fluid medium;

[0123] At this time, the transfer mechanism takes out the wafer in the fluid medium from the second cassette and transfers it to the polishing area;

[0124] Here, the polishing area may include a first polishing unit and a second polishing unit. If the wafers in the second cassette only need one polishing process to complete polishing, then the wafers in the second cassette may be placed in the first polishing unit for polishing, or may be placed in the second polishing unit for polishing; if the wafers in the second cassette need two different polishing processes to complete polishing, then the wafers in the second cassette need to be placed in the first polishing unit and the second polishing unit for polishing in sequence. At this time, the polishing processes of the first polishing unit and the second polishing unit are different, and the specific polishing liquids, etc. are different;

[0125] If the wafers in the first cassette and the second cassette only need one polishing process to be polished, and the polishing processes performed on the wafers in the two cassettes are different, it can be preferred that the wafers in the first cassette are polished in the first polishing unit, and the wafers in the second cassette are polished in the second polishing unit;

[0126] If the wafers in the first cassette and the second cassette only need one polishing process to complete polishing, and the polishing processes performed on the wafers in the two cassettes are the same, that is, the polishing processes of the first polishing unit and the second polishing unit are the same, then the wafers in the first cassette and the second cassette can select one of the first polishing unit and the second polishing unit for polishing, or can use both polishing units for polishing at the same time;

[0127] At this time, the first wafer box is taken out as a whole together with the polished wafer at the first working position, and enters the next process flow, and another wafer box with unpolished wafers is placed in the first box;

[0128] S6, after the wafer in the second cassette is polished, the transfer mechanism transfers it to the second cassette, so that the polished wafer is re-immersed in the fluid medium;

[0129] At this time, the first moving mechanism transfers the first wafer box from the first working position to the second working position, and the wafer in the first wafer box remains in a state of being completely immersed in the fluid medium;

[0130] S7, after all wafers in the second cassette have been polished, the second moving mechanism transfers the second cassette from the second working position to the first working position, and the wafers in the second cassette remain completely immersed in the fluid medium;

[0131] The transfer mechanism takes out the wafer in the fluid medium from another updated wafer box and transfers it to the polishing area.

[0132] A polishing process, relying on the polishing system of the above structure, such as Fig.15As shown, the left box body 1 arranged side by side is defined as the first box body, and the first film box and the first moving mechanism are in the left box body 1; the right box body 1 is the second box body, and the second film box and the second moving mechanism are in the right box body 1, the number of the transfer mechanism 3 is one, and the polishing unit includes a first polishing unit 51, a second polishing unit 52, a third polishing unit 53 and a fourth polishing unit 54, and the polishing process includes the following steps:

[0133] S11, placing a first wafer box containing wafers to be polished into a first box body with a built-in fluid medium, and fixing the first wafer box on a first moving mechanism, wherein the wafers in the first wafer box are completely immersed in the fluid medium, and the first moving mechanism is located at a first working position;

[0134] Here, the projection of the motion trajectory of the first moving mechanism of placing the first film box into the first box falls on the line connecting the first working position and the second working position in the first film box. Preferably, the projection of the motion trajectory of the first moving mechanism of placing the first film box into the first box falls on the first working position.

[0135] The second wafer box containing the wafer to be polished is placed in the second box body with the fluid medium built in, and the second wafer box is fixedly installed on the second moving mechanism, at this time, the wafer in the second wafer box is completely immersed in the fluid medium, and the second moving mechanism is located at the first working position;

[0136] Here, the projection of the motion trajectory of the second moving mechanism of placing the second film box into the second box falls on the line connecting the first working position and the second working position in the second film box. Preferably, the projection of the motion trajectory of the second moving mechanism of placing the second film box into the second box falls on the first working position.

[0137] S12, the first moving mechanism transfers the first wafer box from the first working position to the second working position, and the wafers in the first wafer box are kept in a state of being completely immersed in the fluid medium;

[0138] The second moving mechanism transfers the second wafer box from the first working position to the second working position, and the wafer in the first wafer box remains in a state of being completely immersed in the fluid medium;

[0139] S13, the transfer mechanism takes out the wafer in the fluid medium from the first wafer box and transfers it to the polishing area;

[0140] The polishing area here includes a first polishing unit, a second polishing unit, a third polishing unit and a fourth polishing unit. If the wafers in the first cassette only need one polishing process to complete polishing, then the wafers in the first cassette can be placed in any one of the first polishing unit, the second polishing unit, the third polishing unit and the fourth polishing unit for polishing; if the wafers in the first cassette need two different polishing processes to complete polishing, then the wafers in the first cassette need to be successively placed in the first polishing unit and the second polishing unit for polishing, or the wafers in the first cassette are successively placed in the third polishing unit and the fourth polishing unit for polishing. At this time, the polishing processes of the first polishing unit and the second polishing unit are different, and the polishing processes of the third polishing unit and the fourth polishing unit are different. Placing the wafers in the first cassette respectively in the first polishing unit and the second polishing unit located on the same side, or the third polishing unit and the fourth polishing unit located on the same side, is simpler for the workflow of the transfer mechanism 3, and avoids the need to transfer the wafers to both sides of the box 1, which makes the action complicated;

[0141] S14, after the wafer in the first wafer box is polished, the transfer mechanism transfers it to the first wafer box, so that the polished wafer is re-immersed in the fluid medium;

[0142] S15, after all wafers in the first wafer box have been polished, the first moving mechanism transfers the first wafer box from the second working position to the first working position, and the wafers in the first wafer box remain completely immersed in the fluid medium;

[0143] At this time, the transfer mechanism takes out the wafer in the fluid medium from the second cassette and transfers it to the polishing area;

[0144] If the wafers in the second cassette only need one polishing process to complete polishing, then the wafers in the second cassette can be placed in any one of the first polishing unit, the second polishing unit, the third polishing unit, and the fourth polishing unit for polishing; if the wafers in the second cassette need two different polishing processes to complete polishing, then the wafers in the second cassette need to be successively placed in the first polishing unit and the second polishing unit for polishing, or the wafers in the second cassette are successively placed in the third polishing unit and the fourth polishing unit for polishing. At this time, the polishing processes of the first polishing unit and the second polishing unit are different, and the polishing processes of the third polishing unit and the fourth polishing unit are different. Placing the wafers in the second cassette respectively in the first polishing unit and the second polishing unit located on the same side, or the third polishing unit and the fourth polishing unit located on the same side, is simpler for the workflow of the transfer mechanism 3, and avoids the need to transfer the wafers to both sides of the box 1, which makes the action complicated;

[0145] At this time, the first wafer box is taken out as a whole together with the polished wafer at the first working position, and enters the next process flow, and another first wafer box with unpolished wafers is placed in the first box;

[0146] S16, after the wafer in the second cassette is polished, the transfer mechanism transfers it to the second cassette, so that the polished wafer is re-immersed in the fluid medium;

[0147] At this time, the first moving mechanism transfers the updated another wafer box from the first working position to the second working position, and the wafers in the other wafer box are kept in a state of being completely immersed in the fluid medium;

[0148] S17, after all wafers in the second cassette have been polished, the second moving mechanism transfers the second cassette from the second working position to the first working position, and the wafers in the second cassette remain completely immersed in the fluid medium;

[0149] The transfer mechanism takes out the wafer in the fluid medium from another updated wafer box and transfers it to the polishing area;

[0150] At this time, the second wafer box is taken out together with the polished wafers at the first working position, and enters the next process flow, and another wafer box with unpolished wafers is placed in the second box.

[0151] The above specific implementation modes are used to explain the present invention rather than to limit the present invention. Any modification and change made to the present invention within the spirit of the present invention and the protection scope of the claims shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A polishing process, relying on a polishing system, the polishing system includes a wafer handling device and a polishing unit, the wafer handling device includes: A box body, containing a fluid medium, having an opening at the top, and having at least a first working position and a second working position; the number of the boxes is two, and the boxes are arranged side by side so that the second working positions of the two boxes are adjacent; A wafer box has a plurality of cavity slots for placing wafers and can be placed in the box through the top opening of the box; A transfer mechanism, used for obtaining the wafer in the cassette and transferring it to the polishing area, and arranged corresponding to the second working position; At the first working position, the tablet box is placed in the fluid medium of the box body; at the second working position, the transfer mechanism transports the tablet box in the fluid medium outward; A moving mechanism, used for driving the film box to move between a first working position and a second working position in the fluid medium; The polishing unit is arranged in the polishing area, and at least comprises a first polishing unit and a second polishing unit located on the same side of the box body, and the connecting line of the first polishing unit and the second polishing unit is parallel or tends to be parallel to the connecting line of the first working position and the second working position; The number of the polishing units is two, which are arranged side by side; or the number of the polishing units is four, wherein two polishing units are arranged side by side on the same side of the two boxes, and the other two polishing units are arranged side by side on the other same side of the two boxes; or the number of the polishing units is 2n+2m, wherein 2n polishing units are arranged side by side on the same side of the two boxes, and the other 2m polishing units are arranged side by side on the other same side of the two boxes, and m and n are the same or different; It is characterized in that the polishing process includes the following steps: S1, placing a first wafer box containing wafers to be polished into a first box body with a built-in fluid medium, and fixing the first wafer box on a first moving mechanism, at which time the wafers in the first wafer box are completely immersed in the fluid medium, and the first moving mechanism is located at a first working position; The second wafer box containing the wafer to be polished is placed in the second box body with the fluid medium built in, and the second wafer box is fixedly installed on the second moving mechanism, at this time, the wafer in the second wafer box is completely immersed in the fluid medium, and the second moving mechanism is located at the first working position; S2, the first moving mechanism transfers the first wafer box from the first working position to the second working position, and the wafers in the first wafer box are kept in a state of being completely immersed in the fluid medium; The second moving mechanism transfers the second wafer box from the first working position to the second working position, and the wafer in the second wafer box remains in a state of being completely immersed in the fluid medium; S3, the transfer mechanism takes out the wafer in the fluid medium from the first wafer box and transfers it to the polishing area; S4, after the wafer in the first cassette is polished, the transfer mechanism transfers it to the second cassette, so that the polished wafer is immersed in the fluid medium again; S5, after all wafers in the first wafer box have been polished, the first moving mechanism transfers the first wafer box from the second working position to the first working position, and the wafers in the first wafer box remain completely immersed in the fluid medium; At this time, the transfer mechanism takes out the wafer in the fluid medium from the second cassette and transfers it to the polishing area; At this time, the first wafer box is taken out as a whole together with the polished wafer at the first working position, and enters the next process flow, and another first wafer box with unpolished wafers is placed in the first box; S6, after the wafer in the second cassette is polished, the transfer mechanism transfers it to the second cassette, so that the polished wafer is re-immersed in the fluid medium; At this time, the first moving mechanism transfers another first wafer box from the first working position to the second working position, and the wafer in the other first wafer box remains in a state of being completely immersed in the fluid medium; S7, after all wafers in the second cassette have been polished, the second moving mechanism transfers the second cassette from the second working position to the first working position, and the wafers in the second cassette remain completely immersed in the fluid medium; The transfer mechanism takes out the wafer in the fluid medium from another updated first wafer box and transfers it to the polishing area.

2. The polishing process according to claim 1, characterized in that: The step S21 is also included after the step S2, detecting the position of the wafer in the cavity slot of the first wafer box, and transmitting the position signal to the transfer mechanism.

3. The polishing process according to claim 1, characterized in that: The step S11 is also included after the step S1, in which a liquid level sensor detects the change of the liquid level in the box to determine whether the wafers in the cassette are completely immersed in the fluid medium and / or determine whether the number of wafers in the cassette is correct.

4. The polishing process according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step S1, the motion trajectory of placing the first film box into the first box is projected onto a line connecting the first working position and the second working position in the first film box.

5. The polishing process according to claim 1, characterized in that: The step S7 is that after all the wafers in the second wafer box have been polished, the second moving mechanism transfers the second wafer box from the second working position to the first working position, and the wafers in the second wafer box remain completely immersed in the fluid medium; the transfer mechanism takes out the wafers in the fluid medium in another updated first wafer box and transfers them to the polishing area; at this time, the second wafer box is taken out as a whole with the wafers that have been polished in the first working position, enters the next process flow, and the other wafer box with unpolished wafers is placed in the second box.

6. The polishing process according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first working position and the second working position are arranged at intervals along the length direction of the box body.

7. The polishing process according to claim 1, characterized in that: The moving mechanism comprises a track arranged near the box body, a lifting unit which can move along the track, and a supporting part connected to the lifting unit. The film box is placed on the supporting part. The track extends from the first working position to the second working position.

8. The polishing process according to claim 7, characterized in that: The supporting part has a rotation limiting member, which has a first limiting portion and a second limiting portion that can abut against the adjacent side wall of the film box, and the first limiting portion and / or the second limiting portion have an adjustment groove.

9. The polishing process according to claim 1, characterized in that: The top of the cavity slot is open, and the wafer box is placed at an angle so that the wafer in the cavity slot is tilted, and the tilt angle with the vertical direction is 2-20 degrees.

10. The polishing process according to claim 1, characterized in that: The box body comprises an inner box body and an outer box body, the film box is placed in the inner box body, and the fluid medium of the inner box body overflows to the outer box body.

11. The polishing process according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a sensor for monitoring the position and state of the wafer, and the signal emitted by the sensor is parallel or tends to be parallel to the plane where the wafer in the cavity slot is located.

12. The polishing process according to claim 11, characterized in that: The sensor is located below the fluid medium of the box, or the sensor is located above the fluid medium.

13. The polishing process according to claim 12, characterized in that: The sensor and the cavity slot are both located in the fluid medium; or, the sensor and the cavity slot are both located in an area outside the fluid medium; or, the sensor is located in an area outside the fluid medium, and the cavity slot is located in the fluid medium.

14. The polishing process according to claim 1, characterized in that: The box body is provided with a liquid level sensor.

15. The polishing process according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fluid medium is a transparent liquid, which is pure water or a sodium hydroxide solution.

16. The polishing process according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transfer mechanism at least includes a base, a first rotating body connected to the base, a second rotating body, and a clamp for obtaining a wafer.

17. The polishing process according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transfer mechanism is located between the two boxes.

Images