Chip transfer device and semiconductor equipment

Abstract

The invention provides a wafer conveying device and semiconductor equipment. The wafer conveying device comprises a shell, two bearing tables and a wafer conveying mechanism. The shell comprises a first cavity and a second cavity. The two bearing tables are arranged in the shell and used for bearing a wafer, one bearing table is located in the first cavity, and the other bearing table is located in the second cavity. The wafer conveying mechanism comprises a driving part and at least one bearing arm, the end of each bearing arm extends to form two fork pieces arranged at intervals, the fork pieces are used for bearing wafers, and the driving part is connected to the at least one bearing arm and used for driving each bearing arm to ascend and descend and rotate around the vertical axis. According to the invention, the wafer conveying efficiency and stability of the wafer conveying device can be effectively improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of semiconductor technology, and in particular to a chip transmission device and a semiconductor device. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of the integrated circuit market, the demand for expanding chip production capacity has brought new market opportunities on the one hand, and on the other hand, it has also put forward higher requirements on the production capacity of current semiconductor equipment. The production capacity of semiconductor equipment refers to the number of good products produced per unit of working time of semiconductor equipment, which is an important technical parameter reflecting the processing capacity of semiconductor equipment.

[0003] As an important component of semiconductor equipment, the wafer conveyor is mainly used to transfer semiconductor wafers from the previous process to the next process to realize wafer processing. The wafer conveyor efficiency will directly affect the production capacity of semiconductor equipment. Therefore, how to effectively improve the wafer conveyor efficiency is an urgent problem to be solved in semiconductor technology. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of the above problems, the present application provides a wafer transmission device and a semiconductor device, which can effectively improve the wafer transmission efficiency and stability of the wafer transmission device.

[0005] In the first aspect, the embodiment of the present application provides a film conveying device, which includes a housing, two supporting platforms and a film conveying mechanism, and the housing includes a first chamber and a second chamber. The two supporting platforms are arranged in the housing and are used to carry wafers, wherein one of the supporting platforms is located in the first chamber and the other supporting platform is located in the second chamber. The film conveying mechanism includes a driving component and at least one supporting arm, and two forks arranged at intervals extend from the end of each supporting arm, and the forks are used to carry the wafer. The driving component is connected to the aforementioned at least one supporting arm and is used to drive each supporting arm to rise and fall and rotate around a vertical axis, so that the supporting arm can reach any supporting platform and be located below the wafer, and at least part of the supporting platform is located between the two forks of the supporting arm, so that the wafer located on the fork can fall on the supporting platform by lowering the supporting arm, or, by raising the supporting arm, the fork can lift the wafer on the supporting platform, and the supporting arm can be rotated to drive the wafer away from the supporting platform.

[0006] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the film transmission mechanism includes a mounting portion and two carrying arms, the driving component is connected to the mounting portion, and the two carrying arms are symmetrically arranged along the center of the mounting portion. The two carrying arms are configured such that when one of the carrying arms reaches one of the two carrying platforms, the other carrying arm can synchronously reach the other of the two carrying platforms under the drive of the driving component.

[0007] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the two supporting arms extend from the mounting portion in opposite directions, the fork blade extends in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the supporting arms, and the extending direction of the fork blade and the extending direction of the supporting arms are both parallel to a horizontal plane. In addition, among the two supporting arms, the extending direction of the fork blade provided on one of the supporting arms is opposite to the extending direction of the fork blade provided on the other supporting arm.

[0008] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the housing includes a first wall and a second wall, the first wall and the second wall are arranged opposite to each other in a vertical direction, and a through hole is formed in the first wall. The film transmission mechanism also includes a connecting component, the connecting component is passed through the through hole and connected between the driving component and the bearing arm, the driving component is arranged outside the housing, and the bearing platform is connected to the second wall.

[0009] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the driving component includes a first driving member and a second driving member, the first driving member is connected to the carrying arm and is used to drive the carrying arm to rotate, and the second driving member is connected to the first driving member and is used to drive the first driving member to rise and fall.

[0010] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the film transmission device further includes a first sealing component, which is disposed in the housing and between the first chamber and the second chamber, and the first sealing component is used to connect or isolate the first chamber from the second chamber.

[0011] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the housing is provided with an opening, the opening being connected to the first chamber. The film transmission device further comprises a second sealing component, the second sealing component being provided at the opening and being used to connect or isolate the first chamber from the atmosphere.

[0012] In some embodiments of the first aspect, when the first chamber and the second chamber are separated, the carrying arm is located in the second chamber.

[0013] In some embodiments of the first aspect, the carrier platform includes a plurality of support members, the plurality of support members are arranged at intervals, and an avoidance gap is formed between the plurality of support members. When the carrier arm reaches any carrier platform and is located below the wafer, the two forks of the carrier arm are located in the avoidance gap.

[0014] In some embodiments of the first aspect, a buffer is provided on the surface of the fork blade for supporting the wafer, and the hardness of the buffer is less than the hardness of the fork blade.

[0015] In a second aspect, the present application provides a semiconductor device, which includes the chip transmission device provided by any embodiment of the first aspect.

[0016] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of the present application. In order to more clearly understand the technical means of the present application, it can be implemented in accordance with the contents of the specification. In order to make the above and other purposes, features and advantages of the present application more obvious and easy to understand, the specific implementation methods of the present application are listed below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by reading the detailed description of the preferred embodiments below. The accompanying drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating the preferred embodiments and are not to be considered as limiting the present application. Also, the same reference symbols are used throughout the accompanying drawings to represent the same components. In the accompanying drawings:

[0018] Figure 1 A schematic front view of the structure of a carrying arm of a film transmission device provided by some embodiments of the present application in a first position;

[0019] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a partial top view of the structure of the film transmission mechanism in the illustrated example;

[0020] Figure 3 A schematic front view of the structure of a film transmission device provided by some embodiments of the present application, in which the carrying arm is in a second position;

[0021] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a partial top view of the structure of the film transmission mechanism in the illustrated example;

[0022] Figure 5 A front view structural schematic diagram of another film transmission device provided by some embodiments of the present application, in which the carrying arm is in a first position;

[0023] Figure 6 A front view structural schematic diagram of a supporting arm of another film transmission device provided by some embodiments of the present application in a first position;

[0024] Figure 7 A front view structural schematic diagram of a supporting arm of another film transmission device provided by some embodiments of the present application in a first position;

[0025] Figure 8 A front view structural schematic diagram of a carrying arm of another film transmission device provided in some embodiments of the present application in a second position;

[0026] Fig. 9 for Figure 8 The diagram shows a partial top view of the structure of the film transmission mechanism and the supporting platform in the illustrated example;

[0027] Fig.10A front view structural schematic diagram of a supporting arm of a film transmission device in a second position provided in some embodiments of the present application.

[0028] The reference numerals in the specific implementation manner are as follows:

[0029] 100, wafer; 200, vertical axis;

[0030] 10. housing; 11. first chamber; 12. second chamber; 13. first wall; 14. second wall;

[0031] 20. Loading platform; 21. Support member; 22. Avoidance gap;

[0032] 30. Transmission mechanism; 31. Driving member; 311. First driving member; 312. Second driving member; 32. Carrying arm; 321. Fork; 33. Mounting part; 34. Connecting member;

[0033] 40. a first sealing member;

[0034] 50. A second sealing member;

[0035] 60. Buffer parts. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the technical solution in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0037] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this application have the same meaning as those commonly understood by technicians in the technical field to which this application belongs; the terms used in the specification of this application are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application; the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof in the specification and claims of this application and the above-mentioned drawings are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. The terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification and claims of this application or the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish different objects, rather than to describe a specific order or a primary and secondary relationship.

[0038] Reference to "embodiment" in this application means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with the embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The appearance of the phrase in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive with other embodiments.

[0039] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", and "attached" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a direct connection, or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two elements. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0040] The term "and / or" in this application is only a description of the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in this application generally indicates that the associated objects before and after are in an "or" relationship.

[0041] In the embodiments of the present application, the same reference numerals represent the same components, and for the sake of brevity, detailed descriptions of the same components are omitted in different embodiments. It should be understood that the thickness, length, width and other dimensions of various components in the embodiments of the present application shown in the drawings, as well as the overall thickness, length, width and other dimensions of the integrated device are only exemplary descriptions and should not constitute any limitation to the present application.

[0042] The term "plurality" used in the present application refers to two or more (including two).

[0043] In the present application, the term "parallel" includes not only the absolutely parallel situation, but also the roughly parallel situation conventionally recognized in engineering; meanwhile, "vertical" includes not only the absolutely vertical situation, but also the roughly vertical situation conventionally recognized in engineering.

[0044] With the rapid development of the integrated circuit market, the demand for expanding chip production capacity has brought new market opportunities on the one hand, and on the other hand, it has also put forward higher requirements on the production capacity of current semiconductor equipment. The production capacity of semiconductor equipment refers to the number of good products produced per unit of working time of semiconductor equipment, which is an important technical parameter reflecting the processing capacity of semiconductor equipment.

[0045] As an important component of semiconductor equipment, the wafer transport device is mainly used to transfer semiconductor wafers from the previous process to the next process to achieve wafer processing. The wafer transport efficiency of the wafer transport device will directly affect the production capacity of the semiconductor equipment.

[0046] The wafer transfer device is usually composed of an atmospheric side, a transition side chamber and a vacuum side chamber. The atmospheric side wafer transfer is completed by the atmospheric manipulator of the front-end module of the equipment, that is, transferring the wafer from the atmospheric environment to the transition side chamber, or transferring the wafer in the transition side chamber to the atmospheric environment. The transition side chamber can be switched between the atmospheric and vacuum states by inflating or evacuating, and the wafer transfer between the transition side chamber and the vacuum side chamber is usually completed by a wafer transfer mechanism.

[0047] However, in the current film transfer process between the transition chamber and the vacuum chamber of the film transfer device, the film transfer is usually completed by rotating the film transfer mechanism in coordination with the lifting and lowering of the carrier platform in the transition side chamber and / or the vacuum side chamber. The rotation of the film transfer mechanism and the lifting and lowering of the carrier platform move independently of each other, and the linkage is poor, resulting in a long overall film transfer time and low film transfer efficiency, which seriously affects the production capacity of semiconductor equipment.

[0048] Based on the above considerations, the present application designs a film conveying device, which includes a housing, two supporting platforms and a film conveying mechanism, and the housing includes a first chamber and a second chamber. The two supporting platforms are arranged in the housing and are used to carry wafers, one of which is located in the first chamber and the other is located in the second chamber. The film conveying mechanism includes a driving component and at least one supporting arm, and two forks arranged at intervals extend from the end of each supporting arm, and the forks are used to carry wafers. The driving component is connected to the aforementioned at least one supporting arm and is used to drive each supporting arm to rise and fall and rotate around a vertical axis, so that the supporting arm can reach any supporting platform and be located below the wafer, and at least part of the supporting platform is located between the two forks of the supporting arm, so that the wafer located on the fork can fall on the supporting platform by lowering the supporting arm, or the fork can lift the wafer on the supporting platform by raising the supporting arm, and the wafer can be driven away from the supporting platform by rotating the supporting arm.

[0049] Driven by the driving components, the carrying arm has the ability to rotate and lift at the same time. This dual motion mechanism significantly improves the linkage and coordination of the wafer transfer movement, which can reduce the residence time of the wafer during the wafer transfer process, greatly shorten the wafer transfer time, and thus effectively improve the wafer transfer efficiency and stability of the wafer transfer device. In addition, the two forks are set at intervals to avoid the carrying platform during the wafer transfer process, thereby reducing the risk of interference between the forks and the carrying platform.

[0050] Figure 1 A schematic front view of a structure of a carrying arm of a film transmission device provided by some embodiments of the present application in a first position, Figure 2 for Figure 1 The schematic diagram of the partial top view of the transmission mechanism in the figure is shown. Figure 3 A schematic front view of the structure of a carrying arm of a film transmission device provided by some embodiments of the present application in a second position, Figure 4 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the partial top view of the film transmission mechanism in the figure shown.

[0051] It should be noted that the first position refers to the original position of the carrying arm when the film conveying mechanism is not conveying the film. The second position refers to the position of the carrying arm when the carrying arm reaches the carrying platform when the film conveying mechanism is conveying the film.

[0052] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, an embodiment of the present application provides a wafer conveying device, which includes a housing 10, two carriers 20 and a wafer conveying mechanism 30, wherein the housing 10 includes a first chamber 11 and a second chamber 12. The two carriers 20 are arranged in the housing 10 and are used to carry a wafer 100, wherein one carrier 20 is located in the first chamber 11, and the other carrier 20 is located in the second chamber 12. The wafer conveying mechanism 30 includes a driving component 31 and at least one carrying arm 32, and two forks 321 arranged at intervals extend from the end of each carrying arm 32, and the forks 321 are used to carry the wafer 100. The driving component 31 is connected to at least one of the aforementioned carrying arms 32 and is used to drive each carrying arm 32 to rise and fall and rotate around the vertical axis 200, so that the carrying arm 32 can reach any carrying platform 20 and be located below the wafer 100, and at least part of the carrying platform 20 is located between the two forks 321 of the carrying arm 32, so that the wafer 100 located on the fork 321 can fall onto the carrying platform 20 by lowering the carrying arm 32, or, by raising the carrying arm 32 so that the fork 321 lifts the wafer 100 on the carrying platform 20, and by rotating the carrying arm 32, the wafer 100 can be driven away from the carrying platform 20.

[0053] The housing 10 is mainly used to provide an operating environment required for processing the wafer 100, and the first chamber 11 and the second chamber 12 can provide a corresponding operating environment for processing the wafer 100. Exemplarily, the first chamber 11 can be used to form a connection with the atmospheric environment, and transfer the wafer 100 with the atmospheric manipulator of the front-end module of the equipment, that is, to transfer the wafer 100 from the atmospheric environment to the first chamber 11, or to transfer the wafer 100 in the first chamber 11 to the atmospheric environment. The first chamber 11 and the second chamber 12 can be in a connected state in some cases, so that the wafer 100 can be transferred between the first chamber 11 and the second chamber 12 through the wafer transfer mechanism 30, and the second chamber 12 can be used to provide the environment required for processing the wafer 100.

[0054] The carrier 20 may be connected to the inner wall of the housing 10. For example, the carrier 20 may be detachably connected to the inner wall of the housing 10, or may be integrally provided on the inner wall of the housing 10. The carrier 20 may be directly connected to the inner wall of the housing 10, or may be restricted to the inner wall of the housing 10 by other components. As an example, the connection method between the carrier 20 and the inner wall of the housing 10 may be, but is not limited to, bolt connection, welding, riveting or bonding.

[0055] The two carriers 20 are respectively disposed in the first chamber 11 and the second chamber 12 , and the wafer 100 is transferred between the two carriers 20 via a wafer transfer mechanism 30 .

[0056] The wafer conveying mechanism 30 is mainly used to carry and transport the wafer 100. The driving component 31 is a main functional component on the wafer conveying mechanism 30 for driving the carrying arm 32 to rise and fall and rotate around the vertical axis 200. The carrying arm 32 is a part of the wafer conveying mechanism 30 for carrying the wafer 100. The driving component 31 is connected to at least one of the aforementioned carrying arms 32, which means that the driving component 31 is connected to all the carrying arms 32. In other words, when there are multiple carrying arms 32, the multiple carrying arms 32 are all connected to the driving component 31.

[0057] The bearing arm 32 may be detachably connected to the driving component 31, or may be integrally provided on the driving component 31. The bearing arm 32 may be directly connected to the driving component 31, or may be restricted to the driving component 31 by other components. As an example, the connection between the bearing arm 32 and the driving component 31 may be, but is not limited to, plug-in connection, bolt connection, welding, riveting or bonding, etc. When there are multiple bearing arms 32, the multiple bearing arms 32 may be an integrally formed integral part, or may be independent components.

[0058] Exemplarily, the driving component 31 may include only one driving structure, which can simultaneously drive the supporting arm 32 to rise and fall and rotate, such as a screw rod structure, that is, the screw rod can move linearly in the vertical direction while rotating itself.

[0059] The driving component 31 may also include two driving structures, one of which is used to drive the carrying arm 32 to rotate, and the other of which is used to drive the carrying arm 32 to rise and fall. For example, the driving component 31 includes an electric cylinder and a rotating motor, the electric cylinder is used to drive the carrying arm 32 to rise and fall, and the rotating motor is used to drive the carrying arm 32 to rotate.

[0060] It should be noted that, when the driving component 31 drives the carrying arm 32 to rotate, the carrying arm 32 can rotate in a clockwise direction or in a counterclockwise direction.

[0061] Optionally, the carrying arm 32 may be made of, but is not limited to, metal or non-metal materials. For example, the metal material may be copper, aluminum, or stainless steel, etc.; the non-metal material may be polyethylene, polypropylene, or polyvinyl chloride, etc.

[0062] The fork 321 can be detachably connected to the carrying arm 32, or can be integrally provided on the carrying arm 32. The fork 321 can be directly connected to the carrying arm 32, or can be restricted on the carrying arm 32 by other components. As an example, the connection method between the fork 321 and the carrying arm 32 can be, but is not limited to, plug-in connection, bolt connection, welding, riveting or bonding.

[0063] In some examples, the fork 321 and the supporting arm 32 are an integrally formed structure.

[0064] Optionally, the number of the carrying arms 32 can be one, two or more, which can be selected according to the actual application environment. The fork sheet 321 can be but not limited to a rectangular sheet, a trapezoidal sheet or a polygonal sheet, etc., which can be selected according to the actual application environment.

[0065] For example, the film conveying mechanism 30 includes a carrying arm 32. During the film conveying process of the film conveying mechanism 30, the carrying arm 32 is driven by the driving component 31 to rotate and lift from the initial position, so that the carrying arm 32 enters the first chamber 11 and reaches the carrying platform 20, and the two forks 321 on the carrying arm 32 are located below the wafer 100 on the carrying platform 20. The two forks 321 are arranged at intervals so that an escape space can be formed between the two forks 321. When the carrying arm 32 is located below the wafer 100 on the carrying platform 20, the escape space between the two forks 321 can avoid the carrying platform 20, so that at least part of the carrying platform 20 is located between the two forks 321.

[0066] Then, the carrying arm 32 rises so that the fork 321 lifts the wafer 100 on the carrying platform 20 in the first chamber 11 .

[0067] Then, the carrying arm 32 continues to rotate under the drive of the driving component 31 , so that the carrying arm 32 enters the second chamber 12 and reaches the corresponding position of the carrying platform 20 .

[0068] Then, the carrying arm 32 is driven by the driving component 31 to descend to place the wafer 100 on the carrying platform 20. In the process of the carrying arm 32 descending, the avoidance space formed between the two forks 321 can avoid the carrying platform 20, so that when the wafer 100 is placed on the carrying platform 20, at least a part of the carrying platform 20 is located between the two forks 321.

[0069] Finally, the carrying arm 32 continues to rotate under the driving of the driving component 31 and then rises to return to the initial position.

[0070] In this way, the wafer transfer mechanism 30 completes one wafer transfer operation, and subsequently the wafer 100 can be transferred again between the first chamber 11 and the second chamber 12 in the same manner as described above.

[0071] The carrying arm 32 of the above technical solution has the ability to rotate and lift at the same time under the drive of the driving component 31. This dual motion mechanism significantly improves the linkage and coordination of the wafer transfer movement, can reduce the residence time of the wafer 100 during the wafer transfer process, greatly shortens the wafer transfer time, and can effectively improve the wafer transfer efficiency and stability of the wafer transfer device. In addition, the two forks 321 are arranged at intervals, which can avoid the carrying platform 20 during the wafer transfer process, thereby reducing the risk of interference between the forks 321 and the carrying platform 20.

[0072] In some embodiments, the film transmission mechanism 30 includes a mounting portion 33 and two carrying arms 32, the driving component 31 is connected to the mounting portion 33, and the two carrying arms 32 are symmetrically arranged along the center of the mounting portion 33. The two carrying arms 32 are configured such that when one of the carrying arms 32 reaches one of the two carrying platforms 20, the other carrying arm 32 can synchronously reach the other of the two carrying platforms 20 under the drive of the driving component 31.

[0073] Exemplarily, the mounting portion 33 is a portion on the transmission mechanism 30 for connecting with the driving component 31. In other words, the mounting portion 33 is connected between the driving component 31 and the carrying arm 32. The carrying arm 32 can be detachably connected to the mounting portion 33, or can be integrally provided on the mounting portion 33. The carrying arm 32 can be directly connected to the mounting portion 33, or can be restricted to the mounting portion 33 by other components. As an example, the connection method between the carrying arm 32 and the mounting portion 33 can be, but is not limited to, plug-in connection, bolt connection, welding, riveting or bonding.

[0074] In some examples, the carrying arm 32 and the mounting portion 33 are an integrally formed structure.

[0075] In some examples, the tensile strength of the mounting portion 33 is greater than the tensile strength of the bearing arm 32. This can improve the connection firmness between the mounting portion 33 and the driving component 31, thereby helping to improve the reliability of the entire film transmission device.

[0076] Exemplarily, when the film conveying mechanism 30 includes two carrying arms 32, during the film conveying process of the film conveying mechanism 30, the two carrying arms 32 are driven by the driving component 31 to rotate and lift from the initial position, one of the carrying arms 32 enters the first chamber 11 to reach the carrying platform 20, and the other carrying arm 32 enters the second chamber 12 to reach the carrying platform 20, and the two forks 321 on the two carrying arms 32 are both located below the wafer 100 on the carrying platform 20.

[0077] Then, the two carrying arms 32 rise, and the fork 321 on one of the carrying arms 32 lifts the wafer 100 on the carrying platform 20 in the first chamber 11, and the fork 321 on the other carrying arm 32 lifts the wafer 100 on the carrying platform 20 in the second chamber 12.

[0078] Then, the two carrying arms 32 continue to rotate under the drive of the driving component 31, so that the carrying arm 32 originally located in the first chamber 11 enters the second chamber 12 and reaches the corresponding position of the carrying platform 20, and the carrying arm 32 originally located in the second chamber 12 enters the first chamber 11 and reaches the corresponding position of the carrying platform 20.

[0079] Then, the two carrying arms 32 are driven by the driving component 31 to descend, so as to place the wafer 100 on the carrying table 20 in the first chamber 11 and on the carrying table 20 in the second chamber 12 , respectively.

[0080] Finally, the two carrying arms 32 continue to rotate under the drive of the driving component 31 and then rise to return to the initial position.

[0081] In this way, the wafer transfer mechanism 30 completes one wafer transfer operation, and subsequently the wafer 100 can be transferred again between the first chamber 11 and the second chamber 12 in the same manner as described above.

[0082] The above technical solution introduces two carrying arms 32 so that the wafer conveying mechanism 30 can simultaneously transfer two wafers 100 during one wafer conveying process, thereby greatly improving the wafer conveying efficiency of the wafer conveying device.

[0083] In some embodiments, the two supporting arms 32 extend from the mounting portion 33 in opposite directions, the fork 321 extends in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the supporting arms 32, and the extending direction of the fork 321 and the extending direction of the supporting arms 32 are both parallel to the horizontal plane. In addition, in the two supporting arms 32, the extending direction of the fork 321 disposed on one of the supporting arms 32 is opposite to the extending direction of the fork 321 disposed on the other supporting arm 32.

[0084] This layout can not only ensure the structural stability of the wafer conveying mechanism 30, but also enable the two supporting arms 32 to effectively share the weight of the wafer 100 during the wafer conveying process, improve the balance, and reduce vibration and deviation when transferring the wafer 100, thereby protecting the wafer 100 from unnecessary damage.

[0085] Figure 5 A schematic front view of the structure of another film transmission device provided in some embodiments of the present application, in which the support arm is in a first position.

[0086] Continue to refer Figure 5 In some embodiments, the housing 10 includes a first wall 13 and a second wall 14, which are arranged opposite to each other in a vertical direction, and a through hole is provided on the first wall 13. The film transmission mechanism 30 also includes a connecting component 34, which is passed through the through hole and connected between the driving component 31 and the carrying arm 32, and the driving component 31 is arranged outside the housing 10, and the carrying platform 20 is connected to the second wall 14.

[0087] Exemplarily, the connecting component 34 may be a columnar structure or a plate-like structure, etc., and the projection shape of the connecting component 34 along the vertical direction may be, but is not limited to, a circle, a rectangle, or an ellipse, etc. The through hole passes through the first wall 13 along the vertical direction, and the structural shape and size of the through hole are adapted to the structural shape and size of the connecting component 34, so that the connecting component 34 can pass smoothly. The connecting component 34 may be directly connected to the through hole, or indirectly connected to the through hole through other components.

[0088] In some examples, the connecting component 34 is a columnar structure, and the projection shape of the connecting component 34 along the vertical direction is circular, and the through hole is a circular hole adapted to the connecting component 34 .

[0089] In some examples, the connecting component 34 is a columnar structure or a plate-like structure, and the projection shape of the connecting component 34 in the vertical direction is a rectangle or an ellipse. The connecting component 34 is assembled in the through hole through a bearing member, and the shape and size of the inner circumference of the bearing member match the shape and size of the connecting component 34, and the shape and size of the outer circumference of the bearing member match the shape and size of the through hole.

[0090] The connecting component 34 can be detachably connected between the driving component 31 and the carrying arm 32, or can be integrally provided between the driving component 31 and the carrying arm 32. The connecting component 34 can be directly connected between the driving component 31 and the carrying arm 32, or can be indirectly connected between the driving component 31 and the carrying arm 32 through other components. As an example, the connection method between the connecting component 34 and the driving component 31 and the connection method between the connecting component 34 and the carrying arm 32 can be, but not limited to, plug-in connection, bolt connection, welding, riveting or bonding, etc.

[0091] The above technical solution arranges the driving component 31 outside the housing 10, which facilitates the installation and maintenance of the driving component 31, and can reduce the maintenance time when the driving component 31 fails, thereby helping to further improve the overall film transmission efficiency of the film transmission device.

[0092] In some embodiments, the film transmission mechanism 30 and the supporting platform 20 may both be connected to the second wall 14 .

[0093] Figure 6 A front view structural schematic diagram of a supporting arm of another film transmission device provided in some embodiments of the present application in a first position.

[0094] Continue to refer Figure 6 In some embodiments, the driving component 31 includes a first driving member 311 and a second driving member 312. The first driving member 311 is connected to the carrying arm 32 and is used to drive the carrying arm 32 to rotate. The second driving member 312 is connected to the first driving member 311 and is used to drive the first driving member 311 to rise and fall.

[0095] For example, the first driving member 311 may be, but is not limited to, a screw rod structure or a rotary motor to drive the bearing arm 32 to rotate. The second driving member 312 may be, but is not limited to, a telescopic rod structure, a slide rail slider structure, a screw rod structure, an electric cylinder structure, or a mechanical arm to drive the first driving member 311 to rise and fall. The first driving member 311 can synchronously drive the bearing arm 32 to rise and fall during the lifting process.

[0096] On the one hand, independent first driving members 311 and second driving members 312 are provided for driving the rotation and lifting of the carrying arm 32 , respectively, which can effectively improve the control accuracy of the rotation and lifting of the carrying arm 32 .

[0097] On the other hand, it is understandable that, compared with lifting, the stability during rotation is more difficult to control, and the greater the load, the more difficult it is to control the stability of rotation. Thus, directly connecting the first driving member 311 for driving the carrying arm 32 to rotate with the carrying arm 32 can reduce the load of the first driving member 311 and improve the stability of the carrying arm 32 during rotation.

[0098] In some embodiments, the first driving member 311 and the second driving member 312 are both disposed outside the housing 10 .

[0099] In some embodiments, one of the first driving member 311 and the second driving member 312 may be disposed outside the housing 10 , and the other may be disposed inside the housing 10 .

[0100] Figure 7A front view structural schematic diagram of a supporting arm of another film transmission device provided in some embodiments of the present application in a first position.

[0101] Continue to refer Figure 7 In some embodiments, the film transmission device further includes a first sealing component 40, which is disposed in the housing 10 and between the first chamber 11 and the second chamber 12, and the first sealing component 40 is used to connect or isolate the first chamber 11 and the second chamber 12.

[0102] The first sealing component 40 can control the connection or isolation of the first chamber 11 and the second chamber 12 by opening and closing itself. Specifically, when the first sealing component 40 is opened, the first chamber 11 and the second chamber 12 are in a connected state; when the first sealing component 40 is closed, the first chamber 11 and the second chamber 12 are in an isolated state.

[0103] The first sealing component 40 may be directly connected to the housing 10, or may be restricted on the housing 10 through other components. Optionally, the first sealing component 40 may be, but is not limited to, a ball valve, a gate valve, a stop valve, or a butterfly valve.

[0104] Exemplarily, when the wafer conveying mechanism 30 is conveying a wafer, the first sealing member 40 is opened, and the first chamber 11 and the second chamber 12 are in a connected state. When the wafer conveying mechanism 30 is not conveying a wafer, that is, when the wafer 100 is transferred between the first chamber 11 and the atmosphere or when the wafer 100 in the first chamber 11 is processed, the first sealing member 40 is closed, and the first chamber 11 and the second chamber 12 are in a partitioned state.

[0105] The above technical solution provides the first sealing component 40 so that the first chamber 11 and the second chamber 12 can be effectively isolated during the processing of the wafer 100, thereby avoiding the cross-influence between the different process environments of the first chamber 11 and the second chamber 12.

[0106] In some embodiments, the housing 10 is provided with an opening, which is connected to the first chamber 11. The film transmission device further includes a second sealing component 50, which is disposed at the opening and is used to connect or isolate the first chamber 11 from the atmosphere.

[0107] In the present embodiment, the first chamber 11 is a transition side chamber, and the second chamber 12 is a vacuum side chamber. The opening is used to provide a channel for the atmospheric manipulator to transfer the wafer 100, that is, the atmospheric manipulator transfers the wafer 100 from the atmospheric environment to the transition side chamber through the opening, or transfers the wafer 100 in the transition side chamber to the atmospheric environment through the opening. The second sealing component 50 can control the connection or isolation between the first chamber 11 and the atmospheric environment by opening and closing itself. Specifically, when the second sealing component 50 is opened, the first chamber 11 and the atmospheric environment are in a connected state; when the second sealing component 50 is closed, the first chamber 11 and the atmospheric environment are in an isolated state.

[0108] The second sealing component 50 may be directly connected to the housing 10, or may be restricted on the housing 10 through other components. Optionally, the second sealing component 50 may be, but is not limited to, a ball valve, a gate valve, a stop valve, or a butterfly valve.

[0109] Optionally, the shape of the opening may be, but is not limited to, circular, rectangular, elliptical or trapezoidal, etc. The structural shape of the second sealing component 50 matches the shape of the opening.

[0110] Exemplarily, when the second sealing component 50 is opened, that is, when the wafer 100 to be processed is transferred from the atmospheric environment to the first chamber 11 or when the processed wafer 100 in the first chamber 11 is transferred to the atmospheric environment, the first sealing component 40 is closed, and the first chamber 11 and the second chamber 12 are in a cut-off state to maintain the vacuum environment of the second chamber 12. When the first sealing component 40 is opened, that is, during the process of the wafer transfer mechanism 30 transferring the wafer 100 between the first chamber 11 and the second chamber 12, the second sealing component 50 is closed, and the first chamber 11 and the atmospheric environment are in a cut-off state to maintain the vacuum environment inside the housing 10.

[0111] The above technical solution can reduce the interference of the external environment on the film transfer process and ensure the stability of the process environment in the chamber by introducing the second sealing component 50.

[0112] In some embodiments, when the first chamber 11 and the second chamber 12 are separated, the carrying arm 32 is located in the second chamber 12. That is, when the film transmission mechanism 30 is not working, the carrying arm 32 is located in the second chamber 12.

[0113] In this embodiment, the first chamber 11 is a transition side chamber, and the second chamber 12 is a vacuum side chamber. The second chamber 12 is mainly used to provide a vacuum environment required for processing the wafer 100. That is, the processing of the wafer 100 is located in the second chamber 12, so the second chamber 12 has a larger space, that is, the volume of the second chamber 12 is larger than the volume of the first chamber 11. In this way, the second chamber 12 can provide a larger installation space, and the carrying arm 32 is arranged in the second chamber 12, which can reduce the difficulty of installing the film conveying mechanism 30, thereby reducing the difficulty of preparing the film conveying device as a whole.

[0114] In other embodiments, when the first chamber 11 and the second chamber 12 are separated, the carrying arm 32 may also be located in the first chamber. That is, when the film transmission mechanism 30 is not working, the carrying arm 32 is located in the first chamber. The carrying arm 32 is close to the opening, which facilitates the installation, removal and maintenance of the carrying arm 32, thereby improving the maintenance convenience of the film transmission mechanism 30.

[0115] Figure 8 A front view structural diagram of another film transmission device provided in some embodiments of the present application, in which the carrying arm is in a second position, Fig. 9 for Figure 8 The figure shown is a partial top view structural schematic diagram of the cooperation between the film transmission mechanism and the supporting platform.

[0116] Continue to refer Figures 8 to 9 In some embodiments, the carrier 20 includes a plurality of support members 21, the plurality of support members 21 are arranged at intervals, and an avoidance gap 22 is formed between the plurality of support members 21. When the carrier arm 32 reaches any carrier 20 and is located below the wafer 100, the two forks 321 of the carrier arm 32 are located in the avoidance gap 22.

[0117] For example, during the film conveying process of the film conveying mechanism 30, the carrying arm 32 is driven by the driving component 31 to rotate and lift from the initial position, so that the carrying arm 32 enters the first chamber 11 and reaches the carrying platform 20, and the two forks 321 on the carrying arm 32 are located below the wafer 100 on the carrying platform 20. The avoidance space between the two forks 321 can avoid the carrying platform 20, and the avoidance gap 22 formed between the multiple support members 21 can also avoid the two forks 321, so that the two forks 321 are located in the avoidance gap 22.

[0118] Then, the carrying arm 32 rises so that the fork 321 lifts the wafer 100 on the carrying platform 20 in the first chamber 11 .

[0119] Then, the carrying arm 32 continues to rotate under the drive of the driving component 31 , so that the carrying arm 32 enters the second chamber 12 and reaches the corresponding position of the carrying platform 20 .

[0120] Then, the carrying arm 32 is driven by the driving component 31 to descend to place the wafer 100 on the carrying platform 20. In the process of the carrying arm 32 descending, the avoidance space formed between the two forks 321 can avoid the carrying platform 20, and the avoidance gap 22 formed between the multiple support members 21 of the carrying platform 20 can also avoid the two forks 321, so that the two forks 321 are located in the avoidance gap 22.

[0121] Finally, the carrying arm 32 continues to rotate under the driving of the driving component 31 and then rises to return to the initial position.

[0122] The number of the supporting members 21 may be two, three, four or more, which may be selected according to the actual application environment.

[0123] The above technical solution sets an avoidance gap 22 on the supporting platform 20 to further form a linkage avoidance cooperation with the fork 321, thereby further reducing the risk of the supporting arm 32 being obstructed during the movement, so as to further improve the reliability of the film transmission process.

[0124] Fig.10 A front view structural schematic diagram of a supporting arm of a film transmission device in a second position provided in some embodiments of the present application.

[0125] Continue to refer Fig.10 In some embodiments, a buffer member 60 is disposed on the surface of the fork 321 for supporting the wafer 100 , and the hardness of the buffer member 60 is less than the hardness of the fork 321 .

[0126] Exemplarily, the buffer 60 is disposed on the surface of the fork 321 for carrying the wafer 100, and the buffer 60 is used to directly contact the wafer 100. The buffer 60 can be detachably connected to the fork 321, or can be fixedly connected to the fork 321. Among them, the buffer 60 can be directly connected to the fork 321, or can be restricted on the fork 321 by other components. As an example, the connection method between the buffer 60 and the fork 321 can be but not limited to plugging, bolting, riveting, clamping or bonding, etc.

[0127] Optionally, the material of the buffer 60 may be but is not limited to polyurethane, silicone, rubber or latex.

[0128] The above technical solution provides a buffer member 60 with a relatively low hardness, so that the buffer member 60 is relatively soft, thereby reducing the risk of scratching the wafer 100 when the buffer member 60 is in direct contact with the wafer 100 .

[0129] In some embodiments, the heights of the two carriers 20 are equal, which can reduce the number of times the carrier 20 is raised and lowered when the carrier arm 32 transfers the wafer 100 between the two carriers 20 , thereby further improving the wafer transfer efficiency of the wafer transfer device.

[0130] According to some embodiments of the present application, the present application further provides a semiconductor device, and the semiconductor device includes the chip transmission device of any of the above schemes.

[0131] In some embodiments, the semiconductor device may be a charged particle beam imaging device (eg, a scanning electron microscope) or an optical imaging device for detecting wafer surface processing errors or for detecting wafer surface critical dimensions.

[0132] Exemplarily, the semiconductor device further includes a pressure relief device, a first molecular pump, and a second molecular pump. The pressure relief device is arranged on the housing 10 and is adjacent to and communicated with the first chamber 11. The pressure relief device is used to relieve pressure in the first chamber 11 so that the environmental state in the first chamber 11 can be converted from a vacuum state to an atmospheric state. The first molecular pump is adjacent to the pressure relief device and connected to the first chamber 11, and is used to evacuate the first chamber 11 so that the environmental state in the first chamber 11 can be converted from an atmospheric state to a vacuum state. The second molecular pump is arranged in the second chamber 12, and is used to evacuate the second chamber 12 to ensure that the second chamber 12 can be in a vacuum environment. When the first chamber 11 and the second chamber 12 are communicated, the pressure relief device can also relieve pressure on the second chamber 12 through the first chamber 11, so as to facilitate the installation and maintenance of the relevant components in the second chamber 12. Among them, the relevant components in the second chamber 12 can be but are not limited to the carrier 20 and some components for processing the wafer 100.

[0133] It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of the present application may be combined with each other.

[0134] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them; although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or replace some or all of the technical features therein by equivalents; and these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and they should all be included in the scope of the claims and specification of the present application. In particular, as long as there is no structural conflict, the various technical features mentioned in the various embodiments can be combined in any way. The present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but includes all technical solutions that fall within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A film transmission device, characterized in that: include: a housing comprising a first chamber and a second chamber; Two carrying platforms are arranged in the housing and used for carrying wafers, wherein one of the carrying platforms is located in the first chamber, and the other of the carrying platforms is located in the second chamber; The wafer conveying mechanism includes a driving component and at least one carrying arm, two spaced-apart forks extending from the end of each carrying arm, the forks being used to carry wafers, the driving component being connected to the at least one carrying arm and being used to drive each carrying arm to rise and fall and rotate around a vertical axis, so that the carrying arm can reach any carrying platform and be located below the wafer, and at least a portion of the carrying platform is located between the two forks of the carrying arm, so that the wafer on the forks can fall onto the carrying platform by lowering the carrying arm, or, the wafer on the carrying platform can be lifted up by the forks by raising the carrying arm, and the wafer can be driven away from the carrying platform by rotating the carrying arm.

2. The film transmission device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The film transmission mechanism comprises a mounting portion and two bearing arms, the driving component is connected to the mounting portion, and the two bearing arms are symmetrically arranged along the center of the mounting portion; The two carrying arms are configured such that, under the drive of the driving component, when one of the carrying arms reaches one of the two carrying platforms, the other carrying arm can synchronously reach the other of the two carrying platforms.

3. The film transmission device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The two carrying arms extend from the mounting portion in opposite directions respectively, the fork piece extends in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the carrying arm, and the extending direction of the fork piece and the extending direction of the carrying arm are both parallel to a horizontal plane; Furthermore, among the two supporting arms, the extending direction of the fork piece arranged on one of the supporting arms is opposite to the extending direction of the fork piece arranged on the other supporting arm.

4. The film transmission device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The housing comprises a first wall body and a second wall body, the first wall body and the second wall body are arranged opposite to each other in a vertical direction, and a through hole is formed in the first wall body; The film transmission mechanism also includes a connecting component, which is passed through the through hole and connected between the driving component and the supporting arm. The driving component is arranged outside the shell, and the supporting platform is connected to the second wall.

5. The film transmission device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving component comprises a first driving member and a second driving member, wherein the first driving member is connected to the carrying arm and is used to drive the carrying arm to rotate; The second driving member is connected to the first driving member, and the second driving member is used to drive the first driving member to rise and fall.

6. The film transmission device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The film transmission device also includes a first sealing component, which is arranged in the housing and located between the first chamber and the second chamber, and is used to connect or isolate the first chamber and the second chamber.

7. The film transmission device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The shell is provided with an opening, and the opening is communicated with the first chamber; The film transmission device further includes a second sealing component, which is disposed at the opening and is used to connect or isolate the first chamber from the atmospheric environment.

8. The film transmission device according to claim 7, characterized in that: When the first chamber and the second chamber are separated, the carrying arm is located in the second chamber.

9. The film transmission device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bearing platform includes a plurality of support members, the plurality of support members are arranged at intervals, and avoidance gaps are formed between the plurality of support members; When the carrying arm reaches any of the carrying platforms and is located below the wafer, the two forks of the carrying arm are located in the avoidance gap.

10. The film transmission device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: A buffer is arranged on the surface of the fork for supporting the wafer, and the hardness of the buffer is less than the hardness of the fork.

11. A semiconductor device, characterized in that: It comprises a film transmission device as described in any one of claims 1-10.

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