Wafer processing device and wafer processing method

Abstract

The invention relates to a wafer processing device and a wafer processing method. The wafer processing device comprises at least one of a coarse alignment unit and a fine alignment unit. The coarse alignment unit comprises a hollow circular ring with a wafer alignment guide surface, and the fine alignment unit comprises a wafer position detector for detecting the edge position of a wafer and a horizontal shifter for driving the wafer to move; according to the invention, the hollow circular ring with the wafer alignment guide surface is arranged above the wafer holder, so that the wafer with large offset can be guided by the wafer alignment guide surface to fall onto the wafer holder, and coarse alignment of the wafer is realized; fine alignment of the wafer is achieved through the wafer position detector and the horizontal displacement device moving in one direction, the wafer in rotation can be prevented from being thrown away and broken, the process stability is improved, and the fine alignment unit is simple in structure, low in cost and convenient to correct.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] In semiconductor manufacturing, the processes involved include thin film deposition, photolithography, etching, cleaning, etc., among which photolithography is one of the most critical steps. In the photolithography process, the pattern on the mask is transferred to the wafer coated with photoresist through coating, exposure and development.

[0003] During the spin coating process, when the robot deviates when placing the wafer or the adsorption force of the tray decreases, the position of the wafer and the suction cup that receives the wafer may shift, which can easily affect the uniformity of the coating and even cause the wafer to fly and break into pieces, thereby reducing the production yield of the wafer.

[0004] It can be seen that how to correct the wafer position is a problem that needs to be solved urgently. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present application provides a wafer processing device and a wafer processing method, which solve the problem that the position deviation of the wafer affects the production yield.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present application provides a wafer processing device, comprising a wafer holder and a wafer supporter, wherein the wafer holder is used to carry and hold a wafer, the wafer holder is rotatable and has a rotation center and a corresponding rotation axis, and the wafer supporter is at least capable of carrying the wafer to perform vertical movement, so as to place the wafer on the wafer holder or to make the wafer detach from the wafer holder; the wafer processing device further comprises: at least one of a coarse alignment unit and a fine alignment unit; the coarse alignment unit comprises a hollow ring, the hollow ring is arranged above the wafer carried or held by the wafer holder, the inner diameter of the hollow ring is larger than the wafer, the inner wall of the hollow ring has a wafer alignment guide surface, and the wafer alignment guide surface gradually approaches the rotation axis in a top-to-bottom direction; the wafer processing device is configured such that, in the process of the wafer supporter carrying the wafer to perform vertical movement, so as to place the wafer on the wafer holder, the wafer passes through the hollow ring;

[0007] The fine alignment unit includes: a wafer position detector, used to detect the wafer edge position of the wafer on the wafer holder, the wafer edge position includes the horizontal distance between a measuring point on the edge of the wafer and the rotation center, and generates a distance signal according to the horizontal distance; a horizontal shifter, the horizontal shifter is connected to the wafer support, and is used to drive the wafer on the wafer support to move along the target horizontal direction.

[0008] Optionally, the wafer position detector includes at least one of an optical sensor, a capacitive sensor and an ultrasonic sensor.

[0009] Optionally, there are multiple wafer position detectors, which are arranged around the rotation axis.

[0010] Optionally, the wafer support includes a plurality of lifting members, and the plurality of lifting members are horizontally spaced apart from the wafer holder; the connection between the horizontal shifter and the wafer support includes the connection between the horizontal shifter and the lifting members; the upper end of the lifting member is used to support the wafer, and the upper end of the lifting member can be extended and retracted in the vertical direction relative to the horizontal shifter.

[0011] Optionally, the horizontal displacer includes: a guide rail extending along the target horizontal direction; a chassis movably disposed on the guide rail, and the connection between the horizontal displacer and the lifting members includes a fixed connection between the chassis and the lower ends of the multiple lifting members; and a driving assembly drivingly connected to the chassis for driving the chassis to move along the guide rail.

[0012] Optionally, the driving assembly includes: a nut, which is fixed on the chassis; a screw, which is passed through the nut along the direction in which the guide rail extends; and a motor, which is drivingly connected to the screw and is used to drive the screw to rotate, so that the chassis can move back and forth along the direction in which the screw extends.

[0013] Optionally, the wafer processing device includes the fine alignment unit, and the wafer processing device also includes a controller, the wafer holder, the wafer support, the wafer position detector and the horizontal shifter are all connected to the controller, and the controller is configured to be able to perform the following steps: S1. Control the relative rotation between the wafer holder and the wafer position detector, control the wafer position detector to detect the wafer edge position of the wafer on the wafer holder, and judge whether the horizontal distance exceeds a preset range according to the distance signal; when it is determined that the horizontal distance exceeds the preset range, obtain the maximum offset of the horizontal distance according to the distance signal, and obtain Take the angular position of the measuring point corresponding to the maximum offset; S2. Control the relative rotation between the wafer holder and the wafer position detector according to the angular position of the measuring point corresponding to the maximum offset, so that the vertical line from the measuring point with the largest horizontal distance offset to the rotation axis is parallel to the target horizontal direction, and the wafer holder stops rotating; S3. Control the wafer support to carry the wafer to move vertically so that the wafer is separated from the wafer holder, and according to the maximum offset, the horizontal shifter drives the wafer support to move along the target horizontal direction, so that the wafer support moves vertically to place the wafer on the wafer holder.

[0014] Optionally, the controller is configured to acquire the angular position of the measurement point based on the angular velocity of the relative rotation between the wafer holder and the wafer position detector, and the time of measuring the measurement point when measuring the wafer edge position.

[0015] Optionally, the wafer processing device includes at least one of a photoresist coating mechanism, a photoresist developing mechanism, a cleaning mechanism and an etching mechanism.

[0016] Optionally, the wafer processing device also includes at least one of a liquid collecting trough and a cover plate assembly; the liquid collecting trough is used to accommodate the wafer and collect waste liquid; the liquid collecting trough has an opening, and the hollow ring is arranged at the opening; the cover plate assembly includes a vertically movable cover plate and a support member, and the cover plate is arranged above the wafer on the wafer holder, and the support member is connected to the cover plate so that the cover plate can be flipped in the vertical direction or the cover plate can move up and down in the vertical direction.

[0017] Optionally, the wafer processing device includes the fine alignment unit; and the wafer position detector is at least partially disposed in the liquid collecting tank and / or the cover plate assembly.

[0018] In a second aspect, the present application provides a wafer processing method, which is implemented by the wafer processing device described in the wafer processing method, and the wafer processing method includes at least one of a coarse alignment step and a fine alignment step; the coarse alignment step includes: carrying the wafer on the wafer supporter, and moving the wafer supporter vertically to pass the wafer through the hollow ring and then place it on the wafer holder;

[0019] The fine alignment step includes: making the wafer holder and the wafer position detector rotate relative to each other, detecting the wafer edge position of the wafer on the wafer holder by the wafer position detector, and judging whether the wafer has position displacement according to the wafer edge position; after judging that the wafer has position displacement, making the wafer holder and the wafer position detector rotate relative to each other, so that the vertical line from the measuring point with the largest displacement to the rotation axis is parallel to the target horizontal direction, and the wafer holder stops rotating; making the wafer support carry the wafer and move vertically to make the wafer detach from the wafer holder, and making the horizontal shifter drive the wafer support to move along the target horizontal direction according to the maximum displacement, so that the wafer support moves vertically to place the wafer on the wafer holder.

[0020] The technical solution provided by this application has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0021] 1. The present application sets a hollow ring with a wafer alignment guide surface above the wafer holder. After the wafer supporter receives the wafer from the robot, the wafer passes through the hollow ring as the wafer supporter descends. When the wafer has a large offset, the edge of the wafer contacts the alignment guide surface and slides onto the wafer holder along the wafer alignment guide surface. While achieving wafer offset correction, it prevents the problem of slipping when the wafer supporter receives wafers with a large offset, thereby effectively improving the wafer production yield.

[0022] 2. The present application realizes fine alignment of the wafer position through a wafer position detector and a horizontal shifter, which can not only prevent the wafer from being thrown into flying pieces while rotating, but also improve the accuracy of wafer processing in processes such as gluing, developing, cleaning or etching.

[0023] 3. The present application drives the wafer on the wafer support to move along the target horizontal direction through a horizontal shifter, which is equivalent to moving the wafer in a horizontal direction to achieve the correction of the offset position, thereby making the structure of the fine alignment unit simple, low-cost and convenient to correct, thereby improving the practicality of the product. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] The drawings herein are incorporated into the specification and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present application, and together with the specification are used to explain the principles of the present application. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application, and for ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0025] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a wafer processing device provided in the first embodiment.

[0026] Figure 2 FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a wafer processing device provided in the second embodiment.

[0027] Figure 3 FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a wafer processing device provided in the third embodiment.

[0028] Figure 4 FIG. 1 is a flow chart of a first wafer processing method provided in the fourth embodiment.

[0029] Figure 5 FIG. 1 is a flow chart of a second wafer processing method provided in the fourth embodiment.

[0030] Figure 6 FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the measuring points and the reference points provided in the fourth embodiment.

[0031] Figure 7 FIG. 1 is a flow chart of a third wafer processing method provided in the fourth embodiment.

[0032] Figure 8 FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a wafer processing device provided in the seventh embodiment.

[0033] Fig. 9 Shown is a schematic diagram of installing a wafer position detector in a wafer processing device when the wafer position detector provided in an embodiment of the present application is an optical sensor.

[0034] Fig.10 The figure shows a schematic diagram of installing a wafer position detector in a wafer processing device when the wafer position detector provided in an embodiment of the present application is a capacitive sensor.

[0035] Fig.11 Shown is a schematic diagram of installing a wafer position detector in a wafer processing device when the wafer position detector provided in an embodiment of the present application is an ultrasonic sensor.

[0036] Fig.12 Shown is a schematic structural diagram of a wafer processing device and a horizontal shifter included therein provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0037] Description of reference numerals:

[0038] 100, wafer processing device; 110, wafer holder; 120, wafer supporter; 130, hollow ring; 131, wafer alignment guide surface; 140, liquid collecting tank; 141, annular side wall; 142, annular guide wall; 143, hollow cavity; 144, base; 150, wafer position detector; 151, signal transmitting end; 152, signal receiving end; 153, reflecting end; 160, horizontal shifter; 161, guide rail; 162, chassis; 163, driving assembly; 1631, nut; 1632, screw; 1633, motor; 170, cover assembly; 171, cover; 172, support member; 180, controller;

[0039] 200, wafer;

[0040] M, rotation axis; X, target horizontal direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, example embodiments can be implemented in a variety of forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this application will be more comprehensive and complete and fully convey the concept of the example embodiments to those skilled in the art.

[0042] In addition, described feature, structure or characteristic can be combined in one or more embodiments in any suitable manner. In the following description, many specific details are provided to provide a full understanding of the embodiments of the present application. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the technical scheme of the present application can be put into practice without one or more of the specific details, or other methods, components, devices, steps, etc. can be adopted. In other cases, known methods, devices, realizations or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid blurring the various aspects of the application.

[0043] The present application is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that the technical features involved in the various embodiments of the present application described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are intended to be used to explain the present application, and should not be understood as limiting the present application.

[0044] Before introducing the specific embodiments of the present application, the wafer position shift mentioned in the background technology is described in detail. The reasons causing the wafer to shift or break mainly include the following situations:

[0045] The wafer is already eccentric on the robot, causing the wafer support (e.g., pin) to slip and break when it receives the wafer, or when the wafer is placed on the suction cup through the wafer support, there is a large displacement between the wafer and the suction cup;

[0046] Dirt on the back of the wafer, pressure fluctuations on the suction cup, aging of the suction cup, etc., which lead to a decrease in the vacuum degree of the suction cup, as well as processing errors, can all cause the wafer to shift in position. When the suction cup subsequently drives the wafer to rotate, the wafer will be further displaced due to position offset, insufficient vacuum degree of the suction cup and centrifugal force of rotation, and the wafer may even be thrown off and broken into pieces during the rotation process.

[0047] In order to solve the above problems, the present application provides a wafer processing device, which specifically includes the following embodiments:

[0048] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a wafer processing device provided in the first embodiment; Figure 1 As shown, the wafer processing device 100 includes a wafer holder 110 and a wafer support 120, the wafer holder 110 is used to carry and hold the wafer 200, the wafer holder 110 can rotate and has a rotation center O and a corresponding rotation axis M, the wafer support 120 can at least carry the wafer 200 to move vertically, that is, at least the top of the wafer support 120, that is, the part that carries the wafer 200 can move vertically, so that the wafer 200 carried by it moves vertically, so as to place the wafer 200 on the wafer holder 110 or to separate the wafer 200 from the wafer holder 110; the wafer processing device includes a coarse alignment unit. It can be understood that when the wafer 200 is processed using the wafer processing device 100, the wafer 200 carried or held by the wafer holder 110 is horizontal or approximately horizontal, the rotation axis M is vertical or approximately vertical, and the rotation center O is located on the rotation axis M.

[0049] The coarse alignment unit includes a hollow ring 130, which is disposed above the wafer 200 carried or held by the wafer holder 110, the inner diameter of the hollow ring 130 is larger than the wafer 200, and the inner wall of the hollow ring 130 has a wafer alignment guide surface 131, which gradually approaches the rotation axis M in a direction downward from the top surface of the hollow ring 130, that is, in a direction from top to bottom. The wafer processing device 100 is configured such that the wafer 200 passes through the hollow ring 130 when the wafer support 120 carries the wafer 200 to carry out vertical movement, so that the wafer 200 is placed on the wafer holder 110, and the wafer alignment guide surface 131 is used to guide the alignment of the wafer passing through the hollow ring 130. It can be understood that the direction from top to bottom is from top to bottom in the vertical direction in space when the wafer 200 is processed using the wafer processing device 100. Obviously, in horizontal projection, the hollow ring 130 does not overlap with the aligned wafer 200 carried or held by the wafer holder 110. Therefore, after the wafer 200 is transferred from the robot to the wafer supporter 120, when the wafer supporter 120 descends to place the wafer 200 on the wafer holder 110, the wafer 200 can pass through the hollow ring 130. In the process of the wafer 200 passing through the hollow ring 130, if the wafer 200 deviates greatly, the wafer alignment guide surface 131 can be used to achieve rough alignment of the position of the wafer 200, even if the center of the wafer 200 and the rotation center O are roughly aligned and overlapped.

[0050] For example, the lower end of the wafer alignment guide surface 131 is higher than the upper side of the wafer 200 carried or held by the wafer holder 110, the inner diameter of the ring formed by the lower end of the wafer alignment guide surface 131 is larger than the wafer 200, and the wafer alignment guide surface 131 is formed around a conical ring, the cone where the conical ring is located is an isosceles cone, and the cone is coaxially arranged with the rotation axis M. Preferably, the wafer alignment guide surface 131 is the side of a truncated cone. For example, in the horizontal direction, the cross-section of the wafer alignment guide surface 131 is an annular surface, and the annular surface can be a complete or incomplete ring. For example, in the vertical direction, the cross-section of the wafer alignment guide surface 131 includes a straight line, a curve or a plurality of inclined lines, and the present invention is not specifically limited, as long as the wafer alignment guide surface 131 can guide the wafer 200 to perform rough alignment. Preferably, the wafer alignment guide surface 131 is a smooth and flat straight surface to reduce the collision of the wafer 200 during the rough alignment process.

[0051] When the wafer processing device provided in the present embodiment is working, the wafer support 120 rises, and the point of the wafer support 120 used to support the wafer 200 is higher than the upper end of the wafer alignment guide surface 131, for example, the top of the wafer support 120 is higher than the hollow ring 130, and the wafer support 120 receives the wafer 200 from the robot and then descends with the wafer 200, and the wafer 200 passes through the hollow ring 130 and is placed on the wafer holder 110; if the wafer 200 has a large offset when it is on the robot, the position of the wafer 200 will also have a large offset when the wafer support 120 receives the wafer 200, and the wafer support 120 is When the wafer 200 is carried by the support 120 and descends, and the wafer 200 passes through the hollow ring 130, the edge of the offset wafer 200 will contact the wafer alignment guide surface 131 in the hollow ring 130. As the wafer support 120 descends, under the action of gravity, the edge of the wafer 200 with a large offset slides downward along the wafer alignment guide surface 131 and vertically descends to the wafer holder 110, that is, the wafer alignment guide surface 131 guides the wafer 200 to slide from a state with a large offset to the completion of rough alignment, thereby effectively preventing the problem of slipping when the wafer support 120 receives a wafer 200 with a large offset. In addition, since the top of the wafer alignment guide surface 131 gradually approaches the rotation axis M downward, the center of the wafer 200 automatically approaches the rotation center O in the horizontal projection during the process of the wafer 200 sliding down from the wafer alignment guide surface 131, thereby achieving rough alignment of the wafer 200.

[0052] For example, Figure 1 As shown, there are point A and point B on a vertical section of the wafer alignment guide surface 131, and the position of point B is located at the bottom end of the wafer alignment guide surface 131, and the position of point A is any point higher than point B; the wafer supporter 120 receives the wafer 200 from the robot and then moves vertically downward. During the movement, the wafer 200 contacts point A of the wafer alignment guide surface 131 due to position offset, and in the subsequent descending process, the wafer 200 is guided by the wafer alignment guide surface 131, and the contact point slides from point A to point B, and then directly descends vertically from point B to the wafer holder 110; because the wafer alignment guide surface 131 gradually approaches the rotation axis M in the top-down direction, the center of the wafer 200 is closer to the rotation center O after the wafer 200 slides from point A to point B, thereby realizing automatic coarse alignment of the wafer 200; wherein, Figure 1 When the middle wafer 200 contacts point A, the offset between the center of the circle and the rotation center O is X1. When the wafer 200 contacts point B, the offset between the center of the circle and the rotation center O is X2. Obviously, X2<X1, which means that the wafer holder 110 achieves rough correction of the offset when receiving the wafer 200 with a larger offset.

[0053] It should also be noted that if the wafer 200 supported by the wafer support 120 does not have an offset or the offset is small, when the wafer support 120 descends, the edge of the supported wafer 200 will not contact the wafer alignment guide surface 131, but the wafer 200 directly passes through the hollow ring 130 and is placed on the wafer holder 110, and the position of the wafer 200 is roughly aligned without being guided by the wafer alignment guide surface 131.

[0054] In another embodiment, the coarse alignment unit, ie, the hollow ring 130 is an incomplete ring, formed by a plurality of wafer alignment guide surfaces 131 horizontally spaced from each other.

[0055] In this embodiment, a hollow ring 130 with a wafer alignment guide surface 131 is arranged above the wafer holder 110. After the wafer support 120 receives the wafer 200 with a large offset from the robot, as the wafer support 120 descends, the edge of the wafer 200 slides along the wafer alignment guide surface 131 onto the wafer holder 110, thereby achieving a rough correction of the offset of the wafer 200. Furthermore, by performing a rough alignment in the process of the wafer support 120 delivering the wafer 200 to the wafer holder 110, the time that the wafer 200 has a large offset on the wafer support 120 is reduced, and the probability of slippage when the wafer support 120 receives the wafer with a large offset is reduced, thereby effectively improving the production yield of the wafer.

[0056] Figure 2 FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a wafer processing device provided in the second embodiment; Figure 2 As shown, the wafer processing device 100 includes a wafer holder 110 and a wafer support 120. The wafer holder 110 is used to carry and hold the wafer 200. The wafer holder 110 can rotate and has a rotation center O and a corresponding rotation axis M. The wafer support 120 can at least carry the wafer 200 for vertical movement to place the wafer 200 on the wafer holder 110 or to detach the wafer 200 from the wafer holder 110. The wafer processing device 100 includes a fine alignment unit.

[0057] Specifically, the fine alignment unit includes a wafer position detector 150 and a horizontal shifter 160 .

[0058] The wafer position detector 150 is used to detect the wafer edge position of the wafer 200 on the wafer holder 110 , which includes a horizontal distance between a measurement point on the edge of the wafer 200 and the rotation center O, and generate a distance signal according to the horizontal distance.

[0059] For example, the wafer position detector 150 and the wafer holder 110 are relatively rotated, and the detection of the wafer edge position includes the wafer position detector 150 measuring the position of the measurement point on the edge of the wafer 200 carried by the wafer holder 110 to obtain the horizontal distance. The wafer position detector 150 and the wafer holder 110 are relatively rotated, and the wafer holder 110 remains stationary and the wafer position detector 150 rotates horizontally around the rotation center O. Preferably, the relative rotation between the wafer position detector 150 and the wafer holder 110 is achieved by keeping the wafer position detector 150 stationary and the wafer holder 110 rotating.

[0060] For example, when the wafer processing apparatus 100 includes one wafer position detector 150 , the wafer position detector 150 and the wafer holder 110 are relatively rotated at least one circle, thereby detecting the positions of a plurality of measurement points on the wafer 200 around one circle.

[0061] In some embodiments, the edge position of the wafer is detected after the wafer 200 is placed on the wafer holder 110 from the wafer support 120 and before the wafer holder 110 drives the wafer 200 to rotate to execute the process step; or, the edge position of the wafer is detected in real time during the process of the wafer holder 110 driving the wafer 200 to rotate to execute the process step; or, during the process of the wafer holder 110 driving the wafer 200 to rotate to execute the process step, the position of the measurement point on the edge of the wafer 200 is monitored in real time to obtain the horizontal distance. When the horizontal distance exceeds the preset value, that is, the position offset of the wafer 200 is out of range, the process step is paused and the edge position of the wafer is detected; or, after the wafer holder 110 drives the wafer 200 to rotate to execute the process step and before the wafer 200 is separated from the wafer holder 110, the edge position of the wafer is detected; or, after a wafer fine alignment step is completed, the edge position of the wafer is detected again.

[0062] The wafer position detector 150 includes but is not limited to an optical sensor, a capacitive sensor, and an ultrasonic sensor, and the present invention does not make any specific limitation, as long as it can detect the position of the measurement point on the edge of the wafer 200 to obtain the horizontal distance from the rotation center O. Preferably, the wafer position detector 150 is fixedly disposed near the edge of the wafer.

[0063] In some embodiments, there are multiple wafer position detectors 150, and they are arranged around the rotation axis M. As a result, the accuracy and efficiency of wafer edge position detection can be improved. For example, arranging multiple wafer position detectors 150 around the rotation axis M includes arranging N wafer position detectors 150 equidistantly along the circumference of the wafer 200, so that the edge position detection of the entire wafer can be completed by rotating the wafer holder 110 1 / N times, that is, the rotation amplitude of the wafer holder 110 during the wafer position detection process can be reduced, the detection efficiency can be improved, and the risk of defects caused by failure of the wafer position detector 150 during the processing of the wafer 200 can be reduced.

[0064] The horizontal shifter 160 is connected to the wafer supporter 120 and is used to drive the wafer 200 on the wafer supporter 120 to move along the target horizontal direction X. The target horizontal direction includes a horizontal direction and a substantially horizontal direction.

[0065] By way of example, the wafer processing device includes a fine alignment unit, which can implement the following fine alignment steps: the wafer holder and the wafer position detector are rotated relative to each other, the wafer position detector 150 detects the wafer edge position of at least some measuring points in the circumference of the wafer 200, and determines whether the wafer 200 is offset. If there is an offset, position correction is performed.

[0066] Determining whether the wafer 200 is offset includes determining whether the horizontal distance exceeds a preset range according to the distance signal.

[0067] For example, judging whether the horizontal distance exceeds a preset range based on the distance signal includes: judging whether the horizontal distance of each measuring point Q exceeds the preset range, and judging that the wafer 200 is offset when the horizontal distance exceeds the preset range; or obtaining the measuring point Q with the largest offset and the corresponding horizontal distance among the measuring points Q, and judging that the wafer 200 is offset when the horizontal distance of the measuring point Q with the largest offset exceeds the preset range.

[0068] Before position correction, at least the step of obtaining the horizontal distance corresponding to the measuring point Q with the largest offset is performed, that is, obtaining the maximum offset.

[0069] The position correction includes: the wafer holder 110 drives the wafer 200 to rotate so that the perpendicular line from the measuring point Q with the largest offset to the rotation axis M is parallel to the target horizontal direction X; the wafer support 120 drives the wafer 200 to separate from the wafer holder 110, and the horizontal shifter 160 drives the wafer 200 on the wafer support 120 to move the maximum offset along the X direction.

[0070] Preferably, the wafer position detector 150 detects the wafer edge positions of all measurement points Q in the circumferential direction of the wafer 200 to obtain the measurement point Q with the largest offset. In some embodiments, the fine alignment step may be performed multiple times until the wafer 200 is not offset, for example, until the horizontal position corresponding to each measurement point Q is within a preset range or the horizontal position corresponding to the measurement point Q with the largest offset is within a preset range.

[0071] By making the wafer processing device include a fine alignment unit, the position of the wafer 200 can be detected in real time when the wafer support 120 places the wafer 200 on the wafer holder 110, when the wafer support 120 drives the wafer 200 to separate from the wafer holder 110, or when the wafer 200 rotates to perform a process step. By performing the fine alignment step, the wafer 200 being thrown off and broken can be avoided, and the processing accuracy of the wafer 200 during the process of coating, developing, cleaning or etching can be improved. At the same time, the wafer 200 on the wafer support is driven by the horizontal shifter 160 to move along the target horizontal direction X by the distance determined by the horizontal distance corresponding to the measuring point Q with the largest offset, which is equivalent to moving the wafer 200 in one direction once to achieve the correction of the offset position. While the correction efficiency is high, the fine alignment unit has a simple structure, low cost and convenient correction.

[0072] Figure 3 FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a wafer processing device provided in the third embodiment; Figure 3 As shown, the wafer processing device 100 includes a wafer holder 110 and a wafer support 120. The wafer holder 110 is used to carry and hold the wafer 200. The wafer holder 110 can rotate and has a rotation center O and a corresponding rotation axis M. The wafer support 120 can at least carry the wafer 200 for vertical movement to place the wafer 200 on the wafer holder 110 or to detach the wafer from the wafer holder 110. The wafer processing device 100 includes a coarse alignment unit and a fine alignment unit.

[0073] In the third embodiment, the coarse alignment unit and its working process and the technical effects produced are the same as those recorded in the first embodiment, and the fine alignment unit and its working process and the technical effects produced are also the same as those recorded in the second embodiment, so they are not repeated here.

[0074] In addition, the technical solution shown in the third embodiment enables the wafer processing device 100 to include a coarse alignment unit and a fine alignment unit. After the coarse alignment unit corrects the position of the wafer 200, the offset of the wafer 200 has been reduced to a certain range, and then the fine alignment unit is used to finely align the offset position of the wafer 200 until the offset of the wafer 200 is less than a preset value, thereby improving the accuracy of the position of the wafer 200, avoiding the wafer 200 from being thrown away and broken due to a large offset during rotation, and reducing the time, correction number and action amplitude of the fine alignment step implemented by the fine alignment unit, thereby improving production efficiency, reducing the risk of defects in the wafer 200 due to the correction action, and reducing the change in the space occupied by the wafer processing device 100 caused by the action amplitude of the horizontal shifter 160 in the fine alignment unit.

[0075] A fourth embodiment provides a wafer processing method, including at least one of a coarse alignment step and a fine alignment step.

[0076] Figure 4 FIG. 4 is a flow chart of a first wafer processing method provided by the fourth embodiment; Figure 4 As shown, the wafer processing method is implemented by the wafer processing device 100 in the above embodiment, the wafer processing device 100 includes a coarse alignment unit, and the wafer processing method includes a coarse alignment step for coarsely aligning the wafer 200, and the coarse alignment step specifically includes:

[0077] Step S110 , placing the wafer 200 on the wafer support 120 .

[0078] In step S120 , the wafer supporter 120 moves vertically to pass the wafer 200 through the hollow ring 130 and then place it on the wafer holder 110 , so that the wafer holder 110 holds the wafer 200 .

[0079] Optionally, before step S110, the wafer support 120 is moved vertically upward to a position where the wafer support 120 is used to carry the wafer 200, for example, the top of the wafer support 120 is at least higher than the top of the wafer alignment guide surface 131 of the hollow ring 130. Optionally, in step S110, the wafer support 120 receives the wafer 200 from the robot. Preferably, the wafer support 120 is moved vertically upward to a position where the wafer support 120 is used to carry the wafer 200, which is higher than the upper surface of the hollow ring 130, so as to avoid the hollow ring 130 hindering the movement of the robot when the wafer support 120 receives the wafer 200 from the robot.

[0080] In step S120, if the wafer 200 has a large offset on the robot, the edge of the wafer 200 on the wafer supporter 120 will contact the wafer alignment guide surface 131 in the hollow ring 130. As the wafer supporter 120 descends, under the action of gravity, the edge of the wafer 200 with a large eccentricity slides down along the wafer alignment guide surface 131 and vertically descends to the wafer holder 110, which can effectively prevent the problem of slipping when the wafer supporter 120 receives the wafer 200 with a large offset. In addition, since the top of the wafer alignment guide surface 131 gradually approaches the rotation axis M downward, the center of the wafer 200 automatically gradually approaches the rotation center O during the process of the wafer 200 sliding down from the wafer alignment guide surface 131, thereby achieving rough alignment of the wafer 200.

[0081] In step S120 , if the wafer 200 supported by the wafer support 120 has no offset or a small offset, the edge of the wafer 200 on the wafer support 120 will not contact the wafer alignment guide surface 131 , and will pass through the hollow ring 130 and be directly placed vertically on the wafer retainer 110 .

[0082] Figure 5 FIG. 1 is a flow chart of a second wafer processing method provided in the fourth embodiment. Figure 6 FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the measuring point and the reference point provided in the fourth embodiment; Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the wafer processing method is implemented by the wafer processing device 100 in the above embodiment, the wafer processing device 100 includes a fine alignment unit, and the wafer processing method includes a fine alignment step for finely aligning the wafer 200, and the fine alignment step specifically includes:

[0083] Step S210: the wafer holder 110 and the wafer position detector 150 rotate relative to each other, the wafer edge position is detected by the wafer position detector 150, and whether the position of the wafer 200 is shifted is determined according to the wafer edge position;

[0084] Judging whether the wafer 200 has a position shift according to the wafer edge position includes: judging whether the horizontal distance corresponding to all measurement points Q is within a preset range. When the horizontal distance is within the preset range, it is judged that the wafer 200 has not shifted, and there is no need to perform position correction in steps S220-S230; when the horizontal distance exceeds the preset value, it is judged that the wafer 200 has shifted, and the following steps S220-S230 need to be performed to perform position correction;

[0085] Step S220, the wafer holder 110 and the wafer position detector 150 are rotated relative to each other so that the perpendicular line from the measurement point Q with the largest offset to the rotation axis M is parallel to the target horizontal direction X, that is, in the horizontal projection, the line connecting the measurement point Q with the largest offset and the rotation center O is parallel to the target horizontal direction X, and the wafer holder 110 stops rotating;

[0086] Step S230, the wafer support 120 carrying the wafer 200 moves vertically to separate the wafer 200 from the wafer holder 110, and the horizontal shifter 160 drives the wafer support 120 to move along the target horizontal direction X according to the horizontal distance corresponding to the measuring point Q with the largest offset, so that the wafer support 120 moves vertically to place the wafer 200 on the wafer holder 110.

[0087] Optionally, step S210 is performed after the wafer 200 is placed on the wafer holder 110 from the wafer support 120 and before the wafer holder 110 drives the wafer 200 to rotate to execute the process step; or, during the process of the wafer holder 110 driving the wafer 200 to rotate to execute the process step, step S210 is immediately executed to detect the edge position of the wafer; or, during the process of the wafer holder 110 driving the wafer 200 to rotate to execute the process step, the position of the measurement point on the edge of the wafer 200 is monitored in real time to obtain the horizontal distance, and when the horizontal distance exceeds the preset value, that is, the position offset of the wafer 200 is out of range, the process step is paused; or, after the wafer holder 110 drives the wafer 200 to rotate to execute the process step and before the wafer 200 is separated from the wafer holder 110; or, after a wafer fine alignment step is completed, the edge position of the wafer is detected again.

[0088] Several wafer edge positions, namely, measurement points Q and corresponding offsets L can be obtained by step S210. The offsets L can be obtained by horizontal distance. It can be understood that among several wafer edge positions, there is a measurement point Q with the largest offset. It can be understood that performing a correction action on the measurement point Q with the largest offset can improve the efficiency of fine alignment. In other embodiments, step 210 of the wafer processing method can also perform position correction on any position offset of the wafer 200 corresponding to the offset L greater than a preset value. Preferably, the wafer holder 110 and the wafer position detector 150 rotate relative to each other for at least one circle, and the position of the entire edge of the wafer 200 is detected by the wafer position detector 150, so that the measurement point Q with the largest offset and the corresponding offset L can be obtained. Preferably, the number of wafer position detectors 150 is one, and the wafer holder 110 and the wafer position detector 150 rotate relative to each other for one circle to detect the wafer edge position.

[0089] To make the wafer position detector 150 and the wafer holder 110 rotate relative to each other for at least one revolution, the wafer holder 110 may be kept stationary and the wafer position detector 150 may be horizontally rotated at least one revolution around the rotation center O, or, preferably, the wafer position detector 150 may be kept stationary and the wafer holder 110 may be self-rotated for at least one revolution to achieve the relative rotation between the wafer position detector 150 and the wafer holder 110. In other embodiments, the wafer position detector 150 may be horizontally rotated around the rotation center O and the wafer holder 110 may be self-rotated to achieve the relative rotation between the wafer position detector 150 and the wafer holder 110 for at least one revolution.

[0090] Optionally, in step S220 , the wafer holder 110 and the wafer position detector 150 are rotated relative to each other so that the wafer holder 110 remains stationary and the wafer position detector 150 rotates horizontally around the rotation center O.

[0091] Optionally, in step S220 , the wafer holder 110 and the wafer position detector 150 are relatively rotated according to the rotation angle α, so that in horizontal projection, a line connecting the measurement point Q with the largest offset and the rotation center O is parallel to the target horizontal direction X.

[0092] Optionally, in step S210, the rotation angle α is obtained while detecting the edge position of the wafer. That is, in horizontal projection, the distance between each measuring point Q and the rotation center O is the horizontal distance included in the edge position of the wafer, and at the same time, the line between each measuring point Q and the rotation center O and the line between the reference point P on the edge of the wafer 200 and the rotation center O have an angle β, and for each measuring point Q, there is a corresponding horizontal distance and angle β. In step S210, the measuring point Q with the largest offset can be selected from the several wafer edge positions detected, and the angle β can be obtained at the same time. The rotation angle α can be obtained by the angle β and the preset reference point P, and the reference point P can be a preset point on the edge of the wafer 200.

[0093] like Figure 6 As shown, the reference point P is a preset point on the edge of the wafer 200, any measuring point Q has a corresponding angle β relative to P, and the line between the reference point P and the rotation center O has an angle θ with the X direction, where α=θ-β.

[0094] In some embodiments, the reference point P is the first measurement point Q0 in the process of detecting the edge position of the wafer. That is, the position of the reference point P is known, and the angle θ is a known value. Preferably, the reference point P is the first measurement point Q0 in the process of relative rotation between the wafer position detector 150 and the wafer holder 110 when detecting the edge position of the wafer. In some embodiments, the wafer holder 110 has a preset rotational angular velocity ρ. Preferably, the rotational angular velocity ρ is a constant, that is, the wafer holder 110 rotates at a constant speed. By measuring the measurement time T of the wafer holder 110 during the process of detecting the edge position, the angle β can be obtained by β=T×ρ, where T=t Q -t P , t is the time point corresponding to the position of a point on the edge of the wafer. When the reference point P is the first measurement point Q0 in the process of detecting the edge position of the wafer, t P = 0. It can be understood that when the rotation angular velocity ρ is a variable value, the angle β can be calculated by integration.

[0095] Thus, the relative rotation between the wafer holder 110 and the wafer position detector 150 can be precisely controlled so that the line connecting the measuring point Q with the largest offset and the rotation center O is parallel to the target horizontal direction X. After the wafer holder 110 stops rotating, step S230 can be performed for the measuring point Q with the largest offset, that is, the wafer support 120 is moved vertically to separate the wafer 200 from the wafer holder 110. After the horizontal shifter 160 is moved along the target horizontal direction X according to the maximum offset L, the wafer 200 is placed back into the wafer holder 110, thereby achieving fine alignment of the position of the wafer 200.

[0096] In some embodiments, after fine alignment of the position of the wafer 200, step S210 is performed again to detect whether the position of the wafer 200 after fine alignment has met the alignment requirements. If the position of the wafer 200 has been aligned, the process steps are continued; if the position of the wafer 200 is still offset beyond the preset range, steps S220 and S230 are continued to be performed to perform position correction, or the complete fine alignment steps are re-executed.

[0097] The fourth embodiment provides a third wafer processing method, which is implemented by the wafer processing device 100 in the above embodiment, and the wafer processing device 100 includes a coarse alignment unit and a fine alignment unit to sequentially perform a coarse alignment step and a fine alignment step. The wafer processing method is to first perform the coarse alignment step in the first wafer processing method provided in the fourth embodiment, and then perform the fine alignment step in the second wafer processing method provided in the fourth embodiment. The technical effect produced is the same as that of the third embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0098] The fifth embodiment provides a wafer processing device 100, such as Figure 3 As shown, the wafer processing device 100 also includes a controller 180, and the wafer holder 110, the wafer support 120, the wafer position detector 150 and the horizontal shifter 160 are all connected to the controller 180. The controller controls the wafer holder 110, the wafer support 120, the wafer position detector 150 and the horizontal shifter 160 to implement the wafer processing method in the fourth embodiment.

[0099] For example, the controller 180 controls the wafer holder 110 and the wafer support 120 to implement the rough alignment step in the wafer processing method in the fourth embodiment, including the following steps:

[0100] (1) The controller 180 controls the wafer support 120 to move vertically until the position of the wafer support 120 for supporting the wafer 200 is higher than the upper surface of the hollow ring 130, so as to receive the wafer 200 from the robot;

[0101] (2) The controller 180 controls the wafer support 120 to move vertically, so that the wafer 200 passes through the hollow ring 130 and is placed on the wafer holder 110 , so that the wafer holder 110 holds the wafer 200 .

[0102] In some embodiments, the controller 180 is also connected to control a robot to complete the transfer of the wafer 200 between the robot and the wafer supporter 120 .

[0103] For example, the controller 180 controls the wafer holder 110, the wafer support 120, the wafer position detector 150 and the horizontal shifter 160 to implement the fine alignment step in the wafer processing method in the fourth embodiment, including the following steps:

[0104] Controlling the relative rotation between the wafer holder 110 and the wafer position detector 150, controlling the wafer position detector 150 to detect the wafer edge position of the wafer 200 on the wafer holder 110, and determining whether the horizontal distance exceeds a preset range according to the distance signal;

[0105] When it is determined that the horizontal distance exceeds the preset range, the maximum offset of the horizontal distance is obtained according to the distance signal, and the angular position of the measuring point Q corresponding to the maximum offset is obtained;

[0106] When the horizontal distance does not exceed the preset range, the subsequent steps are not executed;

[0107] Control the relative rotation between the wafer holder 110 and the wafer position detector 150 according to the angular position of the measuring point Q corresponding to the maximum offset, so that the vertical line from the measuring point Q with the largest horizontal distance offset to the rotation axis M is parallel to the target horizontal direction X, and the wafer holder 110 stops rotating;

[0108] The wafer support 120 is controlled to carry the wafer 200 to move vertically so that the wafer 200 is separated from the wafer holder 110 . The horizontal shifter 160 drives the wafer support 120 to move along the target horizontal direction X according to the maximum offset, so that the wafer support 120 moves vertically so that the wafer 200 is placed on the wafer holder 110 .

[0109] Illustratively, the angular position comprises a rotation angle α.

[0110] For example, Figure 7 As shown:

[0111] Step S310, the controller 180 controls the wafer holder 110 to rotate at a rotational angular velocity ρ;

[0112] Step S320, the controller 180 controls the wafer position detector 150 to detect the wafer edge position of the wafer 200 on the wafer holder 110 to obtain the position offset of each measuring point Q, and at the same time measures the measurement time T of the wafer holder 110 corresponding to each measuring point Q;

[0113] Step S330: the controller 180 determines whether the wafer 200 is offset according to the offset amount. When it is determined that the wafer 200 is not offset, the subsequent process S390 is performed. When it is determined that the wafer 200 is offset, the step S340 is continued.

[0114] Step S340 , the controller 180 calculates the maximum offset L of the wafer edge position and the rotation angle α corresponding to the maximum offset L;

[0115] Step S350, the controller controls the wafer holder 110 to rotate according to the rotation angle α, so that in the horizontal projection, the line connecting the measurement point Q with the largest offset and the rotation center O is parallel to the target horizontal direction X, and controls the wafer holder 110 to stop rotating;

[0116] Step S360 , the controller 180 controls the wafer support 120 to move vertically, so that the wafer 200 is separated from the wafer holder 110 ;

[0117] Step S370: the controller controls the horizontal shifter 160 to move along the target horizontal direction X according to the maximum offset L, so that the center of the wafer 200 overlaps with the rotation center O of the wafer holder 110;

[0118] Step S380 : The controller controls the wafer supporter 120 to move vertically so that the wafer 200 is placed on the wafer holder 110 .

[0119] The wafer processing device 100 also includes a controller 180, which controls the wafer holder 110, the wafer support 120, the wafer position detector 150 and the horizontal shifter 160 to implement the wafer processing method in the fourth embodiment. In the process of executing the wafer processing method to realize the alignment of the wafer 200, automated operation can be implemented to improve the alignment accuracy and efficiency, avoid defects in the wafer 200 caused by misoperation, and reduce the risk of contamination.

[0120] Illustratively, the controller controls the wafer holder 110 , the wafer support 120 , the wafer position detector 150 and the horizontal shifter 160 to implement the fine alignment step in the wafer processing method in the fourth embodiment, and re-executes step S310 and subsequent steps after step S380 .

[0121] In other embodiments, subsequent process steps are performed after step S380.

[0122] The sixth embodiment provides a wafer processing device 100. The structure of the wafer processing device 100 is as described in the first to third and fifth embodiments, and can be used to perform the wafer processing method in the fourth embodiment. The wafer processing device 100 also includes at least one of a photoresist coating mechanism, a photoresist developing mechanism, a cleaning mechanism, and an etching mechanism; that is, the wafer processing device 100 provided in this embodiment can be a device with a photoresist coating function, a device with a photoresist developing function, a device with a cleaning function, a device with an etching function, a device with both photoresist coating and developing functions, a device with both photoresist coating, developing, and cleaning functions, and a device with both photoresist coating, developing, cleaning, and etching functions. Therefore, the wafer processing device 100 can be used to perform at least one process of photoresist coating, developing, cleaning, and etching on the wafer 200.

[0123] To realize the above processes, the wafer 200 needs to be rotated. Therefore, when the wafer processing device 100 includes a coarse alignment unit to perform a coarse alignment step, and / or includes a fine alignment unit to perform a fine alignment step, when the wafer processing device 100 performs the above processes on the wafer 200, it can prevent the rotating wafer 200 from flying off and breaking pieces, and can also improve the processing accuracy when performing processes such as gluing, developing, cleaning or etching on the wafer 200.

[0124] Figure 8 FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a wafer processing device provided in the seventh embodiment; Figure 8 As shown, the wafer processing apparatus further includes at least one of a liquid collecting tank 140 and a cover plate assembly 170 .

[0125] The liquid collecting tank 140 is used to accommodate the wafer 200 and collect the waste liquid thrown off the rotating wafer 200 during the process of performing a process on the wafer 200. Figure 2-Figure 4 As shown, the liquid collecting tank 140 includes an annular side wall 141 and a base ( Figure 1-Figure 3 wherein the wafer holder 110 is disposed in the base of the liquid collecting tank 140 .

[0126] For example, the wafer processing device 100 includes a liquid collecting trough 140, which also includes an annular guide wall 142, the lower end of the annular guide wall 142 is arranged on the base, the top of the annular guide wall 142 is arranged below the wafer holder 110, and the inner diameter of the annular guide wall 142 is smaller than the diameter of the wafer 200; a hollow cavity 143 is formed between the annular side wall 141 and the annular guide wall 142, and the hollow cavity 143 is used to collect waste liquid thrown off the rotating wafer 200.

[0127] For example, the liquid collecting tank 140 has an opening, and the hollow ring 130 is disposed in the opening. Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, an annular opening is provided on the annular side wall 141 of the liquid collecting tank 140, and a hollow ring 130 having a wafer alignment guide surface 131 is arranged at the annular opening. Thus, by arranging the opening of the liquid collecting tank 140 with the wafer alignment guide surface 131, the wafer processing device 100 can include a rough alignment device, so that the structure of the wafer processing device 100 is simple.

[0128] It should be noted that the hollow ring 130 and the liquid collecting trough 140 can be integrally formed, that is, the opening of the liquid collecting trough is transformed into a hollow ring 130 with a wafer alignment guide surface 131; the hollow ring 130 and the liquid collecting trough 140 can be independently set, that is, the hollow ring 130 with the wafer alignment guide surface 131 is placed and fixed at the opening of the liquid collecting trough 140.

[0129] For example, the wafer processing device 100 includes a photoresist coating mechanism, that is, the wafer processing device 100 may be a device having a photoresist coating function. In order to improve the uniformity of the photoresist coating, for example Figure 7 As shown, the wafer processing device 100 further includes: a cover plate assembly 170 , and the cover plate assembly 170 includes a cover plate 171 vertically movably disposed above the wafer 200 .

[0130] For example, Figure 8As shown, the cover plate assembly 170 also includes a support member 172, which is arranged near the liquid collecting tank 140; the cover plate 171 is connected to the support member 172 so that the cover plate 171 can be flipped in the vertical direction, or the cover plate 171 can move up and down in the vertical direction. Preferably, the cover plate assembly 170 is also connected to a controller, and the controller controls the cover plate assembly 170 so that the cover plate 171 can perform the above operations. Optionally, during the photoresist coating process, the cover plate 171 is lowered and raised before and after the main rotation stage of the photoresist coating film.

[0131] For example, the wafer position detector 150 is disposed near the edge of the wafer 200 ; wherein the wafer position detector 150 is at least partially disposed on the sump 140 and / or the cover assembly 170 .

[0132] In one embodiment, the wafer position detector 150 includes an optical sensor disposed at a position such as Fig. 9 The optical sensor may include a signal transmitting end 151 and a signal receiving end 152 , and may also include a reflecting end 153 .

[0133] For example, see Fig. 9 In the embodiment shown in (a), the signal transmitting end 151 and the signal receiving end 152 are respectively disposed on the base 144 and the cover plate 171 of the liquid collecting tank 140; see Fig. 9 In the embodiment shown in (b), the signal transmitting end 151 and the signal receiving end 152 are respectively disposed on the cover plate 171 and the base 144 of the liquid collecting tank 140; see Fig. 9 In the embodiment shown in (c), the signal transmitting end 151 and the signal receiving end 152 are arranged on the cover plate 171, and the reflecting end 153 is arranged on the base 144 of the liquid collecting tank 140; see Fig. 9 In the embodiment shown in (d), the signal transmitting end 151 and the signal receiving end 152 are arranged on the base 144 of the liquid collecting tank, and the signal transmitted by the signal transmitting end 151 is reflected by the edge of the wafer 200 and then received by the signal receiving end 152; see Fig. 9 In the embodiment shown in (e), the signal transmitting end 151 is disposed in the liquid collecting tank, and the signal receiving end 152 is disposed on the support member 172 (not shown in the figure), so that the signal transmitted by the signal transmitting end 151 is reflected by the edge of the wafer 200 and then received by the signal receiving end 152; see Fig. 9 In the embodiment shown in (f), the signal transmitting end 151 and the signal receiving end 152 are both arranged on a support member 172 (not shown in the figure), and the signal transmitted by the signal transmitting end 151 can be received by the signal receiving end 152 after being reflected by the edge of the wafer 200 .

[0134] In one embodiment, the wafer position detector 150 includes a capacitive sensor, which includes but is not limited to a variable pitch capacitive sensor and an array capacitive sensor.

[0135] For example, the wafer position detector 150 is a capacitive sensor, which is arranged at a position such as Fig.10 See Fig.10 In the embodiment shown in (a), the wafer position detector 150 is a variable-pitch capacitive sensor and is disposed on a support member 172 (not shown in the figure); see Fig.10 In the embodiment shown in (b), the wafer position detector 150 is an array capacitance sensor and is disposed in the liquid collecting tank 140; see Fig.10 In the embodiment shown in (c), the wafer position detector 150 is an array capacitance sensor and is disposed on the cover 171 .

[0136] For example, the array capacitive sensor may be composed of a plurality of variable pitch capacitive sensors, such as Fig.10 As shown in (b), it can be understood that the signal transmitting end of the variable-pitch capacitive sensor and the edge of the wafer 200 form two electrodes of a temporary capacitor, and the edge position of the wafer 200 can be detected by measuring the capacitance of the temporary capacitor.

[0137] In one embodiment, the wafer position detector 150 includes an ultrasonic sensor.

[0138] For example, the wafer position detector 150 is an ultrasonic sensor, which is arranged at a position such as Fig.11 See Fig.11 In the embodiment shown in (a), the ultrasonic sensor is disposed on a support member 172 (not shown in the figure); see Fig.11 In the embodiment shown in (b), the ultrasonic sensor is arranged in the liquid collecting tank 140, see Fig.11 In the embodiment shown in (c), the ultrasonic sensor is arranged on the cover plate 171 .

[0139] For example, an ultrasonic sensor integrates multiple signal transmitters and multiple signal receivers. The former generates sound pulses, and the latter detects the response signals reflected from the wafer. It has the characteristics of strong adaptability and strong anti-interference, such as Fig.11 As shown in (b).

[0140] By at least partially disposing the wafer position detector 150 on the liquid collecting tank 140 and / or the cover assembly 170, the wafer position detector 150 can be simply and statically disposed near the edge of the wafer 200, so that the wafer processing device 100 has a simple structure and the position of the wafer position detector 150 is stable, thereby improving the accuracy of position detection.

[0141] In one embodiment, the wafer holder 110 includes a negative pressure suction cup, wherein the diameter of the negative pressure suction cup is smaller than the diameter of the wafer 200. The holding effect of the wafer holder 110 on the wafer 200 at least includes keeping the wafer 200 and the wafer holder 110 relatively still, so that the wafer 200 can be still or rotated with the wafer holder 110. Under normal circumstances, there is no displacement between the wafer holder 110 and the wafer 200; however, the suction force of the wafer holder 110 may decrease due to the dirt on the back of the wafer, the pressure fluctuation of the holder, or the aging of the holder, thereby causing the displacement between the wafer 200 and the wafer holder 110 during the rotation of the wafer 200, and the position deviation amplitude of the wafer 200 becomes larger. By making the wafer processing device 100 include at least one of a coarse alignment unit and a fine alignment unit, it is not only possible to prevent the wafer 200 from being thrown off and broken pieces during rotation, but also to improve the processing accuracy of the wafer 200 in the process of gluing, developing, cleaning or etching.

[0142] In one embodiment, the wafer support 120 includes a plurality of lifting members, which are arranged horizontally and spaced apart from the wafer holder 110, and each lifting member is arranged on the horizontal shifter 160. The upper end of the lifting member is used to carry the wafer 200, and can be extended and retracted in the vertical direction relative to the horizontal shifter 160 to carry the wafer 200 for vertical movement, so that the wafer support 120 can carry the wafer for the vertical movement. Thus, the lifting member can carry the wafer 200, and after rising, it can follow the horizontal shifter 160 for horizontal movement, so that the wafer 200 is displaced relative to the wafer holder 110, wherein the lifting member can drive the wafer 200 to move vertically by its own extension and retraction, thereby reducing the difficulty of setting the device used for performing position correction on the wafer 200. In this embodiment, the device used for performing position correction on the wafer 200 can be only the horizontal shifter 160, that is, the device used for performing position correction on the wafer 200 can complete the position correction of the wafer 200 by only realizing horizontal displacement. It can be understood that the movements of the multiple lifting members of the wafer supporter 120 are synchronized.

[0143] For example, the lifting member is driven by an electromagnet, an air cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder or an electric cylinder, so as to be extended and retracted in the vertical direction to carry the wafer 200 to move vertically.

[0144] In other embodiments, the lifting member drives the wafer 200 to perform vertical movement, including that the lifting member is directly or indirectly disposed on a vertical shifter and follows the vertical shifter to perform vertical movement, thereby driving the wafer 200 to perform vertical movement.

[0145] Preferably, the number of the lifting members is 3, and the three lifting members are arranged in a triangle, preferably an equilateral triangle, so that when the wafer 200 is received or the wafer 200 is vertically moved, the stability of the wafer 200 is improved. It can be understood that the farther the lifting member is from the rotation center O, the higher the stability of the wafer 200.

[0146] In one embodiment, if Fig.12 As shown, the level shifter 160 includes:

[0147] Guide rail 161, chassis 162 and driving assembly 163; guide rail 161 is arranged below wafer holder 110 and extends along target horizontal direction X; chassis 162 is movably arranged on guide rail 161, and lower ends of a plurality of lifting members are fixedly arranged on chassis 162, and a plurality of lifting members are arranged around wafer holder 110; driving assembly 163 is drivingly connected to chassis 162, and is used to drive chassis 162 to move along the extension direction of guide rail 161.

[0148] The guide rail 161 is arranged below the wafer holder 110, the chassis 162 is movably arranged on the guide rail 161, and the lower end of the lifting member is fixedly arranged on the chassis 162, which can effectively utilize the space below the wafer holder 110 and reduce the volume of the wafer processing device; the guide rail 161 extends along the second horizontal direction, the chassis 162 is movably arranged on the guide rail 161, and the lower end of the lifting member is fixedly arranged on the chassis 162, so that the lifting member can follow the chassis 162 to move in the target horizontal direction along the guide rail 161 to achieve fine alignment; multiple lifting members are arranged around the wafer holder 110, which can increase the distance between the lifting member and the rotation center O, so that the lifting member has higher stability when carrying the wafer 200.

[0149] The chassis 162 can be in any shape, such as a rectangle, a triangle, a circle, etc., as long as it can carry multiple lifting parts. Preferably, the chassis 162 is a ring-shaped chassis 162, so that the chassis 162 can be symmetrical, thus having better balance stability and facilitating the uniform distribution of the lifting parts; when the ring-shaped chassis 162 and the wafer holder 110 are arranged horizontally, the mechanical strength of the chassis 162 and the fixed connection strength of the lifting parts can be ensured, while having a larger inner diameter, so that the lifting parts can have more space when carrying the wafer 200 to move in the fine alignment step.

[0150] Optionally, the driving assembly 163 includes: a nut 1631, a screw 1632 and a motor 1633; wherein the nut 1631 is fixedly arranged on the chassis 162, and the screw 1632 is passed through the nut 1631 along the direction in which the guide rail 161 extends; the motor 1633 is fixedly arranged in the liquid collecting tank 140, and is drivingly connected to the screw 1632, and is used to drive the screw 1632 to rotate, so that the chassis 162 can reciprocate along the direction in which the screw 1632 extends.

[0151] Preferably, the driving assembly 163 is a ball screw.

[0152] When the horizontal shifter 160 moves in the direction in which the guide rail 161 extends, the motor 1633 drives the screw 1632 to rotate, so that the chassis 162 fixed on the nut 1631 moves back and forth in the direction of the screw 1632; since the lower ends of the multiple lifting members are fixed on the chassis 162, the movement of the chassis 162 can drive the wafer at the upper end of the lifting member to move in the direction of the screw 1632; wherein, the direction of the screw 1632 is the extension direction of the guide rail 161, that is, the X direction.

[0153] Optionally, the number of guide rails 161 can be any number, preferably two guide rails 161, such as Fig.12 As shown, two guide rails 161 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the wafer holder 110; optionally, the guide rails 161 are laid on the base 144 of the liquid collecting tank.

[0154] Optionally, the method in which the controller controls the horizontal shifter 160 to move along the X direction includes the controller sending a control signal to the motor 1633, so that the motor 1633 drives the screw rod 1632 to rotate so that the chassis 162 moves along the X direction.

[0155] Optionally, the controller can calculate the target number of rotations of the screw 1632 corresponding to the maximum offset L based on the relationship between one rotation of the screw 1632 and the moving distance of the chassis 162; generate a corresponding target control signal to the motor 1633 based on the target number of rotations, so that the motor 1633 drives the screw 1632 to rotate the target number of rotations according to the target control signal, thereby achieving the maximum offset L movement of the horizontal shifter 160 along the X direction.

[0156] Optionally, after the motor 1633 drives the screw rod 1632 to rotate a target number of revolutions according to the target control signal to achieve the maximum displacement L of the horizontal shifter 160 along the X direction, the position of the screw rod 1632 is returned to zero.

[0157] In summary, the wafer processing device and wafer processing method provided by the present application, by arranging a hollow circular ring with a wafer alignment guide surface above the wafer holder to achieve coarse alignment of the wafer position, and by using a wafer position detector and a horizontal shifter to achieve fine alignment of the wafer position, can not only prevent the wafer support from slipping when it receives a wafer with a large offset, but also prevent the rotating wafer from being thrown off and broken into pieces, thereby improving the wafer production yield and the wafer processing accuracy.

[0158] In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first", "second", "third" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the feature. In the description of this application, the meaning of "plurality" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0159] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "some embodiments", "exemplarily", etc. means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, those skilled in the art may combine and combine the different embodiments or examples described in this specification and the features of the different embodiments or examples, without contradiction.

[0160] Although the embodiments of the present application have been shown and described above, it can be understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and cannot be understood as limitations on the present application. Ordinary technicians in this field can change, modify, replace and modify the above embodiments within the scope of the present application. Therefore, any changes or modifications made in accordance with the claims and description of the present application should fall within the scope of the patent of this application.

Claims

1. A wafer processing device, comprising a wafer holder and a wafer supporter, wherein the wafer holder is used to carry and hold a wafer, the wafer holder is rotatable and has a rotation center and a corresponding rotation axis, and the wafer supporter is at least capable of carrying the wafer for vertical movement to place the wafer on the wafer holder or to detach the wafer from the wafer holder; characterized in that: The wafer processing device further includes: at least one of a coarse alignment unit and a fine alignment unit; The rough alignment unit comprises a hollow ring, the hollow ring is arranged above the wafer carried or held by the wafer holder, the inner diameter of the hollow ring is larger than the wafer, the inner wall of the hollow ring has a wafer alignment guide surface, and the wafer alignment guide surface gradually approaches the rotation axis in a top-down direction; the wafer processing device is configured such that the wafer passes through the hollow ring when the wafer support carries the wafer for vertical movement so that the wafer is placed on the wafer holder; The fine alignment unit comprises: a wafer position detector for detecting a wafer edge position of a wafer on the wafer holder, the wafer edge position comprising a horizontal distance between a measurement point on an edge of the wafer and a rotation center, and generating a distance signal according to the horizontal distance; A horizontal shifter is connected to the wafer supporter and is used to drive the wafer on the wafer supporter to move along a target horizontal direction.

2. The wafer processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The wafer position detector includes at least one of an optical sensor, a capacitive sensor, and an ultrasonic sensor.

3. The wafer processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: There are a plurality of wafer position detectors, which are arranged around the rotation axis.

4. The wafer processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The wafer support includes a plurality of lifting members, and the plurality of lifting members are arranged horizontally and spaced apart from the wafer holder; The connection between the horizontal shifter and the wafer supporter includes the connection between the horizontal shifter and the lifting member; The upper end of the lifting member is used to carry the wafer, and the upper end of the lifting member can be extended and retracted in the vertical direction relative to the horizontal shifter.

5. The wafer processing device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The level shifter comprises: A guide rail extending in a horizontal direction of the target; A chassis, wherein the chassis is movably disposed on the guide rail, and the connection between the horizontal displacer and the lifting member comprises that the chassis is fixedly connected to the lower ends of the plurality of lifting members; A driving assembly is connected to the chassis in driving manner and is used to drive the chassis to move along the guide rail.

6. The wafer processing device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The drive assembly comprises: A nut, the nut being fixedly arranged on the chassis; A screw rod, the screw rod being inserted into the nut along the direction in which the guide rail extends; A motor is connected to the screw rod for driving the screw rod to rotate so that the chassis can reciprocate along the direction in which the screw rod extends.

7. The wafer processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The wafer processing device includes the fine alignment unit, and the wafer processing device also includes a controller, the wafer holder, the wafer support, the wafer position detector and the horizontal shifter are all connected to the controller, and the controller is configured to be able to perform the following steps: S1. Controlling the relative rotation between the wafer holder and the wafer position detector, controlling the wafer position detector to detect the wafer edge position of the wafer on the wafer holder, and determining whether the horizontal distance exceeds a preset range according to the distance signal; When it is determined that the horizontal distance exceeds a preset range, obtaining a maximum offset of the horizontal distance according to the distance signal, and obtaining an angular position of the measuring point corresponding to the maximum offset; S2. Control the relative rotation between the wafer holder and the wafer position detector according to the angular position of the measuring point corresponding to the maximum offset, so that the vertical line from the measuring point with the largest horizontal distance offset to the rotation axis is parallel to the target horizontal direction, so that the wafer holder stops rotating; S3. Control the wafer support to carry the wafer to move vertically so that the wafer is separated from the wafer holder, and according to the maximum offset, the horizontal shifter drives the wafer support to move along the target horizontal direction, so that the wafer support moves vertically to place the wafer on the wafer holder.

8. The wafer processing device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The controller is configured to acquire the angular position of the measurement point according to the angular velocity of the relative rotation between the wafer holder and the wafer position detector and the time when the measurement point is measured when measuring the wafer edge position.

9. The wafer processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The wafer processing device includes at least one of a photoresist coating mechanism, a photoresist developing mechanism, a cleaning mechanism and an etching mechanism.

10. The wafer processing device according to claim 9, characterized in that: The wafer processing device further includes at least one of a liquid collecting tank and a cover plate assembly; The liquid collecting tank is used to accommodate the wafer and collect waste liquid; the liquid collecting tank has an opening, and the hollow ring is arranged at the opening; The cover plate assembly includes a vertically movable cover plate and a support member, and the cover plate is arranged above the wafer on the wafer holder, and the support member is connected to the cover plate so that the cover plate can be flipped in the vertical direction or moved up and down in the vertical direction.

11. The wafer processing device according to claim 10, characterized in that: The wafer processing device includes the fine alignment unit; The wafer position detector is at least partially disposed in the liquid collecting tank and / or the cover plate assembly.

12. A wafer processing method, the wafer processing method being implemented by the wafer processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that: The wafer processing method includes at least one of a coarse alignment step and a fine alignment step; The coarse alignment step comprises: Carrying a wafer on the wafer supporter, and moving the wafer supporter vertically to pass the wafer through the hollow ring and then place it on the wafer holder; The fine alignment step comprises: The wafer holder and the wafer position detector are rotated relative to each other, the wafer edge position of the wafer on the wafer holder is detected by the wafer position detector, and whether the position of the wafer is shifted is determined according to the wafer edge position; After determining that the wafer is positionally offset, the wafer holder and the wafer position detector are relatively rotated so that a perpendicular line from a measuring point with the largest offset to the rotation axis is parallel to the target horizontal direction, and the wafer holder stops rotating; The wafer support is made to carry the wafer and move vertically to make the wafer detach from the wafer holder. The horizontal shifter drives the wafer support to move along the target horizontal direction according to the maximum offset, and the wafer support is made to move vertically to place the wafer on the wafer holder.

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