Fully automatic wafer cleaning machine

Abstract

The fully automatic wafer cleaning machine to which the present invention relates comprises a frame; a feeding unit for supplying wafers; a clamping unit comprising a plurality of clamping wheels and a power component distributed circumferentially around the wafer; a cleaning unit comprising an upper brushing component and a lower brushing component respectively arranged above and below the wafer, and a spraying component for spraying cleaning liquid onto the upper and lower surfaces of the wafer; a drying unit for drying the wafers; and a transfer robot for transferring the wafers one by one. On the one hand, the present invention is based on the cooperation of the first and second clamping wheel groups, and can achieve the clamping or loosening of wafers of different specifications under equidistant movement. It has a simple structure, can effectively improve the space utilization rate of the equipment, and can effectively improve the loading and unloading efficiency of the wafers. On the other hand, through the movement of the upper and lower brushing components, the wafers clamped in any clamping area can be synchronously brushed, ensuring the brushing effect on the upper and lower sides of the wafer, and meeting the brushing requirements of wafers of different specifications.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of semiconductor processing, and in particular relates to a fully automatic wafer cleaning machine. Background Art

[0002] A wafer, also known as a wafer due to its round shape, is the chip used in the manufacture of semiconductor chips and integrated circuits. By creating various circuit structures on the wafer surface, it can be transformed into electronic components with specific electrical functions. The wafer production process typically involves slicing, grinding, polishing, and cleaning.

[0003] In the last cleaning step, both the front and back sides of the wafer need to be cleaned. The wafer brushing device used in the existing technology generally includes a wafer clamping part, an upper brushing part arranged above the wafer, and a lower brushing part arranged below the wafer. Therefore, when the wafer is clamped and fixed by the clamping part, the upper and lower brushing parts brush the front and back sides of the wafer respectively. After brushing is completed, the wafer is taken out for spin drying or drying.

[0004] However, in the actual production process, the existing technology has the following technical defects:

[0005] 1. Existing upper and lower scrubbing members generally rotate around a vertical axis or move linearly along a horizontal plane to adjust the scrubbing area on the wafer surface, but cannot be adjusted in the vertical direction. Therefore, the thickness of the scrubbing space formed between the upper and lower scrubbing members cannot be adaptively adjusted to the thickness of wafers of different specifications. When changing wafers of different specifications, the upper and lower scrubbing members are prone to insufficient contact with the wafers or excessive squeezing of the wafers, resulting in poor scrubbing effect or even wafer damage.

[0006] 2. Existing clamping parts generally use multiple clamping wheels distributed around the circumference of the wafer, and clamp or release the wafer during the radial movement of the wafer. Therefore, not only is the required driving mechanism structure complex (each clamping wheel needs to control the radial movement separately), but also for wafers of different specifications, each clamping wheel needs to move a corresponding distance. In this way, sufficient space needs to be designed to meet the movement of the clamping wheels, resulting in low internal space utilization of the equipment and large equipment size. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art and provide an improved fully automatic wafer cleaning machine.

[0008] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0009] A fully automatic wafer cleaning machine, comprising:

[0010] frame;

[0011] a feeding unit for supplying wafers;

[0012] A clamping unit comprising a plurality of clamping wheels distributed circumferentially around the wafer and a power component;

[0013] A cleaning unit comprising an upper brushing component and a lower brushing component respectively arranged above and below the wafer, and a spraying component for spraying cleaning liquid onto the upper and lower surfaces of the wafer;

[0014] A drying unit, which is used for drying wafers;

[0015] The transfer robot is used to transfer wafers one by one between the feeding unit, clamping unit, cleaning unit and drying unit.

[0016] The plurality of clamping wheels are divided into a first clamping wheel group and a second clamping wheel group located on opposite sides of the wafer, wherein the clamping wheels in the first clamping wheel group and the second clamping wheel group move synchronously and in the same direction, and the first clamping wheel group and the second clamping wheel group can move toward or away from each other to form a first position for clamping the wafer or a second position for releasing the wafer. When in the first position, a plurality of clamping areas distributed layer by layer from top to bottom are formed between the first clamping wheel group and the second clamping wheel group, wherein the diameters of the plurality of clamping areas are gradually reduced or increased from top to bottom, and wafers of different diameters can be synchronously clamped in the corresponding clamping areas;

[0017] The cleaning unit also includes a synchronization shaft connected between the upper brush part and the lower brush part and extending vertically, a rotating drive part that drives the upper brush part and the lower brush part to rotate around the center line of the synchronization shaft, and a lifting drive part that drives the upper brush part and / or the lower brush part to move up and down along the synchronization shaft. When any wafer is clamped in the corresponding clamping area, a brushing area matching the wafer is formed between the upper brush part and the lower brush part.

[0018] According to a specific embodiment and preferred aspect of the present invention, the first and second gripping wheel groups are symmetrically arranged about the center of the wafer, wherein the first and second gripping wheel groups respectively move linearly in a horizontal direction and in opposite directions, thereby improving the stability of wafer clamping.

[0019] Preferably, the first and second gripping wheel groups each include two gripping wheels spaced side by side, wherein the two gripping wheels are arranged perpendicular to the direction of motion. This facilitates synchronous gripping of the wafer by the gripping wheels, preventing the wafer from shifting, and thereby improving the wafer's positioning accuracy.

[0020] According to another specific embodiment and preferred aspect of the present invention, the outer wall of each clamping wheel is formed with multiple grooves distributed layer by layer from top to bottom, wherein the outer diameters of the multiple grooves gradually increase from top to bottom, and clamping areas are formed between the multiple grooves in each layer. During clamping, the wafer is pressed against the corresponding groove from the edge; and / or the centerlines of the multiple clamping areas are arranged to coincide. This provides a simple structure and is easy to install and implement.

[0021] Preferably, each clamping wheel includes a first wheel body, a second wheel body, and a third wheel body, each of which has an outer diameter that increases stepwise from top to bottom, wherein wheel grooves are formed between the first wheel body and the second wheel body, and between the second wheel body and the third wheel body, respectively. The clamping unit also includes auxiliary wheels located on opposite sides of the wafer, wherein each auxiliary wheel is formed with an auxiliary wheel groove that is flush with the wheel groove located below. When the wafer is clamped in the clamping area located in the lower layer, the edge of the wafer synchronously abuts against the auxiliary wheel groove. This facilitates processing and use. At the same time, the provision of the auxiliary wheels improves the support and clamping stability of wafers with smaller diameters, so that wafers of different specifications can be scrubbed at the same rotation speed, effectively improving efficiency.

[0022] According to another specific implementation and preferred aspect of the present invention, a transmission belt is respectively connected between each clamping wheel in the first clamping wheel group and the second clamping wheel group; the power component includes a first movable seat and a second movable seat located on opposite sides of the wafer, a first cylinder and a second cylinder driving the first movable seat and the second movable seat to move toward or away from each other, and a first motor and a second motor respectively arranged on the first movable seat and the second movable seat, wherein the first clamping wheel group and the second clamping wheel group are respectively arranged on the first movable seat and the second movable seat, and the first motor and the second motor respectively drive any clamping wheel in the first clamping wheel group and the second clamping wheel group to rotate around the vertical center line, and the clamping wheel drives the other clamping wheel in the same group to rotate through the above-mentioned transmission belt, so as to realize the rotation of the wafer around its own center line during the scrubbing process.

[0023] According to another specific embodiment and preferred aspect of the present invention, the rotary drive component includes a rotating base that rotates about a vertical centerline and a drive motor connected to the bottom of the rotating base, wherein a synchronous shaft is fixedly connected to the top of the rotating base from the bottom end, and the upper and lower brushing components are respectively arranged at the top and middle of the synchronous shaft; and / or, the upper and lower brushing components are symmetrically arranged in a vertical direction, and the upper brushing component includes a connecting arm perpendicular to the synchronous shaft, a brush and a two-fluid nozzle arranged at the end of the connecting arm away from the synchronous shaft, wherein the upper and lower brushes are synchronously driven by the same drive motor. Here, the brush and the nozzle that sprays the two fluids are combined for brushing, which effectively improves the efficiency and quality of wafer cleaning.

[0024] According to another specific implementation and preferred aspect of the present invention, the upper brush component is fixedly arranged on the top of the synchronous shaft; an adjustment groove extending up and down is formed in the middle of the synchronous shaft, and the lower brush component is inserted into the adjustment groove; the lifting drive component includes a lifting guide rail, a lifting seat that slides up and down on the lifting guide rail and is connected to the rotating drive component, a driving electric cylinder for driving the lifting seat to slide up and down, and a driving cylinder for driving the lower brush component to move up and down along the adjustment groove.

[0025] According to another specific embodiment and preferred aspect of the present invention, a transfer chamber, a cleaning chamber connected to the transfer chamber, and a drying chamber are formed on the frame. The feeding unit and the transfer robot are both disposed in the transfer chamber, and the cleaning unit and the drying unit are disposed in the cleaning chamber and the drying chamber, respectively. This achieves integration and modularization of the equipment, facilitating subsequent maintenance.

[0026] In addition, the cleaning unit and the drying unit constitute a cleaning and drying group, and there are one or more cleaning and drying groups. When multiple cleaning and drying groups are set, multiple cleaning and drying groups are set side by side, such as one, two, four, six, eight, etc.; and / or, there are multiple transfer robots.

[0027] Due to the implementation of the above technical solution, the present invention has the following advantages compared with the prior art:

[0028] The upper and lower brush parts in the prior art generally rotate around the vertical axis or move linearly along the horizontal plane to adjust the brushing area on the wafer surface, but cannot be adjusted in the up and down directions. Therefore, the thickness of the brushing space formed between the upper and lower brush parts cannot be adaptively adjusted according to the thickness of wafers of different specifications. When replacing wafers of different specifications, it is easy for the upper and lower brush parts to have insufficient contact with the wafers or excessive squeezing of the wafers, resulting in poor brushing effect or damage to the wafers; and the existing clamping parts generally use multiple clamping wheels distributed around the circumference of the wafer, and clamp or release the wafer during the radial movement of the wafer. Therefore, not only is the required driving mechanism structure complex (each clamping wheel needs to control the radial movement separately), but for wafers of different specifications, each clamping wheel needs to move a corresponding distance. In this way, sufficient space needs to be designed to meet the movement of the clamping wheels, and there are problems of low internal space utilization of the equipment and large equipment size. The present application makes an overall design of the structure of the fully automatic wafer cleaning machine, cleverly solving the deficiencies and defects of the prior art. After adopting the fully automatic wafer cleaning machine, the wafers are supplied by the feeding unit. First, the transfer robot grabs the wafers one by one and transfers them to the clamping unit, where the wafers are placed in the corresponding clamping area, and the first and second clamping wheel groups approach each other to clamp the wafers; secondly, the upper and lower brushing parts rotate synchronously around the synchronous axis to form a cleaning area that can cover the upper and lower surfaces of the wafer, and the upper and / or lower brushing parts are raised and lowered along the synchronous axis to form a brushing area matching the wafer between the upper and lower brushing parts; then the transfer robot transfers the wafers that have completed brushing to the drying unit for drying; finally, the transfer robot takes out and unloads the dried wafers, grabs the next wafer and repeats the above steps. Therefore, compared with the existing technology, the present invention is based on the cooperation of the first and second clamping wheel groups, and realizes the clamping or loosening of wafers of different specifications under equidistant movement. It has a simple structure and can effectively improve the space utilization of the equipment, while effectively improving the loading and unloading efficiency of the wafers; on the other hand, through the movement of the upper and lower brushing parts, the wafers clamped in any clamping area can be brushed synchronously to ensure the brushing effect on the upper and lower sides of the wafers, and meet the brushing needs of wafers of different specifications. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a fully automatic wafer cleaning machine of this embodiment;

[0030] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure from another perspective (partially omitted);

[0031] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic top view of (partially omitted);

[0032] Figure 4Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the clamping unit and the cleaning unit of this embodiment;

[0033] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A structural diagram from another perspective;

[0034] Figure 6 for Figure 4 A magnified schematic diagram of the local structure;

[0035] Among them: 1, frame; q1, transfer chamber; q2, cleaning chamber; q3, drying chamber;

[0036] 2. Feeding unit; 20. Storage rack;

[0037] 3. Clamping unit; 30. Clamping wheel; 301. First wheel body; 302. Second wheel body; 303. Third wheel body; c0. Wheel groove; q4. Clamping area; z1. First clamping wheel group; z2. Second clamping wheel group; 31. Power component; 311. First movable seat; 312. Second movable seat; 313. First cylinder; 314. Second cylinder; 315. First motor; 316. Second motor; 32. Auxiliary wheel; c1. Auxiliary wheel groove;

[0038] 4. Cleaning unit; 40. Upper brushing unit; 41. Lower brushing unit; a0. Connecting arm; a1. Brush; s. Drive motor; a2. Nozzle; 42. Spraying unit; 43. Synchronous shaft; c2. Adjustment slot; 44. Rotary drive unit; 440. Rotating seat; 441. Drive motor; 45. Lifting drive unit; 450. Lifting guide rail; 451. Lifting seat; 452. Drive electric cylinder; 453. Drive air cylinder;

[0039] 5. Drying unit;

[0040] 6. Transfer robot;

[0041] P1, 8-inch wafer; P2, 6-inch wafer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] To make the above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages of the present application more clearly understood, the specific embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following description sets forth many specific details to facilitate a full understanding of the present application. However, the present application can be implemented in many other ways than those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar improvements without violating the scope of the present application. Therefore, the present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0043] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0044] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of the technical features being referred to. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of such features. Throughout the description of this application, "plurality" means at least two, for example, two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0045] In this application, unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "installed," "connected," "connect," "fixed," etc. should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they can refer to fixed connection, detachable connection, or integration; mechanical connection or electrical connection; direct connection or indirect connection through an intermediate medium; internal communication between two elements or interaction between two elements, unless otherwise specified. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this application based on specific circumstances.

[0046] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, when a first feature is "above" or "below" a second feature, it can mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or that the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediary. Furthermore, when a first feature is "above," "above," or "above" a second feature, it can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is at a higher horizontal height than the second feature. When a first feature is "below," "below," or "below" a second feature, it can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is at a lower horizontal height than the second feature. It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "disposed on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there can be an intermediate element. When an element is referred to as being "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there can be an intermediate element. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only embodiments.

[0047] like Figures 1 to 6 As shown, a fully automatic wafer cleaning machine of this embodiment includes a frame 1, a feeding unit 2, a clamping unit 3, a cleaning unit 4, a drying unit 5, and a transfer robot 6.

[0048] Specifically, the frame 1 is formed with a transfer chamber q1, a cleaning chamber q2, and a drying chamber q3 connected to the transfer chamber q1. The feeding unit 2 and the transfer robot 6 are both located within the transfer chamber q1, while the cleaning unit 4 and the drying unit 5 are respectively located within the cleaning chamber q2 and the drying chamber q3. This achieves the integration and modularization of the equipment, facilitating future maintenance.

[0049] At the same time, the cleaning unit 4 and the drying unit 5 constitute a cleaning and drying group, and there are two cleaning and drying groups arranged side by side; the tops of the transfer chamber q1, the cleaning chamber q2 and the drying chamber q2 are all provided with air purification systems to optimize the air inside the equipment and avoid contaminating the wafer surface; in addition, the interior of the frame 1 of this embodiment is also provided with an electrical system and a piping system that cooperate with the clamping unit 3, the cleaning unit 4, the drying unit 5, and the transfer robot 6, which are all existing technologies and will not be elaborated here.

[0050] In this example, the feeding unit 2 is used to supply wafers and includes a plurality of wafer storage racks 20 arranged side by side in the transfer chamber q1. Some of the storage racks 20 are used to store wafers to be cleaned, and other storage racks 20 are used to store wafers that have been cleaned and dried.

[0051] In this example, the clamping unit 3 includes a plurality of clamping wheels 30 and a power component 31 distributed around the circumference of the wafer, wherein the plurality of clamping wheels 30 are divided into a first clamping wheel group z1 and a second clamping wheel group z2 located on opposite sides of the wafer, wherein the clamping wheels 30 in the first clamping wheel group z1 and the second clamping wheel group z2 move synchronously and in the same direction, respectively, and the first clamping wheel group z1 and the second clamping wheel group z2 can move toward or away from each other to form a first position for clamping the wafer or a second position for releasing the wafer. When in the first position, a plurality of clamping areas q4 distributed layer by layer from top to bottom are formed between the first clamping wheel group z1 and the second clamping wheel group z2, wherein the diameters of the plurality of clamping areas are set to gradually decrease or increase from top to bottom, and wafers of different diameters can be clamped synchronously in the corresponding clamping area q4.

[0052] In some specific embodiments, the first clamping wheel group z1 and the second clamping wheel group z2 are symmetrically arranged about the center of the wafer, wherein the first clamping wheel group z1 and the second clamping wheel group z2 respectively move linearly along the horizontal direction, and the movement directions are opposite; the first clamping wheel group z1 and the second clamping wheel group z2 are respectively provided with two clamping wheels 30 arranged side by side, wherein the arrangement direction of the two clamping wheels 30 in the first clamping wheel group z1 and the second clamping wheel group z2 is perpendicular to the movement direction; the outer wall of each clamping wheel 30 forms a plurality of wheel grooves c0 distributed layer by layer from top to bottom, wherein the outer diameters of the plurality of wheel grooves c0 gradually increase from top to bottom, and a clamping area q4 is formed between the plurality of wheel grooves c0 in each layer, and when clamped, the wafer is pressed against the corresponding wheel groove c0 from the edge; the center lines of the plurality of clamping areas q4 are arranged to coincide.

[0053] For ease of implementation, each clamping wheel 30 includes a first wheel body 301, a second wheel body 302, and a third wheel body 303, each of which has an outer diameter that increases step by step from top to bottom. A wheel groove c0 is formed between the first wheel body 301 and the second wheel body 302, and between the second wheel body 302 and the third wheel body 303. The clamping unit 3 also includes auxiliary wheels 32 located on opposite sides of the wafer. Each auxiliary wheel 32 is formed with an auxiliary wheel groove c1 that is flush with the wheel groove c0 located below. When the wafer is clamped in the clamping area q4 located in the lower layer, the edge of the wafer is synchronously abutted in the auxiliary wheel groove c1. The clamping area q4 of the present application has two layers, wherein the clamping area q4 located in the upper layer matches the 8-inch wafer P1, and the clamping area q4 located in the lower layer matches the 6-inch wafer P2. This facilitates processing and use. At the same time, the provision of the auxiliary wheels improves the support and clamping stability of wafers with smaller diameters, so that wafers of different specifications can be scrubbed at the same rotation speed, effectively improving efficiency.

[0054] At the same time, a transmission belt is respectively connected between each clamping wheel 30 in the first clamping wheel group z1 and the second clamping wheel group z2; the power component 31 includes a first movable seat 311 and a second movable seat 312 located on opposite sides of the wafer, a first cylinder 313 and a second cylinder 314 that drive the first movable seat 311 and the second movable seat 312 to move toward or away from each other, and a first motor 315 and a second motor 316 respectively arranged on the first movable seat 311 and the second movable seat 312, wherein the first clamping wheel group z1 and the second clamping wheel group z2 are respectively arranged on the first movable seat 311 and the second movable seat 312, the first motor 315 and the second motor 316 respectively drive any clamping wheel 30 in the first clamping wheel group z1 and the second clamping wheel group z2 to rotate around the vertical center line, and the clamping wheel 30 drives the other clamping wheel 30 in the same group to rotate through the above-mentioned transmission belt, so as to realize the rotation of the wafer around its own center line during the scrubbing process.

[0055] In this example, the cleaning unit 4 includes an upper brushing part 40 and a lower brushing part 41 respectively arranged above and below the wafer, a spraying part 42 for spraying cleaning liquid onto the upper and lower surfaces of the wafer, a synchronization shaft 43 connected between the upper brushing part 40 and the lower brushing part 41 and extending vertically, a rotating drive part 44 for driving the upper brushing part 40 and the lower brushing part 41 to rotate around the center line of the synchronization shaft 43, and a lifting drive part 45 for driving the upper brushing part 40 and / or the lower brushing part 41 to move up and down along the synchronization shaft 43, wherein when any wafer is clamped in the corresponding clamping area q4, a brushing area matching the wafer is formed between the upper brushing part 40 and the lower brushing part 41.

[0056] In some specific embodiments, the upper scrubbing member 40 and the lower scrubbing member 41 are identical or symmetrically arranged vertically. Each of the upper scrubbing member 40 and the lower scrubbing member 41 includes a connecting arm a0 perpendicular to the synchronization axis 43, a brush a1 disposed at the end of the connecting arm a0 away from the synchronization axis 43, and a two-fluid nozzle a2. The upper and lower brushes a1 are synchronously driven by the same drive motor s, and the upper and lower brushes a1 and the two-fluid nozzle a2 are aligned vertically. The combination of the brush and the two-fluid nozzle for scrubbing effectively improves wafer scrubbing efficiency and quality.

[0057] The spray component 42 includes a plurality of spray heads, wherein the angle of each spray head can be adjusted according to the position of the wafer to ensure that the cleaning liquid is sprayed onto the upper and lower surfaces of the wafer.

[0058] The upper brush component 40 is fixedly arranged on the top of the synchronous shaft 43; an adjustment groove c2 extending up and down is formed in the middle of the synchronous shaft 43, and the connecting arm a0 in the lower brush component 41 is inserted into the adjustment groove c2 from one end; that is, under the constraint of the adjustment groove c2, the synchronous shaft 43 can drive the lower brush component 41 and the upper brush component 40 to rotate synchronously. At the same time, the lower brush component 41 can also move up and down along the extension direction of the adjustment groove c2.

[0059] The rotating drive component 44 includes a rotating base 440 that is arranged to rotate around a vertical center line, and a driving motor 441 connected to the bottom of the rotating base 440, wherein the synchronization shaft 43 is fixedly connected to the top of the rotating base 440 from the bottom end, and the upper brushing component 40 and the lower brushing component 41 are respectively arranged at the top and the middle of the synchronization shaft 43.

[0060] The lifting drive component 45 includes a lifting guide rail 450, a lifting seat 451 that slides up and down on the lifting guide rail 450 and is connected to the rotating drive component 44, a driving electric cylinder 452 for driving the lifting seat 451 to slide up and down, and a driving cylinder 453 for driving the lower brush component 41 to move up and down along the adjustment groove c2. The driving motor 441 is fixedly connected to the lifting seat 451 and realizes the synchronous lifting movement of the upper brush component 40 and the lower brush component 41 during the lifting and lowering of the lifting seat 451. To further facilitate implementation, the lifting drive component 45 also includes a connecting module that is sleeved on the outer periphery of the synchronization shaft 4 and fixedly connected to the lower brush component 41. The telescopic end of the driving cylinder 453 is fixedly connected to the connecting module. The driving cylinder 453 drives the connecting module to move up and down along the synchronization shaft 4, and the lower brush component 41 moves up and down synchronously.

[0061] In this example, the drying unit 5 uses a spin-drying method to dry the wafers after scrubbing. It can be any conventional spin-drying mechanism, which is a prior art and can be implemented without further description. In some specific embodiments, the cleaning unit 4 and the drying unit 5 constitute a cleaning and drying group, and there are one or more cleaning and drying groups. When multiple cleaning and drying groups are provided, multiple cleaning and drying groups are arranged side by side, such as one, two, four, six, eight, etc.

[0062] Furthermore, the transfer robot 6 is used to transfer wafers one by one between the feeding unit 2, the clamping unit 3, the cleaning unit 4, and the drying unit 5. The transfer robot 6 can be any conventional wafer transfer robot capable of grasping wafers and performing lifting and rotating movements. This is conventional technology and will not be described in detail here. Furthermore, in this embodiment, there are three transfer robots 6, arranged vertically and horizontally, to respectively retrieve and place wafers at each location.

[0063] In summary, after adopting the fully automatic wafer cleaning machine, the wafers are supplied by the feeding unit. First, the transfer robot grabs the wafers one by one and transfers them to the clamping unit, where the wafers are placed in the corresponding clamping area, and the first and second clamping wheel groups approach each other to clamp the wafers; secondly, the upper and lower brushing parts rotate synchronously around the synchronous axis to form a cleaning area that can cover the upper and lower surfaces of the wafer, and the upper and / or lower brushing parts are raised and lowered along the synchronous axis to make the upper and lower brushing areas symmetrical about the wafer; then the transfer robot transfers the wafers that have completed brushing to the drying unit for drying; finally, the transfer robot takes out and unloads the dried wafers, grabs the next wafer and repeats the above steps. Therefore, compared with the prior art, the present invention is based on the cooperation of the first and second clamping wheel groups, and realizes the clamping or loosening of wafers of different specifications under equidistant movement. It has a simple structure, can effectively improve the space utilization rate of the equipment, and can effectively improve the loading and unloading efficiency of the wafers; on the other hand, through the movement of the upper and lower brushing parts, the wafers clamped in any clamping area can be synchronously brushed to ensure the brushing effect on the upper and lower sides of the wafer, and meet the brushing needs of wafers of different specifications; thirdly, the layout of the first and second clamping wheel groups of the present application is adopted to facilitate the synchronous clamping of the wafers by each clamping wheel to prevent the wafer from being offset, thereby improving the positioning accuracy of the wafer; fourthly, through the setting of the auxiliary wheel, the support and clamping stability of wafers with smaller diameters are improved, so that wafers of different specifications can be brushed at the same speed, effectively improving efficiency; fifthly, a brush and a nozzle for spraying two fluids are combined for brushing, which effectively improves the brushing efficiency and brushing quality of the wafers; sixthly, the integration and modularization of the equipment are realized, which is convenient for later repair and maintenance.

[0064] The above detailed description of the present invention is intended to enable persons familiar with the art to understand the contents of the present invention and implement them. It does not limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any equivalent changes or modifications made based on the spirit of the present invention should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A fully automatic wafer cleaning machine, comprising: frame; a feeding unit for supplying wafers; A clamping unit comprising a plurality of clamping wheels distributed circumferentially around the wafer and a power component; A cleaning unit comprising an upper brushing component and a lower brushing component respectively arranged above and below the wafer, and a spraying component for spraying cleaning liquid onto the upper and lower surfaces of the wafer; A drying unit, which is used for drying wafers; The transfer robot is used to transfer wafers one by one between the feeding unit, the clamping unit, the cleaning unit and the drying unit. The invention is characterized in that the multiple clamping wheels are divided into a first clamping wheel group and a second clamping wheel group located on opposite sides of the wafer, wherein the clamping wheels in the first clamping wheel group and the second clamping wheel group move synchronously and in the same direction respectively, and the first clamping wheel group and the second clamping wheel group can move towards or away from each other to form a first position for clamping the wafer or a second position for releasing the wafer, and when in the first position, a plurality of clamping areas distributed layer by layer from top to bottom are formed between the first clamping wheel group and the second clamping wheel group, wherein the diameters of the plurality of clamping areas are gradually reduced or increased from top to bottom, and wafers of different diameters can be synchronously clamped in the corresponding clamping areas; The cleaning unit also includes a synchronization shaft connected between the upper brush part and the lower brush part and extending vertically, a rotating drive part that drives the upper brush part and the lower brush part to rotate around the center line of the synchronization shaft, and a lifting drive part that drives the upper brush part and / or the lower brush part to move up and down along the synchronization shaft. When any wafer is clamped in the corresponding clamping area, a brushing area matching the wafer is formed between the upper brush part and the lower brush part.

2. The fully automatic wafer cleaning machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first clamping wheel group and the second clamping wheel group are symmetrically arranged about the center of the wafer, wherein the first clamping wheel group and the second clamping wheel group respectively move linearly along the horizontal direction and in opposite directions.

3. The fully automatic wafer cleaning machine according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first clamping wheel group and the second clamping wheel group are respectively provided with two clamping wheels arranged side by side and spaced apart, wherein the arrangement direction of the two clamping wheels is perpendicular to the movement direction.

4. The fully automatic wafer cleaning machine according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that: The outer wall of each clamping wheel forms a plurality of wheel grooves distributed layer by layer from top to bottom, wherein the outer diameters of the plurality of wheel grooves gradually increase from top to bottom, and the clamping area is formed between the plurality of wheel grooves in each layer. When clamping, the wafer is pressed against the corresponding wheel groove from the edge; the center lines of the plurality of clamping areas are arranged to coincide.

5. The fully automatic wafer cleaning machine according to claim 4, characterized in that: Each of the clamping wheels includes a first wheel body, a second wheel body and a third wheel body, the outer diameters of which increase step by step from top to bottom, wherein the wheel grooves are respectively formed between the first wheel body and the second wheel body and between the second wheel body and the third wheel body; the clamping unit also includes auxiliary wheels located on opposite sides of the wafer, wherein each of the auxiliary wheels is formed with an auxiliary wheel groove flush with the wheel groove located below, and when the wafer is clamped in the clamping area located in the lower layer, the edge of the wafer synchronously contacts the auxiliary wheel groove.

6. The fully automatic wafer cleaning machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: A transmission belt is respectively connected between each of the clamping wheels in the first clamping wheel group and the second clamping wheel group; the power component includes a first movable seat and a second movable seat located on opposite sides of the wafer, a first cylinder and a second cylinder driving the first movable seat and the second movable seat to move toward or away from each other, and a first motor and a second motor respectively arranged on the first movable seat and the second movable seat, wherein the first clamping wheel group and the second clamping wheel group are respectively arranged on the first movable seat and the second movable seat, and the first motor and the second motor respectively drive any of the clamping wheels in the first clamping wheel group and the second clamping wheel group to rotate around the vertical center line.

7. The fully automatic wafer cleaning machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotating drive component includes a rotating seat that is arranged to rotate around a vertical center line and a driving motor connected to the bottom of the rotating seat, wherein the synchronous shaft is fixedly connected to the top of the rotating seat from the bottom end, and the upper brush component and the lower brush component are respectively arranged at the top and the middle of the synchronous shaft; and / or, the upper brush component and the lower brush component are symmetrically arranged up and down, and the upper brush component includes a connecting arm perpendicular to the synchronous shaft, a brush and a two-fluid nozzle arranged at one end of the connecting arm away from the synchronous shaft, wherein the upper and lower brushes are synchronously driven by the same driving motor.

8. The fully automatic wafer cleaning machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper brush component is fixedly arranged on the top of the synchronous shaft; an adjustment groove extending up and down is formed in the middle of the synchronous shaft, and the lower brush component is inserted into the adjustment groove; the lifting drive component includes a lifting guide rail, a lifting seat that slides up and down on the lifting guide rail and is connected to the rotating drive component, a driving electric cylinder for driving the lifting seat to slide up and down, and a driving cylinder for driving the lower brush component to move up and down along the adjustment groove.

9. The fully automatic wafer cleaning machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The frame is formed with a transfer chamber, a cleaning chamber and a drying chamber connected to the transfer chamber. The feeding unit and the transfer robot are both arranged in the transfer chamber, and the cleaning unit and the drying unit are correspondingly arranged in the cleaning chamber and the drying chamber.

10. The fully automatic wafer cleaning machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cleaning unit and the drying unit constitute a cleaning and drying group, and there are one or more cleaning and drying groups. When multiple cleaning and drying groups are provided, multiple cleaning and drying groups are provided side by side; and / or, there are multiple transfer robots.

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