Probe wear monitoring system and monitoring method

Abstract

The invention discloses a probe abrasion monitoring system and method. The probe abrasion monitoring system comprises a sleeve, an air pipe, a first valve, a particle counter and a controller. The sleeve is located on one side, close to the bottom of the probe, of the wafer bearing table and used for collecting particles generated in the up-down moving process of the probe in the wafer bearing table; the air pipe is communicated with the particle counter through a first valve; the controller is electrically connected with the first valve, is used for controlling the first valve to be in an open state when the probe ascends, so that the particle counter adsorbs particles through the air pipe and counts the particles, and is also used for controlling the first valve to be in a closed state when the probe descends; the controller is further electrically connected with the particle counter and used for determining the abrasion position of the probe according to the number of the particles. By the adoption of the technical means, when the probe is abraded, the particle counter can calculate the number of particles, the controller determines the position of the abraded probe according to the number of particles calculated by the particle counter, and the abraded probe can be replaced conveniently.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of chip detection, and in particular to a probe wear monitoring system and a monitoring method. Background Art

[0002] Hot plate and cold plate equipment are widely used in the production of semiconductor devices. For example, after the substrate is coated with photoresist, it is usually necessary to place the substrate in a hot plate and cold plate equipment to evaporate the solvent in the photoresist at high temperature and cool it.

[0003] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of a hot plate and cold plate device in the prior art. Figure 2 for Figure 1 The enlarged schematic diagram corresponding to area a in the middle, Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the array arrangement of probes in hot plate and cold plate equipment in the prior art, such as Figure 1-Figure 3 As shown, when the robot places the substrate 10' on the hot plate and cold plate equipment, the probe 20' inside the equipment will rise from the bottom of the wafer carrier 30'. After the robot puts down the substrate 10', the probe 20' will descend again and place the substrate 10' on the wafer carrier 30'. Since the probe will wear or bend during the up and down movement, debris will be generated, and the damaged probe needs to be replaced manually, but it is difficult to determine the position of the worn probe manually. Summary of the invention

[0004] The embodiments of the present invention provide a probe wear monitoring system and a monitoring method to realize positioning of a worn probe, thereby facilitating replacement of the worn probe.

[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a probe wear monitoring system, which is applied to a hot plate and a cold plate device, wherein the hot plate and the cold plate device include: a probe and a wafer carrier; the probe is arranged in an array in the wafer carrier and moves up and down in the wafer carrier;

[0006] It includes: a sleeve, an air pipe, a first valve, a particle counter and a controller;

[0007] The sleeve is located on one side of the wafer carrier close to the bottom of the probe, and is used to collect particles generated by the probe during the up and down movement of the probe in the wafer carrier;

[0008] The air pipe is connected to the particle counter through the first valve and is connected to multiple sleeves; the controller is electrically connected to the first valve, and is used to control the first valve to be in an open state when the probe rises, so that the particle counter adsorbs the particles through the air pipe and counts the particles, and is also used to control the first valve to be in a closed state when the probe descends; the controller is also electrically connected to the particle counter, and is used to determine the wear position of the probe according to the number of particles.

[0009] Optionally, the air pipe includes a plurality of first air pipes arranged along a first direction and a plurality of second air pipes arranged along a second direction; the first direction and the second direction intersect; the first air pipe is used to connect with the sleeves arranged along the second direction; the second air pipe is used to connect with the sleeves arranged along the first direction;

[0010] The first air pipe and the second air pipe are both connected to the particle counter through the first valve; the controller is used to control the first valve to be in a first open state when the probe rises for the i-th time, so that the particle counter absorbs the particles through the first air pipe and counts the particles to obtain a first particle number, and is also used to control the first valve to be in a second open state when the probe rises for the i+1th time, so that the particle counter absorbs the particles through the second air pipe and counts the particles to obtain a second particle number, and the controller determines the wear position of the probe according to the first particle number and the second particle number; wherein i≥1, and i is an integer.

[0011] Optionally, the first valve comprises a three-way valve; the three-way valve comprises a first connecting end, a second connecting end and a third connecting end;

[0012] The first air pipe is connected to the first connection end; the second air pipe is connected to the second connection end; the particle counter is connected to the third connection end;

[0013] When the probe rises for the i-th time, the controller is used to control the first connection end to be connected to the third connection end;

[0014] When the probe rises for the (i+1)th time, the controller is used to control the second connection end to be connected to the third connection end.

[0015] Optionally, the air pipe includes a plurality of first air pipes arranged along a first direction and a plurality of second air pipes arranged along a second direction; the first direction and the second direction intersect; the first air pipe is used to connect with the sleeves arranged along the second direction; the second air pipe is used to connect with the sleeves arranged along the first direction;

[0016] The first air pipe and the second air pipe are both connected to the particle counter through the first valve; the controller is used to control the first valve to be in a first open state when the probe rises for the first N times, so that the particle counter absorbs the particles through the first air pipe and counts the particles to obtain a first particle number, and is also used to control the first valve to be in a second open state after the probe rises N times, so that the particle counter absorbs the particles through the second air pipe and counts the particles to obtain a second particle number; the controller determines the wear position of the probe according to the first particle number and the second particle number; wherein N≥2, and N is an integer.

[0017] Optionally, the probe wear monitoring system further comprises a plurality of second valves and a plurality of third valves;

[0018] The second valve is located between any two adjacent first air pipes, and the third valve is located between any two adjacent second air pipes;

[0019] The controller is electrically connected to the second valve and the third valve respectively, and is used to control the second valve and the third valve to close when the first valve is opened.

[0020] Optionally, the wafer carrier includes a through hole; the probe is located in the through hole;

[0021] The opening size of the sleeve is greater than or equal to the opening size of the through hole.

[0022] Optionally, the number of the first air pipes is D1, the number of the second air pipes is D2, and the number of the particle counters is D3;

[0023] Wherein, D1=D2=D3, and D1, D2 and D3 are all positive integers.

[0024] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a probe wear monitoring method, which is applied to the probe wear monitoring system according to any one of the first aspects, and is characterized by comprising:

[0025] When the probe rises, the first valve is controlled to be in an open state, so that the particle counter absorbs the particles through the air pipe and counts the particles;

[0026] When the probe descends, controlling the first valve to be in a closed state;

[0027] The wear position of the probe is determined based on the number of the particles.

[0028] Optionally, the air pipe includes a plurality of first air pipes arranged along a first direction and a plurality of second air pipes arranged along a second direction; the first direction and the second direction intersect; the first air pipe is used to connect the sleeves arranged along the second direction; the second air pipe is used to connect the sleeves arranged along the first direction; the first air pipe and the second air pipe are both connected to the particle counter through the first valve;

[0029] When the probe rises, the first valve is controlled to be in an open state so that the particle counter adsorbs the particles through the air pipe and counts the particles, including:

[0030] When the probe rises for the i-th time, controlling the first valve to be in a first open state, so that the particle counter absorbs the particles through the first air pipe and counts the particles to obtain a first particle count;

[0031] When the probe rises for the i+1th time, the first valve is controlled to be in a second open state, so that the particle counter adsorbs the particles through the second air pipe and counts the particles to obtain a second particle count; wherein i≥1, and i is an integer;

[0032] Determining the wear position of the probe according to the number of the particles comprises:

[0033] The wear position of the probe is determined according to the first particle number and the second particle number.

[0034] Optionally, the first valve comprises a three-way valve; the three-way valve comprises a first connection end, a second connection end and a third connection end; the first air pipe is connected to the first connection end; the second air pipe is connected to the second connection end; the particle counter is connected to the third connection end;

[0035] Controlling the first valve to be in a first open state includes:

[0036] Controlling the first connection terminal to be connected to the third connection terminal;

[0037] Controlling the first valve to be in a second open state includes:

[0038] The second connection terminal is controlled to be connected to the third connection terminal.

[0039] The technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present invention can collect particles generated by the probe when it moves up and down in the wafer carrier by setting a sleeve. When the probe rises, the controller controls the first valve to be in an open state so that the particle counter absorbs particles through the air pipe and counts the particles. The controller determines the wear position of the probe according to the number of particles. In this way, when the probe is worn, the particle counter can calculate the number of particles. The controller determines the wear position of the probe according to the number of particles calculated by the particle counter, so as to replace the worn probe. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of a hot plate and cold plate device in the prior art;

[0041] Figure 2 for Figure 1 The enlarged schematic diagram corresponding to the area a in the middle;

[0042] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the array arrangement of probes in a hot plate and a cold plate device in the prior art;

[0043] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of a first probe wear monitoring system provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 5 for Figure 4 The electrical connection diagram of the corresponding controller;

[0045] Figure 6 A partial top view schematic diagram of a first probe wear monitoring system provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 7 for Figure 6 The corresponding schematic diagram of the structure of the first probe wear monitoring system;

[0047] Figure 8 A partial top view schematic diagram of a second probe wear monitoring system provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0048] Fig. 9 A schematic flow chart of a first probe wear monitoring method provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0049] Fig.10 A schematic flow chart of a second probe wear monitoring method provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0050] In the figure:

[0051] 10', substrate in the prior art; 20', probe in the prior art; 30', wafer carrier in the prior art; 10, substrate in the embodiment of the present invention; 20, probe in the embodiment of the present invention; 30, wafer carrier in the embodiment of the present invention; 100, sleeve; 200, air pipe; 300, first valve; 400, particle counter; 500, controller; 600, second valve; 700, third valve; 101, through hole; 201, first air pipe; 202, second air pipe; 3011, first connecting end; 3012, second connecting end; 3013, third connecting end; 401, first particle counter; 405, fifth particle counter; X, first direction; Y, second direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] The present invention will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It is to be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention, rather than to limit the present invention. It should also be noted that, for ease of description, only parts related to the present invention, rather than all structures, are shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0053] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of a first probe wear monitoring system provided by an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 5 for Figure 4 The corresponding controller electrical connection diagram is as follows: Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the probe wear monitoring system is applied to hot plate and cold plate equipment, and the hot plate and cold plate equipment include: a probe 20 and a wafer carrier 30; the probe 20 is arranged in an array in the wafer carrier 30, and moves up and down in the wafer carrier 30; the probe wear monitoring system includes: a sleeve 100, an air pipe 200, a first valve 300, a particle counter 400 and a controller 500; the sleeve 100 is located on one side of the wafer carrier 30 close to the bottom of the probe 20, and is used to collect particles generated by the probe 20 during the up and down movement of the wafer carrier 30 The air pipe 200 is connected to the particle counter 400 through the first valve 300, and is connected to multiple sleeves 100; the controller 500 is electrically connected to the first valve 300, and is used to control the first valve 300 to be in an open state when the probe 20 rises, so that the particle counter 400 adsorbs particles through the air pipe 200 and counts the particles, and is also used to control the first valve 300 to be in a closed state when the probe 20 descends; the controller 500 is also electrically connected to the particle counter 400, and is used to determine the wear position of the probe 20 according to the number of particles.

[0054] Specifically, the wafer carrier 30 includes a plurality of through holes 101, and the arrayed probes 20 can move up and down in the through holes 101. By setting a sleeve 100 on one side of the wafer carrier 30 close to the bottom of the probe 20, the particles generated by the probe during the up and down movement will fall into the sleeve 100, that is, the sleeve 100 can collect the particles. The particles can be understood as the debris generated by wear during the up and down movement of the probe 20. The air pipe 200 is connected to the particle counter 400 through the first valve 300, and the air pipe 200 can pass through a certain row or a certain column of sleeves 100, that is, each row of sleeves 100 can be connected to a corresponding air pipe 200, and each column of sleeves 100 can be connected to a corresponding air pipe 200, so that when the probe 20 rises, the controller 500 can control the first valve 300 to be in an open state, so that the particle counter 400 adsorbs particles through the air pipe 200 and counts the particles. The controller 500 is also electrically connected to the particle counter 400, so that the controller 500 can obtain the real-time number of particles calculated by the particle counter 400. When the real-time number of particles exceeds the preset number of particles, it can be determined that the probe at the corresponding position of the particle counter 400 is worn and needs to be replaced. This is conducive to locating the worn probe, and then it is convenient for the staff to replace the worn probe in time.

[0055] Specifically, when the probe 20 descends, the controller 500 controls the first valve 300 to be in a closed state, that is, the particle counter 400 does not work.

[0056] The probe wear monitoring system provided by the embodiment of the present invention can collect particles generated by the probe when it moves up and down in the wafer carrier by setting a sleeve. When the probe rises, the controller controls the first valve to be in an open state so that the particle counter absorbs particles through the air pipe and counts the particles. The controller is also electrically connected to the particle counter to determine the wear position of the probe according to the number of particles. In this way, when the probe is worn, the particle counter can calculate the number of particles, and the controller determines the wear position of the probe according to the number of particles calculated by the particle counter, so as to replace the worn probe.

[0057] Optional, Figure 6 A partial top view schematic diagram of a first probe wear monitoring system provided by an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 7 for Figure 6 The corresponding schematic diagram of the first probe wear monitoring system is as follows: Figure 6 and Figure 7As shown, the air pipe 200 includes a plurality of first air pipes 201 arranged along a first direction (the X direction shown in the figure) and a plurality of second air pipes 202 arranged along a second direction (the Y direction shown in the figure); the first direction X and the second direction Y intersect; the first air pipe 201 is used to connect the sleeves 100 arranged along the second direction Y; the second air pipe 202 is used to connect the sleeves 100 arranged along the first direction X; the first air pipe 201 and the second air pipe 202 are both connected to the particle counter 400 through the first valve 300; the controller 500 is used to control the particle counter 400 at the probe When the probe 20 rises for the i-th time, the first valve 300 is controlled to be in the first open state, so that the particle counter 400 adsorbs particles through the first air pipe 201 and counts the particles to obtain a first particle number. It is also used to control the first valve 300 to be in the second open state when the probe 20 rises for the i+1th time, so that the particle counter 400 adsorbs particles through the second air pipe 202 and counts the particles to obtain a second particle number. The controller 500 determines the wear position of the probe according to the first particle number and the second particle number; wherein i≥1, and i is an integer.

[0058] Specifically, taking the probes 20 arranged in a 5*5 array as an example, the trachea 200 includes 5 first trachea 201 arranged along the first direction X and 5 second trachea 202 arranged along the second direction Y. The first trachea 201 arranged along the first direction X can be trachea X1, trachea X2, trachea X3, trachea X4 and trachea X5, and each column of the first trachea 201 is connected to the 5 sleeves 100 arranged along the second direction Y. The second trachea 202 arranged along the second direction Y can be trachea Y1, trachea Y2, trachea Y3, trachea Y4 and trachea Y5, and each row of the second trachea 202 is connected to the 5 sleeves 100 arranged along the first direction X.

[0059] Specifically, the trachea X1 and the trachea Y1 are connected to the first particle counter 401 through the first valve, the trachea X2 and the trachea Y2 are connected to the second particle counter through the first valve 300, the trachea X3 and the trachea Y3 are connected to the third particle counter through the first valve 300, the trachea X4 and the trachea Y4 are connected to the fourth particle counter through the first valve 300, and the trachea X5 and the trachea Y5 are connected to the fifth particle counter 405 through the first valve 300. When the probe 20 rises for the i-th time, the controller 500 controls the first valve 300 to be in the first open state, so that the particle counter 400 adsorbs particles through the first trachea 201 and counts the particles to obtain a first particle number. The first open state can be understood as the first air pipe 201 being connected to the particle counter 400 through the first valve 300, and the second air pipe 202 not being connected to the particle counter 400, so that when the probe 20 rises for the i-th time, the five particle counters 400 can count particles through the air pipes X1, X2, X3, X4 and X5 respectively, and the first particle counter can count the total number of particles generated by the wear of the five probes in the first column, and the second particle counter can count the total number of particles generated by the wear of the five probes in the second column, and so on. The first particle number can be the total number of particles corresponding to the five columns of probes that exceeds the preset number of particles.

[0060] Similarly, when the probe 20 rises for the i+1th time, the first valve 300 is controlled to be in the second open state, so that the particle counter 400 adsorbs particles through the second air pipe 202 and counts the particles to obtain a second particle number. The second open state can be understood as the second air pipe 202 is connected to the particle counter 400 through the first valve 300, and the first air pipe 201 is not connected to the particle counter 400. In this way, when the probe 20 rises for the i+1th time, the five particle counters can count the particles through the air pipe Y1, the air pipe Y2, the air pipe Y3, the air pipe Y4 and the air pipe Y5 respectively to obtain a second particle number. The second particle number can include the particle number corresponding to the five rows of probes, that is, the first particle counter can calculate the total particle number generated by the wear of the five probes in the first row, and the second particle counter can calculate the total particle number generated by the wear of the five probes in the second row, and so on. The second particle number can be the total particle number corresponding to the five rows of probes that exceeds the preset particle number.

[0061] Specifically, the controller 500 determines the wear position of the probe according to the first particle number and the second particle number. Exemplarily, when the probe 20 rises for the i-th time, the trachea whose total particle number corresponding to the five particle counters 400 exceeds the preset particle number is the trachea X3, that is, the total particle number generated by the wear of the five probes corresponding to the third column exceeds the preset particle number. When the probe 20 rises for the i+1th time, the trachea whose total particle number corresponding to the five particle counters 400 exceeds the preset particle number is the trachea Y2, that is, the total particle number generated by the wear of the five probes corresponding to the second row exceeds the preset particle number, then the probe at the coordinate (X3, Y2) position is worn and needs to be replaced.

[0062] Specifically, when the probe 20 rises for the i-th time, the controller 500 controls the first valve 300 to be in the first open state, so that the particle counter 400 adsorbs particles through the first air pipe 201 and counts the particles; when the probe 20 rises for the i+1th time, the first valve 300 is controlled to be in the second open state, so that the particle counter 400 adsorbs particles through the second air pipe 202 and counts the particles; when the probe 20 rises for the i+2th time, the controller 500 controls the first valve 300 to be in the first open state; when the probe 20 rises for the i+3th time, the controller 500 controls the first valve 300 to be in the second open state, and so on. That is, the controller can achieve conduction of the first air pipe 201 or conduction of the second air pipe 202 by controlling the open state of the first valve 300. In other words, the first air tube 201 and the second air tube 202 can be switched on alternately. For example, when the probe 20 is in an odd-numbered rise, the first air tube 201 is switched on, and when the probe 20 is in an even-numbered rise, the second air tube 202 is switched on.

[0063] It should be noted that the embodiment of the present invention only takes the probes 20 arranged in a 5*5 array as an example. It can be understood that the number of probes can be greater, and the embodiment of the present invention does not specifically limit the number of probes.

[0064] It should be noted that when the controller 500 determines that the probes in the hot plate and cold plate equipment are worn, the equipment automatically shuts down and alarms so that the operation and maintenance personnel can replace the worn probes.

[0065] Optional, continue to refer to Figure 7The first valve 300 includes a three-way valve 301; the three-way valve 301 includes a first connection end 3011, a second connection end 3012 and a third connection end 3013; the first air pipe 201 is connected to the first connection end 3011; the second air pipe 202 is connected to the second connection end 3012; the particle counter 400 is connected to the third connection end 3013; when the probe rises for the i-th time, the controller 500 is used to control the first connection end 3011 and the third connection end 3013 to be connected; when the probe rises for the i+1th time, the controller 500 is used to control the second connection end 3012 and the third connection end 3013 to be connected.

[0066] Specifically, when the probe rises for the i-th time, the controller 500 is used to control the first connection end 3011 and the third connection end 3013 to be connected, so that the first air pipe 201 is connected to the particle counter 400 through the three-way valve 301, so that the particle counter 400 adsorbs particles through the first air pipe 201 and counts the particles to obtain a first particle number.

[0067] Specifically, when the probe rises for the i+1th time, the controller 500 is used to control the second connection end 3012 and the third connection end 3013 to be connected, so that the second air pipe 202 is connected to the particle counter through the three-way valve 301, so that the particle counter 400 adsorbs particles through the second air pipe 202 and counts the particles to obtain a second particle number.

[0068] Optional, continue to refer to Figure 6 and Figure 7 The air pipe 200 includes a plurality of first air pipes 201 arranged along a first direction X and a plurality of second air pipes 202 arranged along a second direction Y; the first direction X and the second direction Y intersect; the first air pipe 201 is used to connect the sleeves 100 arranged along the second direction Y; the second air pipe 202 is used to connect the sleeves 100 arranged along the first direction X; the first air pipe 201 and the second air pipe 202 are both connected to the particle counter 400 through the first valve 300; the controller 500 is used to control the first valve 300 to be in a first open state when the probe 20 rises for the first N times, so that the particle counter 400 absorbs particles through the first air pipe 201 and counts the particles to obtain a first particle number, and is also used to control the first valve 300 to be in a second open state after the probe 20 rises N times, so that the particle counter 400 absorbs particles through the second air pipe 202 and counts the particles to obtain a second particle number; the controller 500 determines the wear position of the probe 20 according to the first particle number and the second particle number; wherein N≥2, and N is an integer.

[0069] Specifically, taking the arrangement of the probes 20 in a 5*5 array as an example, the first air tubes 201 arranged along the first direction X can be trachea X1, trachea X2, trachea X3, trachea X4 and trachea X5, respectively, and each column of the first air tubes 201 is connected to the five sleeves 100 arranged along the second direction Y, and the second air tubes 202 arranged along the second direction Y can be trachea Y1, trachea Y2, trachea Y3, trachea Y4 and trachea Y5, respectively, and each row of the second air tubes 202 is connected to the five sleeves 100 arranged along the first direction X.

[0070] Specifically, the controller 500 is used to control the first valve 300 to be in the first open state when the probe 20 rises for the first N times, so that the particle counter 400 adsorbs particles through the first air pipe 201 and counts the particles to obtain the first particle number, that is, when the probe 20 rises for the first N times, the first valve 300 is always in the first open state, and the five particle counters can count the particles N times through the air pipe X1, the air pipe X2, the air pipe X3, the air pipe X4 and the air pipe X5 respectively. Exemplarily, the first particle counter can calculate the total number of particles generated by the first N wear of the five probes in the first column, the second particle counter can calculate the total number of particles generated by the first N wear of the five probes in the second column, and so on. The first particle number can be the average value of the total number of particles corresponding to each column of probes that exceeds the preset number of particles. The average value of the total number of particles can be understood as the ratio of the total number of particles generated by the wear of each column of probes after the probe 20 rises for the Nth time to N.

[0071] Specifically, after the probe 20 rises N times, the first valve 300 is controlled to be in the second open state, so that the particle counter 400 adsorbs particles through the second air pipe 202 and counts the particles. That is, after the probe 20 rises N times, the first valve 300 is always in the second open state, and the five particle counters can count the particles N times through the air pipe Y1, the air pipe Y2, the air pipe Y3, the air pipe Y4 and the air pipe Y5 respectively. Exemplarily, the first particle counter can calculate the total number of particles generated by the wear of the five probes in the first row after the N times of wear, and the second particle counter can calculate the total number of particles generated by the wear of the five probes in the second row after the N times, and so on. The second particle number can be the average value of the total number of particles corresponding to each row of probes that exceeds the preset number of particles. The average value of the total number of particles can be understood as the ratio of the total number of particles generated by the wear of each row of probes to N after the probe 20 rises for the 2Nth time.

[0072] Specifically, the controller 500 determines the wear position of the probe according to the first particle number and the second particle number. For example, when the probe 20 rises for the first N times, the average value of the total particle number corresponding to the five particle counters 400 exceeds the preset particle number in the trachea X2, and after the probe 20 rises 2N times, the average value of the total particle number corresponding to the five particle counters 400 exceeds the preset particle number in the trachea Y2, then the probe at the coordinate (X2, Y2) position is worn and needs to be replaced.

[0073] Exemplarily, the number of times the first air pipe 201 is connected and the number of times the second air pipe 202 is connected can be the same, that is, both are N times, so that when the probe 20 rises for the first N times, the first valve 300 is always in the first open state, and when the probe 20 rises from the N+1th time to the 2Nth time, the first valve 300 is always in the second open state. Exemplarily, the number of times the first air pipe 201 is connected and the number of times the second air pipe 202 is connected can also be different, so that when the probe 20 rises for the first N times, the first valve 300 is always in the first open state, and when the probe 20 rises from the N+1th time to the Mth time, the first valve 300 is always in the second open state, N+1<M<2N or M>2N, M is an integer.

[0074] Optional, Figure 8 A partial top view schematic diagram of a second probe wear monitoring system provided by an embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 8 As shown, the probe wear monitoring system also includes multiple second valves 600 and multiple third valves 700; the second valve 600 is located between any two adjacent first air pipes 201, and the third valve 700 is located between any two adjacent second air pipes 202; the controller is electrically connected to the second valve 600 and the third valve 700 respectively, and is used to control the second valve 600 and the third valve 700 to close when the first valve 300 is opened.

[0075] Specifically, taking the second valve 600 between two adjacent first air pipes 201 as an example, when the first valve 300 is opened, since multiple first air pipes 201 are all connected, the particles generated by the wear of the probe corresponding to air pipe X1 may enter air pipe X2, thereby causing deviations in the monitoring results. In the embodiment of the present invention, when the first valve is opened, the controller controls the second valve to close, so that the two adjacent first air pipes 201 are spaced by the second valve 600, which is conducive to ensuring that the particles generated by the wear of each column of probes enter the corresponding first air pipe 201, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the positioning of the probe wear and improving the positioning accuracy.

[0076] For details, please refer to Figure 8A third valve 700 is included between two adjacent second air pipes 202. When the first valve 300 is opened, the controller controls the third valve 700 to close. In this way, the two adjacent second air pipes 202 are spaced by the third valve 700, which is beneficial to ensure that particles generated by the wear of each row of probes enter the corresponding second air pipe 202, thereby ensuring the accuracy of positioning the probe wear and improving the positioning accuracy.

[0077] Optional, continue to refer to Figure 4 The wafer carrier 30 includes a through hole 101 ; the probe 20 is located in the through hole 101 ; and the opening size of the sleeve 100 is greater than or equal to the opening size of the through hole 101 .

[0078] Specifically, the probe 20 is located in the through hole 101 , so that the probe 20 can move up and down in the through hole 101 to support the substrate 10 .

[0079] Specifically, the opening size of the sleeve 100 can be understood as the cross-sectional area of ​​the sleeve 100 along the horizontal direction. The opening size of the through hole 101 can be understood as the cross-sectional area of ​​the through hole along the horizontal direction. The opening size of the sleeve 100 is greater than or equal to the opening size of the through hole 101, which is conducive to ensuring that all particles generated by the wear of the probe 20 can enter the sleeve 100, and can ensure that the particles are counted by the particle counter later, thereby improving the accuracy of the probe wear positioning and improving the positioning accuracy.

[0080] Optional, continue to refer to Figure 6 and Figure 7 , the number of the first air pipes 201 is D1, the number of the second air pipes 202 is D2, and the number of the particle counters 400 is D3; wherein, D1=D2=D3, and D1, D2 and D3 are all positive integers.

[0081] Specifically, since each first air pipe 201 and each second air pipe 202 are connected to the same particle counter 400 via a three-way valve 301 , the number of first air pipes 201 , the number of second air pipes and the number of particle counters 400 are all equal.

[0082] In summary, in the probe wear monitoring system provided by the embodiment of the present invention, when the probe rises for the i-th time, the particle counter absorbs particles through the first air pipe and counts the particles to obtain a first particle number; when the probe rises for the i+1th time, the particle counter absorbs particles through the second air pipe and counts the particles to obtain a second particle number, so that the controller can locate the worn probe according to the first particle number and the second particle number. In addition, when the probe rises for the first N times, the particle counter absorbs particles through the first air pipe and counts the particles to obtain a first particle number; after the probe rises N times, the particle counter absorbs particles through the second air pipe and counts the particles to obtain a second particle number, so that the controller can locate the worn probe according to the first particle number and the second particle number, which is convenient for replacing the worn probe.

[0083] Based on the same inventive concept, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a probe wear monitoring method, which is applied to the probe wear monitoring system described in any of the above embodiments. Fig. 9 A schematic flow chart of a first probe wear monitoring method provided by an embodiment of the present invention is shown as follows: Fig. 9 As shown, the probe wear monitoring method includes:

[0084] S101. When the probe rises, the first valve is controlled to be in an open state, so that the particle counter absorbs particles through the air pipe and counts the particles.

[0085] For details, please refer to Figure 4 The air pipe 200 is connected to the particle counter 400 through the first valve 300, and the air pipe 200 can pass through a row or a column of sleeves 100, that is, each row of sleeves 100 can be connected to a corresponding air pipe 200, and each column of sleeves 100 can be connected to a corresponding air pipe 200. In this way, when the probe 20 rises, the controller 500 can control the first valve 300 to be in an open state, so that the particle counter 400 adsorbs particles through the air pipe 200 and counts the particles.

[0086] S102: When the probe descends, the first valve is controlled to be in a closed state.

[0087] For details, please refer to Figure 4 When the probe 20 descends, the controller 500 controls the first valve 300 to be in a closed state, that is, the particle counter 400 does not work.

[0088] S103. Determine the wear position of the probe according to the number of particles.

[0089] Specifically, the controller can obtain the real-time number of particles calculated by the particle counter. When the real-time number of particles exceeds the preset number of particles, it can be determined that the probe at the corresponding position of the particle counter is worn and needs to be replaced. This is conducive to locating the worn probe, making it convenient for the staff to replace the worn probe in time.

[0090] It should be noted that the preset number of particles can be understood as the number of particles generated when the probe is worn.

[0091] In the probe wear monitoring method provided by an embodiment of the present invention, the controller controls the first valve to be in an open state so that the particle counter adsorbs particles through the air pipe and counts the particles. When the probe is worn, the particle counter can calculate the number of particles. The controller determines the wear position of the probe based on the number of particles calculated by the particle counter so as to replace the worn probe.

[0092] Optional, Fig.10 A schematic flow chart of a second probe wear monitoring method provided by an embodiment of the present invention, Fig.10 Based on the above embodiment, the operation of controlling the first valve to be in an open state when the probe rises so that the particle counter can adsorb particles through the air pipe and count the particles is described in detail. Fig.10 As shown, the probe wear monitoring method includes:

[0093] S201. When the probe rises for the i-th time, control the first valve to be in a first open state, so that the particle counter absorbs particles through the first air pipe and counts the particles to obtain a first particle count.

[0094] For details, please refer to Figure 6 and Figure 7, taking the arrangement of the probes 20 in a 5*5 array as an example, the trachea X1 and the trachea Y1 are connected to the first particle counter 401 through the first valve 300, the trachea X2 and the trachea Y2 are connected to the second particle counter through the first valve 300, the trachea X3 and the trachea Y3 are connected to the third particle counter through the first valve 300, the trachea X4 and the trachea Y4 are connected to the fourth particle counter through the first valve 300, and the trachea X5 and the trachea Y5 are connected to the fifth particle counter 405 through the first valve 300. When the probe 20 rises for the i-th time, the controller 500 controls the first valve 300 to be in the first open state, so that the particle counter 400 adsorbs particles through the first trachea 201 and counts the particles to obtain a first particle number. The first open state can be understood as the first air pipe 201 being connected to the particle counter through the first valve 300, and the second air pipe 202 not being connected to the particle counter 400, so that when the probe 20 rises for the i-th time, the five particle counters can count the particles through the air pipes X1, X2, X3, X4 and X5 respectively, and the first particle counter can count the total number of particles corresponding to the five probes in the first column, and the second particle counter can count the total number of particles corresponding to the five probes in the second column, and so on. The first particle number can be the total number of particles corresponding to the five columns of probes that exceeds the preset number of particles.

[0095] Optional, continue to refer to Figure 7 , the first valve 300 includes a three-way valve 301; the three-way valve 301 includes a first connection end 3011, a second connection end 3012 and a third connection end 3013; the first air pipe 201 is connected to the first connection end 3011; the second air pipe 202 is connected to the second connection end 3012; the particle counter 400 is connected to the third connection end 3013; when the probe rises for the i-th time, the controller 500 is used to control the first connection end 3011 to be connected to the third connection end 3013. When the probe rises for the i-th time, the controller 500 is used to control the first connection end 3011 to be connected to the third connection end 3013, so that the first air pipe 201 is connected to the particle counter 400 through the three-way valve 301, so that the particle counter 400 absorbs particles through the first air pipe 201 and counts the particles to obtain a first particle number.

[0096] S202. When the probe rises for the (i+1)th time, the first valve is controlled to be in a second open state, so that the particle counter absorbs particles through the second air pipe and counts the particles to obtain a second particle count.

[0097] Wherein, i≥1, and i is an integer.

[0098] For details, please refer to Figure 6 and Figure 7, when the probe 20 rises for the i+1th time, the first valve 300 is controlled to be in the second open state, so that the particle counter 400 adsorbs particles through the second air pipe 202 and counts the particles to obtain the second particle number. The second open state can be understood as the second air pipe 202 is connected to the particle counter through the first valve 300, and the first air pipe 201 is not connected to the particle counter 400. In this way, when the probe 20 rises for the i+1th time, the five particle counters can count the particles through the air pipes Y1, Y2, Y3, Y4 and Y5 respectively to obtain the second particle number. The second particle number can include the particle number corresponding to the five rows of probes, that is, the first particle counter can calculate the total particle number caused by the wear of the five probes in the first row, and the second particle counter can calculate the total particle number caused by the wear of the five probes in the second row, and so on. The second particle number can be the maximum value of the total particle number corresponding to the five rows of probes. The second particle number can be the total particle number corresponding to the five rows of probes that exceeds the preset particle number.

[0099] Specifically, when the probe rises for the i+1th time, the controller 500 is used to control the second connection end 3012 and the third connection end 3013 to be connected, so that the second air pipe 202 is connected to the first particle counter through the three-way valve 301, so that the particle counter 400 adsorbs particles through the second air pipe 202 and counts the particles to obtain a second particle number.

[0100] S203: When the probe descends, the first valve is controlled to be in a closed state.

[0101] S204 , determining the wear position of the probe according to the first particle number and the second particle number.

[0102] For details, please refer to Figure 6 and Figure 7 , the controller 500 determines the wear position of the probe according to the first particle number and the second particle number. Exemplarily, when the probe 20 rises for the i-th time, the trachea whose total particle number corresponding to the five particle counters 400 exceeds the preset particle number is the trachea X3, that is, the total particle number generated by the wear of the five probes corresponding to the third column exceeds the preset particle number. When the probe 20 rises for the i+1th time, the trachea whose total particle number corresponding to the five particle counters 400 exceeds the preset particle number is the trachea Y2, that is, the total particle number generated by the wear of the five probes corresponding to the second row exceeds the preset particle number, then the probe at the coordinate (X3, Y2) position is worn and needs to be replaced.

[0103] In the probe wear monitoring method provided by an embodiment of the present invention, a first air pipe and a second air pipe are alternately connected, and when the first air pipe is connected, a particle counter adsorbs particles through the first air pipe and counts the particles to obtain a first particle number, and when the second air pipe is connected, the particle counter adsorbs particles through the second air pipe and counts the particles to obtain a second particle number. In this way, a controller can determine the position of the worn probe according to the first particle number and the second particle number so as to replace the worn probe.

[0104] Note that the above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention and the technical principles used. Those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described herein, and that various obvious changes, readjustments, combinations and substitutions can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, although the present invention has been described in more detail through the above embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and may include more other equivalent embodiments without departing from the concept of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is determined by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A probe wear monitoring system, applied to a hot plate and a cold plate device, the hot plate and the cold plate device comprising: Probe and wafer stage; The probes are arranged in an array in the wafer carrying platform and move up and down in the wafer carrying platform; The invention is characterized by comprising: A sleeve, an air pipe, a first valve, a particle counter and a controller; The sleeve is located on one side of the wafer carrier close to the bottom of the probe, and is used to collect particles generated by the probe during the up and down movement of the probe in the wafer carrier; The air pipe is connected to the particle counter through the first valve and is connected to multiple sleeves; the controller is electrically connected to the first valve, and is used to control the first valve to be in an open state when the probe rises, so that the particle counter adsorbs the particles through the air pipe and counts the particles, and is also used to control the first valve to be in a closed state when the probe descends; the controller is also electrically connected to the particle counter, and is used to determine the wear position of the probe according to the number of particles.

2. The probe wear monitoring system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air pipe includes a plurality of first air pipes arranged along a first direction and a plurality of second air pipes arranged along a second direction; the first direction and the second direction intersect; the first air pipe is used to connect the sleeves arranged along the second direction; the second air pipe is used to connect the sleeves arranged along the first direction; The first air pipe and the second air pipe are both connected to the particle counter through the first valve; the controller is used to control the first valve to be in a first open state when the probe rises for the i-th time, so that the particle counter absorbs the particles through the first air pipe and counts the particles to obtain a first particle number, and is also used to control the first valve to be in a second open state when the probe rises for the i+1th time, so that the particle counter absorbs the particles through the second air pipe and counts the particles to obtain a second particle number, and the controller determines the wear position of the probe according to the first particle number and the second particle number; wherein i≥1, and i is an integer.

3. The probe wear monitoring system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first valve comprises a three-way valve; the three-way valve comprises a first connection end, a second connection end and a third connection end; The first air pipe is connected to the first connection end; the second air pipe is connected to the second connection end; the particle counter is connected to the third connection end; When the probe rises for the i-th time, the controller is used to control the first connection end to be connected to the third connection end; When the probe rises for the (i+1)th time, the controller is used to control the second connection end to be connected to the third connection end.

4. The probe wear monitoring system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air pipe includes a plurality of first air pipes arranged along a first direction and a plurality of second air pipes arranged along a second direction; the first direction and the second direction intersect; the first air pipe is used to connect the sleeves arranged along the second direction; the second air pipe is used to connect the sleeves arranged along the first direction; The first air pipe and the second air pipe are both connected to the particle counter through the first valve; the controller is used to control the first valve to be in a first open state when the probe rises for the first N times, so that the particle counter absorbs the particles through the first air pipe and counts the particles to obtain a first particle number, and is also used to control the first valve to be in a second open state after the probe rises N times, so that the particle counter absorbs the particles through the second air pipe and counts the particles to obtain a second particle number; the controller determines the wear position of the probe according to the first particle number and the second particle number; wherein N≥2, and N is an integer.

5. The probe wear monitoring system according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that: The probe wear monitoring system further includes a plurality of second valves and a plurality of third valves; The second valve is located between any two adjacent first air pipes, and the third valve is located between any two adjacent second air pipes; The controller is electrically connected to the second valve and the third valve respectively, and is used to control the second valve and the third valve to close when the first valve is opened.

6. The probe wear monitoring system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The wafer carrier comprises a through hole; the probe is located in the through hole; The opening size of the sleeve is greater than or equal to the opening size of the through hole.

7. The probe wear monitoring system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The number of the first air pipes is D1, the number of the second air pipes is D2, and the number of the particle counters is D3; Wherein, D1=D2=D3, and D1, D2 and D3 are all positive integers.

8. A probe wear monitoring method, applied to the probe wear monitoring system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: include: When the probe rises, the first valve is controlled to be in an open state, so that the particle counter absorbs the particles through the air pipe and counts the particles; When the probe descends, controlling the first valve to be in a closed state; The wear position of the probe is determined based on the number of the particles.

9. The probe wear monitoring method according to claim 8, characterized in that: The air pipe includes a plurality of first air pipes arranged along a first direction and a plurality of second air pipes arranged along a second direction; the first direction and the second direction intersect; the first air pipe is used to connect the sleeves arranged along the second direction; the second air pipe is used to connect the sleeves arranged along the first direction; the first air pipe and the second air pipe are both connected to the particle counter through the first valve; When the probe rises, the first valve is controlled to be in an open state so that the particle counter adsorbs the particles through the air pipe and counts the particles, including: When the probe rises for the i-th time, controlling the first valve to be in a first open state, so that the particle counter absorbs the particles through the first air pipe and counts the particles to obtain a first particle count; When the probe rises for the i+1th time, the first valve is controlled to be in a second open state, so that the particle counter adsorbs the particles through the second air pipe and counts the particles to obtain a second particle count; wherein i≥1, and i is an integer; Determining the wear position of the probe according to the number of the particles comprises: The wear position of the probe is determined according to the first particle number and the second particle number.

10. The probe wear monitoring method according to claim 9, characterized in that: The first valve comprises a three-way valve; the three-way valve comprises a first connection end, a second connection end and a third connection end; the first air pipe is connected to the first connection end; the second air pipe is connected to the second connection end; the particle counter is connected to the third connection end; Controlling the first valve to be in a first open state includes: Controlling the first connection terminal to be connected to the third connection terminal; Controlling the first valve to be in a second open state includes: The second connection terminal is controlled to be connected to the third connection terminal.

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