A polishing apparatus, wafer transfer method and device

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a polishing device and wafer transfer method and equipment, the polishing device comprising: an upper polishing disc and a lower polishing disc that can be pressed together or separated, the lower polishing disc comprising a plurality of wafer carriers, the wafer carriers being provided with wafer bearing areas, and the wafer bearing areas being provided with a plurality of vacuum suction holes on corresponding bearing surfaces; a vacuum unit communicating with the vacuum suction holes; and a control unit configured to: in a first time period, control the vacuum unit to perform a vacuum suction operation on the wafer in the wafer bearing area through the vacuum suction holes; and in a second time period, control the vacuum unit to perform a vacuum release operation on the wafer in the wafer bearing area through the vacuum suction holes. The first time period comprises a stage in which the upper polishing disc and the lower polishing disc are separated from the pressed state after the wafer completes the wafer polishing process, and the second time period comprises a stage in which the wafer is transferred from the lower polishing disc to a wafer transfer mechanism. The polishing device and wafer transfer method and equipment of the present disclosure can prevent wafer sticking.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of semiconductor processing technology, and in particular to a polishing apparatus and wafer transfer method and equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Polishing (LAP) is an important process in wafer manufacturing. The purpose of polishing is to give the wafer a flat surface with certain geometric dimensional accuracy, while removing the mechanical stress damage layer on the wafer surface caused by dicing during the slicing process.

[0003] Double-sided grinding and polishing involves placing a diced wafer between upper and lower polishing discs. As the discs rotate, the wafer surface is roughened and thinned through the action of the grinding fluid and pressure.

[0004] However, during wafer processing in a double-sided polishing unit, wafer sticking is common after processing due to factors such as the morphology of the upper and lower polishing pads and the polishing fluid. This can lead to wafer transfer failures in the next process's wafer transfer mechanism when retrieving wafers from the polishing unit, causing equipment downtime. Furthermore, when handling downtime, human error such as misplacement or incorrect placement of wafers can result in mixed wafers. Additionally, when the upper and lower polishing pads stick, after lifting the upper polishing pad, the lower polishing pad may not adhere tightly to the wafer, causing it to slip off the carrier and impact the outer pin ring, resulting in fragmentation. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In order to solve at least one of the technical problems in the prior art, the present disclosure provides a polishing apparatus and a wafer transfer method and device.

[0006] The technical solutions provided in this disclosure are as follows:

[0007] In a first aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a polishing apparatus, comprising:

[0008] An upper polishing disk and a lower polishing disk that can be pressed together or separated, wherein the lower polishing disk includes multiple wafer carriers, and the wafer carriers are provided with at least one wafer bearing area, and the bearing surface corresponding to the wafer bearing area is provided with a plurality of vacuum adsorption holes spaced apart;

[0009] The vacuum unit is connected to the vacuum adsorption hole; and

[0010] The control unit is connected to the vacuum unit;

[0011] The control unit is used for:

[0012] During the first time period, the vacuum unit is controlled to perform a vacuum adsorption operation on the wafer in the wafer carrier area using the vacuum adsorption orifice.

[0013] During the second time period, the vacuum unit is controlled to cause the vacuum adsorption hole to release the vacuum from the wafer in the wafer carrier area.

[0014] The first time period includes the stage after the wafer polishing process is completed, during which the upper polishing pad and the lower polishing pad begin to separate from each other from the pressed state; the second time period includes the stage of transferring the wafer from the lower polishing pad to the wafer transfer mechanism.

[0015] For example, a first control valve is provided between the vacuum unit and the vacuum adsorption orifice, and the control unit is connected to the first control valve; the control unit is used for:

[0016] During the first time period and the second time period, the first control valve is opened to connect the vacuum unit to the vacuum adsorption hole;

[0017] In the third time period, the first control valve is closed to shut off the vacuum unit from the vacuum suction hole, wherein the third time period includes a phase in which a polishing operation is performed on the wafer.

[0018] For example, the vacuum unit includes:

[0019] Vacuum generator;

[0020] Clean gas components;

[0021] A vacuum pipeline connects the vacuum generator and the vacuum adsorption hole, and a vacuum solenoid valve is provided on the vacuum pipeline;

[0022] A vacuum breaking pipeline is connected between the clean gas component and the vacuum adsorption hole. A vacuum breaking solenoid valve is provided on the vacuum breaking pipeline. The vacuum pipeline and the vacuum breaking pipeline are connected in parallel.

[0023] The control unit is used for:

[0024] During the first time period, the vacuum solenoid valve is opened and the vacuum breaking solenoid valve is closed.

[0025] During the second time period, the vacuum breaking solenoid valve is opened and the vacuum solenoid valve is closed.

[0026] For example, the polishing device further includes a gas-liquid separation unit, which includes at least one separation chamber. The separation chamber includes a gas-liquid mixing inlet, a gas inlet / outlet, and a liquid outlet. The gas-liquid mixing inlet and the gas inlet / outlet are located in the upper part of the separation chamber, and the liquid outlet is located in the lower part of the separation chamber. The gas-liquid mixing inlet is connected to the vacuum adsorption hole through a first pipeline, and the gas inlet / outlet is connected to the vacuum unit through a second pipeline.

[0027] For example, a second control valve is provided on the first pipeline, and the control unit is connected to the second control valve. The second control valve is used to control the second control valve to open during the first time period and the second time period to connect the gas-liquid separation unit with the vacuum adsorption orifice; and to control the second control valve to close during the third time period to cut off the gas-liquid separation unit from the vacuum adsorption orifice, wherein the third time period includes a stage in which a polishing operation is performed on the wafer.

[0028] For example, the vacuum unit includes at least one sub-vacuum unit, one of the vacuum adsorption holes is correspondingly connected to one of the separation chambers, and the gas inlet and outlet of all the separation chambers corresponding to a plurality of vacuum adsorption holes in the same wafer carrier area are connected to the same sub-vacuum unit.

[0029] Secondly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a wafer transfer method for transferring a wafer from the aforementioned polishing apparatus to a wafer transfer mechanism; the method includes:

[0030] During the first time period, the vacuum unit is controlled to perform a vacuum adsorption operation on the wafer in the wafer carrier area using the vacuum adsorption orifice.

[0031] During the second time period, the vacuum unit is controlled to cause the vacuum adsorption hole to release the vacuum from the wafer in the wafer carrier area.

[0032] The first time period is the stage after the wafer polishing process is completed, when the upper polishing pad and the lower polishing pad begin to separate from each other from their mutually pressed state; the second time period includes the stage of transferring the wafer from the lower polishing pad to the wafer transfer mechanism.

[0033] For example, the method further includes:

[0034] During the first time period and the second time period, the first control valve is opened to make the vacuum unit and the vacuum adsorption hole in a conductive state.

[0035] During the third time period, the first control valve is closed to create a cutoff between the vacuum unit and the vacuum adsorption hole, wherein the third time period includes a stage in which a polishing operation is performed on the wafer.

[0036] For example, in the method,

[0037] During the first time period and the second time period, the second control valve is opened to connect the gas-liquid separation unit to the vacuum adsorption hole;

[0038] In the third time period, the second control valve is closed to shut off the gas-liquid separation unit from the vacuum adsorption orifice, wherein the third time period includes a stage in which a polishing operation is performed on the wafer.

[0039] Thirdly, embodiments of this disclosure also provide an electronic device, including a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor executes the computer program to implement the steps of the wafer transfer method as described above.

[0040] The beneficial effects of the embodiments disclosed herein are as follows:

[0041] The polishing apparatus and wafer transfer method / equipment provided in this disclosure include an upper polishing disk and a lower polishing disk that can be pressed together or separated, a vacuum unit, and a control unit. The lower polishing disk has a wafer-bearing area with a plurality of vacuum adsorption holes, which are connected to the vacuum unit. The control unit can, in a first time period, control the vacuum unit to perform vacuum adsorption on the wafer in the wafer-bearing area using the vacuum adsorption holes; and in a second time period, control the vacuum unit to release the vacuum from the wafer in the wafer-bearing area using the vacuum adsorption holes. The first time period includes the stage after the wafer polishing process is completed, where the upper and lower polishing disks begin to separate from each other from the pressed state; the second time period includes the stage of transferring the wafer from the lower polishing disk to the wafer transfer mechanism.

[0042] In the above scheme, after the polishing device completes the wafer polishing process, when the wafer is transferred from the polishing device to the wafer transfer mechanism in the next process, during the separation stage of the upper polishing disk and the lower polishing disk, the vacuum unit can use the vacuum adsorption hole to adsorb and fix the wafer to prevent the wafer from sticking to the upper polishing disk. Then, after the wafer is separated from the upper polishing disk, the wafer is vacuum adsorbed and fixed on the lower polishing disk, and when it rotates with the lower polishing disk to the unloading station, the wafer will not slip out of the wafer carrier, which can reduce the risk of wafer impact and fragmentation. Then, when the wafer rotates with the lower polishing disk to the unloading station, and the wafer transfer mechanism in the next process begins to pick up the wafer from the lower polishing disk, the vacuum unit can release the vacuum of the wafer to prevent the wafer from sticking to the lower polishing disk, so that the wafer transfer mechanism can smoothly pick up the wafer from the lower polishing disk, thereby avoiding wafer transfer failure. Attached Figure Description

[0043] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the lower polishing disc of the polishing apparatus provided in the embodiments of this disclosure;

[0044] Figure 2 This diagram illustrates the connection structure between the vacuum adsorption hole on the lower polishing disc and the vacuum unit and gas-liquid separation unit in the polishing apparatus provided in this embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0045] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this disclosure clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this disclosure. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the described embodiments of this disclosure without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0046] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this disclosure shall have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. The terms “first,” “second,” and similar terms used in this disclosure do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Similarly, the terms “an,” “a,” or “the,” and similar terms do not indicate a quantity limitation, but rather indicate the presence of at least one. The terms “including,” “comprising,” or “containing,” and similar terms mean that the element or object preceding the word encompasses the elements or objects listed following the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. The terms “connected,” “linked,” or similar terms are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but can include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. The terms “upper,” “lower,” “left,” and “right,” etc., are used only to indicate relative positional relationships, and these relative positional relationships may change accordingly when the absolute position of the described objects changes.

[0047] The features such as "parallel," "perpendicular," and "identical" used in the embodiments of this disclosure include features in the strict sense of "parallel," "perpendicular," and "identical," as well as cases where "approximately parallel," "approximately perpendicular," and "approximately identical" include certain tolerances. Taking into account the measurement and the tolerances associated with the measurement of a specific quantity (e.g., limitations of the measurement system), they represent the acceptable deviation range for a specific value as determined by a person skilled in the art. For example, "approximately" can mean within one or more standard deviations, or within 3% or 5% of said value.

[0048] Furthermore, throughout this document, unless otherwise defined, the terms “substantially,” “essentially,” “approximately,” and “about” are used to describe and explain small variations. When used with an event or situation, these terms can cover situations where the event or situation occurs precisely or approximately. For example, when used with a numerical value, these terms can include a range of variation of the numerical value less than or equal to 10%, such as less than or equal to ±5%, less than or equal to ±4%, less than or equal to ±3%, less than or equal to ±2%, less than or equal to ±1%, less than or equal to ±0.5%, less than or equal to ±0.1%, or less than or equal to ±0.05%. The term “substantially coplanar” can refer to two surfaces arranged along the same plane within a micrometer range, for example, within 40 μm, 30 μm, 20 μm, 10 μm, or 1 μm.

[0049] Double-sided grinding and polishing involves placing a diced wafer between upper and lower polishing discs. As the discs rotate, the wafer surface is roughened and thinned through the action of the grinding fluid and pressure.

[0050] However, during the wafer processing in a double-sided polishing device, wafers are prone to sticking after processing due to factors such as the morphology of the upper and lower polishing pads and the polishing fluid.

[0051] If wafers stick together, it can cause wafer transfer failures when the ILU (Integrated Load Unit) and other auxiliary equipment are picking up the wafers from the polishing device, which can lead to equipment downtime.

[0052] Specifically, when wafers stick to the upper polishing pad, there are no wafers in the wafer carrier on the lower polishing pad, causing abnormal wafer pickup by the wafer transfer mechanism (e.g., robot) in the next process. When wafers stick to the lower polishing pad, if the adhesion is too tight, it will also cause abnormal wafer pickup by the wafer transfer mechanism (e.g., robot) in the next process, and increasing the pickup vacuum value of the wafer transfer mechanism will not improve the situation.

[0053] After the equipment malfunctions, on-site personnel need to manually handle the wafers, which can lead to misalignment, incorrect placement of the wafers on the wrong side, and other human errors that result in material mixing.

[0054] Furthermore, when separating the upper and lower polishing pads after polishing, the wafer may slip out of the wafer carrier and collide with components such as the outer pin ring, resulting in fragmentation, because the lower polishing pad is not tightly adhered to the wafer.

[0055] To address the aforementioned issues, this disclosure provides a polishing apparatus and a wafer transfer method and device that can prevent wafer sticking, reduce equipment downtime and human error to a certain extent, and lower the risk of material mixing and wafer fragmentation caused by manual wafer handling.

[0056] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the polishing apparatus provided in this embodiment includes:

[0057] Upper polishing disc (not shown in the picture);

[0058] The lower polishing disk 100 can be pressed together or separated from the upper polishing disk. The lower polishing disk 100 includes a plurality of wafer carriers 110. The wafer carrier 110 is provided with at least one wafer bearing area 112. The bearing surface corresponding to the wafer bearing area 112 is provided with a plurality of vacuum adsorption holes 111 spaced apart.

[0059] Vacuum unit 200 is connected to the vacuum adsorption hole 111; and

[0060] The control unit (not shown in the figure) is connected to the vacuum unit 200;

[0061] The control unit is used for:

[0062] During the first time period, the vacuum unit 200 is controlled to cause the vacuum adsorption hole 111 to perform a vacuum adsorption operation on the wafer 20 in the wafer carrier area 112.

[0063] During the second time period, the vacuum unit 200 is controlled to cause the vacuum adsorption hole 111 to release the vacuum from the wafer 20 in the wafer support area 112.

[0064] The first time period includes the stage after the wafer polishing process is completed, during which the upper polishing disk and the lower polishing disk 100 begin to separate from each other from the pressed state; the second time period includes the stage of transferring the wafer from the lower polishing disk 100 to the wafer transfer mechanism 10.

[0065] In the above scheme, after the polishing device completes the polishing process of the wafer, when the wafer is transferred from the polishing device to the wafer transfer mechanism 10 in the next process, during the stage of separating the upper polishing disk and the lower polishing disk 100, the vacuum unit 200 can be used to adsorb and fix the wafer through the vacuum adsorption hole 111 to prevent the wafer from sticking to the upper polishing disk; then, after the wafer is separated from the upper polishing disk, when the wafer transfer mechanism 10 in the next process starts to pick up the wafer from the lower polishing disk 100, the vacuum unit 200 can be used to release the vacuum of the wafer to prevent the wafer from sticking to the lower polishing disk 100, so that the wafer transfer mechanism 10 can pick up the wafer smoothly from the lower polishing disk 100, thereby avoiding wafer transfer failure.

[0066] It should be noted that after the wafer is separated from the upper polishing pad, the wafer transfer mechanism 10 (e.g., a robotic arm) of the next process can pick up and place wafers on the lower polishing pad 100 at the unloading station. After picking up several wafers on the wafer carrier 110 currently at the unloading station, the lower polishing pad 100 will rotate to move the next wafer carrier 110 to the unloading station to continue picking up wafers, and so on until all wafers on all wafer carriers 110 of the lower polishing pad 100 are picked up.

[0067] Therefore, after the wafer is separated from the upper polishing disk, at least a portion of the wafer is not in the unloading station. The wafer can be moved to the unloading station by rotating the lower polishing disk 100, so that the wafer transfer mechanism 10 can pick it up. During the process of the wafer rotating with the lower polishing disk 100 to the unloading station, the wafer can also be vacuum-adsorbed and fixed on the lower polishing disk 100. In this way, the wafer will not slip out of the wafer carrier 110, which can reduce the risk of wafer impact and fragmentation.

[0068] Therefore, in some embodiments, the first time period may include not only the stage where the upper polishing disk and the lower polishing disk 100 separate from each other after the wafer polishing process is completed; but also the stage where the wafer rotates to the unloading station with the lower polishing disk 100 after the upper polishing disk and the lower polishing disk 100 separate.

[0069] In addition, in some embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, one wafer carrier region 112 may be provided with three vacuum adsorption holes 111, and the three vacuum adsorption holes 111 are evenly distributed. However, the specific number and location of the vacuum adsorption holes 111 are not limited thereto.

[0070] It should also be noted that the wafer carrier area 112 has a plurality of vacuum adsorption holes 111 spaced apart on its carrier surface. This means that the vacuum adsorption holes 111 can be arranged on the lower polishing disk 100 and the lower polishing pad 101 in areas corresponding to the wafer carrier area 112. After the wafer polishing process is completed, the control unit can control the wafer carrier 110 to be positioned precisely opposite the wafer carrier area 112 and the corresponding plurality of vacuum adsorption holes 111. It is understood that in other embodiments not shown, the vacuum adsorption holes 111 can also be arranged in the wafer carrier area 112 in other ways.

[0071] Furthermore, in some exemplary embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, a first control valve 300 is provided between the vacuum unit 200 and the vacuum adsorption hole 111, and the control unit is connected to the first control valve 300; the control unit is used for:

[0072] During the first time period and the second time period, the first control valve 300 is opened to connect the vacuum unit 200 with the vacuum adsorption hole 111;

[0073] During a third time period, the first control valve 300 is closed to shut off the vacuum unit 200 from the vacuum adsorption hole 111, wherein the third time period includes a stage in which a polishing operation is performed on the wafer.

[0074] Using the above scheme, during the wafer polishing operation, the first control valve 300 can be controlled to be normally closed. Only after the polishing process is completed, the first control valve 300 is opened to allow the vacuum unit 200 to be connected to the vacuum adsorption hole 111. During the first time period, the vacuum unit 200 is controlled to allow the vacuum adsorption hole 111 to perform a vacuum adsorption operation on the wafer in the wafer support area 112. During the second time period, the vacuum unit 200 is controlled to allow the vacuum adsorption hole 111 to release the vacuum from the wafer in the wafer support area 112.

[0075] Furthermore, in some exemplary embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the vacuum unit 200 includes:

[0076] Process Vacuum (PV);

[0077] Clean Dry Air (CDA) assembly;

[0078] A vacuum line 210 is connected between the vacuum generator and the vacuum adsorption hole 111, and a vacuum solenoid valve 211 is provided on the vacuum line 210;

[0079] A vacuum breaking pipeline 220 is connected between the clean gas component and the vacuum adsorption hole 111. A vacuum breaking solenoid valve 221 is provided on the vacuum breaking pipeline 220. The vacuum pipeline 210 and the vacuum breaking pipeline 220 are connected in parallel.

[0080] The control unit is used for:

[0081] During the first time period, the vacuum solenoid valve 211 is opened and the vacuum breaking solenoid valve 221 is closed.

[0082] During the second time period, the vacuum breaking solenoid valve 221 is opened and the vacuum solenoid valve 211 is closed.

[0083] By adopting the above scheme, the vacuum unit 200 can perform vacuum adsorption operation or vacuum release operation by controlling the opening and closing of the vacuum solenoid valve 211 and the vacuum breaking solenoid valve 221, and the structure is simple.

[0084] Furthermore, in some exemplary embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the polishing device further includes a gas-liquid separation unit 400, which includes at least one separation chamber 410. The separation chamber 410 includes a gas-liquid mixing inlet 411, a gas inlet / outlet 412, and a liquid outlet 413. The gas-liquid mixing inlet 411 and the gas inlet / outlet 412 are located in the upper part of the separation chamber 410, and the liquid outlet 413 is located in the lower part of the separation chamber 410. The gas-liquid mixing inlet 411 is connected to the vacuum adsorption hole 111 through a first pipe 414, and the gas inlet / outlet 412 is connected to the vacuum unit 200 through a second pipe 415.

[0085] Using the above scheme, since polishing liquid and polishing impurities will be generated during the polishing process, a gas-liquid separation unit 400 is also connected to the vacuum adsorption hole 111. The water-gas separator will separate the gas-liquid mixture drawn in during vacuum adsorption in the separation chamber 410. The separated liquid will be in the lower part of the separation chamber 410, and the gas will be in the upper part of the separation chamber 410. Therefore, the vacuum unit 200 can be connected to the upper part of the separation chamber 410 through the second pipe 415 to ensure the vacuum adsorption and vacuum breaking effect. When the liquid level in the separation chamber 410 reaches the predetermined liquid level, the liquid in the separation chamber 410 can be discharged through the liquid outlet 413.

[0086] Furthermore, in some exemplary embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, a second control valve 500 is provided on the first pipeline 414. The control unit is connected to the second control valve 500. The second control valve 500 is used to control the second control valve 500 to open during the first time period and the second time period to connect the gas-liquid separation unit 400 and the vacuum adsorption hole 111. During the third time period, the second control valve 500 is controlled to close to cut off the gas-liquid separation unit 400 and the vacuum adsorption hole 111. The third time period includes the stage of performing a polishing operation on the wafer.

[0087] By adopting the above scheme, by setting the second control valve 500 and controlling the opening and closing of the second control valve 500, the vacuum unit 200 can achieve the purpose of making the vacuum adsorption hole 111 perform vacuum adsorption operation or vacuum release operation, which is simple in structure.

[0088] Furthermore, in some exemplary embodiments, the vacuum unit 200 includes at least one sub-vacuum unit 200, one of the vacuum adsorption holes 111 is correspondingly connected to one of the separation chambers 410, and the gas inlet and outlet 412 of all the separation chambers 410 corresponding to a plurality of vacuum adsorption holes 111 in the same wafer carrier region 112 are connected to the same sub-vacuum unit 200.

[0089] As shown in the figure, a sub-vacuum unit 200 includes a vacuum pipeline 210 and a vacuum breaking pipeline 220. The gas inlet and outlet 412 of all separation chambers 410 corresponding to the vacuum adsorption holes 111 of a wafer carrier area 112 are connected to the same sub-vacuum unit 200.

[0090] The following describes the operation of the polishing apparatus in some embodiments of this disclosure:

[0091] During the third time period when the polishing device performs polishing operation on the wafer, the first control valve 300 and the second control valve 500 are closed; after the polishing process is completed, during the stage when the upper polishing disk and the lower polishing disk 100 begin to separate from each other from the pressed state, and during the stage when the wafer rotates with the lower polishing disk 100 to the unloading station after the upper polishing disk and the lower polishing disk 100 separate, the first control valve 300, the second control valve 500, and the vacuum solenoid valve 211 are opened, and the first control valve 300, the second control valve 500, and the second control valve 500 are closed. The vacuum breaking solenoid valve 221 enables the vacuum unit 200 to perform a vacuum adsorption operation on the wafer in the wafer carrier area 112 via the vacuum adsorption orifice 111; during the stage of transferring the wafer from the lower polishing disk 100 to the wafer transfer mechanism 10, the first control valve 300, the second control valve 500 and the vacuum breaking solenoid valve 221 are opened, and the vacuum solenoid valve 211 is closed, so that the vacuum unit 200 enables the vacuum adsorption orifice 111 to release the vacuum from the wafer in the wafer carrier area 112.

[0092] Furthermore, this disclosure provides a wafer transfer method for transferring a wafer from a polishing apparatus to a wafer transfer mechanism 10; the method includes:

[0093] Step S01: In the first time period, control the vacuum unit 200 to enable the vacuum adsorption hole 111 to perform vacuum adsorption operation on the wafer in the wafer support area 112.

[0094] Step S02: In the second time period, the vacuum unit 200 is controlled to cause the vacuum adsorption hole 111 to release the vacuum from the wafer in the wafer support area 112.

[0095] The first time period is the stage after the wafer polishing process is completed, when the upper polishing disk and the lower polishing disk 100 begin to separate from each other from their mutually pressed state; the second time period includes the stage of transferring the wafer from the lower polishing disk 100 to the wafer transfer mechanism 10.

[0096] For example, in the method, in steps S01 and S02 above, during the first time period and the second time period, the first control valve 300 is controlled to open, so that the vacuum unit 200 and the vacuum adsorption hole 111 are in a conductive state; and before step S01 above, the method further includes:

[0097] Step S03: In the third time period, control the first control valve 300 to close so that the vacuum unit 200 and the vacuum adsorption hole 111 are in a cut-off state, wherein the third time period includes the stage of performing a polishing operation on the wafer.

[0098] For example, in steps S01 and S02 above, during the first time period and the second time period, the second control valve 500 is controlled to open to connect the gas-liquid separation unit 400 and the vacuum adsorption hole 111; in step S03 above, during the third time period, the second control valve 500 is controlled to close to disconnect the gas-liquid separation unit 400 and the vacuum adsorption hole 111, wherein the third time period includes the stage of performing a polishing operation on the wafer.

[0099] Obviously, the wafer transfer method provided in this embodiment also has the beneficial effects of the wafer carrier stage provided in this embodiment, which will not be described in detail here.

[0100] Furthermore, this disclosure also provides an electronic device, including a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor executes the computer program to implement the steps of the wafer transfer method as described above.

[0101] Furthermore, this disclosure also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the wafer transfer method as described above.

[0102] The aforementioned computer-readable storage medium, since the computer program stored in its memory implements the steps in the above-described method embodiments when executed by a processor, can similarly have the beneficial effects brought about by the above-described methods.

[0103] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the processes in the methods of the above embodiments can be implemented by a computer program instructing related hardware. The computer program can be stored in a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium, and when executed, it can include the processes of the embodiments of the methods described above. Any references to memory, storage, databases, or other media used in the embodiments provided in this application can include at least one of non-volatile and volatile memory. Non-volatile memory can include read-only memory (ROM), magnetic tape, floppy disk, flash memory, or optical storage, etc. Volatile memory can include random access memory (RAM) or external cache memory. By way of illustration and not limitation, RAM can be in various forms, such as static random access memory (SRAM) or dynamic random access memory (DRAM), etc.

[0104] The following points need to be explained:

[0105] (1) The accompanying drawings of the embodiments of this disclosure only involve the structures involved in the embodiments of this disclosure. Other structures can be referred to the general design.

[0106] (2) For clarity, the thickness of layers or regions is enlarged or reduced in the drawings used to describe embodiments of the present disclosure, i.e., these drawings are not drawn to actual scale. It will be understood that when an element such as a layer, film, region or substrate is referred to as being “above” or “below” another element, the element may be “directly” located “above” or “below” the other element or there may be intermediate elements.

[0107] (3) Where there is no conflict, the embodiments of this disclosure and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other to obtain new embodiments.

[0108] The above are merely specific embodiments of this disclosure, but the scope of protection of this disclosure is not limited thereto. The scope of protection of this disclosure shall be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A polishing apparatus, characterized in that, include: An upper polishing disk and a lower polishing disk that can be pressed together or separated, wherein the lower polishing disk includes multiple wafer carriers, and the wafer carriers are provided with at least one wafer bearing area, and the bearing surface corresponding to the wafer bearing area is provided with a plurality of vacuum adsorption holes spaced apart; Vacuum unit, connected to the vacuum adsorption hole; and The control unit is connected to the vacuum unit; The control unit is used for: During the first time period, the vacuum unit is controlled to perform a vacuum adsorption operation on the wafer in the wafer carrier area using the vacuum adsorption orifice. During the second time period, the vacuum unit is controlled to cause the vacuum adsorption hole to release the vacuum from the wafer in the wafer carrier area. The first time period includes the stage after the wafer polishing process is completed, during which the upper polishing pad and the lower polishing pad begin to separate from each other from the pressed state; the second time period includes the stage of transferring the wafer from the lower polishing pad to the wafer transfer mechanism; a first control valve is provided between the vacuum unit and the vacuum suction hole, and the control unit is connected to the first control valve; the control unit is used for: During the first time period and the second time period, the first control valve is opened to connect the vacuum unit to the vacuum adsorption hole; During the third time period, the first control valve is closed to shut off the vacuum unit and the vacuum adsorption hole, so that the vacuum adsorption hole does not perform vacuum adsorption on the wafer in the wafer carrier area during the third time period; wherein the third time period includes a stage in which the wafer is polished.

2. The polishing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The vacuum unit includes: Vacuum generator; Clean gas components; A vacuum pipeline connects the vacuum generator and the vacuum adsorption hole, and a vacuum solenoid valve is provided on the vacuum pipeline; A vacuum breaking pipeline is connected between the clean gas component and the vacuum adsorption hole. A vacuum breaking solenoid valve is provided on the vacuum breaking pipeline. The vacuum pipeline and the vacuum breaking pipeline are connected in parallel. The control unit is used for: During the first time period, the vacuum solenoid valve is opened and the vacuum breaking solenoid valve is closed. During the second time period, the vacuum breaking solenoid valve is opened and the vacuum solenoid valve is closed.

3. The polishing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The polishing device further includes a gas-liquid separation unit, which includes at least one separation chamber. The separation chamber includes a gas-liquid mixing inlet, a gas inlet / outlet, and a liquid outlet. The gas-liquid mixing inlet and the gas inlet / outlet are located at the upper part of the separation chamber, and the liquid outlet is located at the lower part of the separation chamber. The gas-liquid mixing inlet is connected to the vacuum adsorption hole through a first pipeline, and the gas inlet / outlet is connected to the vacuum unit through a second pipeline.

4. The polishing apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first pipeline is provided with a second control valve, and the control unit is connected to the second control valve. The second control valve is used to control the second control valve to open during the first time period and the second time period to connect the gas-liquid separation unit and the vacuum adsorption hole; and to control the second control valve to close during the third time period to cut off the gas-liquid separation unit and the vacuum adsorption hole. The third time period includes a stage in which the wafer is polished.

5. The polishing apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, The vacuum unit includes at least one sub-vacuum unit, one of the vacuum adsorption holes is correspondingly connected to one of the separation chambers, and the gas inlet and outlet of all the separation chambers corresponding to a plurality of vacuum adsorption holes in the same wafer carrier area are connected to the same sub-vacuum unit.

6. A wafer transfer method, characterized in that, Transferring a wafer from the polishing apparatus as described in any one of claims 1 to 5 to a wafer transfer mechanism; the method includes: During the first time period, the vacuum unit is controlled to perform a vacuum adsorption operation on the wafer in the wafer carrier area using the vacuum adsorption orifice. During the second time period, the vacuum unit is controlled to cause the vacuum adsorption hole to release the vacuum from the wafer in the wafer carrier area. The first time period is the stage after the wafer polishing process is completed, during which the upper polishing pad and the lower polishing pad begin to separate from each other from their mutually pressed state; the second time period includes the stage of transferring the wafer from the lower polishing pad to the wafer transfer mechanism; the method further includes: During the first time period and the second time period, the first control valve is opened to make the vacuum unit and the vacuum adsorption hole in a conductive state. During the third time period, the first control valve is closed to ensure a cutoff between the vacuum unit and the vacuum adsorption hole, so that the vacuum adsorption hole does not perform vacuum adsorption on the wafer in the wafer carrier area during the third time period; wherein the third time period includes a stage in which the wafer is polished.

7. The wafer transfer method according to claim 6, characterized in that, When applied to the polishing apparatus as described in claim 4, in the method, During the first time period and the second time period, the second control valve is opened to connect the gas-liquid separation unit to the vacuum adsorption hole; In the third time period, the second control valve is closed to shut off the gas-liquid separation unit from the vacuum adsorption orifice, wherein the third time period includes a stage in which a polishing operation is performed on the wafer.

8. An electronic device, characterized in that, It includes a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor executes the computer program to implement the steps of the wafer transfer method as described in any one of claims 6 to 7.

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