Wafer transfer arm, wafer transfer device, and wafer transfer method

Abstract

The application discloses a wafer conveying arm, a wafer conveying device and a wafer conveying method. The wafer conveying arm comprises a wafer covering cavity and a position adjusting assembly. The wafer covering cavity comprises a ring-shaped lower wall body and a ring-shaped side wall. The ring-shaped side wall extends upward from the outer edge of the ring-shaped lower wall body in a direction perpendicular to the ring-shaped lower wall body to form a ring-shaped covering structure. The ring-shaped covering structure comprises at least two arc-shaped covering structures. The at least two arc-shaped covering structures can move towards or away from each other. The position adjusting assembly is arranged on the ring-shaped lower wall body and / or the ring-shaped side wall. Each position adjusting assembly comprises a distance sensor and a suspension force providing part. The distance sensor and the suspension force providing part are arranged at intervals. The suspension force providing part adjusts the wafer suspension force based on the wafer position information measured by the distance sensor to control the distance between the wafer and the inner wall of the wafer covering cavity. Thus, the application can avoid the problem of wafer breakage caused by the wafer not being sucked due to the existence of wafer warping.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, and specifically to a wafer transfer arm, a wafer transfer device, and a wafer transfer method. Background Technology

[0002] A wafer is a silicon wafer used in the fabrication of silicon semiconductor integrated circuits; it is the basic material for manufacturing semiconductor chips. After thinning processes, the thickness of the central region of a wafer can reach less than 200 μm. As semiconductor devices become increasingly miniaturized, the thickness of the wafers used becomes thinner and thinner. In actual production processes, how to safely and efficiently handle and transfer wafers, especially thinner ones, is a crucial issue.

[0003] In traditional wafer handling processes, both contact and non-contact arms are used. In contact handling, some material from the arm comes into contact with the wafer, potentially leading to contamination and damage. Furthermore, the warpage of the wafer can cause the arm to grip it loosely, resulting in breakage. Similarly, in non-contact arm handling, the varying warpage of each wafer can also cause gripping issues, leading to breakage. Additionally, if the suction device in a non-contact arm malfunctions or alarms, the suction power disappears, and the wafer can easily detach from the arm, causing breakage. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a wafer transfer arm, a wafer transfer device, and a wafer transfer method to avoid wafer breakage caused by insecure gripping during the pick-up, drop-down, and transfer process.

[0005] To achieve the above and other related objectives, the present invention provides a wafer transfer arm, comprising:

[0006] The wafer encapsulation cavity includes an annular lower wall and an annular sidewall. The annular sidewall extends upward from the outer edge of the annular lower wall in a direction perpendicular to the annular lower wall to form an annular encapsulation structure. The annular encapsulation structure includes at least two arc-shaped encapsulation structures, which are capable of moving closer to or further away from each other.

[0007] At least one position adjustment component is disposed on the annular lower wall and / or annular side wall. Each position adjustment component includes a distance sensor and a levitation force providing part. The distance sensor and the levitation force providing part are disposed at intervals. The levitation force providing part provides levitation force to levitate the wafer within the wafer enclosure cavity and adjusts the wafer levitation force based on the wafer position information measured by the distance sensor to control the distance between the wafer and the inner wall of the wafer enclosure cavity.

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, a wafer transfer apparatus is also provided, comprising:

[0009] Wafer transfer arm, the wafer transfer arm described above;

[0010] The wafer transfer motion mechanism is connected to the wafer transfer arm drive to control the transfer motion of the wafer transfer arm.

[0011] According to one aspect of the present invention, a wafer transfer method is also provided, which uses the above-described wafer transfer arm to perform wafer transfer.

[0012] Compared with the prior art, the wafer transfer arm, wafer transfer device, and wafer transfer method described in this invention have at least the following beneficial effects:

[0013] The wafer transport arm of the present invention includes a wafer encapsulation cavity and at least one position adjustment component. The wafer encapsulation cavity includes an annular lower wall and an annular sidewall. The annular sidewall extends upward from the outer edge of the annular lower wall in a direction perpendicular to the annular lower wall to form an annular encapsulation structure. The annular encapsulation structure includes at least two arc-shaped encapsulation structures, which are capable of moving closer to or further away from each other. The position adjustment component is disposed on the annular lower wall and / or the annular sidewall. Each position adjustment component includes a distance sensor and a levitation force providing part, which are spaced apart. The levitation force providing part provides levitation force to suspend the wafer within the wafer encapsulation cavity and adjusts the wafer levitation force based on the wafer position information measured by the distance sensor to control the distance between the wafer and the inner wall of the wafer encapsulation cavity. Therefore, the position adjustment component of this invention can suspend and fix the wafer suspended within the wafer encapsulation cavity. Even if the wafer has warpage, it can dynamically adjust the levitation force at various positions of the wafer based on the measurement information from the distance sensor to firmly grip the wafer, avoiding the problem of wafer breakage due to weak gripping or adsorption caused by wafer warpage. Furthermore, this invention, by setting a wafer encapsulation cavity with annular sidewalls, encapsulates the wafer suspended within the cavity, preventing it from slipping off the wafer support surface when it loses levitation. Because the wafer is suspended within the wafer encapsulation cavity, contamination will not occur during transport. The wafer transport arm of this invention can be used for transporting ultra-thin wafers or wafers with large warpage, avoiding problems such as weak gripping, wafer breakage, and wafer contamination during wafer transport.

[0014] The wafer transfer apparatus and wafer transfer method of the present invention include or employ the above-described wafer transfer arm, and similarly possess the above-described technical effects.

[0015] Furthermore, the wafer transfer method also includes first measuring the position of the wafer on the wafer carrier platform when the wafer transfer arm moves to the pick-up / placement position of the wafer carrier platform. Subsequently, after the wafer detaches from the wafer carrier platform, the levitation force supply unit is adjusted according to the measured position information to ensure that the levitation state of the wafer within the wafer enclosure cavity is the same as its placement state on the wafer carrier platform. This avoids damage to the wafer caused by collisions or friction with the wafer carrier platform due to deviations in the wafer's levitation state during subsequent placement. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the wafer encapsulation cavity of the wafer transfer arm in the closed state in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the wafer encapsulation cavity of the wafer transfer arm in the open state in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the wafer-encapsulated cavity in one example of Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 4 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the wafer-encapsulated cavity in another example of Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 5 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the wafer-encapsulated cavity in another example of Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 6 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the wafer-encapsulated cavity in another example of Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 7 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the wafer-encapsulated cavity in another example of Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of placing a wafer on a wafer transport platform in Embodiment 3 of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure in Embodiment 3 of the present invention, showing the movement of the wafer transfer arm to the pick-up and place position of the wafer carrier platform;

[0025] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the wafer transfer arm in Embodiment 3 of the present invention, which clamps and transfers the wafer.

[0026] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the wafer transfer arm in Embodiment 3 of the present invention, which transports the wafer to the reaction chamber.

[0027] List of reference numerals in the attached diagram:

[0028] 100 Wafer Encapsulation Cavity 101 Annular lower wall 102 Annular sidewall 103 Annular upper wall 110 First arc-shaped covering structure 120 Second arc-shaped covering structure 200 Position adjustment component 201 Distance sensor 202 Suspension force supply unit 300 Driver components 301 First drive lever 3011 First drive crossbar 3012 First drive rod 302 Second drive lever 3021 Second drive crossbar 3022 Second drive rod 303 drive unit 400 Connection components 401 First connecting rod 402 Second connecting rod 403 Connecting main rod 500 Wafer carrier platform 600 wafer 700 reaction chamber Detailed Implementation

[0029] The following specific embodiments illustrate the implementation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification. The present invention can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and various details in this specification can also be modified or changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of this application. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the following embodiments and features in the embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0030] It should be understood that the illustrations provided in the embodiments of this invention are merely schematic representations of the basic concept of the invention. Although the illustrations only show components relevant to the invention and are not drawn according to the actual number, shape, and size of components in implementation, the shape, quantity, and proportion of each component can be arbitrarily changed in actual implementation, and the component layout may also be more complex. The structures, proportions, sizes, etc., shown in the accompanying drawings are only used to complement the content disclosed in the specification for those skilled in the art to understand and read, and are not intended to limit the conditions under which this application can be implemented. Therefore, they have no substantial technical significance. Any modifications to the structure, changes in the proportional relationships, or adjustments to the size, without affecting the effects and objectives that the invention can produce, should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed in this application.

[0031] To avoid damage, breakage, or contamination during wafer transfer, this embodiment provides a wafer transfer arm, a wafer transfer device, and a wafer transfer method to prevent wafers from slipping off the wafer support surface when they lose their load-bearing or levitation force, or wafers from being poorly gripped or adhered due to wafer warpage, thus avoiding breakage.

[0032] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to specific embodiments.

[0033] Example 1

[0034] This embodiment provides a wafer transfer arm, see reference. Figure 1 Alternatively, the wafer transfer arm includes a wafer encapsulation cavity 100 and at least one position adjustment assembly 200. Referring to... Figure 3Alternatively, the wafer encapsulation cavity 100 includes at least an annular lower wall 101 and an annular sidewall 102. The annular sidewall 102 extends upward from the outer edge of the annular lower wall 101 in a direction perpendicular to the annular lower wall 101 to form an annular encapsulation structure. The annular encapsulation structure includes at least two arc-shaped encapsulation structures, which are capable of moving closer to or further apart from each other. (Refer to...) Figure 1 , 2 Alternatively, position adjustment components 200 are disposed on the annular lower wall 101 and / or the annular sidewall 102. Each position adjustment component 200 includes a distance sensor 201 and a levitation force providing part 202, which are spaced apart. The levitation force providing part 202 provides levitation force to suspend the wafer within the wafer enclosure cavity 100, and adjusts the wafer levitation force based on the wafer position information measured by the distance sensor 201 to control the distance between the wafer and the inner wall of the wafer enclosure cavity 100. Thus, this embodiment, by providing a wafer enclosure cavity 100 with annular sidewall 102, encloses the wafer suspended within the wafer enclosure cavity 100, preventing it from slipping off the wafer support surface when it loses levitation force. Furthermore, the position adjustment component 200 can suspend and fix the wafer suspended in the wafer enclosure cavity 100. Even if the wafer has warpage, it can dynamically adjust the suspension force at each position of the wafer according to the measurement information of the distance sensor 201 to firmly grasp the wafer and avoid the problem of wafer breakage caused by the wafer warpage, which may result in the wafer not being firmly grasped or adsorbed.

[0035] Specifically, refer to Figure 3 Alternatively, the wafer encapsulation cavity 100 includes at least an annular lower wall 101 and an annular sidewall 102. The annular sidewall 102 extends upward from the outer edge of the annular lower wall 101 in a direction perpendicular to the annular lower wall 101 to form an annular encapsulation structure. Optionally, refer to... Figure 3 The wafer encapsulation cavity 100 may only include an annular lower wall 101 and an annular sidewall 102, in which case the position adjustment component 200 can be disposed only on the annular lower wall 101 and / or the annular sidewall 102. Of course, referring to Figure 4 The wafer covering cavity 100 may also include an annular upper wall 103, which forms an all-round covering of the wafer.

[0036] In this embodiment, refer to Figure 4 The wafer encapsulation cavity 100 also includes an annular upper wall 103, which is parallel to the annular lower wall 101. An annular sidewall 102 extends from the outer edge of the annular lower wall 101 in a direction perpendicular to the annular lower wall 101 to the outer edge of the annular upper wall 103 and connects thereto. Thus, the wafer encapsulation cavity 100 can achieve omnidirectional encapsulation of the wafer, preventing it from slipping.

[0037] The wafer cladding cavity 100 (annular cladding structure) includes at least two arc-shaped cladding structures, which are capable of moving closer to or further apart from each other. In this embodiment, referring to... Figure 2 The annular covering structure includes two arc-shaped covering structures, namely a first arc-shaped covering structure 110 and a second arc-shaped covering structure 120. The first arc-shaped covering structure 110 and the second arc-shaped covering structure 120 are respectively connected to the driving component 300 to move closer to or further away from each other. Specifically, refer to... Figure 2 The drive assembly 300 includes a first drive rod 301, a second drive rod 302, and a drive device 303. The first drive rod 301 is fixedly connected to the first arc-shaped covering structure 110. The second drive rod 302 is fixedly connected to the second arc-shaped covering structure 120. One end of the drive device 303 is drivenly connected to the first drive rod 301, and the other end is drivenly connected to the second drive rod 302. The drive device 303 controls the movement of the first drive rod 301 and the second drive rod 302 closer or further apart through its telescopic function, thereby controlling the opening and closing of the annular covering structure. The first drive rod 301 includes a first drive horizontal rod 3011 and a first drive vertical rod 3012, which are fixedly connected. The second drive rod 302 includes a second drive horizontal rod 3021 and a second drive vertical rod 3022, which are fixedly connected. The ends of the first drive rod 3011 and the second drive rod 3022 extend towards each other, and their extended ends are respectively connected to the two ends of the drive device 303. The drive device 303 drives the first drive rod and the second drive rod through its telescopic function, thereby causing the first arc-shaped covering structure 110 and the second arc-shaped covering structure 120 to move closer to or further away from each other. In this embodiment, the drive device 303 is a telescopic cylinder. This telescopic cylinder is in a compressed state when the power is off, thus ensuring that the wafer covering cavity 100 is in a closed state when the power is off, preventing the two arc-shaped covering structures from opening due to power failure, which could cause the wafer to detach from the wafer covering cavity 100 and result in breakage.

[0038] It should be noted that the wafer encapsulation cavity 100 may also include three, four or more arc-shaped encapsulation structures. In this case, the closure and opening of the wafer encapsulation cavity can be achieved by driving and controlling multiple arc-shaped encapsulation structures in the lateral and / or longitudinal directions. This embodiment does not limit the number of arc-shaped encapsulation structures, as long as the wafer can be placed and removed through closure and opening.

[0039] Reference Figure 1Alternatively, position adjustment components are disposed on the annular lower wall 101 and / or the annular side wall 102. Each position adjustment component 200 includes a distance sensor 201 and a levitation force providing part 202. The distance sensor 201 and the levitation force providing part 202 are disposed at intervals. The levitation force providing part 202 provides levitation force to levitate the wafer within the wafer enclosure cavity 100 and adjusts the wafer levitation force based on the wafer position information measured by the distance sensor 201 to control the distance between the wafer and the inner wall of the wafer enclosure cavity 100.

[0040] In this embodiment, reference is also made to Figure 1 and 4 The position adjustment components are disposed on the annular upper wall 103, the annular lower wall 101, and the annular side wall 102. By setting the distance sensors 201 of the position adjustment components 200 located on the annular upper wall 103 and the distance sensors 201 of the position adjustment components 200 located on the annular lower wall 101 in a one-to-one correspondence, a certain position on the upper and lower surfaces of the wafer can be precisely adjusted to ensure the accuracy of the wafer position. On a certain cross section of the wafer enclosure cavity 100, refer to... Figure 5 or Figure 7 The distance sensor 201 located on the upper annular wall 103 and the distance sensor 201 located on the lower annular wall 101 are respectively arranged in a one-to-one correspondence. Correspondingly, on a certain cross section of the wafer cladding cavity 100, a reference is made. Figure 4 Alternatively, in configuration 6, the levitation force providing portions 202 on both sides of the distance sensor 201 located on the upper annular wall 103 are also arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the levitation force providing portions 202 on both sides of the distance sensor 201 located on the lower annular wall 101. On a certain cross-section of the wafer encapsulation cavity 100, the distance sensors 201 located on the annular sidewalls 102 are symmetrically arranged with respect to the geometric center of the wafer encapsulation cavity 100, such as... Figure 4 , 5 As shown. On a certain cross-section of the wafer encapsulation cavity 100, the levitation force providing part 202 located on the annular sidewall 102 is symmetrically arranged with respect to the geometric center of the wafer encapsulation cavity 100, as shown. Figure 6 , 7 As shown.

[0041] Each position adjustment component may include a distance sensor 201 and at least one levitation force providing unit 202. In this embodiment, each position adjustment component includes a distance sensor 201 and two levitation force providing units 202 adjacent to the distance sensor 201. That is, the position information of one distance sensor 201 can be fed back and control the magnitude of the levitation force of the two levitation force providing units 202 connected to it, realizing precise control of the wafer position at the position of the distance sensor 201. Of course, it is also possible for the distance sensor 201 to control only one levitation force providing unit 202 or to control two or more. The levitation force providing unit 202 can provide wafer levitation force for the wafer within the wafer enclosure cavity 100, so that the wafer is suspended within the wafer enclosure cavity 100. Optionally, the levitation force providing unit 202 is an air hole, which provides levitation force for the wafer by introducing negative or positive pressure into the air hole. Optionally, the levitation force providing unit 202 is an electrostatic hole, which generates electrostatic force to provide levitation force for the wafer by applying static electricity into the electrostatic hole. In this embodiment, the levitation force providing part 202 is an air hole. By introducing negative pressure into the air hole, a suction force is generated on the wafer. Through the cooperation of two corresponding air holes located on the annular upper wall 103 and the annular lower wall 101, the wafer reaches equilibrium under the action of the upper and lower suction forces, thus achieving wafer levitation. The air holes located on the annular sidewall 102 can also generate suction force through symmetrically positioned air holes, achieving horizontal positional balance.

[0042] The number of position adjustment components 200 is not fixed, as long as it can realize the detection and control of wafer position. For example, the number of distance sensors in the position adjustment components 200 can be 2, 4, 6, 8, or 10 or more. In this embodiment, referring to... Figure 1 Alternatively, in embodiment 2, the position adjustment component comprises 10 distance sensors 201, each with a corresponding levitation force providing part 202 on both sides. The position information of the distance sensors 201 can collectively adjust or act on the levitation force providing parts 202 on both sides to achieve position control. In other embodiments, there may be more than 10 distance sensors 201 to further improve the accuracy of wafer position control.

[0043] In an optional embodiment, refer to Figure 1Alternatively, the wafer transfer arm may further include a connecting assembly 400, which includes a first connecting support rod 401, a second connecting support rod 402, and a connecting main rod 403. The first connecting support rod 401 is rotatably connected to a first drive rod 301. The second connecting support rod 402 is rotatably connected to the second drive rod 302. The connecting main rod 403 is rotatably connected to the first connecting support rod 401 and the second connecting support rod 402 at the same connection point. The first connecting support rod 401 and the second connecting support rod 402 move closer to or further away from each other in response to the movement of the first drive rod 301 and the second drive rod 302.

[0044] Example 2

[0045] This embodiment provides a wafer transfer device, which includes a wafer transfer arm and a wafer transfer motion mechanism. The wafer transfer arm is the same as that in Embodiment 1, and its structure will not be described again here. The wafer transfer motion mechanism is driven to the wafer transfer arm to control the transfer movement of the wafer transfer arm after it picks up the wafer. Optionally, the wafer transfer motion mechanism is driven to the connecting rod of the wafer transfer arm.

[0046] The wafer transfer device in this embodiment includes the wafer transfer arm in embodiment 1. Similarly, it can avoid the problem of wafer breakage caused by the wafer slipping on the wafer support surface when the wafer loses its levitation force, or the problem of wafer breakage caused by the wafer warpage due to the wafer not being firmly gripped or adsorbed.

[0047] Example 3

[0048] This embodiment provides a wafer transfer method, which uses the wafer transfer arm in Embodiment 1 or the wafer transfer device in Embodiment 2.

[0049] Specifically, the wafer transfer method in this embodiment includes:

[0050] S1: Provide a wafer, which is placed on a wafer carrier platform;

[0051] Wafers are typically placed inside wafer cassettes. Before using a wafer transfer arm to move the wafers, they must first be removed from the wafer cassette. (See reference...) Figure 8 The removed wafer 600 is placed on the wafer carrier platform 500. The central region of the wafer 600 overlaps with the wafer carrier platform 500, while the edge regions of the wafer 600 are suspended.

[0052] S2: Control the wafer transfer arm to move above the wafer carrier platform, so that at least two arc-shaped covering structures of the wafer transfer arm move away from each other and open up, and move the wafer transfer arm down so that the at least two open arc-shaped covering structures cover the edge of the wafer.

[0053] Specifically, in this embodiment, referring to Figure 9 and 10 The wafer encapsulation cavity 100 includes two arc-shaped encapsulation structures. During wafer 600 transfer, the wafer transfer arm is first moved above the wafer support platform 500, causing the two arc-shaped encapsulation structures of the wafer transfer arm to open away from each other. The opening range of the two arc-shaped encapsulation structures must completely avoid the edge of the wafer 600 to prevent damage from contact with the wafer 600 during descent. Then, the wafer transfer arm is lowered by controlling the transfer motion mechanism of the wafer transfer device. At this time, the levitation force providing part 202 and the distance sensor 201 are in a closed state. In this embodiment, the levitation force providing part 202 is an air vent, and negative pressure is introduced into the air vent to form a suction force on the wafer 600.

[0054] S3: Control at least two arc-shaped covering structures of the wafer transfer arm to approach each other and close, so that the wafer is in the covering space of the wafer covering cavity, and the edge of the wafer is covered by an annular upper wall and / or an annular lower wall.

[0055] Reference Figure 9 and 10 The wafer transfer arm is lowered and reaches the pick-up and drop position of the wafer carrier platform 500. The wafer 600 is located inside the wafer covering cavity 100 of the wafer transfer arm. The two arc-shaped covering structures of the wafer transfer arm are controlled to approach and close each other. The edge of the wafer 600 is covered by the annular upper wall 103 and / or annular lower wall 101 of the wafer covering cavity 100. At this time, the wafer transfer arm is not in contact with the wafer 600 at all sides.

[0056] S4: Activate the distance sensors and measure the relative position information between each distance sensor and the wafer to obtain the position status information of the wafer on the wafer carrier platform;

[0057] Reference Figure 9 and 10 After the wafer enclosure cavity 100 is closed, the distance sensor at each position is turned on, the relative position information between each distance sensor and the corresponding wafer 600 is measured, the position status information of the wafer 600 is obtained, and the information is stored.

[0058] S5: Activate the levitation force supply unit to levitate the wafer, control the movement of the wafer transfer arm, and the wafer is detached from the wafer carrier platform by being covered and supported by the wafer covering cavity.

[0059] Reference Figure 9 and 10After acquiring the position status information of wafer 600, negative pressure is introduced into the air vents on the wafer transfer arm to suspend the wafer within the wafer encapsulation cavity 100. During this process, the distance sensor 201 dynamically adjusts the magnitude of the negative pressure within the air vents based on its vertical, horizontal, and vertical position to ensure that wafer 600 is stably suspended within the wafer encapsulation cavity 100. Then, the wafer transfer arm is controlled to move, at which point wafer 600 is detached from the wafer carrier platform 500, suspended and supported by the wafer encapsulation cavity 100.

[0060] S6: Based on the position status information, adjust the wafer levitation force of the levitation force providing part to keep the wafer in the position state on the wafer carrier platform.

[0061] After performing step S5, refer to Figure 9 and 10 The wafer 600 is stably suspended within the wafer enclosure cavity 100. However, since the suspension state of the wafer 600 is random, it may not be in a horizontal state. To maintain the wafer 600 in its position on the wafer support platform 500, the wafer levitation force of the position adjustment component can be adjusted based on the position state information stored in step S5, thus keeping the wafer 600 on the wafer support platform 500. Therefore, even if the wafer 600 is warped, it can be adjusted to a position on the support platform according to the position state information, preventing damage to the wafer 600 from collisions or friction with the platform due to unevenness during the next placement. Specifically, the distance sensor compares the position status information stored in step S5 with the current position information and dynamically adjusts the suction size to keep it on the wafer carrier platform 500. Once the suction pressure and surrounding distance are stable, the wafer 600 can be moved to the wafer carrier platform 500 of the next working unit.

[0062] Following step S6, the method further includes: referring to Figure 10 After gripping and positioning wafer 600, the wafer transfer arm is moved to the wafer carrier platform 500 within the reaction chamber 700 of the next work unit. Then, the distance sensor and the negative pressure supply to the vent are shut off, allowing wafer 600 to be stably placed on the wafer carrier platform 500. The wafer enclosure cavity 100 is then opened, completing the transfer of wafer 600. The wafer transfer arm is then moved out of the reaction chamber 700 to proceed to the next processing step.

[0063] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of the present invention and are not intended to limit the invention. Any person skilled in the art can modify or alter the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or alterations made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and technical concept disclosed in the present invention should still be covered by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A wafer transfer arm, characterized in that, include: The wafer encapsulation cavity includes at least an annular lower wall and an annular sidewall. The annular sidewall extends upward from the outer edge of the annular lower wall in a direction perpendicular to the annular lower wall to form an annular encapsulation structure. The annular encapsulation structure includes at least two arc-shaped encapsulation structures, which are capable of moving closer to or further away from each other. A position adjustment assembly is disposed on the annular lower wall and / or annular side wall. Each position adjustment assembly includes a distance sensor and a levitation force providing part. The distance sensor and the levitation force providing part are disposed at intervals. The levitation force providing part provides levitation force to levitate the wafer within the wafer enclosure cavity and adjusts the levitation force of the wafer based on the wafer position information measured by the distance sensor to control the distance between the wafer and the inner wall of the wafer enclosure cavity.

2. The wafer transfer arm according to claim 1, characterized in that, The wafer encapsulation cavity also includes an annular upper wall, which is parallel to the annular lower wall. The annular sidewall extends from the outer edge of the annular lower wall in a direction perpendicular to the annular lower wall to the outer edge of the annular upper wall and connects thereto.

3. The wafer transfer arm according to claim 2, characterized in that, The position adjustment component is also disposed on the annular upper wall.

4. The wafer transfer arm according to claim 3, characterized in that, The distance sensor located on the upper annular wall is provided in a one-to-one correspondence with the distance sensor located on the lower annular wall, and the levitation force providing part located on the upper annular wall is provided in a one-to-one correspondence with the levitation force providing part located on the lower annular wall.

5. The wafer transfer arm according to claim 1, characterized in that, The distance sensor located on the annular sidewall is symmetrically arranged with respect to the geometric center of the wafer encapsulation cavity, and the levitation force providing part located on the annular sidewall is symmetrically arranged with respect to the geometric center of the wafer encapsulation cavity.

6. The wafer transfer arm according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the position adjustment components includes a distance sensor and two levitation force providing parts adjacent to and located on both sides of the distance sensor.

7. The wafer transfer arm according to claim 1, characterized in that, The levitation force providing part is an air hole, and negative or positive pressure is introduced into the air hole to provide levitation force for the wafer.

8. The wafer transfer arm according to claim 1, characterized in that, The levitation force providing part is an electrostatic hole, through which electrostatic force is applied to provide levitation force for the wafer.

9. The wafer transfer arm according to claim 1, characterized in that, The annular cladding structure includes a first arc-shaped cladding structure and a second arc-shaped cladding structure, and the wafer transfer arm further includes: The driving component is connected at one end to the first arc-shaped covering structure and at the other end to the second arc-shaped covering structure, so as to control the first arc-shaped covering structure and the second arc-shaped covering structure to move closer or further apart.

10. The wafer transfer arm according to claim 9, characterized in that, The driving component includes: The first drive rod is fixedly connected to the first arc-shaped covering structure; The second drive rod is fixedly connected to the second arc-shaped covering structure; The driving device has one end connected to the first driving rod and the other end connected to the second driving rod. The driving device controls the movement of the first driving rod and the second driving rod closer or further away through its telescopic function, so as to control the opening and closing of the annular covering structure.

11. The wafer transfer arm according to claim 10, characterized in that, The driving device is a telescopic cylinder.

12. The wafer transfer arm according to claim 10, characterized in that, The wafer transfer arm also includes a connection component, which includes: The first connecting rod is rotatably connected to the first driving rod; The second connecting rod is rotatably connected to the second driving rod; The main connecting rod is rotatably connected to the first connecting support rod and the second connecting support rod at the same connection point. The first connecting support rod and the second connecting support rod move closer to or further away from each other as the first driving rod and the second driving rod move.

13. A wafer transfer device, characterized in that, include: A wafer transfer arm, wherein the wafer transfer arm is the wafer transfer arm according to any one of claims 1 to 12; A wafer transfer motion mechanism is connected to the wafer transfer arm drive to drive the wafer transfer arm to perform transfer motion.

14. A wafer transfer method, characterized in that, Wafer transfer is performed using a wafer transfer arm as described in any one of claims 1 to 12, the wafer transfer method comprising: A wafer is provided, the wafer being placed on a wafer carrier platform; Control the wafer transfer arm to move above the wafer carrier platform, so that at least two arc-shaped covering structures of the wafer transfer arm are separated from each other and open up, and move the wafer transfer arm down so that the at least two open arc-shaped covering structures cover the edge of the wafer; At least two arc-shaped covering structures of the wafer transfer arm are controlled to approach and close each other, so that the wafer is placed in the covering space of the wafer covering cavity, and the edge of the wafer is covered by the annular lower wall. Activate the distance sensors and measure the relative position information of each distance sensor with respect to the wafer to obtain the position status information of the wafer on the wafer carrier platform; The levitation force supply unit is activated to levitate the wafer, and the wafer transfer arm is controlled to move. The wafer is enclosed and supported by the wafer encapsulation cavity and detached from the wafer support platform. Based on the position status information, the wafer levitation force of the levitation force providing part is adjusted to keep the wafer in the position state of the wafer support platform.

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