Wafer conveying device, semiconductor measuring equipment and use method

Abstract

The invention discloses a wafer conveying device, semiconductor measuring equipment and a use method. The wafer conveying device comprises an arm assembly, a bearing assembly, a magnetic fluid assembly and a driving assembly. The arm assembly comprises a transposition arm and a rotating shaft, the two ends of the transposition arm symmetrically extend to form bearing parts used for bearing wafers, and the upper end of the rotating shaft is fixedly connected with the center position of the transposition arm; the bearing assembly comprises a positioning bearing and a bearing shell sleeve, the rotating shaft is sleeved with the positioning bearing, and the positioning bearing is sleeved with the bearing shell sleeve which is connected with an external structure; the magnetofluid assembly comprises a sealing shell sleeve and a magnetofluid seal, the sealing shell sleeve sleeves the rotating shaft below the bearing shell sleeve, and the magnetofluid seal is located between the sealing shell sleeve and the rotating shaft; the driving assembly is connected with the lower end of the rotating shaft and used for driving the rotating shaft to rotate. The wafer conveying device has the advantages of being simple in structure, small in size, small in assembly difficulty, good in transposition stability, low in manufacturing cost and maintenance cost and the like.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of semiconductor measurement technology, and in particular relates to a wafer conveying device, a semiconductor measurement equipment and a use method. Background Art

[0002] At present, there are many types of wafer transfer mechanisms used in semiconductor equipment, each of which achieves different purposes. For example, when performing wafer measurement, a multi-degree-of-freedom vacuum manipulator is usually used to achieve wafer transposition transfer, that is, to transfer the wafer to be tested from the vacuum sub-chamber to the vacuum main chamber (testing position), or to transfer the tested wafer from the vacuum main chamber to the vacuum sub-chamber, thereby completing the measurement and loading and unloading of the wafer.

[0003] However, multi-degree-of-freedom vacuum manipulators are not only complex in structure and large in size, but also have high procurement costs. On the one hand, the vacuum chamber in the semiconductor measurement equipment needs to be set very large to accommodate the vacuum manipulator, which is not conducive to the miniaturization of semiconductor measurement equipment; on the other hand, it is difficult to assemble the multi-degree-of-freedom vacuum manipulator in the vacuum chamber, which increases the difficulty of assembling semiconductor measurement equipment. In addition, the high price of multi-degree-of-freedom vacuum manipulators also increases the manufacturing cost and maintenance cost of semiconductor measurement equipment. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of the above problems, the present invention discloses a wafer transfer device, a semiconductor measurement equipment and a use method to overcome the above problems or at least partially solve the above problems.

[0005] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0006] In one aspect, the present invention discloses a wafer transfer device, comprising an arm assembly, a bearing assembly, a magnetic fluid assembly and a drive assembly;

[0007] The arm assembly includes a transposition arm and a rotating shaft, two ends of the transposition arm are symmetrically extended with receiving parts for receiving wafers, and the upper end of the rotating shaft is fixedly connected to the center position of the transposition arm;

[0008] The bearing assembly includes a positioning bearing and a bearing shell sleeve, wherein the positioning bearing is sleeved on the rotating shaft, and the bearing shell sleeve is sleeved on the outer side of the positioning bearing and connected to the external structure;

[0009] The magnetic fluid assembly comprises a sealing shell and a magnetic fluid seal, wherein the sealing shell is sleeved on the rotating shaft below the bearing shell, and the magnetic fluid seal is located between the sealing shell and the rotating shaft;

[0010] The driving assembly is connected to the lower end of the rotating shaft and is used for driving the rotating shaft to rotate.

[0011] Further, the rotating shaft comprises an upper central shaft, a lower central shaft and a magnetic fluid shaft which are fixedly connected in sequence from top to bottom;

[0012] The lower end of the upper center shaft and the upper end of the lower center shaft are fixedly connected via a bellows coupling.

[0013] Furthermore, the bearing assembly further comprises a locking nut and a bearing shell cover; the locating bearing comprises a first locating bearing and a second locating bearing;

[0014] The upper center shaft passes through the upper part of the bearing shell sleeve, the first positioning bearing sleeve is arranged on the upper part of the upper center shaft, the bearing shell cover is arranged on the upper end of the bearing shell sleeve, and is used for axially pressing and fixing the outer ring of the first positioning bearing, the second positioning bearing sleeve is arranged on the lower part of the upper center shaft, and the locking nut is fixed on the upper center shaft below the second positioning bearing through a threaded structure, and is used for axially pressing and fixing the inner ring of the second positioning bearing.

[0015] Further, the arm assembly also includes an upper pressing plate, a lower pressing plate and a positioning pin;

[0016] The upper pressing plate is located above the transposition arm, and the lower pressing plate is located below the transposition arm. The upper pressing plate, the transposition arm and the lower pressing plate are fixedly connected by screws or bolts. An upper positioning hole is provided on the transposition arm below the upper pressing plate, and a lower positioning hole corresponding to the upper positioning hole is provided on the lower pressing plate. The positioning pin is located in the upper positioning hole and the lower positioning hole.

[0017] The lower pressing plate is provided with a plurality of top screw holes, each of which is provided with a top screw, and the upper end of the top screw presses the transposition arm to adjust the flatness of the transposition arm.

[0018] Furthermore, the magnetic fluid assembly further comprises a first bearing and a second bearing disposed in the sealing shell;

[0019] The magnetic fluid shaft is inserted into the sealing shell from the top of the sealing shell, the first bearing is sleeved on the magnetic fluid shaft above the magnetic fluid seal, the upper end of the sealing shell is covered with a sealing shell cover, the sealing shell cover is used to axially compress and fix the outer ring of the first bearing, a first spacer is provided between the outer circle of the first bearing and the magnetic fluid seal, the second bearing is sleeved on the magnetic fluid shaft below the magnetic fluid seal, a second spacer is provided between the outer circle of the second bearing and the magnetic fluid seal, retaining rings are respectively sleeved on the magnetic fluid shaft on both sides of the second bearing, and the two retaining rings are used to fix the inner ring of the second bearing; a flange is formed on the outer circumference of the sealing shell, an annular sealing groove is opened on the upper end surface of the flange, a sealing member is provided in the sealing groove, and a plurality of fixing holes are provided on the flange.

[0020] Further, the driving assembly includes a motor, a transfer shaft and a mounting plate;

[0021] The motor is fixed on the mounting plate and fixedly connected to the lower end of the magnetic fluid shaft through the adapter shaft. A plurality of connecting columns are connected between the mounting plate and the flange.

[0022] Further, two sensing components are included;

[0023] The inductive electrical component includes a photoelectric sensor and a baffle, the photoelectric sensor is fixed to the connecting column through a bracket, the baffle is fixed to the adapter shaft, the two photoelectric sensors are arranged at 90 degrees in the horizontal direction, and the two baffles are arranged at 180 degrees in the horizontal direction.

[0024] Furthermore, a plurality of accommodating grooves and a plurality of concentric arc-shaped engraved lines are provided on the upper end surface of the receiving portion, a flexible member is provided in each of the accommodating grooves, and the radius of each of the arc-shaped engraved lines is different.

[0025] Another aspect of the present invention is a semiconductor measurement device, comprising a vacuum chamber, a lifting device, a workbench and the wafer conveying device described above;

[0026] A through hole is provided at the bottom of the vacuum chamber, and the transposition arm extends into the vacuum chamber through the through hole. The sealing shell is located at the through hole and is fixedly connected to the bottom wall of the vacuum chamber, and the bearing shell is fixedly connected to the side wall of the vacuum chamber; the lifting device and the workbench are arranged in the vacuum chamber and on both sides of the transposition arm along the X-axis direction, and the lifting device is provided with a first support column, which can lift the wafer and move between a high position, a middle position and a low position in a vertical direction; the workbench is provided with a second support column, which can lift the wafer and move between a loading and unloading position and an avoidance position in a vertical direction.

[0027] Another aspect of the present invention discloses a method for using the semiconductor measurement device described above, which specifically comprises the following steps:

[0028] Step 01, after the wafer on the workbench has been measured, the second support column lifts the measured wafer to the loading and unloading position, and the first support column lifts the wafer to be measured to the middle position;

[0029] Step 02, the transposition arm is rotated 90° in the positive direction from the initial position along the X-axis direction, so that one of the receiving parts is located below the measured wafer and the other receiving part is located below the wafer to be measured;

[0030] Step 03, the second supporting column moves down to the avoidance position, so that the measured wafer is placed on the corresponding receiving portion, and the first supporting column moves down to the low position, so that the wafer to be measured is placed on the corresponding receiving portion;

[0031] Step 04, the position change arm rotates 180° in the opposite direction, so that the wafer to be measured rotates to the top of the workbench, and the measured wafer rotates to the top of the lifting device, and then the second support column moves up to the loading and unloading position, so that the wafer to be measured is placed on the second support column, and the first support column moves up to the middle position, so that the measured wafer is placed on the first support column;

[0032] Step 05, the position change arm rotates forward 90° and returns to the initial position, and then the first support column moves up to a high position to load and unload the wafer on the first support column.

[0033] The advantages and beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0034] In the wafer conveying device of the present invention, a magnetic fluid component with a vacuum sealing function is arranged between the arm component and the driving component, so that the transposition arm can be placed in the vacuum chamber, and the driving component is placed outside the vacuum chamber, thereby reducing the difficulty of assembling the wafer conveying device on the vacuum chamber; and, by arranging the transposition arm, and symmetrically extending receiving parts for receiving the wafer at both ends of the transposition arm, the transposition transfer of the wafer can be achieved, and the structure is simple, the size is small, and the manufacturing cost and maintenance cost are lower; in addition, by sequentially sleeved positioning bearings and bearing shells on the outside of the rotating shaft, the circumferential positioning of the rotating shaft can be achieved, so that the rotating shaft drives the transposition arm to rotate more smoothly, thereby increasing the stability of the wafer during transposition. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by reading the detailed description of the preferred embodiments below. The accompanying drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating the preferred embodiments and are not to be considered as limiting the present invention. Moreover, the same reference symbols are used throughout the accompanying drawings to represent the same components. In the accompanying drawings:

[0036] Figure 1 A three-dimensional structural diagram of a wafer conveying device in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 2 The exploded structural diagram of an arm assembly with the rotating axis removed according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 3 is a top view of an arm assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 4 An exploded structural diagram of a bearing assembly in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 5 is an axial cross-sectional view of a bearing assembly in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 6 is an axial cross-sectional view of a magnetic fluid assembly in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 7 A diagram showing the connection structure of a photoelectric sensor and a bracket in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 8 A front view of a semiconductor measurement device according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Fig. 9 and Fig.10 is an internal structure diagram of a semiconductor measurement device in another embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] Fig.11 It is a structural schematic diagram of another embodiment of the present invention when the first support column is located at the middle position and the second support column is located at the loading and unloading position;

[0046] Fig.12 It is a structural schematic diagram of another embodiment of the present invention when the first support column is located at a low position and the second support column is located at an avoidance position;

[0047] Fig.13 FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the implementation steps of a method for using a semiconductor measurement device in yet another embodiment of the present invention.

[0048] In the figure: 1, transposition arm; 2, receiving part; 3, bearing shell; 4, sealing shell; 5, magnetic fluid seal; 6, upper center axis; 7, lower center axis; 8, magnetic fluid axis; 9, bellows coupling; 10, locking nut; 11, bearing shell cover; 12, first positioning bearing; 13, second positioning bearing; 14, first screw; 15, upper pressure plate; 16, lower pressure plate; 17, positioning pin; 18, second screw; 19, top screw; 20, third screw; 21, first bearing; 22, second bearing; 23, sealing shell cover; 24, first spacer; 25. Second spacer; 26. Retaining ring; 27. Flange; 28. Sealing groove; 29. ​​Fixing hole; 30. Motor; 31. Adapter shaft; 32. Mounting plate; 33. Connecting column; 34. First coupling; 35. Second coupling; 36. Photoelectric sensor; 37. Long bracket; 38. Short bracket; 39. Fourth screw; 40. Fifth screw; 41. Flexible part; 42. Arc-shaped engraved line; 43. Sixth screw; 44. Vacuum chamber; 45. Lifting device; 46. Workbench; 47. First support column; 48. Second support column; 49. Wafer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present invention clearer, the technical solution of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the specific embodiments of the present invention and the corresponding drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0050] The technical solutions provided by various embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0051] In one embodiment of the present invention, a wafer conveying device is provided. Figures 1 to 6 As shown, the wafer transfer device includes an arm assembly, a bearing assembly, a magnetic fluid assembly and a drive assembly.

[0052] Specifically, the arm assembly includes a transposition arm 1 and a rotating shaft. The two ends of the transposition arm 1 are symmetrically extended with a receiving portion 2 for receiving the wafer. The upper end of the rotating shaft is fixedly connected to the center position of the transposition arm 1. The driving assembly is connected to the lower end of the rotating shaft, which is used to drive the rotating shaft to rotate, so that when the driving assembly drives the rotating shaft to rotate, the transposition arm 1 can rotate with the center position as the rotation center; when the wafer is transposed, the two receiving portions 2 respectively receive two wafers, and the transposition arm 1 is driven to rotate through the rotating shaft to achieve the transposition of the two wafers. Among them, the thickness of the transposition arm is 2mm to 4mm, and the material is preferably ceramic to avoid metal contamination.

[0053] In addition, the bearing assembly includes a positioning bearing and a bearing shell 3, the positioning bearing is sleeved on the rotating shaft, the bearing shell 3 is sleeved on the outer side of the positioning bearing, and the bearing shell 3 is provided with a fixing screw hole, so that the bearing shell 3 can be connected to the external structure through the fixing screw hole and the sixth screw 43, for example, the external structure can be the side wall of the vacuum chamber. Of course, a positioning hole can also be provided on the bearing shell 3 so that it can be positioned and installed with the external structure to increase the installation accuracy. The rotating shaft is circumferentially positioned by the positioning bearing and the bearing shell 3 to prevent the rotating shaft from swaying during rotation, thereby ensuring the stability of the rotation of the rotating shaft, and thus enabling the transposition arm 1 to achieve smooth transposition of the wafer.

[0054] In addition, the magnetic fluid component includes a sealing shell 4 and a magnetic fluid seal 5. The sealing shell 4 is sleeved on the rotating shaft below the bearing shell 3, and the magnetic fluid seal 5 is located between the sealing shell 4 and the rotating shaft. In this way, when the wafer conveying device is assembled on the vacuum chamber, the sealing shell 4 can be fixed to the cavity wall of the vacuum chamber, so that only the arm assembly and the bearing assembly are located in the vacuum chamber, and the driving assembly is located outside the vacuum chamber. The sealing between the vacuum chamber and the wafer conveying device is achieved by the sealing shell 4 and the magnetic fluid seal 5.

[0055] In summary, in the wafer conveying device of the present embodiment, a magnetic fluid component with a vacuum sealing function is arranged between the arm component and the driving component, so that the transposition arm can be placed in the vacuum chamber, and the driving component is placed outside the vacuum chamber, thereby reducing the difficulty of assembling the wafer conveying device on the vacuum chamber; and, by providing a transposition arm, and symmetrically extending receiving parts at both ends of the transposition arm for receiving the wafer, the wafer transposition transfer can be achieved, and the structure is simple, the size is small, and the manufacturing cost and maintenance cost are lower; in addition, by sequentially sleeved positioning bearings and bearing shells on the outside of the rotating shaft, the circumferential positioning of the rotating shaft can be achieved, so that the rotating shaft drives the transposition arm to rotate more smoothly, thereby increasing the stability of the wafer during transposition.

[0056] In this embodiment, if Figure 1 As shown, the rotating shaft includes an upper central shaft 6, a lower central shaft 7 and a magnetic fluid shaft 8 which are fixedly connected in sequence from top to bottom.

[0057] The upper end of the upper center shaft 6 is fixedly connected to the transposition arm 1, and the lower end of the upper center shaft 6 and the upper end of the lower center shaft 7 are fixedly connected via a bellows coupling 9. The rotating shaft adopts a segmented structure, which is convenient for assembling the wafer conveying device in a narrow vacuum chamber on the one hand; on the other hand, the axial length of the rotating shaft can be fine-tuned through the bellows coupling 9, so that the assembly accuracy of the wafer conveying device is higher, and the transposition arm 1 can receive the wafer more accurately.

[0058] And, if Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, the bearing assembly further includes a locking nut 10 and a bearing shell cover 11 ; the locating bearing includes a first locating bearing 12 and a second locating bearing 13 .

[0059] The upper center shaft 6 is inserted into the bearing shell 3 from the upper part of the bearing shell 3, the first positioning bearing 12 is sleeved on the upper part of the upper center shaft 6, the bearing shell cover 11 covers the upper end of the bearing shell 3 and is fixed on the bearing shell 3 by the first screw 14, the bearing shell cover 11 is used to axially press and fix the outer ring of the first positioning bearing 12 to prevent the first positioning bearing 12 from axially moving, the second positioning bearing 13 is sleeved on the lower part of the upper center shaft 6, the locking nut 10 is fixed on the upper center shaft 6 below the second positioning bearing 13 through a threaded structure, that is, the upper center shaft 6 is formed with an external thread, the locking nut 10 is fixed on the upper center shaft 6 through the external thread, and the locking nut 10 is used to axially press and fix the inner ring of the second positioning bearing 13 to prevent the second positioning bearing 13 from axially moving. The number of locking nuts is set to two to achieve a better locking effect; of course, the number of locking nuts can be one or three. The upper center shaft 6 is positioned by setting the first positioning bearing 12 and the second positioning bearing 13, so that the rotation stability of the upper center shaft 6 is better.

[0060] In addition, if Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the arm assembly further includes an upper pressing plate 15 , a lower pressing plate 16 and a positioning pin 17 .

[0061] In detail, the upper pressing plate 15 is located above the transposition arm 1, and the lower pressing plate 16 is located below the transposition arm 1. The upper pressing plate 15, the transposition arm 1 and the lower pressing plate 16 are fixedly connected by a second screw 18, or fixedly connected by bolts, and the lower pressing plate 16 is fixedly connected to the upper end of the upper central axis 6 by a third screw 20. An upper positioning hole is provided on the transposition arm 1 below the upper pressing plate 15, and a lower positioning hole corresponding to the upper positioning hole is provided on the lower pressing plate 16. The positioning pin 17 is located in the upper positioning hole and the lower positioning hole. The positioning of the transposition arm 1 and the lower pressing plate 16 is achieved by the positioning pin 17, so that the transposition arm 1 can be more accurately assembled on the lower pressing plate 16, thereby improving the accuracy of the transposition arm 1 in receiving the wafer.

[0062] In addition, the lower pressing plate 16 is provided with a plurality of top screw holes, which are not on the same straight line, and each top screw hole is provided with a top screw 19, and the upper end of the top screw 19 presses the transposition arm 1 to adjust the flatness of the transposition arm 1, that is, the flatness of the transposition arm 1 is adjusted by the depth of the top screw 19 screwed into the top screw hole, so that the assembled transposition arm 1 can be parallel to the horizontal plane, further improving the accuracy of receiving the wafer. It should be noted that the adjustment is performed before the second screw is tightened.

[0063] In this embodiment, if Figure 6As shown, the magnetic fluid assembly further includes a first bearing 21 and a second bearing 22 which are arranged in the sealing shell 4 .

[0064] The magnetic fluid shaft 8 is inserted into the sealing shell 4 from the top of the sealing shell 4, the first bearing 21 is sleeved on the magnetic fluid shaft 8 above the magnetic fluid seal 5, and the upper end of the sealing shell 4 is covered with a sealing shell cover 23. The sealing shell cover 23 is used to axially compress and fix the outer ring of the first bearing 21 to prevent the first bearing 21 from axially moving. A first spacer 24 is provided between the outer circle of the first bearing 21 and the magnetic fluid seal 5, and the second bearing 22 is sleeved on the magnetic fluid shaft 8 below the magnetic fluid seal 5. A second spacer 25 is provided between the outer circle of the second bearing 22 and the magnetic fluid seal 5. The first spacer 24 and the second spacer 25 are used to achieve the spacing between the first bearing 21, the magnetic fluid seal 5 and the second bearing 22. On the one hand, the outer ring of the first bearing 21 can be fixed, and on the other hand, the first bearing 21 and the second bearing 22 can be prevented from interfering with the magnetic fluid seal 5 when rotating. The magnetic fluid shaft 8 on both sides of the second bearing 22 is respectively sleeved with retaining rings 26, and the two retaining rings 26 are used to fix the inner ring of the second bearing 22, so as to achieve relative fixation between the inner ring of the second bearing 22 and the magnetic fluid shaft 8; a flange 27 is formed on the outer circumference of the sealing shell 4, and an annular sealing groove 28 is formed on the upper end surface of the flange 27, and a sealing member is arranged in the sealing groove 28, and a plurality of fixing holes 29 are arranged on the flange 27. In this way, the wafer conveying device can be fixed on the cavity wall of the vacuum chamber through the fixing holes 29, and sealing can be achieved through the sealing member.

[0065] Among them, the magnetic fluid seal specifically includes an annular permanent magnet and two annular pole shoes; the annular permanent magnet and the two annular pole shoes are both sleeved on the magnetic fluid shaft, and the annular permanent magnet is located between the two annular pole shoes, a sealing O-ring is provided between each annular pole shoe and the sealing shell, and a magnetic liquid is provided between each annular pole shoe and the magnetic fluid shaft.

[0066] In addition, if Figure 1 As shown, the driving assembly includes a motor 30, a transfer shaft 31 and a mounting plate 32. The motor is a stepper motor, which can accurately control the rotation angle to ensure that the transposition arm can accurately rotate to the wafer and accurately deliver the wafer to the target position.

[0067] The motor 30 is fixed on the mounting plate 32 and is fixedly connected to the lower end of the magnetic fluid shaft 8 through the adapter shaft 31. The upper end of the adapter shaft 31 is fixedly connected to the lower end of the magnetic fluid shaft 8 through the first coupling 34, and the lower end of the adapter shaft 31 is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the motor 30 through the second coupling 35. Among them, the first coupling and the second coupling can be bellows couplings, so that the distance between the motor and the magnetic fluid shaft can be fine-tuned by the first coupling and the second coupling to ensure the accuracy of assembly. Further, the output end of the motor 30 is provided with a reducer to achieve slow rotation. A plurality of connecting columns 33 are connected between the mounting plate 32 and the flange 27, and the relative fixation of the mounting plate 32 and the sealing shell 4 is achieved by the connecting columns 33. Among them, the number of connecting columns is preferably four, and the four connecting columns are arranged in a square.

[0068] In this embodiment, if Figure 1 and Figure 7 As shown, the wafer conveying device also includes two induction components.

[0069] Specifically, the inductive electric component includes a photoelectric sensor 36 and a baffle (not shown in the figure), the photoelectric sensor 36 is fixed on the connecting column 33 through a bracket, the bracket specifically includes a long bracket 37 and a short bracket 38, the photoelectric sensor 36 is fixed to one end of the long bracket 37 through a fifth screw 40, and the short bracket 38 is fixed to the other end of the long bracket 37 through a fourth screw 39, and the long bracket 37 and the short bracket 38 are clamped and fixed on the connecting column 33. The baffle is fixed on the adapter shaft 31, and the two photoelectric sensors 36 are arranged at 90° in the horizontal direction, and the two baffles are arranged at 180° in the horizontal direction. In this way, the current position and the position after rotation of the transposition arm 1 can be confirmed through the photoelectric sensor 36 and the baffle.

[0070] In addition, if Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, a plurality of receiving grooves are provided on the upper end surface of the receiving portion 2, and a flexible member 41 is provided in each receiving groove. When the transposition arm 1 receives the wafer, the flexible member 41 contacts the wafer, which can increase the friction between the transposition arm 1 and the wafer, effectively preventing the wafer from being thrown off when the transposition arm 1 rotates, and also can play a role in reducing metal pollution. Among them, the flexible member can be a rubber O-ring, and the receiving groove can be a dovetail groove, which can prevent the flexible member from falling off.

[0071] At the same time, a plurality of concentric arcuate lines 42 are provided on the upper end surface of the receiving portion 2, and the radius of each arcuate line 42 is different, which can be respectively applicable to four-inch wafers, six-inch wafers, and eight-inch wafers; when assembling the wafer conveying device, the position of the transposition arm 1 can be calibrated through the arcuate lines 42, so that the receiving portion 2 can accurately receive the wafer. Among them, the arcuate lines can be grooves with a width of 1 mm and a depth of 1 mm.

[0072] Another embodiment of the present invention provides a semiconductor measurement device, such as Figures 8 to 10 As shown, the semiconductor measurement equipment includes a vacuum chamber 44, a lifting device 45, a workbench 46 and the wafer conveying device in the above embodiment.

[0073] Specifically, a through hole is opened at the bottom of the vacuum chamber 44, and the transposition arm 1 extends into the vacuum chamber 44 through the through hole. The sealing shell is located at the through hole, and the bearing shell is fixedly connected to the side wall of the vacuum chamber 44, that is, the bearing shell is fixedly connected to the bottom wall of the vacuum chamber 44 through the flange 27; in this way, the wafer conveying device is divided into two parts, which are respectively installed on the outside and inside of the vacuum chamber 44. Among them, the drive assembly is installed on the outside of the vacuum chamber 44, which reduces the difficulty of assembling the wafer conveying device, and can avoid electromagnetic interference with the electron beam in the vacuum chamber 44, and can also avoid metal contamination.

[0074] In addition, a lifting device 45 and a workbench 46 are arranged in the vacuum chamber 44 and arranged on both sides of the transposition arm 1 along the X-axis direction. The workbench 46 can move along the X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis directions, and is mainly used for the movement and positioning of the wafer during the measurement process; a first support column 47 is provided on the lifting device 45, and the first support column 47 can hold the wafer and move between the high position, the middle position and the low position along the vertical direction; a second support column 48 is provided on the workbench 46, and the second support column 48 can hold the wafer and move between the loading and unloading position and the avoidance position along the vertical direction. Among them, the first support column and the second support column are both made of non-metallic materials to avoid metal contamination.

[0075] It should be noted that when the first support column is located at a low position and the second support column is located at an avoidance position, the first support column and the second support column will not interfere with the rotation of the transposition arm.

[0076] In another embodiment of the present invention, a method for using the semiconductor measurement device in the above embodiment is provided. Fig.13 As shown, the method of use specifically includes the following steps:

[0077] Step 01, after the wafer 49 on the workbench 46 has been measured, the second support column 48 lifts the measured wafer (wafer 49) to the loading and unloading position, and the first support column 47 lifts the wafer to be measured (wafer 49) to the middle position.

[0078] When the second supporting column is located at the loading and unloading position and the first supporting column is located at the middle position, both the measured wafer and the wafer to be measured are slightly higher than the transposition arm.

[0079] Step 02, transpose arm 1 from its initial position along the X-axis direction (see Fig. 9 ) is rotated 90° in the positive direction, such as Fig.11As shown, one receiving portion is located below the measured wafer (wafer 49 ), and the other receiving portion is located below the wafer to be measured (wafer 49 ).

[0080] Step 03, as Fig.12 As shown, the second support column 48 moves down to the avoidance position so that the measured wafer (wafer 49) is placed on the corresponding receiving portion, and the first support column 47 moves down to the low position so that the wafer to be measured (wafer 49) is placed on the corresponding receiving portion.

[0081] Step 04, the position change arm 1 rotates 180° in the opposite direction, so that the wafer to be measured (wafer 49) is rotated to the top of the workbench 46, and the measured wafer (wafer 49) is rotated to the top of the lifting device 45, thereby realizing the position change of the wafer to be measured (wafer 49) and the measured wafer (wafer 49); then, the second support column 48 moves up to the loading and unloading position, so that the wafer to be measured (wafer 49) is placed on the second support column 48, and the first support column 47 moves up to the middle position, so that the measured wafer (wafer 49) is placed on the first support column 47.

[0082] Step 05, the repositioning arm 1 rotates forward 90° and returns to the initial position, and the workbench 46 moves the wafer to be measured (wafer 49) for measurement; then, the first support column 47 moves up to a high position to load and unload the wafer 49 on the first support column 47, that is, the measured wafer (wafer 49) is removed from the first support column 47, and another wafer to be measured (wafer 49) is placed on the first support column 47.

[0083] The above is only a specific embodiment of the present invention. Under the above teachings of the present invention, those skilled in the art can make other improvements or modifications on the basis of the above embodiments. Those skilled in the art should understand that the above specific description is only to better explain the purpose of the present invention, and the protection scope of the present invention shall be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A wafer conveying device, characterized in that: It includes an arm assembly, a bearing assembly, a magnetic fluid assembly and a drive assembly; The arm assembly includes a transposition arm and a rotating shaft, two ends of the transposition arm are symmetrically extended with receiving parts for receiving wafers, and the upper end of the rotating shaft is fixedly connected to the center position of the transposition arm; The bearing assembly includes a positioning bearing and a bearing shell sleeve, wherein the positioning bearing is sleeved on the rotating shaft, and the bearing shell sleeve is sleeved on the outer side of the positioning bearing and connected to the external structure; The magnetic fluid assembly comprises a sealing shell and a magnetic fluid seal, wherein the sealing shell is sleeved on the rotating shaft below the bearing shell, and the magnetic fluid seal is located between the sealing shell and the rotating shaft; The driving assembly is connected to the lower end of the rotating shaft and is used for driving the rotating shaft to rotate.

2. The wafer conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotating shaft comprises an upper central shaft, a lower central shaft and a magnetic fluid shaft which are fixedly connected in sequence from top to bottom; The lower end of the upper center shaft and the upper end of the lower center shaft are fixedly connected via a bellows coupling.

3. The wafer conveying device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The bearing assembly further comprises a locking nut and a bearing shell cover; the locating bearing comprises a first locating bearing and a second locating bearing; The upper center shaft passes through the upper part of the bearing shell sleeve, the first positioning bearing sleeve is arranged on the upper part of the upper center shaft, the bearing shell cover is arranged on the upper end of the bearing shell sleeve, and is used for axially pressing and fixing the outer ring of the first positioning bearing, the second positioning bearing sleeve is arranged on the lower part of the upper center shaft, and the locking nut is fixed on the upper center shaft below the second positioning bearing through a threaded structure, and is used for axially pressing and fixing the inner ring of the second positioning bearing.

4. The wafer conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The arm assembly also includes an upper pressing plate, a lower pressing plate and a positioning pin; The upper pressing plate is located above the transposition arm, and the lower pressing plate is located below the transposition arm. The upper pressing plate, the transposition arm and the lower pressing plate are fixedly connected by screws or bolts. An upper positioning hole is provided on the transposition arm below the upper pressing plate, and a lower positioning hole corresponding to the upper positioning hole is provided on the lower pressing plate. The positioning pin is located in the upper positioning hole and the lower positioning hole. The lower pressing plate is provided with a plurality of top screw holes, each of which is provided with a top screw, and the upper end of the top screw presses the transposition arm to adjust the flatness of the transposition arm.

5. The wafer conveying device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The magnetic fluid assembly also includes a first bearing and a second bearing disposed in the sealing shell; The magnetic fluid shaft is inserted into the sealing shell from the top of the sealing shell, the first bearing is sleeved on the magnetic fluid shaft above the magnetic fluid seal, the upper end of the sealing shell is covered with a sealing shell cover, the sealing shell cover is used to axially compress and fix the outer ring of the first bearing, a first spacer is provided between the outer circle of the first bearing and the magnetic fluid seal, the second bearing is sleeved on the magnetic fluid shaft below the magnetic fluid seal, a second spacer is provided between the outer circle of the second bearing and the magnetic fluid seal, retaining rings are respectively sleeved on the magnetic fluid shaft on both sides of the second bearing, and the two retaining rings are used to fix the inner ring of the second bearing; a flange is formed on the outer circumference of the sealing shell, an annular sealing groove is opened on the upper end surface of the flange, a sealing member is provided in the sealing groove, and a plurality of fixing holes are provided on the flange.

6. The wafer conveying device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The driving assembly includes a motor, a transfer shaft and a mounting plate; The motor is fixed on the mounting plate and fixedly connected to the lower end of the magnetic fluid shaft through the adapter shaft. A plurality of connecting columns are connected between the mounting plate and the flange.

7. The wafer conveying device according to claim 6, characterized in that: Also included are two sensing components; The inductive electrical component includes a photoelectric sensor and a baffle, the photoelectric sensor is fixed to the connecting column through a bracket, the baffle is fixed to the adapter shaft, the two photoelectric sensors are arranged at 90 degrees in the horizontal direction, and the two baffles are arranged at 180 degrees in the horizontal direction.

8. The wafer conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: A plurality of accommodating grooves and a plurality of concentric arc-shaped engraved lines are arranged on the upper end surface of the receiving portion, a flexible member is arranged in each of the accommodating grooves, and the radius of each of the arc-shaped engraved lines is different.

9. A semiconductor measurement device, characterized in that: It comprises a vacuum chamber, a lifting device, a workbench and a wafer conveying device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8; A through hole is provided at the bottom of the vacuum chamber, and the transposition arm extends into the vacuum chamber through the through hole. The sealing shell is located at the through hole and is fixedly connected to the bottom wall of the vacuum chamber, and the bearing shell is fixedly connected to the side wall of the vacuum chamber; the lifting device and the workbench are arranged in the vacuum chamber and on both sides of the transposition arm along the X-axis direction, and the lifting device is provided with a first support column, which can lift the wafer and move between a high position, a middle position and a low position in a vertical direction; the workbench is provided with a second support column, which can lift the wafer and move between a loading and unloading position and an avoidance position in a vertical direction.

10. A method for using the semiconductor measurement device according to claim 9, characterized in that: The specific steps include: Step 01, after the wafer on the workbench has been measured, the second support column lifts the measured wafer to the loading and unloading position, and the first support column lifts the wafer to be measured to the middle position; Step 02, the transposition arm is rotated 90° in the positive direction from the initial position along the X-axis direction, so that one of the receiving parts is located below the measured wafer and the other receiving part is located below the wafer to be measured; Step 03, the second supporting column moves down to the avoidance position, so that the measured wafer is placed on the corresponding receiving portion, and the first supporting column moves down to the low position, so that the wafer to be measured is placed on the corresponding receiving portion; Step 04, the position change arm rotates 180° in the opposite direction, so that the wafer to be measured rotates to the top of the workbench, and the measured wafer rotates to the top of the lifting device, and then the second support column moves up to the loading and unloading position, so that the wafer to be measured is placed on the second support column, and the first support column moves up to the middle position, so that the measured wafer is placed on the first support column; Step 05, the position change arm rotates forward 90° and returns to the initial position, and then the first support column moves up to a high position to load and unload the wafer on the first support column.

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