Wafer clamping device, wafer carrying device, wafer processing equipment and wafer clamping and releasing method

Abstract

The invention provides a wafer clamping device, a wafer carrying device, wafer processing equipment and a wafer clamping and releasing method. The wafer clamping device comprises at least two sets of clamping jaw assemblies which clamp and release a wafer at different circumferential positions, the clamping jaw assemblies are configured to support the bottom of the wafer when clamping the wafer, and a gap is formed between the clamping jaw assemblies and the side face of the wafer; and at least two groups of guide mechanisms are configured to abut against the side surface of the wafer at different circumferential positions when the clamping jaw assembly clamps the wafer so as to radially limit the wafer. According to the wafer clamping device, the bottom of the wafer is supported through the clamping jaw assembly, the guide mechanism abuts against the side face of the wafer to limit the wafer in the radial direction, and the problem that due to the fact that an existing wafer clamping device exerts radial clamping force on the wafer, the edge of the wafer is prone to breakage is effectively solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of wafer processing devices, and more specifically, to a wafer clamping device, a transport device, a processing equipment, and a clamping and releasing method. Background Art

[0002] During wafer handling, the wafer clamping device usually clamps the wafer by applying radial clamping force. The edge of the wafer, especially the edge of the wafer that has undergone edge dicing, is prone to stress concentration when it contacts the wafer clamping device, causing wafer edge collapse, thereby affecting the yield rate of wafer processing. Summary of the invention

[0003] In view of this, the present invention provides a wafer clamping device, a transport device, a processing equipment, and a clamping and releasing method, thereby solving or at least alleviating one or more of the above-mentioned problems and other problems existing in the prior art.

[0004] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a first aspect of the present invention provides a wafer clamping device, the wafer clamping device comprising:

[0005] A clamping jaw assembly, at least two sets of the clamping jaw assemblies clamp and release the wafer at different circumferential positions, the clamping jaw assemblies being configured to support the bottom of the wafer and to have a gap with the side of the wafer when clamping the wafer; and

[0006] The guide mechanism, at least two groups of the guide mechanism are configured to press against the side surface of the wafer at different circumferential positions to limit the radial position of the wafer when the clamping jaw assembly clamps the wafer.

[0007] In the wafer clamping device as described above, optionally, the at least two groups of the guiding mechanisms are also configured to continue to press against the side of the wafer after the clamping jaw assembly releases the wafer until the wafer is guided to fall into place.

[0008] In the wafer clamping device as described above, optionally, the clamping assembly includes a clamping jaw and a radially extending clamping jaw mounting plate, and the clamping jaw extends axially downward from the radial outer end of the clamping jaw mounting plate; the guiding mechanism includes a radially extending guide member mounting plate and a guiding element arranged at the radial outer end of the guide member mounting plate and extending axially downward; the clamping jaw assembly and the guiding mechanism are arranged at the same circumferential position, and the guide member mounting plate is arranged above the clamping jaw mounting plate.

[0009] In the wafer clamping device as described above, optionally, the wafer clamping device includes a radially arranged elastic mechanism, the elastic mechanism is connected to the guide mechanism, and the elastic mechanism is configured to pull the guide mechanism so that the guide mechanism presses against the side of the wafer.

[0010] In the wafer clamping device as described above, optionally, the elastic mechanism is connected between the guiding mechanism and the clamping jaw assembly.

[0011] In the wafer clamping device as described above, optionally, the elastic mechanism is a tension spring, a first tension spring seat is provided on the clamp mounting plate, a second tension spring seat radially opposite to the first tension spring seat is provided on the guide member mounting plate, and the tension spring is connected between the first tension spring seat and the second tension spring seat.

[0012] In the wafer clamping device as described above, optionally, the wafer clamping device includes a driving assembly, the driving assembly and the clamping assembly are arranged at the same circumferential position, the driving assembly is connected to the clamping assembly, and the driving assembly is used to drive the clamping assembly to move radially.

[0013] In the wafer clamping device as described above, optionally, the driving assembly includes a motor, a screw and a nut, the nut extending radially is fixedly mounted on the clamp mounting plate, the output shaft of the motor is coaxially connected to the screw, the screw is spirally connected to the nut, and the motor drives the clamp mounting plate to move radially by rotating the motor output shaft.

[0014] In the wafer clamping device as described above, optionally, when the wafer clamping device clamps the wafer, the guide member mounting plate is configured to abut inwardly against the first tension spring seat, the driving assembly pulls the clamping jaw assembly and the guide mechanism to move radially inward synchronously until the guide element of the guide mechanism abuts against the wafer, the driving assembly continues to pull the clamping jaw assembly and the guide member mounting plate is separated from the first tension spring seat.

[0015] In the wafer clamping device as described above, optionally, when the wafer clamping device releases the wafer, the driving assembly drives the clamping jaw assembly to move radially outward until the guide mounting plate abuts against the first tension spring seat, and then the driving assembly drives the clamping jaw assembly and the guide mechanism to move radially outward synchronously.

[0016] In the wafer clamping device as described above, optionally, a wafer supporting surface extending inwardly and tilted downward is provided on the radial inner side of the clamping jaw assembly, and the wafer supporting surface is used to support the bottom of the wafer.

[0017] In the wafer clamping device as described above, optionally, the clamping jaw assembly is configured to reciprocate in the radial direction.

[0018] In the wafer clamping device as described above, optionally, the three clamping jaw assemblies are evenly arranged along the circumferential direction.

[0019] In the wafer clamping device as described above, optionally, the wafer clamping device includes a mounting plate, and a clamping jaw slide rail fixed to the mounting plate and arranged circumferentially and extending radially, and the clamping jaw assembly is slidably connected to the clamping jaw slide rail.

[0020] In the wafer clamping device as described above, optionally, the guide mechanism is slidably connected to the top of the clamping jaw assembly to form a two-layer supporting structure.

[0021] In the wafer clamping device as described above, optionally, a guide seat slide rail extending in the radial direction is fixedly mounted on the top of the clamping jaw mounting plate, and the guide member mounting plate is slidably connected to the guide seat slide rail.

[0022] In the wafer clamping device as described above, optionally, the guide element is a guide column, and the radial inner side of the guide column has a guide surface extending axially and adapted to the shape of the side surface of the wafer.

[0023] In the wafer clamping device as described above, optionally, the clamping jaws and the guiding element are arranged at different circumferential positions.

[0024] In the wafer clamping device as described above, optionally, the two guide pillars are circumferentially arranged across two sides of the clamping jaws.

[0025] In the wafer clamping device as described above, optionally, the wafer clamping device includes a limit device, the limit device includes a fixed limit sensor and a baffle installed on the clamping jaw assembly and opposite to the limit sensor, and the limit sensor is used to detect the position of the baffle.

[0026] In the wafer clamping device as described above, optionally, the wafer clamping device includes no less than three length-adjustable adjustment columns, the top ends of the adjustment columns are fixedly connected to the connecting mounting plate, and the bottom ends are fixedly connected to the mounting plate, the adjustment columns are used to adjust the connecting mounting plate to be parallel to the mounting plate, the connecting mounting plate is used to connect a moving component, and the moving component is used to move the wafer clamping device.

[0027] In order to achieve the aforementioned objectives, the second aspect of the present invention provides a wafer handling device, which includes a moving component and a wafer clamping device as described in any one of the aforementioned first aspects, wherein the wafer clamping device is installed on the moving component, the wafer clamping device is used to clamp and release the wafer, and the moving component is used to move the wafer clamping device.

[0028] In order to achieve the aforementioned objective, a third aspect of the present invention provides a wafer processing device, which includes a wafer processing module and a wafer handling device as described in the aforementioned second aspect.

[0029] In order to achieve the aforementioned object, a fourth aspect of the present invention provides a wafer clamping and releasing method of a wafer clamping device as described in any one of the aforementioned first aspects,

[0030] The wafer clamping method comprises:

[0031] Clamping step 1: moving the guide mechanism and the clamping jaw assembly radially toward the wafer until the guide mechanism contacts the side surface of the wafer;

[0032] Clamping step 2: the guide mechanism abuts against the side surface of the wafer and no longer follows the movement of the clamping jaw assembly, and the clamping jaw assembly continues to move closer to the wafer;

[0033] Clamping step three: the clamping jaw assembly extends under the wafer until the clamping jaw assembly clamps the bottom surface of the wafer, the clamping jaw assembly stops moving, and the wafer clamping is completed;

[0034] The wafer releasing method comprises:

[0035] Release step 1: moving the clamping jaw assembly radially outward to below the wafer, with the guide mechanism continuously pressing against the side surface of the wafer;

[0036] Release step 2: the guide mechanism guides the wafer to fall to a target position;

[0037] Release step three: continue to move the clamping jaw assembly radially outward until the clamping jaw assembly contacts the guide mechanism, continue to move the clamping jaw assembly and the guide mechanism outward, and the wafer is released.

[0038] The wafer clamping device of the present invention clamps the wafer by supporting the bottom of the wafer with a clamping claw assembly, and radially limits the wafer by pressing the side of the wafer with a guide mechanism, thereby effectively solving the problem that the existing wafer clamping device applies radial clamping force to the wafer, causing the wafer to easily break at the edge. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] The disclosure of the present invention will become more apparent with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that these drawings are only for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. In the drawings:

[0040] Figure 1 A three-dimensional diagram of an embodiment of the wafer clamping device of the present invention when completing a wafer clamping action;

[0041] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the wafer being released and falling without restraint;

[0042] Figure 3 for Figure 1A three-dimensional view of the jaw assembly and guide mechanism in area I;

[0043] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A longitudinal cross-sectional view of the embodiment along line AA;

[0044] Figure 5 for Figure 4 Enlarged view of the structure within the dot-dashed box;

[0045] Figure 6 for Figure 1 A bottom view of the embodiment;

[0046] Figure 7 A flow chart of a wafer clamping method of a wafer clamping device of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 8 The figure is a flow chart of the wafer releasing method of the wafer clamping device of the present invention.

[0048] Figure numerals: 1-wafer; 2-mounting plate; 3-adjusting column; 4-connecting mounting plate; 5-grip slide rail; 6-driving assembly; 7-motor; 8-screw rod; 9-nut; 11-first gripper assembly; 12-second gripper assembly; 13-third gripper assembly; 14-grip assembly; 15-grip mounting plate; 16-grip slider; 17-clamping hook; 18-hook head; 19-wafer supporting surface; 20-guide seat slide rail; 21-first tension spring Seat; 22-limit device; 23-limit sensor; 24-baffle; 25-guide element; 26-guide mechanism; 27-second tension spring seat; 28-guide column; 29-guide member mounting plate; 30-U-shaped leg; 31-elastic mechanism; 32-guide surface; 33-claw positioning plate; 34-tension spring; 35-claw; 36-claw connecting seat; 37-gap; 38-motor output shaft; 39-motor seat; 40-motor seat mounting part. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] With reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, the structure, composition, characteristics and advantages of the wafer clamping device, handling device, processing equipment, clamping and releasing method of the present invention will be described below in an exemplary manner. However, all descriptions should not be used to form any limitations on the present invention.

[0050] For any single technical feature described or implied in the embodiments mentioned in this document, or any single technical feature displayed or implied in the accompanying drawings, the present invention still allows any combination or deletion between these technical features (or their equivalents) without any technical obstacles, and thus it should be considered that these more embodiments according to the present invention are also within the scope of the description of this document.

[0051] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. The term "release" refers to the wafer clamping device releasing the wafer, allowing the wafer to fall under the action of gravity.

[0052] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "longitudinal", "lateral", "upper", "lower", "vertical", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0053] Figure 1 A three-dimensional diagram of an embodiment of the wafer clamping device of the present invention when completing a wafer clamping action; Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the wafer being released and falling without constraints. Figure 1 , Figure 2 The implementation of this embodiment will be described.

[0054] The wafer clamping device of the present invention comprises a clamping jaw assembly 14 and a guide mechanism 26. The clamping jaw assembly 14 is used to clamp and release the wafer 1, and, as Figure 1 As shown, at least two groups of clamping jaws assemblies 14 are required to clamp the wafer 1 at different circumferential positions in order to achieve a stable clamping effect and reduce the possibility of the wafer 1 slipping due to radial movement. In addition, unlike the prior art in which the clamps clamp the wafer 1 from the side, the clamping jaws assemblies 14 in the present invention support the bottom of the wafer 1 when clamping the wafer 1, and have a gap with the side of the wafer 1, so as to avoid the edge collapse of the wafer 1 due to excessive radial clamping force, wherein the side of the wafer 1 refers to the surface between the two opposite circular surfaces of the wafer, which surrounds the outer periphery of the wafer and extends along the axial direction of the wafer. In addition, when the clamping jaws 14 clamp the wafer 1, at least two groups of guide mechanisms 26 are used to press against the side of the wafer 1 at different circumferential positions to limit the radial position of the wafer 1. The clamping jaw assembly 14 in this embodiment only supports the wafer 1 from the bottom, and does not clamp it from the side. Alternative ways of supporting the wafer 1 include but are not limited to: a supporting surface for supporting the bottom of the wafer 1 can be provided on the inner side of the clamping jaw assembly 14; an air nozzle can be provided on the surface of the clamping jaw assembly 14, and compressed air can be sprayed from the air nozzle to the bottom of the wafer 1 to form an air cushion layer, so that the wafer 1 floats above the air cushion layer; or magnets can be implanted into the wafer 1 and the clamping jaw assembly 14, and like magnetic poles are placed opposite each other, so that the wafer 1 is subjected to an upward repulsive force and thus obtains support.

[0055] Optionally, the clamping jaw assembly 14 can be configured to reciprocate along the radial direction. The radial direction refers to the radial direction of the wafer clamping device. To facilitate clamping of the wafer 1, the wafer clamping device of the present invention can be aligned with the center of the wafer 1 when clamping the wafer 1, so that the wafer clamping device and the wafer 1 coincide with each other in the radial direction, and the clamping jaw assembly 14 can also move inward along the radial direction of the wafer 1 to clamp the wafer 1. This design minimizes the movement stroke required for the clamping jaw assembly 14 to clamp the wafer 1, helps to reduce the size of the clamping jaw assembly 14, the structure for guiding the movement of the clamping jaw assembly 14, and the driving assembly of the clamping jaw assembly 14, and makes the structure of the device more compact.

[0056] like Figure 2 As shown, when the wafer 1 is released by the wafer clamping device and falls without restraint, the air resistance has a large effective area at the bottom of the wafer 1, which can easily cause the wafer 1 to deviate laterally, making it impossible for the wafer 1 to fall vertically, resulting in inaccurate landing, and reducing the accuracy of wafer handling. Therefore, as an optional embodiment, when the wafer 1 is released by the clamping jaw assembly 14, the guide mechanism 26 can be used to guide the falling direction of the wafer 1, so as to accurately release the wafer 1 to the target position. In order to achieve this guiding function, the guide mechanism 26 can continue to press against the side of the wafer 1 after the clamping jaw assembly 14 releases the wafer 1 until the wafer 1 is guided to fall into place. In this embodiment, in different steps of the process of the clamping jaw assembly 14 clamping and releasing the wafer 1, the guide mechanism 26 can move synchronously with the clamping jaw assembly 14, or move relative to the clamping jaw mechanism 14. Therefore, it is possible to set up independent drive components for the clamping assembly 14 and the guide mechanism 26 respectively, and control the cooperation between the two through program control, so that the guide mechanism 26 has the function of "being able to continue to press against the side of the wafer 1 after the clamping assembly 14 releases the wafer 1"; it is also possible to set up a drive component for the clamping assembly 14 or the guide mechanism 26 separately, and install the component not connected to the drive component on the driven component, so that the two can move synchronously, and under certain circumstances, the two can also move relative to each other. Therefore, the clamping assembly 14 and the guide mechanism 26 can be set at different or the same circumferential positions. If they are set at different circumferential positions, the installation space of the clamping assembly 14 and the guide mechanism 26 is larger, and it is suitable to set up independent drive components for the two. If they are set at the same circumferential position, it is more suitable to install the two together to achieve follow-up to save installation space.

[0057] As an optional embodiment, the clamping jaw assembly 14 may include a clamping jaw 35 and a clamping jaw mounting plate 15 (see Figure 3), the clamping jaw mounting plate 35 extending radially of the wafer, and the clamping jaw 35 extending downwardly from the radial outer end of the clamping jaw mounting plate 15 along the axial direction of the wafer. The guide mechanism 26 may include a radially extending guide member mounting plate 29 and a guide element 25 arranged at the radial outer end of the guide member mounting plate 29 and extending downwardly along the axial direction. The clamping jaw mounting plate 15 and the guide member mounting plate 29 both extend radially, providing a fixed and connected position for radial movement, reducing the space occupied in the circumferential direction, and making the wafer clamping device more compact. In addition, the clamping jaw assembly 14 and the guide mechanism 26 can be arranged at the same circumferential position, and this position design is more suitable for connecting the clamping jaw assembly 14 and the guide mechanism 26 together so that the two can move synchronously or relatively. Further, the guide member mounting plate 29 can be arranged above or to the side of the clamping jaw mounting plate 15. Arranging the guide mechanism 26 above the clamping jaw assembly 14 will save the space occupied by the guide mechanism 26 and the clamping jaw assembly 14 in the circumferential direction, leaving space for arranging other structures or functional components of the wafer clamping device, while arranging the guide mechanism 26 on the side of the clamping jaw assembly 14 will provide more space for the installation of the guide mechanism 26, making its installation more stable. For example, the guide mechanism 26 can be installed on a wider slide rail or other structure.

[0058] In order to provide radially inward force to the guide mechanism 26 so that the guide mechanism 26 can press against the side of the wafer 1, the wafer clamping device of the present invention optionally includes a radially arranged elastic mechanism 31, one end of the elastic mechanism 31 is connected to the guide mechanism 26, and the other end can be connected to a fixed component, such as a fixed bracket of the wafer clamping device, or a movable component, such as the clamping claw assembly 14. The elastic mechanism 31 can be located radially inside the guide mechanism 26 to apply a radially inward pulling force to the guide mechanism 26, or it can be located outside the guide mechanism 26 to apply a radially inward thrust to the guide mechanism 26. In short, the elastic mechanism 31 needs to be configured to apply a radially inward elastic force to the guide mechanism 26, pull the guide mechanism 26, and make it have a tendency to move inward, so that the guide mechanism 26 presses against the side of the wafer 1.

[0059] In this embodiment, the reason for using the elastic mechanism 31 to connect the guide mechanism 26 is that the tension or thrust generated by the elastic mechanism 31 is determined by its deformation. During the wafer production process, wafers of the same size will have slight differences in the actual sizes of different wafers due to processing errors, which will cause slight differences in the positions of the guide mechanism 26 against different wafers. It can be seen from the working principle of the elastic mechanism 31 mentioned above that the elongation of the elastic mechanism 31 also has corresponding differences. The size change caused by the processing error is negligible compared to the total elongation of the elastic mechanism 31, and the elastic force change of the elastic mechanism 31 is very small, resulting in a very small change in the radial pressure of the guide mechanism 26 against the wafer 1. However, if a strong rigid clamp is used to clamp the side of the wafer 1, the same wafer size deviation will cause the clamp to produce the same deformation. Due to the large rigidity of the clamp, the radial clamping force of the clamp on the larger wafer will increase significantly, which is likely to exceed the tolerance range of the wafer 1, and it is more likely to cause stress concentration, causing the edge of the wafer 1 to collapse (i.e., wafer edge collapse). Therefore, the use of the elastic mechanism 31 to connect the guide mechanism 26 can make the radial force against the wafer 1 almost unchanged due to the change of the wafer size caused by the processing error, thereby greatly reducing the risk of edge collapse of the wafer 1.

[0060] Further, an optional embodiment is proposed, in which the elastic mechanism 31 is connected between the guide mechanism 26 and the clamping jaw assembly 14. When the clamping jaw assembly 14 does not clamp the wafer 1, the guide mechanism 26 can move synchronously with the clamping jaw assembly 14, and the elastic mechanism 31 can be in a relaxed state without elastic force. The clamping jaw assembly 14 and the guide mechanism 26 are configured so that when the guide mechanism 26 is against the wafer 1, the clamping jaw assembly 14 has not yet supported the bottom of the wafer 1. In this way, when the guide mechanism 26 contacts the edge of the wafer 1, it will stop moving radially inward, while the clamping jaw assembly 14 needs to continue to move inward. The relative movement between the two causes the elastic mechanism 31 to produce an extension or compression, providing the guide mechanism 26 with a force to radially press against the side of the wafer 1. The advantage of using the elastic mechanism 31 to connect the guide mechanism 26 and the clamping jaw assembly 14 is that only a drive assembly is required for the clamping jaw assembly 14 but not for the guide mechanism 26, which reduces the number of drive assemblies, reduces the dead weight of the wafer clamping device, simplifies the structure and control system, and enhances the reliability of the system.

[0061] In an optional embodiment, when the clamping jaw assembly 14 does not clamp the wafer 1, the elastic mechanism 31 can be pre-tensioned or compressed, that is, before the wafer clamping device clamps the wafer 1, that is, when the clamping jaw assembly 14 and the guide mechanism 26 are still in the initial position, the elastic mechanism 31 has already applied a radial inward elastic force to the guide mechanism 26. The pre-tensioning or compression of the elastic mechanism 31 can have the following advantages: (1) before the wafer clamping device clamps the wafer 1, if the elastic mechanism 31 has no elastic force, there is no radial position constraint on the guide mechanism 26, which reduces the stability of the entire wafer clamping device and increases the position uncertainty of the guide mechanism 26; (2) adjusting the pre-tensioning or contracted state of the elastic mechanism 31 can change the radial force applied to the guide mechanism 26 when it is against the wafer 1, which facilitates the debugging of the guide mechanism 26 and enhances the versatility of the guide mechanism 26 for against wafers of different sizes and specifications.

[0062] like Figure 1 As shown, in an alternative embodiment, the wafer clamping device may include a mounting plate 2, and a clamping claw slide rail 5 fixed to the mounting plate 2 and arranged circumferentially and extending radially (see Figure 3 ), the clamping jaw assembly 14 is slidably connected to the clamping jaw slide rail 5.

[0063] The jaw slide 5 can guide the sliding direction of the jaw assembly 14, so that the jaw assembly 14 can slide relative to the mounting plate 2. In order to drive the jaw assembly 14, the wafer clamping device may include a driving assembly 6 for driving the jaw assembly 14 to reciprocate along the jaw slide 5, thereby clamping or releasing the wafer 1. The jaw slide 5 is easy to replace after wear, and its installation method and installation direction are flexible, and can be used in different wafer clamping devices to enhance the interchangeability of parts. In an optional embodiment, the jaw slide 5 can be:

[0064] (1) Linear shape: For the linear gripper slide 5, the driving component 6 usually adopts an electric, pneumatic or hydraulic driving component, such as an electric motor (motor), a cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder; the electric driving component can transmit the driving force to the gripper component 14 through a mechanical connection method such as a belt, a screw rod or a gear rack, so that it can reciprocate along the linear slide, and the pneumatic and hydraulic driving components can generate reciprocating motion through the cylinder and the hydraulic cylinder, and push the gripper component to slide through the air pressure and the hydraulic pressure. The linear gripper slide 5 and the gripper component 14 can be connected by a slider or a roller. One or more sliders can be set on the side or bottom of the gripper component 14, and the slider contacts the surface of the slide to support and guide the gripper component 14 to slide; multiple rollers can also be set on the side or bottom of the gripper component 14, and the rollers contact the slide to reduce the sliding resistance of the gripper component 14 by rolling friction; the linear slide is accurately positioned, so that the gripper component 14 can clamp the wafer 1 more accurately.

[0065] (2) Arc: The arc-shaped jaw slide 5 is suitable for making the jaw assembly 14 slide along an arc-shaped curved track. The jaw assembly 14 installed on the arc-shaped jaw slide 5 can be driven by a servo motor or a stepper motor. The motor is placed at the center of the arc-shaped jaw slide 5, and the jaw assembly 14 is connected to the output shaft of the motor through a swing rod. The swing rod can be driven by the rotation of the motor to swing around the output shaft of the motor, thereby driving the jaw assembly 14 to slide along the jaw slide 5. The motor can be a servo motor or a stepper motor, which has high precision and can control the position of the jaw assembly 14 by controlling the angle of the swing rod, ensuring that the jaw assembly 14 is accurately positioned and clamps the wafer 1. Compared with a linear slide, the arc-shaped jaw slide 5 is conducive to reducing the space occupied by the jaw assembly 14 when it moves radially, making the equipment more compact.

[0066] Since the jaw slide rail 5 extends radially along the mounting plate 2 and is evenly arranged in the circumferential direction, and the jaw slide rail 5 guides the sliding direction of the jaw assembly 14, the jaw assembly 14 of this embodiment will slide radially along the mounting plate 2. Since the wafer clamping device should be aligned with the wafer 1 as much as possible and keep it concentric when clamping the wafer 1, the jaw assembly 14 will also slide radially along the wafer 1, which minimizes the telescopic length required for the jaw assembly 14 to clamp the wafer, thereby reducing the required length of the jaw slide rail 5, and further reducing the mass of the jaw slide rail 5 and the space occupied in the radial direction.

[0067] In an optional embodiment, the mounting plate 2 may extend radially at equal angles in the circumferential direction to form three protrusions of equal length, and the three clamping jaw assemblies 14 are each radially mounted on a protrusion. The protrusion of the mounting plate 2 is designed to reduce weight, and the mounting plate 2 is symmetrical in shape, evenly stressed, and light in weight and easy to move. The clamping jaw assembly 14 may include a first clamping jaw assembly 11, a second clamping jaw assembly 12, and a third clamping jaw assembly 13 evenly distributed in the circumferential direction of the mounting plate 2, and each of the clamping jaw assemblies 14 is arranged radially. The uniform arrangement of the three clamping jaw assemblies 14 can ensure that the mounting plate 2 is evenly stressed during the clamping, transportation, and release of the wafer 1. Uneven stress causes additional vibration, thereby enhancing the stability of the clamped wafer 1.

[0068] In an optional embodiment, the wafer clamping device of the present invention may include at least three length-adjustable adjustment columns 3. The top of the adjustment column 3 is fixedly connected to the connecting mounting plate 4, and the bottom of the adjustment column 3 is fixedly connected to the mounting plate 2. The adjustment column 3 is used to adjust the mounting plate 2 to be parallel to the connecting mounting plate 4. Since the three adjustment columns 3 need to adjust multiple rotational degrees of freedom of the mounting plate 2, the three adjustment columns 3 are not collinear. The wafer clamping device is connected to the moving component ( Figure 1The moving assembly does not belong to the wafer clamping device, but is used to move the wafer clamping device and the wafer 1 to the target position. The adjustment column 3 and the connecting mounting plate 4 can be arranged at the center position of the mounting plate 2 to enhance the balance of the wafer clamping device during movement.

[0069] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A three-dimensional diagram of the clamping jaw assembly and the guide mechanism in area I, wherein the wafer 1 is not shown in the figure, and the following is combined with Figure 3 An embodiment of the wafer holding device will be described.

[0070] Optionally, in order to drive the clamping jaw assembly 14, the wafer clamping device may include a driving assembly 6, and the driving assembly 6 and the clamping jaw assembly 14 are arranged at the same circumferential position, which is conducive to simplifying the connection structure between the driving assembly 6 and the clamping jaw assembly 14. For example, the driving assembly 6 can be arranged on the radial inner side of the clamping jaw assembly 14 to save circumferential installation space. In addition, the driving assembly 6 is connected to the clamping jaw assembly 14 and is used to directly drive the clamping jaw assembly 14 to move radially, which is conducive to accurately controlling the radial position of the clamping jaw assembly 14 and improving its accuracy in clamping the wafer 1. The driving assembly 6 can adopt a variety of driving methods. For example, if the driving assembly 6 can include a motor 7, a gear and a rack perpendicular to the mounting plate 2, the output shaft 38 of the motor 7 is perpendicular to the mounting plate 2 and is fixedly connected to the gear, and a radially extending rack is fixedly installed on the clamping jaw assembly 14, so that the gear and the rack cooperate, and the clamping jaw assembly 14 is driven to move radially by the rotation of the motor output shaft 38 (this vertical installation scheme and the gear and rack are not shown in the drawings).

[0071] Optionally, the drive assembly 6 may further include a motor 7, a screw rod 8 and a screw nut 9. The radially extending screw nut 9 may be fixedly mounted on the clamping jaw mounting plate 15, so that the threaded hole of the screw nut 9 also extends radially. Figure 4 ) is coaxially connected to the screw rod 8, and the screw rod 8 is spirally connected to the threaded hole of the nut 9, so that the motor 7 can drive the screw rod 8 to rotate by rotating the motor output shaft 38, and the nut 9 moves radially with the rotation of the screw rod 8, thereby realizing the radial linear movement of the clamping jaw mounting plate 15 and the clamping jaw assembly 14. The embodiment of the driving assembly 6 can accurately radially position the clamping jaw assembly 14, which is conducive to accurately controlling the clamping position of the clamping jaw assembly 14 and the length of the clamping jaw assembly 14 extending under the wafer 1, so as to accurately clamp the bottom of the wafer 1 and avoid damaging the side of the wafer 1 due to excessive clamping.

[0072] like Figure 3As shown, the wafer clamping device may include a limit device 22. The limit device 22 is used to limit the range of movement of the clamping jaw assembly 14, so as to ensure that the clamping jaw assembly 14 does not exceed a predetermined activity area during operation, such as slipping off the end of the clamping jaw slide rail 5, hitting the mounting plate 2 or the wafer 1, and other actions that damage the wafer 1 or the device itself. The limit device 22 can be implemented in a variety of ways, including a mechanical limit device, a sensor limit device, and a control program limit. The mechanical limit device limits the moving range of the jaw assembly 14 through a physical structure. For example, it can be achieved by setting a limit baffle, a limit pin or a stop block to block the moving path of the column jaw assembly 14; the sensor limit device uses a sensor to monitor the position of the jaw assembly 14 in real time. When the jaw assembly moves to a predetermined position, the sensor can send a signal to stop or adjust the movement of the jaw assembly 14 in time; the control program limit limits the movement range of the jaw assembly 14 by controlling the drive signal of the motor 7. In the control program, the motor appropriately adjusts the drive signal (such as deceleration or pause) when approaching the moving boundary to prevent the jaw assembly 14 from moving beyond the predetermined range.

[0073] In this embodiment, the limit device 22 may include a fixed limit sensor 23 and a baffle 24 installed on the clamping jaw assembly 14 and opposite to the limit sensor 23. The limit sensor 23 may use an ultrasonic sensor, a photoelectric sensor or a laser displacement sensor to detect the real-time position of the baffle 25. A control module electrically connected to the limit sensor 23 may be provided, through which the position signal of the baffle 25 transmitted by the limit sensor 23 is received and processed in real time, and the position of the baffle 25 transmitted by the limit sensor 23 is determined, and the relevant drive components are controlled to stop in a timely manner. The baffle 24 is installed on the clamping jaw assembly 14 and moves with it. The baffle 24 can reflect ultrasonic or optical signals to measure the position of the clamping jaw assembly 14. The setting of the limit sensor 23 and the baffle 24 can play a role in ranging and positioning, with high precision and strong flexibility, and can effectively control the moving range of the clamping jaw assembly 14.

[0074] Furthermore, the limit sensor 23 can be configured to feedback a signal to the control module when it detects that the baffle 24 has reached the preset position. By integrating the judgment action of whether the jaw assembly 14 has reached the preset position into the limit sensor 23, the control module can control the stopping action of the jaw assembly 14 faster and more sensitively, thereby improving the accuracy of the action. The preset position includes the innermost and outermost positions of the mounting plate 2 that the jaw assembly 14 is suitable for reaching. This embodiment improves the accuracy of the stopping action of the jaw assembly 14 and avoids damaging the wafer 1 or the mounting plate 2 or other components of the device; in addition, this design reduces the complexity of the control system software and reduces the difficulty of maintenance; finally, since the position judgment operation of the jaw assembly 14 is independently completed by the limit sensor 23, it avoids the failure of the control module affecting the stopping action of the jaw assembly 14, causing the loss of wafers or equipment.

[0075] Alternatively, if Figure 3 As shown, the clamping jaw assembly 14 may include a vertical clamping jaw positioning plate 33, and the nut 9 spirally connected to the screw rod 8 is fixedly connected to the clamping jaw positioning plate 33, the threaded hole of the nut 9 is the same as the central axis of the screw rod 8, and the nut 9 is at the same height as the guide member mounting plate 29 of the guide mechanism 26. One end of the guide member mounting plate 29 faces the nut 9, and a U-shaped leg 30 is arranged at the end, and the U-shaped leg 30 spans both sides of the nut 9 and can resist the clamping jaw positioning plate 33. The U-shaped leg 30 of the guide member mounting plate 29 spans both sides of the nut 9, plays a role in supporting and positioning the clamping jaw assembly 14 and the clamping jaw positioning plate 33, and at the same time, the space inside the U-shaped leg 30 accommodates the nut 9, shortens the distance between the guide member mounting plate 29 and the guide mechanism 26 and the clamping jaw assembly 14, makes the structure compact, and reduces the deadweight of the equipment.

[0076] In addition, before the clamping jaw assembly 14 and the guide mechanism 26 contact the wafer, due to the pulling force of the elastic mechanism 31, the U-shaped leg 30 of the guide mounting plate 29 can press against the clamping jaw positioning plate 33 of the clamping jaw assembly 14. The clamping jaw assembly 14 and the guide mechanism 31 move inward until the guide mechanism 31 presses against the side of the wafer 1 and stops moving inward, and the U-shaped leg 30 is separated from the clamping jaw positioning plate 33. The clamping jaw assembly 14 continues to move inward until the distance between the end of the U-shaped leg 30 and the end surface of the clamping jaw positioning plate 33 reaches 3 to 5 mm. At this time, the clamping jaw 35 of the clamping jaw assembly 14 supports the bottom of the wafer 1 without contacting the side of the wafer 1. As shown in FIG. Figure 3 As shown in the wafer clamping device that completes the wafer clamping action, the U-shaped legs 30 and the clamping jaw positioning plate 33 are pulled apart by a certain distance. At this time, the inner side of the clamping jaw 35 is separated from the side of the wafer 1 by a gap 37 (see Figure 5 ).

[0077] When the clamping jaw assembly 14 releases the wafer 1, the clamping jaw assembly 14 first moves outward until it moves out from under the wafer 1, causing the wafer 1 to fall. At this time, the guide mechanism 26 still presses against the side of the wafer 1 until the wafer 1 falls to the target position, and then the clamping jaw assembly 14 continues to move outward until it contacts the U-shaped leg 30 again. The U-shaped leg 30 may also be in other shapes (such as L-shaped), and may also serve to make room for the nut 9 and to support the clamping jaw positioning plate 33.

[0078] Figure 4 for Figure 3 The longitudinal cross-sectional view of the embodiment along line AA.

[0079] like Figure 4As shown, a clamping slider 16 can be provided on the clamping jaw assembly 14, and the clamping jaw slider 16 is located between the clamping jaw slide rail 5 and the clamping jaw assembly 14. The clamping jaw slider 16 is fixedly connected to the clamping jaw assembly 14 and slidably connected to the clamping jaw slide rail 5, so that the clamping jaw assembly 14 can slide on the clamping jaw slide rail 5. Since the clamping jaw slide rail 5 is fixedly connected to the mounting plate 2, the clamping jaw assembly 14 can slide relative to the mounting plate 2. The sliding direction of the clamping jaw assembly 14 is also its feeding direction when grasping the wafer 1, which depends on the arrangement direction of the clamping jaw slide rail 5. The clamping jaw slide rail 5 can be arranged along the radial direction of the mounting plate 2, which will enable the clamping jaw assembly 14 to approach and clamp the wafer 1 along the radial direction of the mounting plate 2. The sliding connection between the clamping jaw slider 16 and the clamping jaw slide rail 5 can adopt surface contact, or a ball can be arranged at the connection between the two to reduce friction. The clamping jaw slider 16 can be one or multiple collinear ones, and the structural reliability of the device is enhanced by redundant design.

[0080] Optionally, a radially extending guide seat slide rail 20 is fixedly installed on the top of the clamping jaw mounting plate 15, and the guide member mounting plate 29 is slidably connected to the guide seat slide rail 20. More specifically, the guide seat slide rail 20 and the clamping jaw slider 16 can be fixed to the clamping jaw mounting plate 15, and the two can be parallel. Since the guide seat slide rail 20 guides the guide member mounting plate 29 to slide relative to the clamping jaw mounting plate 15, the clamping jaw slider 16 guides the clamping jaw mounting plate 15 to slide relative to the mounting plate 2. The parallelism of the guide seat slide rail 20 and the clamping jaw slider 16 means that the guide member mounting plate 29 and the clamping jaw mounting plate 15 always slide in the same direction. Therefore, the clamping jaw 35 of the clamping jaw assembly 14 and the guide element 25 of the guide mechanism 26 approach and move away from the wafer 1 along the same radial direction. Compared with the inclined scheme of the guide mechanism 26, this design can enable the guide mechanism 26 to resist and move away from the side of the wafer 1 at the shortest distance, which helps to reduce the size of the guide mechanism 26 and make the structure of the wafer clamping device more compact.

[0081] like Figure 4 As shown, the guide mechanism 26 can be slidably connected to the top of the jaw assembly 14, so that the jaw assembly 14 and the guide mechanism 26 form a two-layer supporting structure. Specifically, the jaw slider 16 can be set at the bottom of the jaw assembly 14, and the guide seat slide rail 20 can be set at the top of the jaw assembly 14. The guide mechanism 26 is located above the jaw assembly 14 and supported by the jaw assembly 14. The advantage of this design is that when the jaw assembly 14 is driven by the drive assembly 6, the guide mechanism 26 will move with the jaw assembly 14, and there is no need to set up a separate drive assembly for the guide mechanism 26. This design reduces the weight of the overall device and also reduces the size of the device, making it more compact.

[0082] In an optional embodiment, the clamping jaw assembly 14 and the guide mechanism 26 forming a two-layer supporting structure can slide along the same radial direction. To avoid interference, the clamping jaw 35 and the guide element 25 need to be arranged at different circumferential positions, that is, they are distributed along the circumference and staggered. The clamping jaw assembly 14 and the guide mechanism 26 arranged in this way can further utilize the axial space and occupy as little radial installation space as possible, making the device more compact.

[0083] Optionally, the guide element 25 of the guide mechanism 26 may be a guide post 28, the function of which is to abut against the side surface of the wafer 1 to limit its radial position and guide the wafer 1 to fall. Therefore, a guide surface 32 extending axially and adapted to the shape of the side surface of the wafer 1 may be provided on the radial inner side of the guide post 28 (see FIG. Figure 6 ), during the falling process of the wafer 1, the guide surface 32 is always in contact with the side of the wafer 1 and does not collide with the wafer 1. The guide surface 32 can be a cylindrical surface or a concave arc surface with the same diameter as the outer diameter of the wafer. When the guide surface 32 is a cylindrical surface, the inner side of the guide column forms a line contact with the side of the wafer 1, and the contact area between the guide surface 32 in the shape of an arc surface and the wafer 1 is small, and the sliding friction force is small, which enhances the smoothness of the wafer 1 when falling.

[0084] In an alternative embodiment, two guide posts 28 are used to span the two sides of the clamping jaw 35 of the clamping jaw assembly 14 along the circumferential direction. This structure allows the clamping jaw 35 to pass through between the two guide posts 28, making full use of the radial space, reducing the space occupied by the clamping jaw assembly 14 and the guide mechanism 26 in the circumferential direction, and making the structure of the device more compact.

[0085] When the guide mechanism 26 and the clamping jaw assembly 14 are connected by the elastic mechanism 31, Figure 4 In the optional embodiment shown, the specific structure of the elastic mechanism 31 is further described. The elastic mechanism 31 can be a tension spring 34, a first tension spring seat 21 is provided on the clamping jaw mounting plate 15, a second tension spring seat 27 radially opposite to the first tension spring seat 21 is provided on the guide member mounting plate 29, and the tension spring 34 is connected between the first tension spring seat 21 and the second tension spring seat 27. Since the tension spring 34 is an elastic element, it is repeatedly expanded and contracted in the process of clamping the wafer 1, and fatigue is likely to occur. This will weaken the force applied by the tension spring 34 to the guide mechanism 26 to resist the side of the wafer 1, thereby reducing the reliability of the radial limit of the wafer 1, and the wafer 1 is more likely to move radially and bump. Therefore, the tension spring 34 needs regular maintenance. In this design, the first tension spring seat 21 and the second tension spring seat 27 specially used for installing the tension spring 34 allow sufficient operating space for loading and unloading of the tension spring 34, which is more convenient for maintenance.

[0086] On the basis of the present embodiment, in order to realize the function that the guide mechanism 26 continues to press against the side of the wafer 1 after the clamping jaw assembly 14 releases the wafer 1 until the wafer 1 is guided to fall into place, an optional embodiment is further proposed: when the wafer clamping device clamps the wafer 1, the guide member mounting plate 29 is configured to press against the first tension spring seat 21 inwardly. Specifically, when the clamping jaw assembly 14 has not yet started to clamp the wafer 1 and the guide mechanism 26 has not yet pressed against the wafer 1, the guide member mounting plate 29 of the guide mechanism 26 is subjected to the radial inward force applied by the elastic mechanism 31. As the driving assembly 6 pulls the clamping jaw assembly 14 and the guide mechanism 26 to move synchronously inwardly in the radial direction until the guide element 25 of the guide mechanism 26 presses against the wafer 1, since the clamping jaw assembly 14 has not yet completed clamping the wafer 1 and needs to move further inward, it must produce a relative displacement with the guide mechanism 26, resulting in the separation of the guide member mounting plate 29 from the first tension spring seat 21.

[0087] When the wafer clamping device releases the wafer 1, the driving assembly 6 pulls the clamping jaw assembly 14 to move radially outward until the guide member mounting plate 29 abuts against the first tension spring seat 21. At this time, the elastic mechanism 31 can return to the state before clamping the wafer 1, and the driving assembly 6 can further pull the clamping jaw assembly 14 and the guide mechanism 26 to move radially outward synchronously. In this embodiment, by designing the abutment and separation of the guide member mounting plate 29 and the clamping jaw assembly 14 of the guide mechanism 26, a set of driving assemblies 6 is used to drive the clamping jaw assembly 14 to realize that the guide mechanism 26 continues to abut against the side of the wafer 1 after the clamping jaw assembly 14 releases the wafer 1, and controls the wafer 1 to move outward after it is guided to fall into place, thereby reducing the dead weight of the equipment, reducing the number of sensors through the linkage of the mechanical structure, and reducing the complexity of the control system.

[0088] In this embodiment, the first tension spring seat 21 can also be fixedly mounted on the clamping jaw mounting plate 15 through the clamping jaw positioning plate 33, so the guide member mounting plate 29 can also abut against the clamping jaw positioning plate 33 where the first tension spring seat 21 is located. The clamping jaw positioning plate 33 can be detachably connected to the clamping jaw mounting plate 15, and the detachable clamping jaw positioning plates 33 of different sizes can be used to adjust the height of the first tension spring seat 21 so as to be located at the same height as the second tension spring seat 27.

[0089] Optionally, the motor 7 may include a motor seat 39 extending downward, and a radially extending motor seat mounting portion 40 may be provided at the lower end of the motor seat 39. The motor seat 39 is used to adjust the height of the motor 7 to adapt to the height of the clamping jaw assembly 14. Replacing the motor seat 39 with different lengths can adapt to the clamping jaw assembly 14 of different heights. The motor seat mounting portion 40 is used to fix the motor seat 39 and the motor 7.

[0090] Figure 5 for Figure 4 The enlarged view of the structure in the dotted line box. Figure 1 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 The specific implementation of this embodiment is described.

[0091] In an alternative embodiment, Figure 4 The radial inner side of the middle clamping jaw assembly 14 may be provided with a wafer supporting surface 19 extending inward and tilted downward, for supporting the bottom of the wafer 1. Figure 5 As shown, the wafer support surface 19 can support the wafer 1 from the bottom without contacting the side of the wafer 1. Therefore, no radial force is applied to the wafer 1 during the clamping process of the wafer 1, thereby preventing the wafer 1 from breaking due to the clamping action of the clamping jaw assembly 14. Secondly, the wafer support surface 19 extending inward and tilting downward makes line contact with the edge of the wafer 1, and will not contact the bottom surface of the wafer 1 to produce scratches or clamping marks, so as to ensure the surface quality of the wafer 1 during the clamping process. In addition, the tilted wafer support surface 19 can limit the radial position of the wafer 1 at the center position to reduce its radial movement.

[0092] In an alternative embodiment, from Figure 1 It can be seen that the clamping jaw assembly 14 can be arranged along the circumference of the mounting plate 2 and extend radially outwardly along the mounting plate 2, and the outermost end of the extension is the distal end. Figure 4 As can be seen in the figure, a clamping jaw 35 can be provided at the distal end of the clamping jaw assembly 14, and the clamping jaw 35 extends axially until its bottom end is lower than the bottom of the mounting plate 2. The clamping jaw 35 is easy to replace, and the distance between the wafer supporting surface 19 and the bottom of the mounting plate 2 can be flexibly adjusted by using clamping jaws 35 of different lengths, so as to support wafers 1 of different thicknesses and sizes.

[0093] like Figure 4 As shown, the clamping claw 35 can be a clamping hook 17, which extends axially downward to the bottom of the mounting plate 2 and then bends radially inward to form a hook head 18 (see Figure 5 ), a wafer support surface 19 tilted downward is formed on the top of the hook head 18. The clamping hook 17 can be fixedly connected to the clamping claw mounting plate 15 through the clamping claw connecting seat 36. The clamping claw connecting seat 36 can make the installation and maintenance of the clamping hook 17 more convenient, and the direction and angle of the clamping hook 17 can be adjusted by using a hinge structure that rotates parallel to the paper surface in the clamping claw connecting seat 36, and the tilt angle of the hook head 18 can be changed, so that the contact angle between the wafer support surface 19 and the bottom surface of the wafer 1 can be adjusted, so that the clamping angle of the wafer support surface 19 to the wafer 1 can be more flexibly adjusted according to the shape of the bottom edge of the wafer 1, and a more stable clamping effect can be obtained. The clamping claw mounting plate 15 can be slidably connected to the clamping claw slide rail 5 through the clamping claw slider 16 fixedly connected thereto, and thus slidably connected to the mounting plate 2.

[0094] Figure 6 for Figure 1The bottom view of the embodiment in the figure, the part in the dotted line frame in the figure is enlarged and placed on the left. It can be seen that the guide column 28 of the embodiment in the figure is against the edge of the wafer 1 to implement radial limitation, and the hook head 18 has moved to the bottom of the wafer 1 to support the bottom of the wafer 1. In addition, in this embodiment, three clamping jaw assemblies 14 can be evenly arranged along the circumference, the first clamping jaw assembly 11, the second clamping jaw assembly 12 and the third clamping jaw assembly 13. The hook heads 18 of the three clamping jaw assemblies 14 extend from three directions under the wafer 1, which can clamp the wafer 1 more stably, enhance the restriction on the radial movement of the wafer 1, and make it difficult for the wafer 1 to fall from the gap between the clamping jaw assemblies 14.

[0095] The wafer clamping mechanism of the present invention can be used to transport wafers that have undergone a dicing process. The bottom of the wafer 1 is clamped by the clamping jaw assembly 14, which only provides axial limitation for the wafer 1 and does not contact the side of the wafer 1. There is no radial stress between the two. The device uses a guide mechanism 26 to press against the side of the wafer 1, and the maximum value of the radial force applied to the wafer is within a certain range. Excessive radial force will not be applied to the wafer 1 due to a relatively large processing error. The risk of edge damage of the wafer during transportation is effectively reduced, and the yield rate of the entire wafer dicing process is guaranteed. In addition, in the process of the wafer 1 falling after being released by the clamping jaw assembly 14, the guide mechanism 26 guides its falling direction to achieve the precise placement of the wafer 1, thereby improving the repeatability of the released wafer 1.

[0096] The present invention also discloses a wafer handling device, which includes a moving component and a wafer clamping device of the present invention. The wafer clamping device is installed on the moving component. Specifically, the wafer clamping device can be connected to the moving component by a connecting mounting plate 4 (see Figure 1 ) is fixedly connected to the moving component, so that the moving component can move to the target position after the wafer is clamped by the wafer clamping device, and then the wafer is accurately released to the target position by the wafer clamping device. The wafer handling device can effectively prevent the edge of the wafer from breaking, improve the efficiency and safety of wafer handling, and ensure the integrity of the wafer.

[0097] The present invention also discloses a wafer processing device, which includes a wafer processing module and a wafer handling device disclosed in the present invention. The wafer processing device may be a wafer dicing device, and the wafer processing module it has is a wafer edge dicing module. The wafer dicing device is used to perform a dicing process on the wafer, and the wafer handling device is used to carry the wafer that has been diced by the wafer dicing device away from the processing position. Since the wafer handling device of the present wafer processing device can protect the edge of the wafer and reduce the probability of edge collapse, the wafer yield rate of the entire dicing process of the present wafer processing device, including wafer handling, can be improved. In addition, since the wafer handling device has a high repeatability positioning accuracy for placing the wafer, adjustment time is saved, and the wafer output efficiency of the wafer processing equipment is improved.

[0098] The invention also discloses a wafer clamping and releasing method used on the wafer clamping device of the invention. Figure 7 FIG. 1 is a flow chart of a wafer clamping method of a wafer clamping device of the present invention. Figure 7 As shown, the steps of wafer clamping include:

[0099] Clamping step 1: The guide mechanism 26 and the clamping jaw assembly 14 approach the wafer 1 in the radial direction until the guide mechanism 26 contacts the side of the wafer 1. The guide mechanism 26 can slide along the clamping jaw slide rail 5 driven by the motor 7 and the lead screw 8 to approach the wafer 1 in the radial direction. The guide mechanism 26 is installed on the clamping jaw assembly 14 and is driven by the guide mechanism 26 to synchronously approach the wafer 1 until the guide column 28 of the guide mechanism 26 contacts the side of the wafer 1.

[0100] Optionally, the time when the guide mechanism 26 contacts the side of the wafer can be earlier than the time when the clamping jaw assembly 14 clamps the bottom of the wafer 1, because the guide mechanism 26 contacts the wafer 1 in advance to fix and center the wafer 1. Since the wafer clamping device of the present invention needs to align the center of the wafer 1 before clamping the wafer 1, so as to facilitate clamping the wafer 1, but there will always be a certain concentricity error during alignment. If the centering is not performed first, the possibility of the clamping jaw assembly 14 clamping empty, crooked, scratching or bumping the surface of the wafer 1 will increase. Therefore, the design of first centering the wafer 1 through the guide mechanism 26 and then clamping it through the clamping jaw assembly 14 can increase the accuracy of clamping the wafer 1 and reduce wafer damage.

[0101] Clamping step two: the guide mechanism 26 continues to press against the side of the wafer 1, and therefore no longer moves toward the wafer 1 together with the clamping jaw assembly 14, while the clamping jaw assembly 14 continues to approach the wafer 1. At this time, the elastic mechanism 31 between the guide mechanism 26 and the clamping jaw assembly 14 stretches, the pulling force increases, and the force applied by the guide mechanism 26 to the side of the wafer 1 to press against the side of the wafer 1 also increases.

[0102] Clamping step three: The clamping jaw assembly 14 extends under the wafer 1 until it supports the bottom surface of the wafer 1, and the ends of the U-shaped legs 30 leave the clamping jaw positioning plate 33 until the distance between the two opposite end surfaces reaches 3 to 5 mm, and the clamping jaw assembly 14 stops moving, completing the clamping of the wafer 1. At this time, the clamping jaw assembly 14 can clamp the bottom of the wafer by the wafer supporting surface 19.

[0103] Figure 8 FIG. 1 is a flow chart of a wafer releasing method of a wafer clamping device of the present invention. Figure 8 As shown, the steps of wafer release include:

[0104] Release step one: the clamping jaw assembly 14 starts to move radially outward until it moves out from under the wafer 1. The wafer 1 loses the support from below and starts to fall under the action of gravity, while the guide mechanism 26 still presses against the side of the wafer 1 and applies radial force to the wafer 1, thereby maintaining radial limitation of the wafer 1.

[0105] Release step 2: The wafer 1 is guided by the guide mechanism 26 and falls to the target position. Due to the existence of the guide mechanism 26, the wafer 1 can fall accurately without lateral deviation.

[0106] Release step three: After the wafer 1 falls, the elongation of the elastic mechanism 31 between the clamping jaw assembly 14 and the guide mechanism 26 has not yet recovered, so a pulling force pointing radially inward is still applied to the guide mechanism 26. The clamping jaw assembly 14 continues to move outward until it contacts the guide mechanism 26 again. At this time, the elongation of the elastic mechanism 31 is restored to the state before the clamping jaw assembly 14 clamps the wafer. This state includes two situations. One situation is that the elastic mechanism 31 has been pre-tensioned. Before starting to clamp the wafer 1, the elastic mechanism 31 has a certain amount of stretching and generates tension, pulling the guide mechanism 26 close to the clamping jaw assembly 14; the other situation is that the elastic mechanism 31 is in a relaxed state before starting to clamp the wafer 1, and there is no pulling force on the guide mechanism 26. Then, the clamping jaw assembly 14 and the guide mechanism 26 continue to move outward, and the release of the wafer 1 is completed.

[0107] Through the wafer clamping and releasing method of the above-mentioned wafer clamping device, the wafer can be centered first and then clamped to make the wafer clamping more stable, and the falling direction of the wafer can be guided to enhance the accuracy of wafer release and placement, thereby improving wafer processing efficiency.

[0108] The technical solution provided by the present invention is introduced in detail above. Specific examples are used in this article to illustrate the principle and implementation mode of the present invention. The description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the method of the present invention and its core idea. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, according to the idea of ​​the present invention, there will be changes in the specific implementation mode and application scope. In summary, the content of this specification should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

Claims

1. A wafer clamping device, characterized in that: The wafer clamping device comprises: A clamping jaw assembly (14), at least two groups of the clamping jaw assemblies (14) clamping and releasing the wafer (1) at different circumferential positions, the clamping jaw assembly (14) being configured to support the bottom of the wafer (1) and to have a gap with the side of the wafer (1) when clamping the wafer (1); and A guide mechanism (26), at least two groups of the guide mechanisms (26) are configured to press against the side surface of the wafer (1) at different circumferential positions when the clamping jaw assembly (14) clamps the wafer (1) to limit the radial position of the wafer (1).

2. The wafer clamping device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The at least two groups of the guiding mechanisms (26) are also configured to continue to press against the side of the wafer (1) after the clamping jaw assembly (14) releases the wafer (1) until the wafer (1) is guided to fall into place.

3. The wafer clamping device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The clamping jaw assembly (14) comprises a clamping jaw (35) and a radially extending clamping jaw mounting plate (15), wherein the clamping jaw (35) extends axially downward from the radial outer end of the clamping jaw mounting plate (15); the guiding mechanism (26) comprises a radially extending guiding member mounting plate (29) and a guiding element (25) which is arranged at the radial outer end of the guiding member mounting plate (29) and extends axially downward; the clamping jaw assembly (14) and the guiding mechanism (26) are arranged at the same circumferential position, and the guiding member mounting plate (29) is arranged above the clamping jaw mounting plate (15).

4. The wafer clamping device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The wafer clamping device comprises a radially arranged elastic mechanism (31), wherein the elastic mechanism (31) is connected to the guide mechanism (26), and the elastic mechanism (31) is configured to pull the guide mechanism (26) so that the guide mechanism (26) is pressed against the side surface of the wafer (1).

5. The wafer holding device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The elastic mechanism (31) is connected between the guide mechanism (26) and the clamping jaw assembly (14).

6. The wafer holding device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The elastic mechanism (31) is a tension spring (34), the clamping jaw mounting plate (15) is provided with a first tension spring seat (21), the guide member mounting plate (29) is provided with a second tension spring seat (27) radially opposite to the first tension spring seat (21), and the tension spring (34) is connected between the first tension spring seat (21) and the second tension spring seat (27).

7. The wafer holding device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The wafer clamping device comprises a driving component (6), wherein the driving component (6) and the clamping component (14) are arranged at the same circumferential position, the driving component (6) is connected to the clamping component (14), and the driving component (6) is used to drive the clamping component (14) to move radially.

8. The wafer holding device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The driving assembly (6) comprises a motor (7), a screw rod (8) and a nut (9); the nut (9) extending in the radial direction is fixedly mounted on the clamping jaw mounting plate (15); the output shaft (38) of the motor (7) is coaxially connected to the screw rod (8); the screw rod (8) is spirally connected to the nut (9); the motor (7) drives the clamping jaw mounting plate (15) to move in the radial direction by rotating the motor output shaft (38).

9. The wafer clamping device according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that: When the wafer clamping device clamps the wafer (1), the guide member mounting plate (29) is configured to abut against the first tension spring seat (21) inwardly, and the drive assembly (6) is configured to pull the clamping jaw assembly (14) and the guide mechanism (26) to move synchronously radially inwardly until the guide element (25) of the guide mechanism (26) abuts against the wafer (1), and the drive assembly (6) continues to pull the clamping jaw assembly (14) and the guide member mounting plate (29) is separated from the first tension spring seat (21).

10. The wafer clamping device according to claim 9, characterized in that: When the wafer clamping device releases the wafer (1), the driving component (6) drives the clamping jaw component (14) to move radially outward until the guide member mounting plate (29) abuts against the first tension spring seat (21), and then the driving component (6) drives the clamping jaw component (14) and the guide mechanism (26) to move radially outward synchronously.

11. The wafer holding device according to claim 1, wherein: A wafer supporting surface (19) extending inward and tilting downward is provided on the radial inner side of the clamping jaw assembly (14), and the wafer supporting surface (19) is used to support the bottom of the wafer (1).

12. The wafer holding device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The clamping jaw assembly (14) is configured to reciprocate in the radial direction.

13. The wafer holding device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The three clamping jaw assemblies (14) are evenly arranged along the circumferential direction.

14. The wafer holding device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The wafer clamping device comprises a mounting plate (2), and a clamping jaw slide rail (5) fixed to the mounting plate (2), arranged circumferentially and extending radially, and the clamping jaw assembly (14) is slidably connected to the clamping jaw slide rail (5).

15. The wafer holding device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The guide mechanism (26) is slidably connected to the top of the clamping jaw assembly (14) to form a two-layer supporting structure.

16. The wafer holding device according to claim 3, characterized in that: A guide seat slide rail (20) extending radially is fixedly mounted on the top of the clamping jaw mounting plate (15), and the guide member mounting plate (29) is slidably connected to the guide seat slide rail (20).

17. The wafer holding device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The guide element (25) is a guide column (28), and the radial inner side of the guide column (28) has a guide surface (32) extending axially and adapted to the shape of the side surface of the wafer (1).

18. The wafer holding device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The clamping jaw (35) and the guide element (25) are arranged at different circumferential positions.

19. The wafer holding device according to claim 17, wherein: The two guide posts (28) are arranged on both sides of the clamping jaw (35) along the circumferential direction.

20. The wafer holding device according to claim 1, wherein: The wafer clamping device comprises a limit device (22), wherein the limit device (22) comprises a fixed limit sensor (23) and a baffle (24) mounted on the clamping jaw assembly (14) and opposite to the limit sensor (23), wherein the limit sensor (23) is used to detect the position of the baffle (24).

21. The wafer holding device according to claim 14, wherein: The wafer clamping device comprises no less than three length-adjustable adjustment columns (3), the top ends of the adjustment columns (3) being fixedly connected to the connecting mounting plate (4), and the bottom ends being fixedly connected to the mounting plate (2), the adjustment columns (3) being used to adjust the connecting mounting plate (4) to be parallel to the mounting plate (2), the connecting mounting plate (4) being used to connect a moving component, and the moving component being used to move the wafer clamping device.

22. A wafer transport device, characterized in that: The wafer handling device comprises a moving component and a wafer clamping device as described in claims 1 to 21, wherein the wafer clamping device is installed on the moving component, the wafer clamping device is used to clamp and release the wafer (1), and the moving component is used to move the wafer clamping device.

23. A wafer processing equipment, comprising a wafer processing module and the wafer handling device according to claim 22.

24. A wafer clamping and releasing method using the wafer clamping device according to any one of claims 1 to 21, characterized in that: The wafer clamping method comprises: Clamping step 1: moving the guide mechanism (26) and the clamping jaw assembly (14) radially toward the wafer (1) until the guide mechanism (26) contacts the side surface of the wafer (1); Clamping step 2: the guide mechanism (26) presses against the side surface of the wafer (1), no longer follows the movement of the clamping jaw assembly (14), and continues to move the clamping jaw assembly (14) closer to the wafer (1); Clamping step three: the clamping jaw assembly (14) extends under the wafer (1) until the clamping jaw assembly (14) clamps the bottom surface of the wafer (1), and the clamping jaw assembly (14) stops moving, and the wafer clamping is completed; The wafer releasing method comprises: Release step 1: moving the clamping jaw assembly (14) radially outward to a position below the wafer (1), with the guide mechanism (26) continuously pressing against the side surface of the wafer (1); Release step 2: the guide mechanism (26) guides the wafer (1) to fall to a target position; Release step three: continue to move the clamping jaw assembly (14) radially outward until the clamping jaw assembly (14) contacts the guide mechanism (26), and continue to move the clamping jaw assembly (14) and the guide mechanism (26) outward, and the wafer is released.

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