Transfer device and semiconductor processing equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses a transferring device and semiconductor processing equipment, the transferring device comprises a base frame, a suction cup and a supporting claw structure, and the suction cup and the supporting claw structure are both installed on the base frame; the supporting claw structure comprises a driving part and a supporting claw, the supporting claw is provided with a bearing face used for bearing a workpiece, the bearing face is located below the suction face of the suction cup, and the driving part is used for driving the supporting claw to be switched between the extending position relatively far away from the workpiece and the retracting position relatively close to the workpiece. By means of the structural arrangement of the transferring device, the probability that workpieces fall off in the transferring process can be reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of semiconductor processing equipment, and in particular to a transfer device and semiconductor processing equipment. Background Art

[0002] In the semiconductor industry, workpieces (such as wafers, substrates, etc.) need to be processed by processing equipment, such as cutting and cleaning. The processing equipment includes multiple workstations such as loading, testing, cutting, and cleaning. The workpieces need to be transferred between different workstations. The processing equipment needs to be equipped with a transfer device to transfer the position of the workpiece.

[0003] In the related art, the transfer device uses a plurality of vacuum suction cups to absorb the fixture loaded with the workpiece, and then carries out the workpiece transportation. However, in the process of carrying the workpiece, the workpiece may fall off due to insufficient vacuum of the vacuum suction cup. After the workpiece falls off, the workpiece itself may be damaged, and the processing equipment or other products may be damaged after falling off. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the present application is to provide a transfer device and semiconductor processing equipment, which can alleviate or solve the problem of workpieces easily falling off during transportation by optimizing the structure of the transfer device.

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present application provides a transfer device, comprising a base frame, a suction cup and a claw structure, wherein the suction cup and the claw structure are both mounted on the base frame;

[0006] The supporting claw structure includes a driving member and a supporting claw, the supporting claw has a bearing surface for supporting a workpiece, the bearing surface is located below the adsorption surface of the suction cup, and the driving member is used to drive the supporting claw to switch between an extended position relatively far away from the workpiece and a retracted position relatively close to the workpiece.

[0007] In one feasible solution, the driving member includes a fixed part and a telescopic part, the fixed part is mounted on the base frame, the supporting claw is mounted on the telescopic part through an adapter, the supporting claw is connected to the adapter, and the supporting claw can move in a vertical direction relative to the adapter to adjust the vertical spacing between the bearing surface and the adsorption surface.

[0008] In a feasible solution, one of the supporting claw and the adapter is provided with a first elongated hole extending in a vertical direction, and the supporting claw and the adapter are connected via a fastener inserted into the first elongated hole.

[0009] In a feasible solution, the vertical distance between the carrying surface and the adsorption surface is the sum of the thickness of the workpiece to be transferred and a set gap, and the set gap is 0.5 mm to 1 mm.

[0010] In a feasible solution, the fixing part is mounted on the base frame via a mounting seat, the fixing part is fixedly connected to the mounting seat, and the mounting seat can move relative to the base frame to adjust the position of the fixing part in the extension and retraction direction of the claw.

[0011] In a feasible solution, one of the mounting seat and the base frame is provided with a second elongated hole, and the mounting seat and the base frame are connected via a fastener inserted into the second elongated hole.

[0012] In a feasible solution, more than two supporting claw structures are installed on the base frame, and the bearing surfaces of the supporting claws are in the same horizontal plane.

[0013] In a feasible solution, the base frame includes a connecting rod and two support rods, the two support rods are respectively fixed to two ends of the connecting rod, and at least one of the suction cups and one of the claw structures is provided on the support rod.

[0014] In a feasible solution, the driving member is a cylinder.

[0015] The present application also provides a semiconductor processing equipment, including a plurality of workstations and a transfer device, wherein the transfer device can drive a workpiece to transfer between the plurality of workstations, and the transfer device is any of the transfer devices described above.

[0016] The transfer device provided by the present application can be used in semiconductor processing equipment. The transfer device is provided with a claw structure. During the process of transferring the workpiece, if the suction cup 20 that adsorbs the workpiece is unable to adsorb the workpiece due to insufficient vacuum caused by air failure or leakage, the workpiece can fall off the suction cup and be supported by the bearing surface of the claw, thereby preventing the workpiece from falling and being damaged or causing damage to other structures of the equipment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a transfer device in a first state in an embodiment provided by the present application;

[0018] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A top view of the transfer device shown;

[0019] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A bottom view of the transfer device shown;

[0020] Figure 4 for Figure 1A partial side view of the transfer device shown;

[0021] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of a transfer device in a second state in an embodiment provided by the present application;

[0022] Figure 6 for Figure 5 A partial enlarged view of the middle I part;

[0023] Figure 7 for Figure 5 A top view of the transfer device shown;

[0024] Figure 8 for Figure 5 A bottom view of the transfer device shown.

[0025] Description of reference numerals:

[0026] Base frame 10, connecting rod 11, support rod 12;

[0027] Suction cup 20, adsorption surface 21;

[0028] The claw structure 30, the driving member 31, the fixing portion 311, the telescopic portion 312, the claw 32, the supporting plate 321, the bearing surface 321a, the first long hole 322, the adapter 33, the mounting seat 34, and the second long hole 341;

[0029] Artifact 01. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present application, the present application is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific implementation methods.

[0031] Please refer to Figures 1 to 8 , Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a transfer device in a first state in an embodiment is shown. Figure 2 and Figure 3 They are Figure 1 The top view and bottom view of the transfer device shown, Figure 4 for Figure 1 A partial side view of the transfer device shown, Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of the transfer device in a second state in an embodiment is shown. Figure 6 for Figure 5 A partial enlarged view of the middle I area. Figure 7 and Figure 8 They are Figure 5 A top view and a bottom view of the transfer device are shown.

[0032] The transfer device provided in this embodiment can be used in semiconductor processing equipment to realize the transfer or transportation of workpieces between different stations. For example, in the wafer processing in the chip manufacturing process, the semiconductor processing equipment is a wafer cutting processing equipment as an example. In the wafer cutting processing equipment, there are multiple stations such as loading, testing, cutting and cleaning. The wafer needs to change positions between different stations during the processing. The wafer cutting processing equipment can be equipped with a transfer device to realize the transfer or transportation of the wafer between different stations through the transfer device.

[0033] For the sake of ease of description, the directional terms such as up, down, and vertical direction (vertical) used in this article are defined based on the normal working state of the transfer device in transporting the workpiece. It can be understood that the normal direction of the workpiece 01 is the vertical direction (vertical). The use of the directional terms does not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection.

[0034] It should be noted that the workpiece 01 in this article may include only the semiconductor device to be processed, or may include the semiconductor device and the loading fixture loaded with the semiconductor device. Taking the wafer as an example, the wafer is fixed on the loading fixture during transfer, and the transfer device carries the loading fixture and the wafer during transportation. The workpiece 01 shown in the figure is a loading fixture for loading the wafer, and the wafer is hidden.

[0035] In this embodiment, the transfer device includes a base frame 10 , a suction cup 20 and a claw structure 30 , and the suction cup 20 and the claw structure 30 are both mounted on the base frame 10 .

[0036] The claw structure 30 includes a driving member 31 and a claw 32. The claw 32 has a bearing surface 321a for supporting the workpiece 01. The bearing surface 321a is located below the adsorption surface 21 of the suction cup 20. The driving member 31 is used to drive the claw 32 to switch between an extended position relatively far away from the workpiece 01 and a retracted position relatively close to the workpiece 01.

[0037] When the above transfer device is used and the workpiece 01 needs to be transferred, the driving member 31 can first drive the claw 32 to move to a protruding position away from the workpiece 01, such as Figure 1 In the first state shown, at this time, there is a distance between the bearing surface 321a of the claw 32 and the edge of the workpiece 01, which will not interfere with the suction cup 20 adsorbing the workpiece 01; then the suction cup 20 adsorbs the workpiece 01, and after the vacuum negative pressure of the suction cup 20 reaches a set value (for example, -80kpa), the control driving member 31 drives the claw 32 to move to a retracted position close to the workpiece 01, such as Figure 5 In the second state shown in FIG. 1 , at this time, the bearing surface 321a of the claw 32 and the workpiece 01 at least partially overlap in the projection plane perpendicular to the normal line of the workpiece 01, that is, the transfer device is in Figure 5In the second state shown in FIG. 1 , if the vacuum of the suction cup 20 is insufficient and the workpiece 01 cannot be adsorbed, the workpiece 01 may be supported by the supporting surface 321 a of the claw 32 after it falls off. Figure 6 shown.

[0038] After adopting the above scheme, the transfer device is provided with a claw structure 30. During the process of transferring the workpiece 01, if the suction cup 20 that adsorbs the workpiece 01 is unable to adsorb the workpiece 01 due to insufficient vacuum caused by air failure or leakage, the workpiece 01 can fall off the suction cup 20 and be supported by the supporting surface 321a of the claw 32, thereby preventing the workpiece 01 from falling and being damaged or causing damage to other structures of the equipment.

[0039] The suction cup 20 of the transfer device and the related structure connected to the suction cup 20 can be realized based on existing technologies. In application, the parameter selection of the vacuum degree of the suction cup 20 adsorbing the workpiece 01 can be set according to actual needs and will not be described in detail here.

[0040] In practical applications, the claw structure 30 is located at the edge area of ​​the workpiece 01, and the bearing surface 321a of the claw 32 can support the edge of the workpiece 01. The claw 32 can move away from the workpiece 01 under the drive of the driving member 31. In this way, the claw 32 is away from the edge area of ​​the workpiece 01, which will not affect the suction and fixation of the workpiece 01 by the suction cup 20. After the suction cup 20 absorbs the workpiece 01, the claw 32 moves in the direction close to the workpiece 01 and is in a position to support the workpiece 01. The transfer device is Figure 5 The workpiece 01 is transferred in the state shown. In this way, during the transfer process, if the vacuum degree of the suction cup 20 is insufficient, the claws 32 can catch the workpiece 01 that falls off.

[0041] In some embodiments, the driving member 31 includes a fixed part 311 and a telescopic part 312, the fixed part 311 is installed on the base frame 10, the supporting claw 32 is installed on the telescopic part 312 through the adapter 33, the supporting claw 32 is connected to the adapter 33, and the supporting claw 32 can move in the vertical direction relative to the adapter 33 to adjust the vertical distance d between the bearing surface 321a and the adsorption surface 21 of the suction cup 20.

[0042] In this way, the vertical spacing d between the adsorption surface 21 and the bearing surface 321a can be adjusted, so that after the suction cup 20 adsorbs the workpiece 01, there is an appropriate set gap between the bearing surface 321a of the claw 32 and the bottom surface of the workpiece 01. It can be understood that the vertical spacing d is the sum of the thickness of the workpiece 01 and the set gap. The set gap can be reasonably set to avoid the collision of the workpiece 01 with the claw 32 due to possible deformation, thereby ensuring the safety of the workpiece 01 during the transfer process, and to avoid the gap between the workpiece 01 and the bearing surface 321a of the claw 32 after the workpiece 01 is adsorbed. Too large, which does not play a role in preventing the workpiece 01 from falling off.

[0043] After testing, the aforementioned set gap can be selected between 0.5mm and 1mm, for example, 0.6mm, 0.65mm, 0.7mm, 0.78mm, 0.8mm, 0.9mm, 0.95mm, 1mm, etc. can be selected.

[0044] like Figure 1 As shown, the bottom of the claw 32 may be a C-shaped structure with an opening toward the workpiece 01, and a support plate 321 is provided at the bottom thereof, and the upper surface of the support plate 321 forms a bearing surface 321a. In practical applications, the size and shape of the support plate 321 may be set as required.

[0045] In a specific implementation, a first elongated hole 322 extending in the vertical direction is provided in one of the supporting claw 32 and the adapter 33, and the supporting claw 32 and the adapter 33 can be connected by a fastener inserted in the first elongated hole 322. In this way, the vertical position of the supporting claw 32 can be relatively easily adjusted. The fastener can be a screw or a bolt, and can also include a gasket, which is provided between the first elongated hole 322 and the head of the screw or bolt to prevent the supporting claw 32 from moving along the extending direction of the first elongated hole 322 of the fastener.

[0046] Exemplarily, the distance that the claw 32 moves in the vertical direction relative to the adapter 33 ranges from -5 mm to 5 mm.

[0047] In the illustrated example, the first elongated hole 322 is disposed on the supporting claw 32. In other embodiments, the first elongated hole 322 may also be disposed on the adapter 33.

[0048] The number of the first elongated holes 322 can be set as required. In the figure, two are provided, depending on the connection reliability between the supporting claw 32 and the adapter 33 .

[0049] In some embodiments, the fixing portion 311 of the driving member 31 is installed on the base frame 10 via the mounting seat 34 , and the fixing portion 311 is fixedly connected to the mounting seat 34 . The mounting seat 34 can move relative to the base frame 10 to adjust the position of the fixing portion 311 in the extension direction of the claw 32 .

[0050] After such arrangement, the extreme position of the extension of the claw 32 can be adjusted to accommodate workpieces 01 of different sizes.

[0051] In a specific implementation, a second elongated hole 341 is provided in one of the fixing portion 311 and the base frame 10, and the mounting seat 34 and the base frame 10 are connected by a fastener inserted in the second elongated hole 341. In this way, it is convenient to adjust the relative position of the fixing portion 311 and the base frame 10 in the extension direction of the claw 32.

[0052] In the illustrated example, the second elongated hole 341 is disposed on the mounting seat 34 . In other embodiments, the second elongated hole 341 may also be disposed on the base frame 10 .

[0053] The fasteners connecting the mounting seat 34 and the base frame 10 may be configured similarly to the fasteners connecting the supporting claws 32 and the adapter 33 described above.

[0054] Exemplarily, the driving member 31 of the claw structure 30 may be a cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, an electric telescopic cylinder, or the like.

[0055] In some embodiments, more than two claw structures 30 are installed on the base frame 10, and the bearing surfaces 321a of each claw 32 of each claw structure 30 are in the same horizontal plane. In this way, after the workpiece 01 falls off, multiple bearing surfaces 321a can provide stable support, further reducing the risk of the workpiece 01 falling off.

[0056] More than two supporting claw structures 30 may be arranged at intervals to ensure the stability and balance of the support for the workpiece 01 and reduce the risk of the workpiece 01 falling off the supporting claws 32 .

[0057] Specifically, the two or more claw structures 30 are evenly arranged along the outer periphery of the workpiece 01 as much as possible.

[0058] In some embodiments, the transfer device is also provided with more than two suction cups 20 to ensure stable adsorption of the workpiece 01 .

[0059] In a specific implementation, the base frame 10 includes a connecting rod 11 and two support rods 12 . The two support rods 12 are fixedly connected to two ends of the connecting rod 11 , respectively. The support rod 12 is provided with at least one suction cup 20 and a claw structure 30 .

[0060] In the example shown in the figure, the middle of the support rod 12 is connected to the end of the connecting rod 11, so that the base frame 10 is roughly in an I-shaped structure. A suction cup 20 is provided at both ends of each support rod 12, and a claw structure 30 is installed at the diagonal ends of the two support rods 12. In this way, four suction cups 20 and two claw structures 30 are provided in the transfer device shown in the figure.

[0061] In other embodiments, the structural form of the base frame 10, the number and arrangement of the suction cups 20, and the number and arrangement of the claw structures 30 can be adaptively adjusted according to application requirements.

[0062] The transfer device also includes a driving mechanism, which can drive the base frame 10 to move so as to transfer the workpiece 01 between different workstations. The setting of the driving mechanism can be realized based on existing technology and will not be described in detail here.

[0063] In addition to the above-mentioned transferring device, the embodiment of the present application also provides a semiconductor processing equipment, which includes multiple workstations and a transferring device. The transferring device can drive the workpiece 01 to transfer between multiple workstations. The transferring device adopts the transferring device introduced in the above-mentioned embodiment. The semiconductor processing equipment has the corresponding technical effect of the above-mentioned transferring device and will not be repeated.

[0064] The semiconductor processing equipment may be wafer cutting equipment, etc.

[0065] Specific examples are used herein to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present application, and the description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the method and core ideas of the present application. It should be pointed out that for ordinary technicians in this technical field, without departing from the principles of the present application, several improvements and modifications can be made to the present application, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the scope of protection of the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. A transfer device, characterized in that: It comprises a base frame (10), a suction cup (20) and a claw structure (30), wherein the suction cup (20) and the claw structure (30) are both mounted on the base frame (10); The supporting claw structure (30) comprises a driving member (31) and a supporting claw (32); the supporting claw (32) has a bearing surface (321a) for supporting a workpiece (01); the bearing surface (321a) is located below the adsorption surface (21) of the suction cup (20); the driving member (31) is used to drive the supporting claw (32) to switch between an extended position relatively far from the workpiece (01) and a retracted position relatively close to the workpiece (01).

2. The transfer device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving member (31) comprises a fixed portion (311) and a telescopic portion (312); the fixed portion (311) is mounted on the base frame (10); the supporting claw (32) is mounted on the telescopic portion (312) via an adapter (33); the supporting claw (32) is connected to the adapter (33); and the supporting claw (32) can move in a vertical direction relative to the adapter (33) to adjust the vertical spacing between the bearing surface (321a) and the adsorption surface (21).

3. The transfer device according to claim 2, characterized in that: One of the supporting claw (32) and the adapter (33) is provided with a first elongated hole (322) extending in a vertical direction, and the supporting claw (32) and the adapter (33) are connected via a fastener inserted into the first elongated hole (322).

4. The transfer device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The vertical distance between the bearing surface (321a) and the adsorption surface (21) is the sum of the thickness of the workpiece (01) and a set gap, and the set gap is 0.5 mm to 1 mm.

5. The transfer device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fixing portion (311) is mounted on the base frame (10) via a mounting seat (34); the fixing portion (311) is fixedly connected to the mounting seat (34); and the mounting seat (34) is movable relative to the base frame (10) to adjust the position of the fixing portion (311) in the extension and retraction direction of the supporting claw (32).

6. The transfer device according to claim 5, characterized in that: One of the mounting seat (34) and the base frame (10) is provided with a second elongated hole (341), and the mounting seat (34) and the base frame (10) are connected via a fastener inserted into the second elongated hole (341).

7. The transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: More than two supporting claw structures (30) are installed on the base frame (10), and the bearing surfaces (321a) of the supporting claws (32) are located on the same horizontal plane.

8. The transfer device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The base frame (10) comprises a connecting rod (11) and two support rods (12), wherein the two support rods (12) are respectively fixed to two ends of the connecting rod (11), and at least one suction cup (20) and one claw structure (30) are provided on the support rod (12).

9. The transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The driving member (31) is a cylinder.

10. Semiconductor processing equipment, characterized in that It comprises a plurality of workstations and a transfer device, wherein the transfer device can drive a workpiece (01) to transfer between the plurality of workstations, and the transfer device is the transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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