Manipulator and semiconductor process equipment

Abstract

The invention provides a manipulator and semiconductor process equipment. The manipulator is used for the semiconductor process equipment. The manipulator comprises a body, a finger assembly, a position detection assembly, an adjusting assembly and a control assembly. The finger assembly and the adjusting assembly are both arranged on the body, two detection pieces of the position detection assembly are arranged on two fingers of the finger assembly respectively, and the control assembly is connected to the position detection assembly and the adjusting assembly. Wherein the control assembly is used for obtaining the wafer taking position of the circle center of the wafer according to the two positions, obtained by the detection piece, of the edge of the wafer, comparing the wafer taking position of the circle center of the wafer with the standard position of the circle center of the wafer, and controlling the adjusting assembly according to the comparison result until the wafer taking position of the circle center of the wafer coincides with the standard position. When the manipulator is used for taking and placing the wafer, the position of the wafer on the manipulator can be automatically corrected, so that the time for taking and placing the wafer by the manipulator is saved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of the present disclosure relate to, but are not limited to, the field of semiconductor technology, and in particular, to a robot and semiconductor process equipment. Background Art

[0002] With the development of plasma cutting process technology, a die ring is provided on the radial outer side of the bare silicon wafer. Such a wafer provided with a die ring is generally also called a framed wafer. Figure 1 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a patch ring wafer 1 in the related art. Figure 1 The chip ring wafer 1 includes a bare silicon wafer 2, a film 3 and a chip ring 4, and the film 3 is located between the bare silicon wafer 1 and the chip ring 4.

[0003] In the front-end transmission module EFEM of semiconductor process equipment, a manipulator is generally used to transfer the patch ring wafer 1 to the corresponding process module. For this patch ring wafer 1 of the related art, the commonly used wafer-taking methods of the manipulator include adsorption, mechanical clamping and friction. The appropriate wafer-taking method can be selected according to the size, material, transmission environment (vacuum or atmosphere) of the patch ring wafer 1 and the transmission efficiency.

[0004] Generally speaking, the material of the bare silicon wafer 2 is mostly silicon and its related compounds, while the material of the patch ring 4 is mostly stainless steel. This is because stainless steel is strong and heavy, and can reliably carry the bare silicon wafer 2. In an atmospheric transmission environment, in order to ensure transmission stability and improve transmission efficiency, the manipulator often adopts the mechanical clamping method in the above-mentioned wafer picking method, and a specific clamping manipulator will be selected at this time. When the manipulator adopts the mechanical clamping method to pick up the wafer, the commonly used wafer clamping methods include vacuum adsorption and edge clamping.

[0005] The vacuum adsorption type is that the end effector of the manipulator contacts the upper surface or the lower surface of the patch ring wafer 1 through the suction cup, and grabs the patch ring wafer 1 through the vacuum suction of the suction cup. The edge clamping type is that the manipulator grabs and fixes the patch ring wafer 1 through the limit block.

[0006] In the related art, in order to ensure that the patch ring wafer 1 is located at the center of the cassette when the robot transfers the patch ring wafer 1 to the cassette, a pre-alignment device Aligner is generally provided. The robot first places the patch ring wafer 1 on the pre-alignment device Aligner for calibration, and then transfers the patch ring wafer 1 to the corresponding cassette.

[0007] However, in the related art, using a pre-alignment device Aligner to calibrate the wafer 1 will prolong the time for the robot to pick up and place the patch ring wafer 1, thereby reducing the WPH (wafer per hour, WPH for short). Summary of the invention

[0008] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art, and proposes a robot and a semiconductor process equipment. When the robot takes and places the wafer, the position of the wafer on the robot can be automatically corrected. Compared with the calibration using the pre-alignment device Aligner in the related technology, the robot in this embodiment does not need to go through the aligner step during the return transmission, thereby improving the WPH.

[0009] In order to achieve the purpose of the present invention, a robot is provided for semiconductor process equipment, comprising: a main body; a finger assembly fixedly arranged on the main body, the finger assembly is used to support a wafer, and the finger assembly includes two fingers; a position detection assembly, including two detection parts, the two detection parts are respectively arranged at one end of the two fingers away from the main body, and are used to obtain the positions of two wafer edges when blocked by the edge of the wafer; an adjustment assembly is arranged on the main body, and the adjustment assembly is used to adjust the position of the wafer on the finger assembly when the finger assembly supports the wafer; a control assembly is connected to the position detection assembly and the adjustment assembly, and the control assembly is used to obtain the positions of the two wafer edges obtained by the position detection assembly, and obtain the wafer picking position of the center of the wafer according to the positions of the two wafer edges; the control assembly is also used to compare the wafer picking position of the center of the wafer with the standard position of the center of the wafer, and control the adjustment assembly according to the result of the above comparison until the wafer picking position of the center of the wafer coincides with the standard position.

[0010] In some embodiments, the adjustment component includes a driving part and a clamping part arranged on the driving part; the fixed end of the driving part is connected to the main body, and the movable end of the driving part is connected to the clamping part; the clamping part is used to clamp the wafer, and the driving part is used to drive the clamping part to move along a preset direction to move the wafer.

[0011] In some embodiments, the clamping portion includes a grasping member, a connecting member and a driving member; the fixed end of the driving member and the fixed end of the grasping member are both connected to the movable end of the driving member, one end of the connecting member is connected to the movable end of the driving member, and the other end of the connecting member is movably connected to the grasping member, and the driving member is used to drive the connecting member to move along a preset direction; the grasping member has a clamping space with an opening toward the wafer, and the connecting member is used to move on the grasping member along a preset direction under the drive of the driving member, so that the grasping member opening can switch between an open state and a closed state.

[0012] In some embodiments, the grabbing member includes a connecting structure, two symmetrically arranged upper clips and a lower clip arranged between the two upper clips, and the connecting member has a movable structure; the connecting structure is fixedly connected to the moving end of the driving part, one end of the upper clip and the lower clip are rotatably connected to the connecting structure, and the other end of the lower clip and the lower clip together constitute an opening of the grabbing member; a first mounting groove extending along a first direction is provided on the upper clip, and a second mounting groove extending along a second direction is provided on the lower clip, and the movable structure can be movably arranged in the first mounting groove and the second mounting groove, and the movable structure is used to move in the first mounting groove and the second mounting groove; wherein the first direction and the second direction are arranged at an angle.

[0013] In some embodiments, the manipulator includes two adjustment components, which are arranged side by side at the root position between two fingers.

[0014] In some embodiments, the robot also includes two limit members, which are respectively arranged on two fingers, and each limit member is arranged on one side of the corresponding finger close to the adjustment component; the two limit members are used to abut against the wafer at the same time when the wafer picking position and the standard position of the center of the wafer coincide.

[0015] In some embodiments, the control component is used to control the adjustment component of the two adjustment components close to the left finger when the wafer picking position of the center of the wafer is located to the right of the standard position of the center of the wafer; the adjustment component of the two adjustment components close to the left finger has a clamping part that clamps the wafer; the adjustment component of the two adjustment components close to the left finger has a driving part that drives the clamping part to move along a preset direction and toward the direction close to the main body.

[0016] In some embodiments, the control component is used to control the adjustment component of the two adjustment components close to the right finger when the wafer picking position of the center of the wafer is located to the left of the standard position of the center of the wafer; the adjustment component of the two adjustment components close to the right finger has a clamping part that clamps the wafer; the adjustment component of the two adjustment components close to the right finger has a driving part that drives the clamping part to move along a preset direction and toward the direction close to the main body.

[0017] In some embodiments, the control component is used to control two adjustment components respectively when the wafer picking position at the center of the wafer is above the standard position of the center of the wafer; the clamping parts of the two adjustment components both clamp the wafer; the driving parts of the two adjustment components both drive the clamping parts to move along a preset direction and toward the direction close to the main body until the wafer abuts against the two limit members.

[0018] In some embodiments, the two detection components are symmetrically arranged, and a straight-line distance between the two detection components is smaller than an outer diameter of the wafer.

[0019] The present invention also provides a semiconductor process equipment, comprising a plurality of chambers and the robot as described above, wherein the robot is used to transfer wafers between the plurality of chambers.

[0020] In some embodiments, the plurality of chambers include a loading chamber, a locking chamber, and an equipment front-end module, and the equipment front-end module is located between the loading chamber and the locking chamber; wherein the robot is disposed in the equipment front-end module.

[0021] The present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0022] The disclosed embodiment proposes a robot, which obtains the position of two wafer edges through a detection component, and then determines the wafer picking position of the center of the wafer when picking up the wafer according to the position of the above two edges. Since the control component pre-stores the standard position of the center of the wafer when the robot picks up the wafer, it can be understood that the pre-stored standard position of the center of the wafer is the standard position where the wafer position does not shift when the robot picks up the wafer. Therefore, the wafer picking position of the center of the wafer can be compared with the pre-stored standard position of the center of the wafer to determine whether the two coincide, and whether the position of the wafer shifts when picking up the wafer can be determined based on the comparison result. If the comparison result is that the two coincide, it means that the wafer does not shift when the wafer is actually picked up; if the comparison result is that the two do not coincide, it means that the position of the wafer shifts when the wafer is actually picked up, and at this time, the adjustment component needs to be used to correct the position of the wafer on the robot to avoid the risk of subsequent collision with the wafer box and damage to the robot. Compared with the use of the pre-alignment device Aligner for calibration in the related art, the robot in this embodiment does not need to go through the aligner step when returning, which improves WPH. When the robot takes and places the wafer, the position of the wafer on the robot can be automatically corrected. Compared with the calibration using the pre-alignment device Aligner in the related art, the robot in this embodiment does not need to go through the aligner step during return transmission, thereby improving WPH.

[0023] Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent by reading the specification, claims and drawings of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and easily understood from the description of the embodiments in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0025] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of a patch ring wafer in the related art.

[0026] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of a manipulator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 3It is a top view of the robot arm according to the embodiment of the present invention when grabbing a wafer.

[0028] Figure 4 It is an axial view of the robot arm according to the embodiment of the present invention when grabbing a wafer.

[0029] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the wafer picking position of the center of the wafer in the coordinate system when the robot arm according to the embodiment of the present invention grabs the wafer.

[0030] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the wafer picking position and the standard position of the wafer center in the coordinate system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 7 It is a structural schematic diagram of a clamping portion and a driving portion of a clamping assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 8 It is a structural schematic diagram of the clamping part and the driving part when they cooperate with the main body according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Fig. 9 yes Figure 8 Structural schematic diagram of the middle clamping part clamping the edge of the wafer.

[0034] Fig.10 It is a schematic diagram of a robot adjusting a wafer position according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Fig.11 It is a schematic diagram of a robot adjusting a wafer position according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Fig.12 It is a schematic diagram of a robot adjusting a wafer position according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] as well as

[0038] Fig.13 Schematic diagram of a semiconductor process equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] Description of main component symbols:

[0040] 1. Chip ring wafer; 2. Bare silicon wafer; 3. Thin film; 4. Chip ring;

[0041] 10. Manipulator; 30. Loadprot; 40. EFEM; 50. Loadlock; 60. TC; 70. PM; 100. Body;

[0042] 200, finger assembly; 210, finger;

[0043] 300, position detection component; 310, detection member;

[0044] 400. Adjust components;

[0045] 410, driving part; 411, fixing part; 412, moving part;

[0046] 420, clamping part; 421, grabbing member; 4211, connecting structure; 4212, upper clamping piece;

[0047] 4212a, first mounting groove; 4213, lower clip; 422, connecting member; 4221, movable structure;

[0048] 423, driving parts;

[0049] 500. Limiting parts. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and cannot be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0051] Figure 2 It is a schematic structural diagram of a robot arm 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 1 is a top view of the robot arm 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention when grasping the wafer 1 . Figure 4 1 is an axial view of the robot 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention when grasping the wafer 1. Figures 2 to 4 The robot 10 includes a body 100, a finger assembly 200, a position detection assembly 300, an adjustment assembly 400, and a control assembly. It can be understood that the robot 10 in this embodiment is used for semiconductor process equipment and can grab a wafer 1 to transfer the wafer 1. It should be noted that the wafer 1 in the embodiment of the present disclosure refers to a framed wafer 1, that is, the wafer 1 in the embodiment of the present disclosure at least includes a bare silicon wafer 2 and a framed ring 4.

[0052] The finger assembly 200 is used to support the wafer 1, and the finger assembly 200 can scoop up the wafer 1 from one side of the wafer 1. The finger assembly 200 includes two fingers 210, and the two fingers 210 are used to jointly support the wafer 1 to improve the reliability of the finger assembly 200 in supporting the wafer 1. The finger assembly 200 is fixedly arranged on the body 100, and specifically, the finger assembly 200 is arranged at the edge of the body 100 to avoid the wafer 1 colliding with the body 100 when the finger assembly 200 supports the wafer 1.

[0053] In some embodiments, two fingers 210 of the finger assembly 200 are symmetrically arranged on the body 100. Of course, the number of fingers 210 included in the finger assembly 200 is not limited to two, and can also be three or four. The number of fingers 210 can be changed according to the actual size of the wafer 1. This embodiment and the following embodiments are all described as the finger assembly 200 including two fingers 210.

[0054] The adjustment assembly 400 is used to adjust the position of the wafer 1 on the finger assembly 200 when the finger assembly 200 supports the wafer 1. The adjustment assembly 400 is disposed on the body 100. For example, the adjustment assembly 400 can be fixedly connected to the body 100 by screw connection or welding connection, or the adjustment assembly 400 can be detachably connected to the body 100 by a slot connection, or other connection methods.

[0055] The position detection assembly 300 includes two detection members 310. The detection member 310 may be a position sensor or other detection structure capable of obtaining the position of the wafer 1. The two detection members 310 are respectively arranged at one end of the two fingers 210 away from the body 100. The two detection members 310 are used to obtain the positions of the edges of the two wafers 1 when they are blocked by the edge of the wafer 1.

[0056] In some embodiments, the two detection members 310 may be symmetrically arranged, and a straight-line distance between the two detection members 310 is smaller than an outer diameter of the wafer 1 , where the outer diameter of the wafer 1 refers to the diameter of the wafer 1 .

[0057] It should be noted that the reason why two detection members 310 are used to obtain the positions of two edges of the wafer 1 is that the wafer picking position of the center of the wafer 1 can be obtained through the positions of the two edges of the wafer 1. Figure 5 1 is a schematic diagram of the wafer 1 center position in the coordinate system when the robot 10 of the embodiment of the present invention grabs the wafer 1. Figure 5 , the positions of the two edges of the wafer 1 obtained by the two detection components 310 can be displayed in the coordinate system, and the two positions are represented by coordinate values. The two detection components 310 can respectively obtain two different edge positions on the wafer 1, which are respectively represented as the first edge position A (x1, y1) and the second edge position B (x2, y2). The control component is connected to the position detection component 300 and the adjustment component 400. The control component is used to obtain the positions of the two edges of the wafer 1 obtained by the position detection component 300, and obtain the wafer picking position of the center of the wafer 1 according to the above two positions of the edges of the wafer 1. Specifically, the control component can pre-store the calculation formula (x0-x) 2 +(y0-y) 2 =R 2After obtaining the positions of the two edges of the wafer 1 (the first edge position A and the second edge position B), the coordinate values ​​of the positions of the two edges of the wafer 1 are substituted into the above calculation formula to obtain the wafer picking position O (x0, y0) of the center of the wafer 1.

[0058] The control component is also used to compare the wafer 1 center position with the standard position of the wafer 1 center, and control the adjustment component 400 according to the comparison result until the wafer 1 center position coincides with the standard position. Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the wafer pick-up position and the standard position of the center of the wafer 1 in the coordinate system according to the embodiment of the present invention, see Figure 6 The control component can then compare the wafer picking position O of the center of the wafer 1 measured and calculated above with the standard position O1 in the same coordinate system to obtain the eccentricity distance and angle of the wafer 1, thereby realizing automatic detection of whether the position of the wafer 1 is offset by the robot 10.

[0059] It is understandable that the above process can be implemented based on the need for both detection parts 310 to obtain data. When the robot 10 of this embodiment grabs the wafer 1 in the cassette located in the loadport (loading chamber), due to the limitation of the width of the cassette itself, both detection parts 310 will be blocked by the wafer 1, that is to say, both detection parts 310 will obtain the corresponding position data, and the robot 10 will output a prompt of successful wafer retrieval. When the wafer 1 is located in the cassette in other chambers, if only a single detection part 310 obtains the data of the edge position of the wafer 1, and the other detection part 310 does not obtain the data of the edge position of the wafer 1, the robot 10 outputs a prompt of failed wafer retrieval, and readjusts the robot 10 to retrieve the wafer again.

[0060] The disclosed embodiment proposes a robot 10, which obtains the positions of the edges of the wafer 1 at two locations through a detection component, and then determines the wafer picking position of the center of the wafer 1 when picking up the wafer according to the positions of the above two edges. Since the control component pre-stores the standard position of the center of the wafer 1 when the robot 10 picks up the wafer, it can be understood that the pre-stored standard position of the center of the wafer 1 is the standard position where the position of the wafer 1 does not shift when the robot 10 picks up the wafer. Therefore, the wafer picking position of the center of the wafer 1 can be compared with the pre-stored standard position of the center of the wafer 1 to determine whether the two coincide, and whether the position of the wafer 1 shifts when picking up the wafer can be determined based on the comparison result. If the comparison result is that the two coincide, it means that the wafer 1 does not shift when the wafer is actually picked up; if the comparison result is that the two do not coincide, it means that the position of the wafer 1 shifts when the wafer is actually picked up, and at this time, the adjustment component 400 needs to be used to correct the position of the wafer 1 on the robot 10 to avoid the subsequent risks of hitting the wafer box and causing damage to the robot 10. Compared with the related art that uses a pre-alignment device Aligner for calibration, the robot arm 10 in this embodiment does not need to go through the aligner step during return transmission, thereby improving WPH.

[0061] Figure 7 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a clamping portion 420 and a driving portion 410 of a clamping assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 It is a structural schematic diagram of the clamping portion 420 and the driving portion 410 when they cooperate with the main body 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 9 yes Figure 8 The schematic diagram of the structure of the middle clamping part 420 clamping the edge of the wafer 1. Figures 7 to 9 The adjustment assembly 400 includes a driving part 410 and a clamping part 420. The clamping part 420 is disposed on the driving part 410. The adjustment assembly 400 is used to move to the edge of the wafer 1 after the wafer 1 is scooped up by the finger assembly 200, and clamp at the edge of the wafer 1, so as to drive the wafer 1 to move, and then adjust the position of the wafer 1 on the robot 10.

[0062] The clamping portion 420 is used to clamp the wafer 1. It should be noted that the portion of the clamping portion 420 that contacts the wafer 1 falls on the patch ring 4 of the wafer 1. In some embodiments, the clamping portion 420 may be a structure having a clamping space with an opening toward the wafer 1. When the opening of the clamping space is in an open state, the portion of the wafer 1 close to the edge can enter the clamping space, so that the clamping portion 420 can clamp the wafer 1 when the opening of the clamping space is in a partially closed state.

[0063] The driving part 410 is used to drive the clamping part 420 to move along a preset direction to move the wafer 1. The fixed end of the driving part 410 is connected to the body 100, and the movable end of the driving part 410 is connected to the clamping part 420. The movable end of the driving part 410 can move along a preset direction relative to the fixed end of the driving part 410. In some embodiments, see Figure 7 The driving part 410 includes a fixed part 411 and a movable part 412. The fixed part 411 is fixedly arranged on the main body 100. One end of the movable part 412 is fixedly connected to the fixed part 411, and the other end of the movable part 412 is fixedly connected to the clamping part 420. The movable part 412 can be a piston-like structure, so that the clamping part 420 can move along a preset direction relative to the main body 100, thereby driving the wafer 1 to move along the preset direction, so that the position of the wafer 1 on the robot 10 can be adjusted.

[0064] In this embodiment, the driving part 410 may include an air valve, which has an output shaft connected to the clamping part 420. The front and rear air inlet holes of the air valve are switched between ventilation and air cutoff, so that the output shaft moves in a preset direction, thereby driving the clamping part 420. In addition, the driving method of the driving part 410 may be a motor or other driving methods in addition to pneumatic.

[0065] See also Figure 8 The clamping part 420 includes a gripping member 421, a connecting member 422 and a driving member 423. The gripping member 421 has a gripping state for gripping the wafer 1 and a releasing state for releasing the wafer 1. The driving member 423 and the connecting member 422 are used to switch the gripping member 421 between the gripping state and the releasing state.

[0066] The fixed end of the driving member 423 and the fixed end of the grabbing member 421 are both connected to the moving end of the driving portion 410 , and the driving member 423 and the grabbing member 421 can move along a preset direction relative to the body 100 along with the driving portion 410 .

[0067] One end of the connecting member 422 is connected to the moving end of the driving member 423, and the other end of the connecting member 422 is movably connected to the grabbing member 421. The driving member 423 is used to drive the connecting member 422 to move along a preset direction so that the other end of the connecting member 422 can move on the grabbing member 421.

[0068] The gripping member 421 has a clamping space with an opening facing the wafer 1, and the connecting member 422 is used to move on the gripping member 421 along a preset direction under the drive of the driving member 423, so that the gripping member 421 opening switches between an open state and a closed state. It can be understood that when the gripping member 421 opening is in an open state, the gripping member 421 is in a loose state; when the gripping member 421 opening is in a closed state, the gripping member 421 is in a clamping state.

[0069] See also Figure 7 The grabbing member 421 includes a connecting structure 4211, two upper clips 4212 and a lower clip 4213. The connecting structure 4211 is fixedly connected to the moving end of the driving unit 410, and the connecting structure 4211 can move along a preset direction relative to the body 100 along with the moving end of the driving unit 410. One end of the upper clip 4212 and the lower clip 4213 is rotatably connected to the connecting structure 4211, and the lower clip 4213 and the two upper clips 4212 can move along a preset direction relative to the body 100 along with the moving end of the driving unit 410. The connecting structure 4211 can be a pin.

[0070] The two upper clamps 4212 are symmetrically arranged. The lower clamp 4213 is arranged between the two upper clamps 4212. The other ends of the upper clamp 4212 and the lower clamp 4213 together constitute the opening of the gripping member 421. It can be understood that when the clamping portion 420 clamps the wafer 1, the upper clamp 4212 and the lower clamp 4213 of the gripping member 421 can respectively provide pressure in opposite directions to the upper surface of the wafer 1 and the lower surface of the wafer 1, so that the wafer 1 is securely arranged in the opening.

[0071] The connecting member 422 has a movable structure 4221, and the movable structure 4221 is used to move along a preset direction under the action of the driving member 423. The upper clamping piece 4212 is provided with a first mounting groove 4212a extending along a first direction, and the lower clamping piece 4213 is provided with a second mounting groove extending along a second direction. The movable structure 4221 can be movably arranged in the first mounting groove 4212a and the second mounting groove. The movable structure 4221 is used to move in the first mounting groove 4212a and the second mounting groove in the preset direction, or in the opposite direction of the preset direction, or move back and forth under the drive of the driving member 423. Among them, the first direction and the second direction are set at an angle, which can be an acute angle. The movement of the movable structure 4221 in the first mounting groove 4212a and the second mounting groove can make the upper clamp 4212 and the lower clamp 4213 rotate relative to the connecting structure 4211. The upper clamp 4212 rotates downward until it contacts the upper surface of the wafer 1, and the lower clamp 4213 rotates upward until it contacts the lower surface of the wafer 1.

[0072] The movable structure 4221 has two extreme positions along the movement direction, which are the first extreme position and the second extreme position. When the movable structure 4221 moves to the first extreme position, the upper clamp 4212 and the lower clamp 4213 can rotate relative to the connection structure 4211, the upper clamp 4212 rotates upward, and the lower clamp 4213 rotates downward, so that the opening of the grabbing member 421 is switched to an open state; when the movable structure 4221 moves to the second extreme position, the upper clamp 4212 and the lower clamp 4213 can rotate relative to the connection structure 4211, the upper clamp 4212 rotates downward, and the lower clamp 4213 rotates upward, so that the opening of the grabbing member 421 is switched to a closed state. For example, Figure 7 In the example, the first limit position is located to the left of the second limit position (at Figure 7 In other words, Figure 7 When the movable structure 4221 in the embodiment moves to the first extreme position on the left side, the opening of the grabbing member 421 switches to the open state. Figure 7 When the movable structure 4221 in the embodiment moves to the second extreme position on the right side, the opening of the grabbing member 421 is switched to a closed state.

[0073] See also Figures 7 to 9 The robot 10 further includes two stoppers 500. The two stoppers 500 are respectively disposed on the two fingers 210, and each stopper 500 is disposed on a side of the corresponding finger 210 close to the adjustment assembly 400. The two stoppers 500 are used to abut against the wafer 1 at the same time when the wafer picking position and the standard position of the center of the wafer 1 coincide with each other.

[0074] A notch corresponding to the stopper 500 may be provided on the patch ring of the wafer 1 , so that the stopper 500 can abut against the wafer 1 .

[0075] Regarding the implementation of the robot 10 automatically correcting the wafer 1, reference may be made to the following three embodiments. It is to be understood that the present disclosure is only explained and no specific limitation is made.

[0076] Example 1

[0077] Fig.10 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a robot 10 adjusting the position of a wafer 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig.10 At this time, the wafer 1 center pick-up position O is offset to the right relative to the standard position O1. The robot 10 needs to adjust the wafer 1 to the left to correct the wafer 1.

[0078] The control component is used to control the adjustment component 400 closer to the left finger of the two adjustment components 400 when the wafer picking position O of the center of the wafer 1 is located on the right side of the standard position O1 of the center of the wafer 1.

[0079] The clamping portion 420 of the adjustment assembly 400 close to the left finger 210 of the two adjustment assemblies 400 clamps the wafer 1. The clamping portion 420 of the adjustment assembly 400 close to the right finger 210 of the two adjustment assemblies 400 does not clamp the wafer 1.

[0080] The drive unit 410 of the adjustment unit 400 close to the left finger 210 of the two adjustment units 400 drives the clamping unit 420 to move along the preset direction and towards the body 100. This causes the left side of the wafer 1 to be subjected to a pulling force F1, and the direction of F1 is along the preset direction, vertically downward (see Fig.10 (F1).

[0081] Since the right edge of the wafer 1 abuts against the right stopper 500, the right side of the wafer 1 is subjected to a thrust F4 of the stopper 500, and the direction of F4 is vertical, vertically upward (see Fig.10 (F4).

[0082] When the wafer 1 is subjected to two forces ( F1 and F4 ), it will rotate counterclockwise, thereby achieving the purpose of the robot 10 adjusting the wafer 1 to the left to correct the deviation of the wafer 1 .

[0083] It should be noted that in the above process, the clamping portion 420 of the adjustment component 400 close to the right finger 210 of the two adjustment components 400 only clamps the wafer 1, but the driving portion 410 does not drive the clamping portion 420 to move.

[0084] Example 2

[0085] Fig.11 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the present invention in which a robot 10 adjusts the position of a wafer 1. Fig.11 At this time, the wafer 1 center pick-up position O is offset to the left relative to the standard position O1. The robot 10 needs to adjust the wafer 1 to the right to correct the wafer 1.

[0086] The control component is used to control the adjustment component 400 close to the right finger 210 of the two adjustment components 400 when the wafer picking position O of the center of the wafer 1 is located to the left of the standard position O1 of the center of the wafer 1 .

[0087] The clamping portion 420 of the adjustment assembly 400 close to the right finger 210 of the two adjustment assemblies 400 clamps the wafer 1. The clamping portion 420 of the adjustment assembly 400 close to the left finger 210 of the two adjustment assemblies 400 does not clamp the wafer 1.

[0088] The drive unit 410 of the adjustment unit 400 close to the right finger 210 of the two adjustment units 400 drives the clamping unit 420 to move along the preset direction and towards the body 100. This causes the right side of the wafer 1 to be subjected to a pulling force F2, and the direction of F2 is along the preset direction, vertically downward (see Fig.11 (F2).

[0089] Since the left edge of the wafer 1 abuts against the left stopper 500, the left side of the wafer 1 is subjected to a thrust F3 of the stopper 500, and the direction of F3 is vertical, vertically upward (see Fig.11 (F3).

[0090] When the wafer 1 is subjected to two forces ( F2 and F3 ), it will rotate clockwise, thereby achieving the purpose of the robot 10 adjusting the wafer 1 to the right to correct the deviation of the wafer 1 .

[0091] It should be noted that in the above process, the clamping portion 420 of the adjustment component 400 close to the left finger 210 of the two adjustment components 400 only clamps the wafer 1, but the driving portion 410 does not drive the clamping portion 420 to move.

[0092] Example 3

[0093] Fig.12 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a robot 1010 adjusting the position of a wafer 120 according to another embodiment of the present invention. Fig.12 , at this time, the wafer picking position at the center of the wafer 1 is offset upward relative to the standard position. The robot 10 needs to adjust the wafer 1 downward to correct the deviation of the wafer 1. The control component is used to control the two adjustment components 400 respectively when the wafer picking position at the center of the wafer 1 is located above the standard position of the center of the wafer 1. The clamping parts 420 of the two adjustment components 400 both clamp the wafer 1.

[0094] The driving parts 410 of the two adjustment assemblies 400 drive the clamping parts 420 to move along the preset direction and towards the main body 100 until the wafer 1 abuts against the two stoppers 500. At this time, the wafer removal position O of the center of the wafer coincides with the standard position O1.

[0095] This causes the left side of the wafer 1 to be subjected to a tensile force F2 and the right side to be subjected to a tensile force F1, wherein the directions of F1 and F2 are both along the preset direction, vertically downward (see Fig.12 in F1 and F2).

[0096] Since the left and right edges of the wafer 1 are not against the limiter 500 , the wafer 1 as a whole is subjected to two forces ( F1 and F2 ) and moves in a preset direction, thereby achieving the purpose of the robot 10 adjusting the wafer 1 downward to correct the deviation of the wafer 1 .

[0097] The semiconductor process equipment includes a plurality of chambers and a robot 10. The robot 10 may be the robot 10 in the above embodiment. The robot 10 is used to transfer wafers 1 between the plurality of chambers.

[0098] Specifically, Fig.13 Schematic diagram of a semiconductor process equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig.13 , the semiconductor process equipment may include a loading chamber (Loadport) 30, a locking chamber (Loadlock) 50, and an equipment front end module (EFEM) 40 located therebetween. The equipment front end module 40 is selectively connected to the loading chamber 30 and the locking chamber 50 located on both sides thereof, and the equipment front end module 40 is used to provide a microenvironment to purify and eliminate static electricity for the wafer 1. A robot 10 is arranged in the equipment front end module 40, and the robot 10 is used to take out the wafer 1 from the wafer 1 storage box, and then purify and eliminate static electricity in the equipment front end module 40, and then transfer the wafer 1 to the locking chamber 50. After the wafer 1 performs the process, the robot 10 can take the wafer 1 out of the locking chamber 50, and then transfer it to the wafer 1 storage box.

[0099] The semiconductor process equipment of the disclosed embodiment obtains the positions of the edges of the wafer 1 at two locations through the detection component, and then determines the wafer picking position of the center of the wafer 1 when picking up the wafer according to the positions of the above two edges. Since the control component pre-stores the standard position of the center of the wafer 1 when the robot 10 picks up the wafer, it can be understood that the pre-stored standard position of the center of the wafer 1 is the standard position where the position of the wafer 1 does not shift when the robot 10 picks up the wafer. Therefore, the wafer picking position of the center of the wafer 1 can be compared with the pre-stored standard position of the center of the wafer 1 to determine whether the two coincide, and whether the position of the wafer 1 shifts when picking up the wafer can be determined based on the comparison result. If the comparison result is that the two coincide, it means that the wafer 1 does not shift when the wafer is actually picked up; if the comparison result is that the two do not coincide, it means that the position of the wafer 1 shifts when the wafer is actually picked up, and at this time, the adjustment component 400 needs to be used to correct the position of the wafer 1 on the robot 10 to avoid the subsequent risks of hitting the wafer box and causing damage to the robot 10. Compared with the related art that uses a pre-alignment device Aligner for calibration, the robot arm 10 disposed in the front-end module of the device in this embodiment does not need to go through the aligner step during the return transmission, thereby improving the WPH.

[0100] The semiconductor process equipment further includes a transfer chamber (TC) 60 and a reaction chamber (PM) 70, and the wafer 1 undergoes corresponding process treatment in the reaction chamber (PM) 70. A robot 10 is disposed in the transfer chamber (TC) 60, and the robot 10 is used to transfer the wafer 1 from the locking chamber 50 to the reaction chamber 70.

[0101] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", etc. indicate directions or positional relationships based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction, be constructed and operated in a specific direction, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present invention, the meaning of "multiple" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0102] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or mutual communication; it can be a direct connection, or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0103] In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, a first feature being "above" or "below" a second feature may include that the first and second features are in direct contact, or may include that the first and second features are not in direct contact but are in contact through another feature between them. Moreover, a first feature being "above", "above" and "above" a second feature includes that the first feature is directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being "below", "below" and "below" a second feature includes that the first feature is directly below and obliquely below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0104] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "certain embodiments", "illustrative embodiments", "examples", "specific examples", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiments or examples are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic representation of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.

[0105] It is to be understood that the above embodiments are merely exemplary embodiments used to illustrate the principles of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For those of ordinary skill in the art, various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the spirit and essence of the present invention, and these modifications and improvements are also considered to be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A robot for semiconductor process equipment, characterized in that: include: ontology; A finger assembly is fixedly arranged on the body, the finger assembly is used to support the wafer, and the finger assembly includes two fingers; A position detection component, comprising two detection members, the two detection members are respectively arranged at one end of the two fingers away from the body, and are used to obtain the positions of the two edges of the wafer when they are blocked by the edge of the wafer; An adjustment component is arranged on the main body, and is used to adjust the position of the wafer on the finger assembly when the finger assembly supports the wafer; a control component is connected to the position detection component and the adjustment component, and is used to obtain the positions of the two edges of the wafer obtained by the position detection component, and obtain the wafer picking position of the center of the wafer according to the positions of the two edges of the wafer; the control component is also used to compare the wafer picking position of the center of the wafer with the standard position of the center of the wafer, and control the adjustment component according to the result of the above comparison until the wafer picking position of the center of the wafer coincides with the standard position.

2. The robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The adjustment assembly includes a driving portion and a clamping portion disposed on the driving portion; The fixed end of the driving part is connected to the body, and the movable end of the driving part is connected to the clamping part; The clamping part is used for clamping the wafer, and the driving part is used for driving the clamping part to move along a preset direction so as to move the wafer.

3. The robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The clamping part includes a grasping member, a connecting member and a driving member; The fixed end of the driving member and the fixed end of the grabbing member are both connected to the moving end of the driving part, one end of the connecting member is connected to the moving end of the driving member, and the other end of the connecting member is movably connected to the grabbing member, and the driving member is used to drive the connecting member to move along the preset direction; The gripping member has a clamping space with an opening facing the wafer, and the connecting member is used to move on the gripping member along the preset direction under the drive of the driving member, so that the gripping member opening is switched between an open state and a closed state.

4. The robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: The grabbing member comprises a connecting structure, two symmetrically arranged upper clamping pieces and a lower clamping piece arranged between the two upper clamping pieces, and the connecting member has a movable structure; The connecting structure is fixedly connected to the moving end of the driving part, one end of the upper clamping piece and the lower clamping piece is rotatably connected to the connecting structure, and the other end of the lower clamping piece and the lower clamping piece together constitute the opening of the grabbing member; The upper clamping piece is provided with a first mounting groove extending along a first direction, the lower clamping piece is provided with a second mounting groove extending along a second direction, the movable structure can be movably provided in the first mounting groove and the second mounting groove, and the movable structure is used to move in the first mounting groove and the second mounting groove; Wherein, the first direction and the second direction are arranged at an angle.

5. The robot according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The manipulator comprises two adjustment components, and the two adjustment components are arranged side by side at the root position between the two fingers.

6. The robot according to claim 5, characterized in that: The manipulator further comprises two limiters, which are respectively arranged on the two fingers, and each limiter is arranged on a side of the corresponding finger close to the adjustment assembly; The two stoppers are used to abut against the wafer at the same time when the wafer taking position at the center of the wafer coincides with the standard position.

7. The robot according to claim 6, characterized in that: The control component is used to control the adjustment component close to the left finger of the two adjustment components when the wafer picking position of the wafer center is located on the right side of the standard position of the wafer center; The adjusting component of the two adjusting components, which is closer to the left finger, has a clamping portion that clamps the wafer; The driving part of the adjusting component close to the left finger of the two adjusting components drives the clamping part to move along the preset direction and towards the direction close to the main body.

8. The robot according to claim 6, characterized in that: The control component is used to control the adjustment component close to the right finger of the two adjustment components when the wafer picking position of the wafer center is located on the left side of the standard position of the wafer center; The adjusting component close to the right finger of the two adjusting components has a clamping portion clamping the wafer; The driving part of the adjusting component close to the right finger of the two adjusting components drives the clamping part to move along the preset direction and towards the direction close to the main body.

9. The robot according to claim 6, characterized in that: The control component is used to control the two adjustment components respectively when the wafer picking position at the wafer center is located above the standard position of the wafer center; The clamping parts of the two adjustment components both clamp the wafer; The driving parts of the two adjustment components drive the clamping part to move along the preset direction and toward the main body until the wafer abuts against the two stoppers.

10. The robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The two detection members are symmetrically arranged, and a straight-line distance between the two detection members is smaller than an outer diameter of the wafer.

11. A semiconductor process equipment, characterized in that: The invention comprises a plurality of chambers and a robot as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the robot is used for transferring wafers between the plurality of chambers.

12. The semiconductor process equipment according to claim 11, characterized in that: The plurality of chambers include a loading chamber, a locking chamber and an equipment front-end module, wherein the equipment front-end module is located between the loading chamber and the locking chamber; Wherein, the robot is arranged in the front-end module of the equipment.

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