Wafer transmission device and semiconductor detection equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses a wafer transmission device and semiconductor detection equipment. The wafer transmission device comprises a rack; the driving element is mounted on the rack; the rotating piece is connected with the driving element, and the driving element can drive the rotating piece to rotate; and the swing arm is provided with a bearing surface, the swing arm is rotationally connected with the rack, the swing arm is connected with the rotating piece through a guide structure, and the swing arm is guided to swing through the guide structure in the rotating process of the rotating piece. The wafer transmission device and the semiconductor detection equipment provided by the invention have the advantages of simple structure, low processing and maintenance cost and small occupied space.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application belongs to the field of wafer processing technology, and in particular, relates to a wafer transmission device and semiconductor testing equipment. Background Art

[0002] In the wafer processing and manufacturing process, efficient wafer handling and transmission is crucial, and speed, stability and safety must be ensured at the same time.

[0003] At present, wafer transmission is usually achieved through robotic arms. Most existing robotic arms have complex structures, high costs, are inconvenient to maintain and occupy a large space, which is not conducive to improving the overall compactness of the wafer processing production line and increases the processing cost of wafers.

[0004] Therefore, how to provide a wafer transfer device with a simple structure, low processing cost and small space occupation has become an urgent problem to be solved in the field. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present application provides a wafer transmission device and a semiconductor detection equipment, which have the advantages of simple structure, low processing and maintenance cost and small space occupation.

[0006] The present application provides a wafer transmission device, wherein the wafer transmission device comprises:

[0007] frame;

[0008] A driving element, mounted on the frame;

[0009] A rotating member connected to the driving element, wherein the driving element can drive the rotating member to rotate;

[0010] At least one swing arm has a bearing surface for directly or indirectly bearing a wafer, the swing arm is rotatably connected to the frame, and the swing arm is connected to the rotating member via a guide structure, and the swing arm is guided to swing by the guide structure during the rotation of the rotating member.

[0011] The wafer transfer device as described above, wherein the swing arms are provided with two, the two swing arms are connected to the two sides of the rotating member along the first horizontal direction, and during the rotation of the rotating member, the two swing arms are driven to swing synchronously and are arranged in a centrally symmetrical manner along the rotation axis of the rotating member.

[0012] The wafer transfer device as described above, wherein the swing arm has a storage position extending along the first horizontal direction.

[0013] The wafer transmission device as described above, wherein the guide structure includes a guide space and a guide column, the guide column is arranged on the rotating part, the guide space is formed on the swing arm, and the guide space is extended along the length direction of the swing arm, a part of the guide column is embedded in the guide space, and during the rotation of the rotating part, the guide column moves back and forth along the guide space and pushes the swing arm to swing.

[0014] The wafer transfer device as described above, wherein a guide hole is provided on the swing arm, the internal space of the guide hole is the guide space, the guide hole passes through the swing arm along the vertical direction, a part of the guide column is inserted into the guide hole, the upper end of the guide column is flush with or lower than the upper surface of the swing arm, and the upper surface of the swing arm is the bearing surface.

[0015] The wafer transfer device as described above, wherein the upper surface of the swing arm is the bearing surface, a guide groove is provided on the lower surface of the swing arm, the internal space of the guide groove is the guide space, and a part of the guide column is inserted into the guide groove.

[0016] The wafer transfer device as described above, wherein the frame is provided with a fixed shaft, the fixed shaft extends along the vertical direction, and each of the swing arms is rotatably connected to one of the fixed shafts;

[0017] The swing arm is provided with a through hole, a bearing is provided in the through hole, and the bearing is connected to the swing arm and the fixed shaft.

[0018] The wafer transfer device as described above, wherein a suction cup is provided on the carrying surface;

[0019] And / or, an anti-slip member is provided on the bearing surface.

[0020] The wafer transfer device as described above, wherein the driving element is a motor, a positioning seat is provided on the rotating member, a positioning hole is provided on the positioning seat, the center of the positioning hole and the center of the rotating member are located on the same straight line extending along the vertical direction, and the output shaft of the motor is fixedly inserted in the positioning hole.

[0021] The wafer transfer device as described above, wherein the frame comprises a support plate and at least two legs, the driving element and the swing arm are both connected to the support plate, the legs extend along the vertical direction, and the upper ends of the two legs are respectively connected to the two ends of the support plate along the first horizontal direction;

[0022] A pad is connected to the lower end of the supporting leg.

[0023] The present application also provides a semiconductor testing device, wherein the semiconductor testing device includes the wafer transfer device as described above.

[0024] The wafer transmission device and semiconductor testing equipment of the present application are composed of a frame, a driving element, a rotating part and at least one swing arm. The frame serves as the installation base of the driving element, the rotating part and the swing arm. The driving element drives the rotating part to rotate, thereby driving the swing arm to swing. The swing arm is provided with a bearing surface that can be used to bear the wafer, and the wafer is transmitted during the swing of the swing arm. The wafer transmission device provided by the present application has a small number of components, a simple structure, low processing and manufacturing and maintenance costs, occupies less space, is suitable for small spaces, and is conducive to improving the compactness of the wafer processing production line and reducing the processing cost of the wafer. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the embodiments of the present application, the following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for use in the embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0026] Figure 1 This is a structural schematic diagram of a swing arm of a wafer transfer device according to an embodiment of the present application in an initial position;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a structural schematic diagram of a swing arm of a wafer transfer device according to an embodiment of the present application in a swinging position;

[0028] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a partial structure of a wafer transfer device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the partial structure of a wafer transfer device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0030] Description of Figure Numbers:

[0031] 1. Frame; 11. Support plate; 12. Legs; 13. Pad;

[0032] 2. Driving element; 21. Output shaft;

[0033] 3. Rotating member; 31. Positioning seat; 311. Positioning hole;

[0034] 4. Swing arm; 41. Suction cup; 42. Anti-slip part;

[0035] 5. Fixed frame; 51. Connecting arm; 52. Fixed shaft;

[0036] M, guide structure; M1, guide column; M2, guide space;

[0037] S, wafer;

[0038] X, first horizontal direction; Y, second horizontal direction; Z, vertical direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] The features and exemplary embodiments of various aspects of the present application will be described in detail below. In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present application clearer, the present application will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only intended to explain the present application, rather than to limit the present application. For those skilled in the art, the present application can be implemented without the need for some of these specific details. The following description of the embodiments is only to provide a better understanding of the present application by illustrating the examples of the present application.

[0040] As a core component of the modern high-tech field, the semiconductor industry's manufacturing process covers many high-precision processes and technologies. In the entire processing and manufacturing process, as well as in the conversion process between different processes, the efficient handling and transmission of wafers is crucial. The transmission of wafers must ensure speed, stability and safety. Traditional wafer transfer robots mostly use multi-motor drive systems. Although they can achieve multi-degree-of-freedom movement, they have complex structures, high costs and inconvenient maintenance. At the same time, given the precious space resources inside the manufacturing plant, the design of chip manufacturing equipment should pursue high compactness to minimize space occupancy and improve overall production efficiency.

[0041] Therefore, it is particularly important to develop a device with simple structure, efficient control, and the ability to meet the needs of high-precision wafer transmission.

[0042] It should be noted that the first horizontal direction X, the second horizontal direction Y, and the vertical direction Z recorded in this application are for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the specific structure of this application in conjunction with the drawings, and this application is not limited thereto. The first horizontal direction X, the second horizontal direction Y, and the vertical direction Z are perpendicular to each other.

[0043] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the present application provides a wafer transfer device, wherein the wafer transfer device includes a frame 1, a driving element 2, a rotating part 3 and at least one swing arm 4.

[0044] The frame 1 is used to provide a mounting base for the driving element 2, the rotating member 3 and the swing arm 4, so that the various components form an integral device.

[0045] Specifically, the frame 1 includes a support plate 11, which is roughly parallel to the horizontal plane, and the support plate 11 is roughly a strip plate, extending along the first horizontal direction X. Both ends of the support plate 11 are respectively connected with support legs 12, and the support legs 12 extend along the vertical direction Z. The upper ends of the support legs 12 are connected to the support plate 11, and the lower ends of the support legs 12 are used to be placed on the ground or other setting planes. By setting the support legs 12, a space is formed between the support surface and the setting plane for setting the driving element 2, the rotating part 3 and the swing arm 4.

[0046] The driving element 2 is installed on the frame 1; specifically, the driving element 2 is detachably installed on the support plate 11 by bolts or other connecting parts, the support plate 11 can carry the driving element 2, and a through hole is provided on the support plate 11, and a part of the driving element 2 passes through the through hole and extends to the bottom of the support plate 11.

[0047] Optionally, the driving element 2 is a motor, and the output shaft 21 of the motor passes through the through hole and extends to the bottom of the support plate 11 .

[0048] The rotating member 3 is disposed below the support plate 11 and is connected to the portion of the driving element 2 extending below the support plate 11 . The driving element 2 is used to drive the rotating member 3 to rotate. The rotation axis of the rotating member 3 extends along the vertical direction Z.

[0049] The swing arm 4 has a bearing surface for directly or indirectly bearing the wafer S. The swing arm 4 is disposed below the support plate 11, and a portion of the swing arm 4 is located above the rotating member 3. The swing arm 4 is rotatably connected to the frame 1, and a guide structure M is provided between the swing arm 4 and the rotating member 3. The swing arm 4 and the rotating member 3 are connected through the guide structure M to realize the linkage between the swing arm 4 and the rotating member 3. During the rotation of the rotating member 3, the swing arm 4 is guided by the guide structure M to swing, thereby completing the transmission of the wafer S.

[0050] The wafer transmission device of the present application is composed of a frame 1, a driving element 2, a rotating part 3 and at least one swing arm 4. The frame 1 serves as an installation base for the driving element 2, the rotating part 3 and the swing arm 4. The driving element 2 drives the rotating part 3 to rotate, thereby driving the swing arm 4 to swing. The swing arm 4 is provided with a bearing surface that can be used to bear the wafer S, and the wafer S is transmitted during the swinging process of the swing arm 4. The wafer transmission device provided by the present application has a small number of components, a simple structure, low processing and manufacturing and maintenance costs, occupies less space, is suitable for small spaces, is conducive to improving the compactness of the wafer S processing production line, and reduces the processing cost of the wafer S.

[0051] like Figures 1 to 4As shown, the wafer transmission device provided by the present application has two swing arms 4, which are symmetrically connected to the two sides of the rotating member 3 along the first horizontal direction X. During the rotation of the rotating member 3, the two swing arms 4 are driven to swing synchronously and are arranged symmetrically. The transmission of two wafers S can be completed at the same time, improving the transmission efficiency of the wafer S of the present application; at the same time, the two swing arms 4 are arranged symmetrically, and when the rotating member 3 rotates, the two swing arms 4 will swing in opposite directions at the same angle and speed, effectively forming a stable double-arm structure, improving the force uniformity of the present application during the wafer S transmission process, and ensuring the stable operation of the wafer transmission device provided by the present application.

[0052] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the wafer transfer device provided by the present application, wherein the swing arm 4 has a storage position extending along the first horizontal direction X. At this time, along the vertical direction Z, the projections of the driving element 2, the rotating part 3 and the swing arm 4 all fall into the projection of the frame 1, which can effectively shrink the wafer transfer device to the smallest structure, and has the advantages of occupying a small space and being easy to set up, move and store.

[0053] During the conveying process of the wafer S, the extension direction of the swing arm 4 deviates from the first horizontal direction X; the swing arm 4 reciprocates in the angle between the first horizontal direction X and the second horizontal direction Y to achieve the movement of the position of the wafer S.

[0054] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the wafer transmission device provided by the present application, wherein the guide structure M includes a guide space M2 and a guide column M1, the guide column M1 is arranged on the rotating part 3, and the guide column M1 and the rotating part 3 are integrally formed and connected to ensure the connection reliability between the two and the position accuracy of the guide column M1.

[0055] The guide space M2 is formed on the swing arm 4, and the guide space M2 is extended along the length direction of the swing arm 4, which is equivalent to forming a guide rail structure. A part of the guide column M1 is embedded in the guide space M2. During the rotation of the rotating part 3, the guide column M1 moves back and forth along the guide space M2 to form a connecting rod structure to push the swing arm 4 to swing.

[0056] The dimension of the guide space M2 along the width direction of the swing arm 4 is equal to or slightly larger than the dimension of the guide column M1 , so that the guide column M1 can only move in the guide space M2 along the length direction of the swing arm 4 , thereby driving the swing arm 4 to swing.

[0057] like Figures 1 to 4As shown, the wafer transfer device provided by the present application, wherein a guide hole is provided on the swing arm 4, and the internal space of the guide hole is a guide space M2. Specifically, the guide hole is a strip hole extending along the length direction of the swing arm 4, and the guide hole penetrates the upper surface and the lower surface of the swing arm 4 along the vertical direction Z; a part of the guide column M1 is inserted into the guide hole from the bottom of the swing arm 4, and during the rotation of the rotating part 3, the guide column M1 moves along the guide hole to drive the swing arm 4 to swing.

[0058] The upper surface of the swing arm 4 is the bearing surface, and the upper end of the guide post M1 is flush with or lower than the upper surface of the swing arm 4 to ensure that the upper end of the guide post M1 does not protrude from the bearing surface, thereby preventing the guide post M1 from damaging the wafer S placed on the bearing surface.

[0059] In other embodiments, the upper surface of the swing arm 4 is a bearing surface, and a guide groove is provided on the lower surface of the swing arm 4. The internal space of the guide groove is the guide space M2, and a portion of the guide column M1 is inserted into the guide groove from bottom to top. In the embodiment of the present application, the upper surface of the swing arm 4 is a complete plane, which can effectively provide uniform support for the wafer S.

[0060] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the wafer transfer device provided by the present application, wherein a fixed shaft 52 is fixedly provided on the support plate 11 on the frame 1, the fixed shaft 52 extends along the vertical direction Z, and each swing arm 4 is rotatably connected to a fixed shaft 52; so as to realize the rotational connection between the swing arm 4 and the frame 1.

[0061] The fixed shaft 52 may be integrally formed on the lower surface of the support plate 11 , or may be fixedly connected to the lower surface of the support plate 11 by bonding or welding.

[0062] Optionally, the wafer transfer device also includes a fixed frame 5, which includes a connecting arm 51 and a fixed shaft 52 that are integrally connected. The connecting portion extends along a first horizontal direction X, and the fixed shaft 52 extends along a vertical direction Z. The upper end of the fixed shaft 52 is connected to the connecting arm 51. During assembly, the connecting arm 51 is fixedly connected to the support plate 11.

[0063] Optionally, a through hole is provided on the connecting arm 51, and the output shaft 21 of the driving element 2 passes through the through hole; fixed shafts 52 are provided at both ends of the connecting arm 51 along the first horizontal direction X, and the fixing frame 5 as a whole is centrally symmetrical along the central axis of the through hole to ensure that after the two fixed shafts 52 are respectively connected to the corresponding swing arms 4, the centrally symmetrical arrangement of the swing arms 4 is achieved.

[0064] Optionally, a through hole is provided on the swing arm 4, and a bearing is provided in the through hole, and the bearing is respectively connected to the swing arm 4 and the fixed shaft 52. By providing the bearing, the friction force received by the swing arm 4 during the swinging process can be effectively reduced, the wear of the swing arm 4 and the fixed shaft 52 can be reduced, and the service life of the wafer transfer device can be improved.

[0065] like Figure 3 As shown, the wafer transfer device provided by the present application has a suction cup 41 provided on the carrying surface, so that the wafer transfer device provided by the present application can be used in a non-vacuum environment, and the wafer S is fixed by the suction cup 41.

[0066] like Figure 4 As shown, the wafer transmission device provided by the present application has an anti-slip part 42 on the carrying surface. When the wafer transmission device provided by the present application is used in a vacuum environment, the wafer S can be positioned by the anti-slip part 42 to reduce the displacement of the wafer S due to sliding relative to the swing arm 4.

[0067] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the wafer transmission device provided by the present application, wherein the driving element 2 is a motor, a positioning seat 31 is provided on the rotating member 3, a positioning hole 311 is provided on the positioning seat 31, and the output shaft 21 of the motor is fixedly inserted in the positioning hole 311.

[0068] The center of the positioning hole 311 and the center of the rotating part 3 are located on the same straight line extending along the vertical direction Z. Specifically, the center of the positioning hole 311, the center of the through hole and the center of the perforation are all located on the same straight line extending along the vertical direction Z to ensure that the driving element 2, the rotating part 3 and the swing arm 4 are arranged in a centrally symmetrical manner to ensure the accuracy of the wafer transmission device.

[0069] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the wafer transfer device provided by the present application has a pad 13 connected to the lower end of the leg 12 to increase the contact area between the rack 1 and the setting plane to ensure the stable setting of the rack 1.

[0070] The present application also provides a semiconductor testing device, wherein the semiconductor testing device includes the wafer transfer device as described above.

[0071] Optionally, the semiconductor inspection equipment is a wafer size measurement equipment, a wafer defect detection equipment or a wafer defect re-inspection equipment, wherein the wafer size measurement equipment is used to measure the size data of the wafer, and the wafer defect detection equipment and the wafer defect re-inspection equipment are used to detect defects on the surface of the wafer, such as detecting surface particles, scratches, bumps, etc., and can be applied to defect and flaw detection of semiconductor masks, substrates, epitaxial wafers and other products. Specifically, the wafer size measurement equipment, the wafer defect detection equipment or the wafer defect re-inspection equipment can be an electron beam imaging device.

[0072] The semiconductor detection equipment of the present application, its wafer transmission device is composed of a frame 1, a driving element 2, a rotating part 3 and at least one swing arm 4. The frame 1 serves as the installation base of the driving element 2, the rotating part 3 and the swing arm 4. The driving element 2 drives the rotating part 3 to rotate, thereby driving the swing arm 4 to swing. The swing arm 4 is provided with a bearing surface that can be used to bear the wafer S, and the wafer S is transmitted during the swinging process of the swing arm 4. The wafer transmission device provided by the present application has a small number of components, a simple structure, and low processing, manufacturing and maintenance costs. It occupies less space and is suitable for small spaces. It is beneficial to improve the compactness of the wafer S processing production line and reduce the processing cost of the wafer S.

[0073] It should be noted that, in this article, relational terms such as first and second, etc. are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "include", "comprise" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device. In the absence of further restrictions, the elements defined by the statement "include..." do not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or device including the elements.

[0074] The above is only a specific implementation of the present application. Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that for the convenience and simplicity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, modules and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments, and will not be repeated here. It should be understood that the protection scope of the present application is not limited to this. Any technician familiar with the technical field can easily think of various equivalent modifications or replacements within the technical scope disclosed in this application, and these modifications or replacements should be included in the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A wafer transfer device, characterized in that: The wafer transfer device comprises: Rack (1); A driving element (2) mounted on the frame (1); A rotating member (3) connected to the driving element (2), the driving element (2) being capable of driving the rotating member (3) to rotate, and the rotation axis of the rotating member (3) extending along the vertical direction (Z); At least one swing arm (4) has a bearing surface for directly or indirectly bearing a wafer (S), the swing arm (4) is rotatably connected to the frame (1), and the swing arm (4) is connected to the rotating member (3) via a guide structure (M), and the swing arm (4) is guided to swing by the guide structure (M) during the rotation of the rotating member (3).

2. The wafer transfer device according to claim 1, characterized in that: Two swing arms (4) are provided, and the two swing arms (4) are connected to the two sides of the rotating member (3) along the first horizontal direction (X). During the rotation of the rotating member (3), the two swing arms (4) are driven to swing synchronously and are arranged in a centrally symmetrical manner along the rotation axis of the rotating member.

3. The wafer transfer device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The swing arm (4) has a storage position extending along a first horizontal direction (X).

4. The wafer transfer device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The guide structure (M) comprises a guide space (M2) and a guide column (M1); the guide column (M1) is arranged on the rotating member (3); the guide space (M2) is formed on the swing arm (4); and the guide space (M2) is extended along the length direction of the swing arm (4); a part of the guide column (M1) is embedded in the guide space (M2); during the rotation of the rotating member (3), the guide column (M1) moves back and forth along the guide space (M2) and pushes the swing arm (4) to swing.

5. The wafer transfer device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The swing arm (4) is provided with a guide hole, the internal space of the guide hole is the guide space (M2), the guide hole passes through the swing arm (4) along the vertical direction (Z), a part of the guide column (M1) is inserted into the guide hole, the upper end of the guide column (M1) is flush with or lower than the upper surface of the swing arm (4), and the upper surface of the swing arm (4) is the bearing surface.

6. The wafer transfer device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The upper surface of the swing arm (4) is the bearing surface, and a guide groove is provided on the lower surface of the swing arm (4). The internal space of the guide groove is the guide space (M2), and a part of the guide column (M1) is inserted into the guide groove.

7. The wafer transfer device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The frame (1) is provided with a fixed shaft (52), the fixed shaft (52) extends along the vertical direction (Z), and each of the swing arms (4) is rotatably connected to one of the fixed shafts (52); The swing arm (4) is provided with a through hole, a bearing is provided in the through hole, and the bearing is connected to the swing arm (4) and the fixed shaft (52).

8. The wafer transfer device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A suction cup (41) is provided on the bearing surface; And / or, an anti-slip member (42) is provided on the bearing surface.

9. The wafer transfer device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving element (2) is a motor, a positioning seat (31) is provided on the rotating member (3), a positioning hole (311) is provided on the positioning seat (31), the center of the positioning hole (311) and the center of the rotating member (3) are located on the same straight line extending along the vertical direction (Z), and the output shaft (21) of the motor is fixedly inserted in the positioning hole (311).

10. The wafer transfer device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The frame (1) comprises a support plate (11) and at least two legs (12), the driving element (2) and the swing arm (4) are both connected to the support plate (11), the legs (12) extend along the vertical direction (Z), and the upper ends of the two legs (12) are respectively connected to the two ends of the support plate (11) along the first horizontal direction (X); A pad (13) is connected to the lower end of the supporting leg (12).

11. A semiconductor testing device, characterized in that: The semiconductor testing equipment comprises the wafer transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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