Wafer transfer device and semiconductor inspection apparatus

Abstract

The application discloses a wafer conveying device and a semiconductor detection equipment. The wafer conveying device comprises a rack, a driving element installed on the rack, a rotating element connected with the driving element, the driving element being capable of driving the rotating element to rotate, at least one swing arm provided with a bearing surface, the swing arm being rotationally connected with the rack, and the swing arm being connected with the rotating element through a guide structure, and the swing arm being guided to swing through the guide structure during the rotation of the rotating element. The wafer conveying device and the semiconductor detection equipment have the advantages of simple structure, low processing and maintenance cost and small space occupation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of wafer processing technology, and in particular relates to a wafer transport device and a semiconductor testing equipment. Background Technology

[0002] In the wafer fabrication process, efficient handling and transmission of wafers are crucial, requiring simultaneous assurance of speed, stability, and security.

[0003] Currently, wafer transfer is usually achieved through robotic arms. However, most existing robotic arms are complex in structure, expensive, difficult to maintain, and take up a lot of space, which is not conducive to improving the overall compactness of the wafer processing production line and increases the wafer processing cost.

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

[0005] This application provides a wafer transport device and a semiconductor testing equipment, which have the advantages of simple structure, low processing and maintenance costs, and small footprint.

[0006] This application provides a wafer transport device, wherein the wafer transport device includes:

[0007] frame;

[0008] Drive components are mounted on the frame;

[0009] A rotating component is connected to the driving element, and the driving element can drive the rotating component to rotate.

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

[0011] In the wafer transfer device described above, two swing arms are provided, which are connected to both sides of the rotating member along a first horizontal direction. 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] In the wafer transfer device described above, the swing arm has a storage position extending along a first horizontal direction.

[0013] In the wafer transfer device described above, the guiding structure includes a guiding space and a guiding post. The guiding post is disposed on the rotating member, the guiding space is formed in the swing arm, and the guiding space extends along the length direction of the swing arm. A portion of the guiding post is embedded in the guiding space. During the rotation of the rotating member, the guiding post reciprocates along the guiding space and pushes the swing arm to swing.

[0014] In the wafer transfer device described above, the swing arm is provided with a guide hole, the internal space of the guide hole is the guide space, the guide hole penetrates the swing arm in the vertical direction, a part of the guide post is inserted into the guide hole, the upper end of the guide post 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] In the wafer transfer device described above, the upper surface of the swing arm is the bearing surface, the lower surface of the swing arm is provided with a guide groove, the internal space of the guide groove is the guide space, and a portion of the guide post is inserted into the guide groove.

[0016] In the wafer transfer device described above, a fixed shaft is provided on the rack, the fixed shaft extends along the vertical direction, and each swing arm is rotatably connected to one of the fixed shafts;

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

[0018] In the wafer transport device described above, a suction cup is provided on the bearing surface;

[0019] And / or, the bearing surface is provided with anti-slip components.

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

[0021] As described above, in the wafer transfer device, the frame includes a support plate and at least two legs, the drive 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 a first horizontal direction.

[0022] The lower end of the support leg is connected to a pad.

[0023] This application also provides a semiconductor inspection device, wherein the semiconductor inspection device includes the wafer transfer device as described above.

[0024] The wafer transfer device and semiconductor inspection equipment of this application consist of a frame, a driving element, a rotating component, and at least one swing arm. The frame serves as the mounting base for the driving element, the rotating component, and the swing arm. The driving element drives the rotating component to rotate, thereby causing the swing arm to swing. The swing arm has a bearing surface that can be used to support the wafer. The wafer is transferred during the swing of the swing arm. The wafer transfer device provided by this application has fewer components, a simpler structure, lower manufacturing and maintenance costs, and occupies less space. It is suitable for small spaces, which helps to improve the compactness of the wafer processing production line and reduce the wafer processing cost. Attached Figure Description

[0025] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments of this application will be briefly introduced below. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

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

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

[0028] Figure 3 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the wafer transmission device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 4 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the wafer transmission device according to an embodiment of this application.

[0030] Explanation of icon numbers:

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

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

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

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

[0035] 5. Fixing bracket; 51. Connecting arm; 52. Fixing shaft;

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

[0037] S, wafer;

[0038] X, first horizontal direction; Y, second horizontal direction; Z, vertical direction. Detailed Implementation

[0039] The features and exemplary embodiments of various aspects of this application will be described in detail below. To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only intended to explain this application and not to limit it. For those skilled in the art, this application can be implemented without some of these specific details. The following description of the embodiments is merely to provide a better understanding of this application by illustrating examples.

[0040] As a core component of modern high-tech fields, the semiconductor industry's manufacturing processes encompass numerous sophisticated technologies and processes. Efficient wafer handling and transfer are crucial throughout the entire processing and manufacturing process, as well as during transitions between different steps. Wafer transfer must prioritize speed, stability, and safety. Traditional wafer transfer robotic arms often employ multi-motor drive systems, which, while enabling multi-degree-of-freedom movement, are structurally complex, costly, and difficult to maintain. Furthermore, given the limited space within manufacturing plants, chip manufacturing equipment design should prioritize high compactness to minimize space occupation and maximize overall production efficiency.

[0041] Therefore, it is particularly important to develop a device that is simple in structure, highly efficient in control, and capable of meeting the requirements 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 described in this application are for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the specific structure of this application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and this application is not limited thereto. The first horizontal direction X, the second horizontal direction Y, and the vertical direction Z are all perpendicular to each other.

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

[0044] The frame 1 provides a mounting base for the drive element 2, the rotating part 3 and the swing arm 4, so that the components can be assembled into a whole device.

[0045] Specifically, the frame 1 includes a support plate 11, which is generally parallel to the horizontal plane and is generally a strip plate. It extends along the first horizontal direction X. Support legs 12 are respectively connected to both ends of the support plate 11. Support legs 12 extend along the vertical direction Z. The upper end of the support leg 12 is connected to the support plate 11, and the lower end of the support leg 12 is used to place it on the ground or other mounting plane. By setting the support leg 12, a space is formed between the support surface and the mounting plane for setting the drive element 2, the rotating part 3 and the swing arm 4.

[0046] The drive element 2 is mounted on the frame 1; specifically, the drive element 2 is detachably mounted on the support plate 11 by bolts or other connectors. The support plate 11 can support the drive element 2. The support plate 11 is provided with through holes, and a part of the drive element 2 extends through the through holes 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 extends through the hole to the bottom of the support plate 11.

[0048] The rotating component 3 is located below the support plate 11, and the rotating component 3 is connected to the part of the driving element 2 that extends below the support plate 11. The driving element 2 is used to drive the rotating component 3 to rotate, and the rotation axis of the rotating component 3 extends in the vertical direction Z.

[0049] The swing arm 4 has a bearing surface for directly or indirectly supporting the wafer S. The swing arm 4 is located below the support plate 11, and a portion of the swing arm 4 is positioned above the rotating component 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 component 3. The swing arm 4 and the rotating component 3 are connected through the guide structure M to achieve linkage between the swing arm 4 and the rotating component 3. During the rotation of the rotating component 3, the guide structure M guides the swing arm 4 to swing, completing the transfer of the wafer S.

[0050] The wafer transfer device of this application consists of a frame 1, a drive element 2, a rotating component 3, and at least one swing arm 4. The frame 1 serves as the mounting base for the drive element 2, the rotating component 3, and the swing arm 4. The drive element 2 drives the rotating component 3 to rotate, thereby causing the swing arm 4 to swing. The swing arm 4 is provided with a bearing surface that can be used to support the wafer S. During the swinging process of the swing arm 4, the wafer S is transferred. The wafer transfer device provided by this application has fewer components, a simpler structure, lower manufacturing and maintenance costs, and occupies less space. It is suitable for small spaces and helps to improve the compactness of the wafer S processing line and reduce the processing cost of the wafer S.

[0051] like Figures 1 to 4As shown, the wafer transfer device provided in this application includes two swing arms 4, which are symmetrically connected to both 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. This allows for the simultaneous transfer of two wafers S, improving the wafer S transfer efficiency of this application. Furthermore, by arranging the two swing arms 4 centrally symmetrically, 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. This improves the uniformity of force during wafer S transfer and ensures the stable operation of the wafer transfer device provided in this application.

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

[0053] During the transport of wafer S, the extension direction of the swing arm 4 deviates from the first horizontal direction X; it reciprocates within the angle between the first horizontal direction X and the second horizontal direction Y, thereby moving the position of wafer S.

[0054] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the wafer transfer device provided in this application includes a guide structure M comprising a guide space M2 and a guide post M1. The guide post M1 is disposed on the rotating component 3, and the guide post M1 and the rotating component 3 are integrally formed and connected to ensure the reliability of the connection between the two and the positional accuracy of the guide post M1.

[0055] The guide space M2 is formed in the swing arm 4 and extends along the length of the swing arm 4, which is equivalent to forming a guide rail structure. A part of the guide post M1 is embedded in the guide space M2. During the rotation of the rotating part 3, the guide post M1 moves back and forth along the guide space M2 to form a linkage structure to drive the swing arm 4 to swing.

[0056] The guide space M2 is equal to or slightly larger than the guide post M1 along the width of the swing arm 4, so that the guide post M1 can only move in the guide space M2 along the length 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 in this application includes a guide hole on the swing arm 4, the internal space of which is a guide space M2. Specifically, the guide hole is a strip-shaped hole extending along the length direction of the swing arm 4, and the guide hole penetrates the upper and lower surfaces of the swing arm 4 in the vertical direction Z. A part of the guide post M1 is inserted into the guide hole from the lower part of the swing arm 4. During the rotation of the rotating member 3, the guide post 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. 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 and to prevent 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 the lower surface of the swing arm 4 is provided with a guide groove. The internal space of the guide groove is a guide space M2. A part of the guide post M1 is inserted into the guide groove from bottom to top. In this embodiment, 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, in the wafer transfer device provided in this application, a fixed shaft 52 is fixedly provided on the support plate 11 on the frame 1. The fixed shaft 52 extends in the vertical direction Z, and each swing arm 4 is rotatably connected to a fixed shaft 52 to realize the rotatable connection between the swing arm 4 and the frame 1.

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

[0062] Optionally, the wafer transfer device further includes a mounting frame 5, which includes an integrally formed connecting arm 51 and a fixing shaft 52. The connecting part extends along the first horizontal direction X, and the fixing shaft 52 extends along the vertical direction Z. The upper end of the fixing 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, the connecting arm 51 is provided with a through hole, through which the output shaft 21 of the drive element 2 passes; both ends of the connecting arm 51 along the first horizontal direction X are provided with fixed shafts 52, and the fixing frame 5 as a whole is centrally symmetrical along the central axis of the through hole, so as to ensure that after the two fixed shafts 52 are respectively connected to the corresponding swing arms 4, the swing arms 4 are centrally symmetrically arranged.

[0064] Optionally, the swing arm 4 is provided with a through hole, and a bearing is installed in the through hole. The bearing is connected to the swing arm 4 and the fixed shaft 52 respectively. By setting the bearing, the friction force on the swing arm 4 during the swinging process can be effectively reduced, the wear on 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 in this application has a suction cup 41 on the bearing surface, which enables the wafer transfer device provided in this application to be used in a non-vacuum environment to fix the wafer S by the suction cup 41.

[0066] like Figure 4 As shown, the wafer transfer device provided in this application has an anti-slip element 42 on the bearing surface. When the wafer transfer device provided in this application is applied in a vacuum environment, the anti-slip element 42 can be used to position the wafer S, reducing the possibility of the wafer S sliding and displacing relative to the swing arm 4.

[0067] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the wafer transfer device provided in this application includes a driving element 2 which is a motor, a rotating component 3 which is provided with a positioning seat 31, a positioning hole 311, and the output shaft 21 of the motor which is fixedly inserted into the positioning hole 311.

[0068] The center of the positioning hole 311 and the center of the rotating component 3 are located on the same straight line extending in 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 in the vertical direction Z, so as to ensure that the driving element 2, the rotating component 3, and the swing arm 4 are arranged in a centrally symmetrical manner, and to ensure the accuracy of the wafer transfer device.

[0069] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in the wafer transfer device provided in this application, the lower end of the support leg 12 is connected to a pad 13 to increase the contact area between the frame 1 and the mounting plane, thereby ensuring the stable mounting of the frame 1.

[0070] This application also provides a semiconductor inspection device, wherein the semiconductor inspection device includes the wafer transfer device as described above.

[0071] Optionally, the semiconductor inspection equipment is a wafer dimension measurement device, a wafer defect detection device, or a wafer defect re-inspection device. The wafer dimension measurement device is used to measure the dimensional data of the wafer, while the wafer defect detection device and wafer defect re-inspection device are used to detect defects on the wafer surface, such as surface particles, scratches, and unevenness. These can be applied to defect detection in semiconductor masks, substrates, epitaxial wafers, and other products. Specifically, the wafer dimension measurement device, wafer defect detection device, or wafer defect re-inspection device can be an electron beam imaging device.

[0072] The semiconductor testing equipment of this application comprises a wafer transfer device consisting of a frame 1, a driving element 2, a rotating component 3, and at least one swing arm 4. The frame 1 serves as the mounting base for the driving element 2, the rotating component 3, and the swing arm 4. The driving element 2 drives the rotating component 3 to rotate, thereby causing the swing arm 4 to swing. The swing arm 4 is provided with a bearing surface that can be used to carry the wafer S. During the swinging process of the swing arm 4, the wafer S is transferred. The wafer transfer device provided by this application has fewer components, a simpler structure, lower processing and maintenance costs, and occupies less space. It is suitable for small spaces, which helps 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 document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising..." does not exclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0074] The above description is merely a specific implementation of this application. Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, modules, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here. It should be understood that the protection scope of this application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various equivalent modifications or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this application, and these modifications or substitutions should all be covered within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A wafer transport device, characterized in that, The wafer transport device includes: Rack (1); Drive element (2) is mounted on the frame (1); A rotating component (3) is connected to the driving element (2), which can drive the rotating component (3) to rotate. The rotation axis of the rotating component (3) extends in the vertical direction (Z). At least one swing arm (4) has a bearing surface for directly or indirectly carrying a wafer (S), the first end of the swing arm (4) is rotatably connected to the frame (1), and the swing arm (4) is connected to the rotating member (3) through a guide structure (M), and the rotating member (3) guides the swing arm (4) to swing through the guide structure (M) during rotation. The swing arm (4) has a storage position extending along a first horizontal direction (X); A portion of the swing arm (4) is located above the rotating member (3). As the swing arm (4) swings in a direction away from the storage position, along the vertical direction (Z), the area where the projection of the swing arm (4) and the rotating member (3) overlaps gradually moves closer to the second end of the swing arm (4).

2. The wafer transport device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Two swing arms (4) are provided. The two swing arms (4) are connected to both 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 transport device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The guide structure (M) includes a guide space (M2) and a guide post (M1). The guide post (M1) is disposed on the rotating member (3). The guide space (M2) is formed on the swing arm (4) and extends along the length direction of the swing arm (4). A portion of the guide post (M1) is embedded in the guide space (M2). During the rotation of the rotating member (3), the guide post (M1) moves back and forth along the guide space (M2) and pushes the swing arm (4) to swing.

4. The wafer transport device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The swing arm (4) is provided with a guide hole, the interior space of the guide hole is the guide space (M2), the guide hole penetrates the swing arm (4) along the vertical direction (Z), a part of the guide post (M1) is inserted into the guide hole, the upper end of the guide post (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.

5. The wafer transport device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The upper surface of the swing arm (4) is the bearing surface, and the lower surface of the swing arm (4) is provided with a guide groove. The internal space of the guide groove is the guide space (M2), and a part of the guide post (M1) is inserted into the guide groove.

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

7. The wafer transport device according to claim 1, characterized in that, A suction cup (41) is provided on the bearing surface. And / or, the bearing surface is provided with anti-slip elements (42).

8. The wafer transport device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The driving element (2) is a motor. The rotating part (3) is provided with a positioning seat (31). The positioning seat (31) is provided with a positioning hole (311). 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). The output shaft (21) of the motor is fixedly inserted into the positioning hole (311).

9. The wafer transport device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The frame (1) includes a support plate (11) and at least two legs (12). The drive element (2) and the swing arm (4) are both connected to the support plate (11). The legs (12) extend along the vertical direction (Z). 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). The lower end of the support leg (12) is connected to a pad (13).

10. A semiconductor testing device, characterized in that, The semiconductor testing equipment includes the wafer transfer device as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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