End effector for conveying wafer, double-arm robot and four-arm robot

Abstract

The invention provides an end effector for carrying wafers, a double-arm robot and a four-arm robot. A wafer upper mounting groove and a wafer lower mounting groove are formed in the top surface and the bottom surface of an effector main body respectively; and the wafer upper mounting groove and the wafer lower mounting groove are symmetrically distributed up and down relative to the thickness center line of the actuator main body, so that the end actuator used for carrying the wafer can be universally used on left and right mechanical arms without being limited by a double-cavity structure of equipment, and unified manufacturing and unified maintenance of the end actuator are facilitated.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of semiconductor process equipment, and more specifically, to an end effector for transporting wafers, a dual-arm robot, and a four-arm robot. Background Art

[0002] Semiconductor process processing equipment, such as chemical vapor deposition equipment (commonly known as CVD machines, Chemical Vapor Deposition), physical vapor deposition equipment (commonly known as PVD machines, Physical Vapor Deposition), etc., refers to equipment that uses forms of energy such as heat energy, electric discharge, or ultraviolet light irradiation to cause gaseous substances to undergo chemical or physical reactions on the surface of a solid (wafer) to form a stable solid functional film. A wafer transfer robot is configured in the vacuum transfer chamber (TC chamber) of the equipment, and the wafer transfer robot is used to reciprocally transfer unprocessed wafers and processed wafers between a heating chamber (LL chamber) and a reaction chamber (PM chamber).

[0003] The wafer transfer robot generally includes a body structure, a rotating shaft provided at the top of the body structure, a robotic arm connected to the rotating shaft, and an end effector provided at the end of the robotic arm. For processing equipment with dual reaction chambers (dual PM chambers), a dual-arm or four-arm wafer transfer robot is generally used, that is, left and right robotic arms are installed on the rotating shaft to correspond to the dual reaction chambers. The left and right robotic arms both reciprocally move in a slanting line around the rotating shaft to transport unprocessed and processed wafers between the heating chamber and the left and right reaction chambers.

[0004] Currently, the end effectors on the left robotic arm and the end effectors on the right robotic arm both have a wafer mounting groove provided at the top of the end effector body. The wafer mounting groove on the end effector on the left robotic arm corresponds to the structure of the left reaction chamber in the dual reaction chambers, and the wafer mounting groove on the end effector on the right robotic arm corresponds to the structure of the right reaction chamber in the dual reaction chambers. Since the structures of the left and right reaction chambers are opposite, the end effectors on the left and right robotic arms are not interchangeable due to the structural limitations of the reaction chambers. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an end effector for transporting wafers, a dual-arm robot, and a four-arm robot to solve the problem in the related art that the end effectors on the left robotic arm and the end effectors on the right robotic arm in a semiconductor processing equipment with dual reaction chambers are not interchangeable due to unreasonable structural design and are limited by the structure of the dual reaction chambers.

[0006] The present invention provides an end effector for transporting wafers, including an actuator body, on which a wafer upper mounting groove and a wafer lower mounting groove are respectively arranged on the top surface and the bottom surface; wherein, the wafer upper mounting groove and the wafer lower mounting groove are symmetrically distributed up and down with respect to the thickness median line of the actuator body.

[0007] In addition, a preferred solution is that the actuator body is of a U-shaped structure, the wafer upper mounting groove is arranged on the top surface of the U-shaped structure, and a first side blocking groove for docking with the end of the wafer upper mounting groove is arranged at the top of the open end of the U-shaped structure.

[0008] In addition, a preferred solution is that the wafer lower mounting groove is arranged on the bottom surface of the U-shaped structure, and a second side blocking groove for docking with the end of the wafer lower mounting groove is arranged at the bottom of the open end of the U-shaped structure.

[0009] In addition, a preferred solution is that a connecting portion for connecting with a robotic arm is arranged at the closed end of the U-shaped structure.

[0010] In addition, a preferred solution is that a connecting through hole is arranged in the connecting portion; upper and lower grooves are respectively arranged at both ends of the connecting through hole, and the upper and lower grooves are respectively located on the top surface and the bottom surface of the connecting portion.

[0011] In addition, a preferred solution is that upper wafer fixing bumps are arranged inside the wafer upper mounting groove.

[0012] In addition, a preferred solution is that the number of the upper wafer fixing bumps is at least three, and they are distributed in a triangular or polygonal shape inside the wafer upper mounting groove.

[0013] In addition, a preferred solution is that lower wafer fixing bumps are arranged inside the wafer lower mounting groove.

[0014] In addition, a preferred solution is that the number of the lower wafer fixing bumps is at least three, and they are distributed in a triangular or polygonal shape inside the wafer lower mounting groove.

[0015] The present invention provides a dual-arm robot, including two robotic arms, and an end effector for transporting wafers as described above is arranged at the connecting end of each robotic arm.

[0016] The present invention provides a four-arm robot, including four robotic arms, and an end effector for transporting wafers as described above is arranged at the connecting end of each robotic arm.

[0017] As can be seen from the above technical solution, the end effector, dual-arm robot, and four-arm robot for transporting wafers provided by the present invention respectively set a wafer upper mounting groove and a wafer lower mounting groove on the top surface and the bottom surface of the effector body; and the wafer upper mounting groove and the wafer lower mounting groove are symmetrically distributed up and down with respect to the thickness center line of the effector body, so that the end effector for transporting wafers can be used universally on the left and right robotic arms without being restricted by the structure of the double reaction chambers of the equipment, which is beneficial to the unified manufacturing and unified maintenance of the end effector.

[0018] To achieve the above and related purposes, one or more aspects of the present invention include the features that will be described in detail later. The following description and the accompanying drawings illustrate certain exemplary aspects of the present invention in detail. However, these aspects merely indicate some of the various ways in which the principles of the present invention can be used. In addition, the present invention is intended to include all these aspects and their equivalents. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] By referring to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and with a more comprehensive understanding of the present invention, other objects and results of the present invention will become more apparent and easier to understand. In the drawings:

[0020] Figure 1 FIG. is a schematic structural diagram of an end effector for transporting wafers according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 is Figure 1 a schematic side structural diagram of part A structure in;

[0022] Figure 3 is Figure 1 a schematic side structural diagram of part B structure in;

[0023] Figure 4 is Figure 1 a schematic side structural diagram of part C structure in;

[0024] Figure 5 FIG. is a schematic structural diagram of an end effector for transporting wafers in the related art;

[0025] Figure 6 is Figure 5 a schematic side structural diagram of part D structure in;

[0026] Figure 7 is Figure 5 a schematic side structural diagram of part E structure in;

[0027] Figure 8 is Figure 5 a schematic side structural diagram of part F structure in;

[0028] Figure 9Schematic diagram of the structure of a two-arm robot according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 10 Schematic diagram of the structure of a four-arm robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] In the drawings, 1 - actuator body, 2 - wafer upper mounting groove, 3 - wafer lower mounting groove, 4 - first side blocking groove, 5 - second side blocking groove, 6 - connecting portion, 7 - connecting through hole, 71 - upper groove, 72 - lower groove, 8 - upper wafer fixing bump, 9 - lower wafer fixing bump, 10 - main body, 101 - rotating shaft, 102 - left robotic arm, 103 - right robotic arm.

[0031] In all the drawings, the same reference numerals indicate similar or corresponding features or functions. Detailed implementation manners

[0032] In the following description, for the purpose of illustration, in order to provide a comprehensive understanding of one or more embodiments, many specific details are set forth. However, it is obvious that these embodiments can also be implemented without these specific details.

[0033] Aiming at the problem in the related art mentioned above that the end effectors on the left robotic arm and the right robotic arm in the semiconductor processing equipment with double reaction chambers are not interchangeable due to the unreasonable structural design and are limited by the structure of the double reaction chambers, an end effector for transporting wafers, a two-arm robot, and a four-arm robot are proposed.

[0034] The following will describe in detail the specific embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

[0035] In order to illustrate the end effector for transporting wafers, the two-arm robot, and the four-arm robot provided by the present invention, Figure 1 shows the structure of the end effector for transporting wafers according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 shows Figure 1 the side structure of part A in Figure 3 shows Figure 1 the side structure of part B in Figure 4 shows Figure 1 the side structure of part C in Figure 5 shows the structure of the end effector for transporting wafers in the related art; Figure 6 shows Figure 5 the side structure of part D in Figure 7 shows Figure 5 the side structure of part E in Figure 8 shows Figure 5 the side structure of part F in Figure 9shows the structure of a dual-arm robot according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 10 shows the structure of a four-arm robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Semiconductor process equipment, such as chemical vapor deposition equipment (commonly known as CVD machines, Chemical Vapor Deposition), physical vapor deposition equipment, and etching equipment, etc., during the process of processing, needs to use energy in the form of heat energy, discharge, or ultraviolet light irradiation, etc., to cause chemical or physical reactions of gaseous substances on the surface of the wafer, forming a stable solid functional film or processing a process pattern on the solid surface through corrosive gases. During this process, it is necessary to use a wafer transfer robot to transport the wafers in the heating chamber and the reaction chamber. The wafer transfer robot generally includes a main body, a rotating shaft provided at the top of the main body, and a robotic arm is installed on the rotating shaft and can move in an arc or a slant line around the rotating shaft. When transporting the wafer to the reaction chamber, the robotic arm needs to move in an arc or a slant line from one side of the reaction chamber to transport or remove the wafer from one side of the reaction chamber. However, for the process equipment with two reaction chambers, since the structures of the two chambers (left and right chambers) are designed in a reverse manner, the structures of the end effectors of the wafer transfer robots used to transport wafers in different reaction chambers can only be opposite structures.

[0037] Currently, in the related art, as Figures 5 to 8 shown, the end effector generally includes an actuator main body 1, and a wafer mounting groove 2 is provided on the top of the actuator main body 1. Since the structures of the two reaction chambers are reversed, the wafer mounting grooves 2 on the actuator main bodies 1 installed on the left robotic arm and the right robotic arm are also reversed, resulting in the non-universality of the end effectors installed on the left robotic arm and the right robotic arm, causing trouble for the unified processing and unified maintenance of the end effectors.

[0038] As Figures 1 to 8 collectively shown, in view of the above-mentioned defects existing in the related art, the end effector provided by the present invention for transporting wafers includes an actuator main body 1, and a wafer upper mounting groove 2 and a wafer lower mounting groove 3 are respectively provided on the top surface and the bottom surface of the actuator main body 1; wherein, the wafer upper mounting groove 2 and the wafer lower mounting groove 3 are symmetrically distributed up and down with respect to the thickness midline of the actuator main body 1.

[0039] By respectively providing a wafer upper mounting groove 2 and a wafer lower mounting groove 3 on the top surface and the bottom surface of the actuator main body 1; and the wafer upper mounting groove 2 and the wafer lower mounting groove 3 are symmetrically distributed up and down with respect to the thickness midline of the actuator main body 1, the end effector for transporting wafers can be made universal on the left and right robotic arms without being restricted by the structure of the double reaction chambers of the equipment, which is beneficial to the unified manufacturing and unified maintenance of the end effectors.

[0040] Specifically, in the technical solution of the present invention, by respectively providing a wafer upper mounting groove 2 and a wafer lower mounting groove 3 on the top surface and the bottom surface of the actuator body 1, and the wafer upper mounting groove 2 and the wafer lower mounting groove 3 are symmetrically distributed up and down with respect to the thickness midline of the actuator body 1, the same actuator body 1 can be simultaneously applied to two reaction chambers. For example, the left robotic arm is used to transport the wafers in the left reaction chamber, and the right robotic arm is used to transport the wafers in the right reaction chamber. When the end effector for transporting wafers provided by the present invention is used, if the wafer upper mounting groove 2 matches the structure of the left reaction chamber, and the wafer lower mounting groove 3 matches the structure of the right reaction chamber, when installed on the left robotic arm, the wafer upper mounting groove 2 faces upwards and the wafer lower mounting groove 3 faces downwards; when installed on the right robotic arm, the wafer upper mounting groove 2 faces downwards and the wafer lower mounting groove 3 faces upwards, thereby achieving a universal effect of the end effector for transporting wafers on the left and right robotic arms, which is conducive to unified processing and unified maintenance.

[0041] As a preferred solution of the present invention, the actuator body 1 is a U-shaped structure, the wafer mounting groove 2 is arranged on the top surface of the U-shaped structure, and a first side blocking groove 4 is arranged at the top of the open end of the U-shaped structure to dock with the end of the wafer mounting groove 2.

[0042] like Figure 1 As shown, the actuator body 1 is a U-shaped structure, and the wafer mounting groove 2 is arranged on the top surface of the U-shaped structure. The mounting groove matching the wafer can be processed on the top surface of the U-shaped structure by mold processing. In order to prevent the wafer from falling during the wafer transportation process, a first side stop groove 4 is arranged on the top of the open end of the U-shaped structure, as shown in FIG. Figure 4 shown.

[0043] As a preferred solution of the present invention, the wafer lower mounting groove 3 is arranged on the bottom surface of the U-shaped structure, and a second side stop groove 5 is arranged at the bottom of the open end of the U-shaped structure to dock with the end of the wafer lower mounting groove 3. The wafer lower mounting groove 3 is arranged on the bottom surface of the U-shaped structure, and a mounting groove matching the wafer can be processed on the bottom surface of the U-shaped structure by mold processing. In order to prevent the wafer from falling during the wafer transportation process, the second side stop groove 5 is arranged at the bottom of the open end of the U-shaped structure.

[0044] It should be noted that the "upper" and "lower" in the upper wafer mounting groove 2 and the lower wafer mounting groove 3 on the wafer are only for facilitating the description of the structure of the actuator body 1, and do not specify a specific direction. During use, both the upper wafer mounting groove 2 and the lower wafer mounting groove 3 are mounted upward at the connecting end of the robotic arm. For example, for the left reaction chamber, its structure corresponds to the upper wafer mounting groove 2, and for the right reaction chamber, its structure corresponds to the lower wafer mounting groove 3. The left robotic arm is used to transport the wafers in the left reaction chamber, and the right robotic arm is used to transport the wafers in the right reaction chamber. When the end effector for transporting wafers provided by the present invention is mounted on the left robotic arm, the upper wafer mounting groove 2 faces upward and the lower wafer mounting groove 3 faces downward; when mounted on the right robotic arm, the upper wafer mounting groove 2 faces downward and the lower wafer mounting groove 3 faces upward.

[0045] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a connecting portion 6 for connecting to the robotic arm is provided at the closed end of the U-shaped structure.

[0046] The actuator body 1 is mounted on the robotic arm by providing the connecting portion 6. The connecting portion 6 and the U-shaped actuator body 1 can be an integrally formed structure or can be fixed together by welding or other means, and no special limitation is made thereto.

[0047] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a connecting through hole 7 is provided in the connecting portion 6; upper grooves 71 and lower grooves 72 are respectively provided at both ends of the connecting through hole 7, and the upper grooves 71 and the lower grooves 72 are respectively located on the top surface and the bottom surface of the connecting portion 6.

[0048] Since the end effector for transporting wafers provided by the present invention is applicable to two reaction chambers after being flipped over by the top surface and the bottom surface, upper grooves 71 and lower grooves 72 are respectively provided at both ends of the connecting through hole 7 provided in the connecting portion 6 for placing the connecting member in the upper groove 71 or the lower groove 72. For example, the connecting portion 6 and the robotic arm are connected by a cooperation of a bolt and a nut. When the upper wafer mounting groove 2 faces upward, the end of the bolt sequentially passes through the fixing hole on the robotic arm and the inside of the connecting through hole 7 and is fixed from the top surface of the connecting portion 6. At this time, the nut can be screwed onto the end of the bolt and placed in the upper groove 71. Similarly, when the lower wafer mounting groove 3 faces upward, the nut can be screwed onto the end of the bolt and placed in the lower groove 72 (at this time, the lower groove 72 faces upward).

[0049] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, upper wafer fixing bumps 8 are provided inside the upper wafer mounting groove 2.

[0050] Through the structural design of the upper wafer fixing bumps 8, the friction between the wafer and the inside of the upper wafer mounting groove 2 can be increased, avoiding slipping during the transportation process. Of course, other similar structures can also be used for substitution, and no special limitation is made thereto.

[0051] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the number of the upper wafer fixing bumps 8 is at least three, and they are distributed in a triangular or polygonal shape inside the wafer mounting groove 2 on the wafer.

[0052] As Figure 1 shown, through the design of the triangular or polygonal shape distribution, the anti-slip effect of increasing friction during the wafer transportation process is the best. Of course, the number of the upper wafer fixing bumps 8 can be set as needed, and no special limitation is made thereto.

[0053] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a lower wafer fixing bump 9 is provided inside the lower wafer mounting groove 3 on the wafer.

[0054] Through the structural design of the lower wafer fixing bump 9, the friction force of the wafer inside the lower wafer mounting groove 3 can be increased, and the wafer can be prevented from slipping during transportation. Of course, other similar structures can also be used for substitution, and no special limitation is made thereto.

[0055] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the number of the lower wafer fixing bumps 9 is at least three, and they are distributed in a triangular or polygonal shape inside the lower wafer mounting groove 3 on the wafer.

[0056] Through the design of the triangular or polygonal shape distribution, the anti-slip effect of increasing friction during the wafer transportation process is the best. Of course, the number of the wafer fixing bumps 9 can be set as needed, and no special limitation is made thereto.

[0057] As Figure 9 shown, the dual-arm robot provided by the present invention includes two robotic arms, and an end effector for transporting wafers is provided at the connection end of each robotic arm.

[0058] Among them, the end effector for transporting wafers includes an actuator body 1, and a wafer upper mounting groove 2 and a wafer lower mounting groove 3 are respectively provided on the top surface and the bottom surface of the actuator body 1; wherein, the wafer upper mounting groove 2 and the wafer lower mounting groove 3 are symmetrically distributed up and down with the thickness center line of the actuator body 1 as the axis.

[0059] Specifically, the wafer transport robot includes a main body 10, a rotating shaft 101 arranged on the top of the main body 10, and a robot arm is installed on the rotating shaft 10, which can make an arc or oblique motion around the rotating shaft 10. When transporting the wafer to the reaction chamber, the robot arm needs to make an arc or oblique motion from one side of the reaction chamber to transport the wafer from one side of the reaction chamber into the reaction chamber. For semiconductor process processing equipment with dual reaction chambers, generally, robot arms are arranged on both sides of the rotating shaft 101 for the dual reaction chambers, namely, a left robot arm 102 and a right robot arm 103. The left robot arm 102 and the right robot arm 103 respectively transport the wafers in the two reaction chambers. The left robot arm 102 and the right robot arm 103 enter the corresponding reaction chamber from the outside of the two reaction chambers to transport the wafers.

[0060] Currently in the related technologies, such as Figures 5 to 8 As shown, the end effector connected to the end of the robotic arm of the dual-arm robot generally includes an actuator body 1, and a wafer mounting groove 2 is arranged on the top of the actuator body 1. Since the structures of the two reaction chambers are reversed, the wafer mounting groove 2 on the actuator body 1 installed on the left robotic arm 102 and the right robotic arm 103 are also reversed, so that the end effectors installed on the left robotic arm 102 and the right robotic arm 103 are not interchangeable, which causes troubles for the unified processing and unified maintenance of the end effectors.

[0061] In the technical solution of the present invention, the structure of the end effector for transporting wafers is improved. The upper wafer mounting groove 2 and the lower wafer mounting groove 3 are respectively provided on the top surface and the bottom surface of the actuator body 1, and the upper wafer mounting groove 2 and the lower wafer mounting groove 3 are symmetrically distributed up and down with respect to the thickness midline of the actuator body 1. Therefore, the same actuator body 1 can be applied to two reaction chambers at the same time. For example, the left robot arm 102 is used to transport the wafers in the left reaction chamber, and the right robot arm 103 is used to transport the wafers in the right reaction chamber. When the end effector for conveying wafers provided by the present invention is used, if the mounting groove 2 on the wafer matches the structure of the left reaction chamber, and the mounting groove 3 under the wafer matches the structure of the right reaction chamber, then when installed on the left robotic arm 102, the mounting groove 2 on the wafer faces upwards, and the mounting groove 3 under the wafer faces downwards; when installed on the right robotic arm 103, the mounting groove 2 on the wafer faces downwards, and the mounting groove 3 under the wafer faces upwards, thereby achieving a universal effect of the end effector for conveying wafers on the left and right robotic arms, which is conducive to unified processing and unified maintenance.

[0062] As a preferred solution of the present invention, the actuator body 1 is a U-shaped structure, the wafer mounting groove 2 is arranged on the top surface of the U-shaped structure, and a first side blocking groove 4 is arranged at the top of the open end of the U-shaped structure to dock with the end of the wafer mounting groove 2.

[0063] like Figure 1As shown, the actuator body 1 is a U-shaped structure, and the wafer mounting groove 2 is arranged on the top surface of the U-shaped structure. The mounting groove matching the wafer can be processed on the top surface of the U-shaped structure by mold processing. In order to prevent the wafer from falling during the wafer transportation process, a first side stop groove 4 is arranged on the top of the open end of the U-shaped structure, as shown in FIG. Figure 4 shown.

[0064] As a preferred solution of the present invention, the lower wafer mounting groove 3 is arranged on the bottom surface of the U-shaped structure, and a second side retaining groove 5 that docks with the end of the lower wafer mounting groove 3 is arranged at the bottom of the open end of the U-shaped structure. The lower wafer mounting groove 3 is arranged on the bottom surface of the U-shaped structure, and a mounting groove matching the wafer can be processed on the bottom surface of the U-shaped structure by mold processing. In order to prevent the wafer from falling during the wafer transportation process, a second side retaining groove 5 is arranged at the bottom of the open end of the U-shaped structure. It should be noted that the "upper" and "lower" in the upper wafer mounting groove 2 and the lower wafer mounting groove 3 are only for the convenience of describing the structure of the actuator body 1, and no specific direction is specified. When in use, the upper wafer mounting groove 2 and the lower wafer mounting groove 3 are both installed upward at the connecting end of the robotic arm. For example, for the left reaction chamber, its structure corresponds to the mounting groove 2 on the wafer, and for the right reaction chamber, its structure corresponds to the mounting groove 3 under the wafer. The left robotic arm is used to transport the wafers in the left reaction chamber, and the right robotic arm is used to transport the wafers in the right reaction chamber. When the end effector for transporting wafers provided by the present invention is installed on the left robotic arm, the mounting groove 2 on the wafer faces upward, and the mounting groove 3 under the wafer faces downward; when installed on the right robotic arm, the mounting groove 2 on the wafer faces downward, and the mounting groove 3 under the wafer faces upward.

[0065] As a preferred solution of the present invention, a connecting portion 6 connected to the robot arm is provided at the closed end of the U-shaped structure.

[0066] The actuator body 1 is mounted on the robot arm by providing a connecting portion 6 . The connecting portion 6 and the U-shaped actuator body 1 are an integrally formed structure and may also be fixed together by welding or the like, which is not particularly limited.

[0067] As a preferred solution of the present invention, a connecting through hole 7 is provided in the connecting portion 6; an upper groove 71 and a lower groove 72 are provided at both ends of the connecting through hole 7, and the upper groove 71 and the lower groove 72 are respectively located on the top surface and the bottom surface of the connecting portion 6.

[0068] Since the end effector for transporting wafers provided by the present invention is applicable to two reaction chambers after being flipped with the top surface and the bottom surface, upper grooves 71 and lower grooves 72 are respectively arranged at both ends of the connection through hole 7 provided on the connection part 6 for placing the connecting piece in the upper groove 71 or the lower groove 72. For example, the connection between the connection part 6 and the robotic arm is achieved by the cooperation of bolts and nuts. When the mounting groove 2 on the wafer faces upward, the end of the bolt sequentially passes through the fixing hole on the robotic arm and the inside of the connection through hole 7 and is fixed from the top surface of the connection part 6. At this time, the nut can be placed in the upper groove 71 after being screwed onto the end of the bolt. Similarly, when the lower mounting groove 3 on the wafer faces upward, the nut can be placed in the lower groove 72 after being screwed onto the end of the bolt (at this time, the lower groove 72 faces upward).

[0069] As a preferred solution of the present invention, upper wafer fixing bumps 8 are arranged inside the mounting groove 2 on the wafer.

[0070] Through the structural design of the upper wafer fixing bumps 8, the friction between the wafer and the inside of the mounting groove 2 on the wafer can be increased, avoiding slipping during the transportation process. Of course, other similar structures can also be used for substitution, and no special limitation is made here.

[0071] As a preferred solution of the present invention, the number of the upper wafer fixing bumps 8 is at least three, and they are distributed in a triangular or polygonal shape inside the mounting groove 2 on the wafer.

[0072] As Figure 1 shown, through the distribution design in a triangular or polygonal shape, the anti-slip effect of increasing friction during the wafer transportation process is the best. Of course, the number of the upper wafer fixing bumps 8 can be set as required, and no special limitation is made here.

[0073] As a preferred solution of the present invention, lower wafer fixing bumps 9 are arranged inside the lower mounting groove 3 on the wafer.

[0074] Through the structural design of the lower wafer fixing bumps 9, the friction between the wafer and the inside of the lower mounting groove 3 on the wafer can be increased, avoiding slipping during the transportation process. Of course, other similar structures can also be used for substitution, and no special limitation is made here

[0075] As a preferred solution of the present invention, the number of the lower wafer fixing bumps 9 is at least three, and they are distributed in a triangular or polygonal shape inside the lower mounting groove 3 on the wafer.

[0076] Through the distribution design in a triangular or polygonal shape, the anti-slip effect of increasing friction during the wafer transportation process is the best. Of course, the number of the wafer fixing bumps 9 can be set as required, and no special limitation is made here.

[0077] As Figure 10As shown in the figure, the four-arm robot provided by the present invention includes four robotic arms, and an end effector for transporting wafers is provided at the connection end of each robotic arm.

[0078] Among them, the end effector for transporting wafers includes an actuator body 1, and a wafer upper mounting groove 2 and a wafer lower mounting groove 3 are respectively provided on the top surface and the bottom surface of the actuator body 1; wherein, the wafer upper mounting groove 2 and the wafer lower mounting groove 3 are symmetrically distributed up and down with respect to the thickness midline of the actuator body 1.

[0079] Specifically, the wafer transport robot includes a main body 10, a rotating shaft 101 provided at the top of the main body 10, and the robotic arm is mounted on the rotating shaft 10 and can move in an arc or an oblique line around the rotating shaft 10. When transporting the wafer to the reaction chamber, the robotic arm needs to move in an arc or an oblique line from one side of the reaction chamber to send the wafer into the reaction chamber from one side of the reaction chamber. For a semiconductor process processing device with a dual reaction chamber, generally, robotic arms are provided on both sides of the rotating shaft 101 for the dual reaction chambers, namely a left robotic arm 102 and a right robotic arm 103. The left robotic arm 102 and the right robotic arm 103 respectively transport the wafers in the two reaction chambers, and the left robotic arm 102 and the right robotic arm 103 enter the corresponding reaction chambers from the outside of the two reaction chambers to transport the wafers. In order to improve the wafer transport efficiency, the four-arm robot provided by the present invention is provided with two robotic arms for each of the two reaction chambers, that is, two left robotic arms 102 and two right robotic arms 103 are mounted on the rotating shaft 101.

[0080] Currently, in the related art, as Figures 5 to 8 shown, the end effector connected to the end of the robotic arm of the four-arm robot generally includes an actuator body 1, and a wafer upper mounting groove 2 is provided on the top of the actuator body 1. Since the structures of the two reaction chambers are reversed, the wafer upper mounting grooves 2 on the actuator bodies 1 mounted on the left robotic arm 102 and the right robotic arm 103 are also reversed, resulting in the non-universality of the end effectors mounted on the left robotic arm 102 and the right robotic arm 103, which causes trouble for the unified processing and unified maintenance of the end effectors.

[0081] In the technical solution of the present invention, the structure of the end effector for transporting wafers is improved. By respectively providing a wafer upper mounting groove 2 and a wafer lower mounting groove 3 on the top surface and the bottom surface of the effector body 1, and the wafer upper mounting groove 2 and the wafer lower mounting groove 3 are symmetrically distributed up and down with respect to the thickness midline of the effector body 1, the same effector body 1 can be made applicable to two reaction chambers at the same time. For example, the left robotic arm 102 is used to transport wafers in the left reaction chamber, and the right robotic arm 103 is used to transport wafers in the right reaction chamber. When using the end effector for transporting wafers provided by the present invention, if the wafer upper mounting groove 2 matches the structure of the left reaction chamber and the wafer lower mounting groove 3 matches the structure of the right reaction chamber, when installed on the left robotic arm 102, the wafer upper mounting groove 2 is facing up and the wafer lower mounting groove 3 is facing down; when installed on the right robotic arm 103, the wafer upper mounting groove 2 is facing down and the wafer lower mounting groove 3 is facing up, so as to achieve the general effect of the end effector for transporting wafers on the left and right robotic arms, which is beneficial to unified processing and unified maintenance.

[0082] As a preferred solution of the present invention, the effector body 1 is of a U-shaped structure. The wafer upper mounting groove 2 is provided on the top surface of the U-shaped structure, and a first side retaining groove 4 is provided at the top of the open end of the U-shaped structure for docking with the end of the wafer upper mounting groove 2.

[0083] As Figure 1 shown, the effector body 1 is of a U-shaped structure. The wafer upper mounting groove 2 is provided on the top surface of the U-shaped structure. The mounting groove matching the wafer can be machined on the top surface of the U-shaped structure by means of mold processing. In order to prevent the wafer from falling during wafer transportation, a first side retaining groove 4 is provided at the top of the open end of the U-shaped structure, as Figure 4 shown.

[0084] As a preferred solution of the present invention, the lower wafer mounting groove 3 is arranged on the bottom surface of the U-shaped structure, and a second side retaining groove 5 that docks with the end of the lower wafer mounting groove 3 is arranged at the bottom of the open end of the U-shaped structure. The lower wafer mounting groove 3 is arranged on the bottom surface of the U-shaped structure, and a mounting groove matching the wafer can be processed on the bottom surface of the U-shaped structure by mold processing. In order to prevent the wafer from falling during the wafer transportation process, a second side retaining groove 5 is arranged at the bottom of the open end of the U-shaped structure. It should be noted that the "upper" and "lower" in the upper wafer mounting groove 2 and the lower wafer mounting groove 3 are only for the convenience of describing the structure of the actuator body 1, and no specific direction is specified. When in use, the upper wafer mounting groove 2 and the lower wafer mounting groove 3 are both installed upward at the connecting end of the robotic arm. For example, for the left reaction chamber, its structure corresponds to the mounting groove 2 on the wafer, and for the right reaction chamber, its structure corresponds to the mounting groove 3 under the wafer. The left robotic arm is used to transport the wafers in the left reaction chamber, and the right robotic arm is used to transport the wafers in the right reaction chamber. When the end effector for transporting wafers provided by the present invention is installed on the left robotic arm, the mounting groove 2 on the wafer faces upward, and the mounting groove 3 under the wafer faces downward; when installed on the right robotic arm, the mounting groove 2 on the wafer faces downward, and the mounting groove 3 under the wafer faces upward.

[0085] As a preferred solution of the present invention, a connecting portion 6 connected to the robot arm is provided at the closed end of the U-shaped structure.

[0086] The actuator body 1 is mounted on the robot arm by providing a connecting portion 6 . The connecting portion 6 and the U-shaped actuator body 1 are an integrally formed structure and may also be fixed together by welding or the like, which is not particularly limited.

[0087] As a preferred solution of the present invention, a connecting through hole 7 is provided in the connecting portion 6; an upper groove 71 and a lower groove 72 are provided at both ends of the connecting through hole 7, and the upper groove 71 and the lower groove 72 are respectively located on the top surface and the bottom surface of the connecting portion 6.

[0088] Since the end effector for transporting wafers provided by the present invention is commonly used in two reaction chambers after being flipped over by the top and bottom surfaces, an upper groove 71 and a lower groove 72 are respectively provided at both ends of the connecting through hole 7 provided on the connecting portion 6, for placing the connecting member in the upper groove 71 or the lower groove 72. For example, the connecting portion 6 and the robot arm are connected by means of bolts and nuts. When the mounting groove 2 on the wafer faces upward, the end of the bolt passes through the fixing hole on the robot arm and the inside of the connecting through hole 7 in turn, and is fixed from the top surface of the connecting portion 6. At this time, the nut can be placed in the upper groove 71 after being screwed on the end of the bolt. Similarly, when the lower mounting groove 3 of the wafer faces upward, the nut can be placed in the lower groove 72 after being screwed on the end of the bolt (at this time, the lower groove 72 faces upward).

[0089] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, upper wafer fixing bumps 8 are provided inside the wafer mounting groove 2 on the wafer.

[0090] Through the structural design of the upper wafer fixing bumps 8, the friction between the wafer and the inside of the wafer mounting groove 2 can be increased, avoiding slipping during transportation. Of course, other similar structures can also be used for replacement, and no special limitation is made here.

[0091] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the number of the upper wafer fixing bumps 8 is at least three, and they are distributed in a triangular or polygonal shape inside the wafer mounting groove 2 on the wafer.

[0092] As Figure 1 shown, through the distribution design in a triangular or polygonal shape, the anti-slip effect of increasing friction during the wafer transportation process is the best. Of course, the number of the upper wafer fixing bumps 8 can be set as needed, and no special limitation is made here.

[0093] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, lower wafer fixing bumps 9 are provided inside the lower wafer mounting groove 3.

[0094] Through the structural design of the lower wafer fixing bumps 9, the friction between the wafer and the inside of the lower wafer mounting groove 3 can be increased, avoiding slipping during transportation. Of course, other similar structures can also be used for replacement, and no special limitation is made here.

[0095] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the number of the lower wafer fixing bumps 9 is at least three, and they are distributed in a triangular or polygonal shape inside the lower wafer mounting groove 3.

[0096] Through the distribution design in a triangular or polygonal shape, the anti-slip effect of increasing friction during the wafer transportation process is the best. Of course, the number of the wafer fixing bumps 9 can be set as needed, and no special limitation is made here.

[0097] It can be seen from the above specific embodiments that the end effector, dual-arm robot, and four-arm robot for transporting wafers provided by the present invention, by respectively providing a wafer upper mounting groove and a wafer lower mounting groove on the top surface and the bottom surface of the end effector body; and the wafer upper mounting groove and the wafer lower mounting groove are symmetrically distributed up and down with the thickness center line of the end effector body, the end effector for transporting wafers can be made universal on the left and right robotic arms without being restricted by the structure of the double-chamber of the equipment, which is beneficial to equipment manufacturing and unified maintenance.

[0098] The end effector, dual-arm robot, and four-arm robot for wafer transfer proposed according to the present invention have been described above by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, those skilled in the art should understand that various improvements can still be made to the above-mentioned end effector, dual-arm robot, and four-arm robot for wafer transfer proposed by the present invention without departing from the content of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention should be determined by the content of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An end effector for transporting a wafer, comprising an actuator body, It is characterized in that The top surface and bottom surface of the actuator body are respectively provided with a wafer upper mounting groove and a wafer lower mounting groove; wherein, The upper wafer mounting groove and the lower wafer mounting groove are symmetrically distributed up and down with respect to the thickness midline of the actuator body.

2. The end effector for transporting a wafer according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The actuator body is a U-shaped structure, the wafer mounting groove is arranged on the top surface of the U-shaped structure, and a first side blocking groove docking with the end of the wafer mounting groove is arranged at the top of the open end of the U-shaped structure.

3. The end effector for transporting a wafer according to claim 2, It is characterized in that The wafer lower mounting groove is arranged on the bottom surface of the U-shaped structure, and a second side blocking groove butting with the end of the wafer lower mounting groove is arranged at the bottom of the open end of the U-shaped structure.

4. The end effector for transporting a wafer according to claim 2, It is characterized in that A connection portion connected to a mechanical arm is provided at the closed end of the U-shaped structure.

5. The end effector for transporting a wafer according to claim 4, It is characterized in that A connecting through hole is arranged on the connecting portion; an upper groove and a lower groove are arranged at both ends of the connecting through hole, respectively, and the upper groove and the lower groove are respectively located on the top surface and the bottom surface of the connecting portion.

6. The end effector for transporting a wafer according to claim 1, It is characterized in that An upper wafer fixing protrusion is arranged inside the wafer mounting groove.

7. The end effector for transporting a wafer according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The number of the upper wafer fixing bumps is at least three, and they are distributed inside the mounting groove on the wafer in a triangular or polygonal shape.

8. The end effector for transporting a wafer according to claim 1, It is characterized in that A lower wafer fixing protrusion is arranged inside the lower wafer mounting groove.

9. The end effector for transporting a wafer according to claim 8, It is characterized in that The number of the lower wafer fixing bumps is at least three and they are distributed inside the lower wafer mounting groove in a triangular or polygonal shape.

10. A dual-arm robot, comprising two mechanical arms, It is characterized in that An end effector for transporting wafers as described in any one of claims 1 to 9 is provided at the connection end of each of the robotic arms.

11. A four-arm robot, comprising four mechanical arms, It is characterized in that An end effector for transporting wafers as described in any one of claims 1 to 9 is provided at the connection end of each of the robotic arms.

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