Wafer processing device

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a wafer processing device. The wafer processing device comprises a cleaning box; the plurality of supporting wheels are used for bearing wafers, the supporting wheels are located in the cleaning box, and the plurality of supporting wheels comprise a detection wheel; the detection wheel comprises a first wheel cover, a second wheel cover, a mounting wheel seat and a gasket; the mounting wheel seat is arranged between the first wheel cover and the second wheel cover, the gasket sleeves the mounting wheel seat, the mounting wheel seat comprises an outer side surface in contact with the gasket, and the force sensor is arranged in the mounting wheel seat, at least part of the force sensor is adjacent to the outer side surface of the mounting wheel seat, and the force sensor is used for detecting the acting force between the wafer and the detection wheel.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application with the application number 2024119598383, which was filed on December 30, 2024. Technical Field

[0002] The embodiments of this application relate to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, and particularly to wafer processing devices. Background Art

[0003] Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) is a super-precision surface processing technology for global planarization. It enables the wafer to complete chemical mechanical polishing of the wafer under the combined action of chemistry and mechanics. After chemical mechanical polishing, a large number of particles will remain on the surface of the wafer. Therefore, after the wafer is chemically mechanically polished, it is necessary to clean the wafer through a wafer processing device. A carrier is usually provided in the wafer processing device to carry the wafer to be cleaned. However, in the related art, when placing the wafer on the carrier, it is often difficult to accurately control the placement position of the wafer, and it is easy to damage the carrier when placing the wafer.

[0004] More specifically, the carrier is generally a support wheel, and the support wheel includes a washer. The material of the washer is generally a special rubber material and needs to meet various conditions simultaneously: being inert and stable in continuous contact with the chemical liquid for cleaning the wafer; not easily contaminated with pollutants to avoid the pollutants being re-adhered to the wafer; not introducing other pollutants such as metal ions; being able to stably contact the wafer and provide buffering, driving the wafer to rotate without causing the edge of the wafer to break. In addition, there are also high requirements for the hardness, elastic modulus, etc. of the washer. These reasons result in extremely high costs for the washer.

[0005] Therefore, how to improve the service life of a single washer and reduce the washer replacement frequency is a technical problem that needs to be urgently solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of this, the embodiments of this application provide a wafer processing device to at least partially solve the above problems.

[0007] An embodiment of the present application provides a wafer processing device, including: a cleaning tank; a plurality of support wheels for carrying wafers, the support wheels are located inside the cleaning tank, and among the plurality of support wheels, a detection wheel is included; the detection wheel includes a first wheel cover, a second wheel cover, a mounting wheel seat, and the gasket; the mounting wheel seat is arranged between the first wheel cover and the second wheel cover, the gasket is sleeved outside the mounting wheel seat, the mounting wheel seat includes an outer side surface in contact with the gasket, and a force sensor is arranged inside the mounting wheel seat and at least partially adjacent to the outer side surface of the mounting wheel seat, for detecting the acting force between the wafer and the detection wheel.

[0008] Optionally, the force sensor can be a pressure sensor, which is used to detect the pressure exerted by the wafer on the detection wheel through the pressure sensor when the acting force between the wafer and the detection wheel is a pressure.

[0009] Optionally, on the side of the gasket away from the mounting wheel seat, a receiving groove for placing the wafer is formed between the first wheel cover, the second wheel cover, and the gasket.

[0010] Optionally, the receiving groove includes a first side wall located on the first wheel cover and a second side wall located on the second wheel cover; the distance from a point on the first side wall to the middle symmetry plane of the gasket is positively correlated with the distance from this point to the rotation axis of the detection wheel, and the middle symmetry plane is the symmetry plane of the gasket perpendicular to the rotation axis; and the first side wall and the second side wall are symmetric about the middle symmetry plane.

[0011] Optionally, the receiving groove has a funnel-shaped opening.

[0012] Optionally, the wafer processing device further includes a controller, which is used to determine the included angle between the connection line between the center of the wafer and the center of the detection wheel and the vertical direction according to the acting force detected by the force sensor, and determine the relative position of the wafer relative to the detection wheel according to the length of the connection line and the included angle.

[0013] Optionally, the wafer processing device can include a first support wheel, a second support wheel, and a third support wheel, and at least two detection wheels are included among the three support wheels.

[0014] Optionally, the third support wheel is located directly below the wafer, the first support wheel and the second support wheel are symmetric about the vertical line where the center of the third support wheel is located, and at least two detection wheels include the third support wheel.

[0015] Optionally, the included angle α between the connection line between the center of the wafer and the center of the detection wheel and the vertical direction is calculated based on the following formula:

[0016] mg = FN1 * cosα + FN2 * cosα + FN3

[0017] FN1 * sinα = FN2 * sinα

[0018] Among them, mg represents the gravity of the wafer 20, FN1, FN2, and FN3 respectively represent the acting forces between the wafer and the first support wheel, the second support wheel, and the third support wheel, and α represents the angle between the line connecting the center of the wafer to the center of the first support wheel and the vertical direction, that is, the angle between the line connecting the center of the wafer and the center of the detection wheel and the vertical direction.

[0019] In the embodiment of the present application, a plurality of support wheels for carrying wafers can be provided in the cleaning box of the wafer processing device, and among the plurality of support wheels, there is a detection wheel. A force sensor for detecting the acting force between the wafer and the detection wheel is provided in the detection wheel, and the mounting wheel seat includes an outer side surface in contact with the washer. The force sensor is disposed in the mounting wheel seat and at least partially adjacent to the outer side surface of the mounting wheel seat. Thus, the acting force between the wafer and the detection wheel can be accurately detected through the force sensor, and based on the acting force, the placement process of the wafer can be accurately detected and controlled, and the placement of the wafer can be ended in time, avoiding damage to the support wheel as the wafer carrier, especially reducing the damage to the washer in the support wheel, and greatly improving the service life of the washer. Description of the Drawings

[0020] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments recorded in the embodiments of the present application. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings.

[0021] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a wafer processing device provided by an alternative embodiment of the present application;

[0022] Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a detection wheel provided by an alternative embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 3 is Figure 2 an enlarged view of the part of the detection wheel within the rectangular dashed box in

[0024] Figure 4 is a partial schematic view of a detection wheel provided by an alternative embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 5 is Figure 4 a cross-sectional view of the part of the detection wheel shown in

[0026] Figure 6 It is a schematic structural diagram of a force sensor provided by an alternative embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the positional relationship between a wafer and a support wheel washer provided by an alternative embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Figure 8 It is another schematic diagram of the positional relationship between a wafer and a support wheel washer provided by an alternative embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Figure 9 It is yet another schematic diagram of the positional relationship between a wafer and a support wheel washer provided by an alternative embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Figure 10 It is a schematic diagram of the force analysis of a wafer provided by an alternative embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Figure 11 It is a schematic diagram of the related structure of a support wheel provided by an alternative embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 12 It is a flowchart of the steps of a wafer processing method provided by an alternative embodiment of the present application.

[0033] Reference numerals:

[0034] 10. Wafer processing device; 11. Cleaning tank; 12. Support wheel; 121. First support wheel; 122. Second support wheel; 123. Third support wheel; 13. Detection wheel; 131. First wheel cover; 132. Second wheel cover; 133. Mounting wheel seat; 134. Washer; 1341. First washer; 1342. Second washer; 1343. Third washer; 135. Force sensor; 136. Accommodating groove; 137. First side wall; 138. Second side wall; 14. Driving motor; 15. Synchronous belt; 161. Rotating shaft; 162. Gear; 163. Bearing; 164. Bearing mounting seat; 165. First gland; 166. Second gland; 167. Screw; 168. Nut; 20. Wafer; 30. Manipulator. Detailed implementation manners

[0035] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the embodiments of the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art shall fall within the protection scope of the embodiments of the present application.

[0036] The terms used in the embodiments of the present application are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present application. The singular forms "a", "the" and "said" used in the embodiments of the present application and the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term "and / or" used in the embodiments of the present application refers to and includes any or all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0037] It should be understood that in the description of the embodiments of the present application, the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms "length", "width", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. It is only for the convenience of describing the solutions of the embodiments of the present application and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation to the embodiments of the present application.

[0038] In addition, when an element or layer is referred to as "on", "connected to" or "coupled to" another element or layer, the element or layer can be directly on the other element or layer, directly connected to or directly coupled to the other element or layer, or there can be intermediate elements or layers. However, when an element or layer is referred to as "directly on", "directly connected to" or "directly coupled to" another element or layer, there are no intermediate elements or layers.

[0039] The terms first, second, etc. are used to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and / or parts, but these elements, components, regions, layers and / or parts should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer and / or part from another element, component, region, layer and / or part.

[0040] Unless otherwise clearly defined and limited, the terms "mounted", "connected", "connected to", "fixed", etc. should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or integrated; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it can be the communication inside two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0041] The wafer cleaning device provided by the embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0042] Such as Figure 1As shown in the figure, the wafer processing apparatus 10 provided by the embodiments of the present application includes: a cleaning tank 11, a plurality of support wheels 12 for carrying wafers 20, and a controller. It should be understood that in the embodiments of the present application, the support wheel 12 is the carrier for carrying the wafer 20.

[0043] The support wheels 12 are located inside the cleaning tank 11, and among the plurality of support wheels 12, there is a detection wheel. As a feasible implementation manner, all the support wheels 12 can be detection wheels; or, some of the support wheels 12 among the plurality of support wheels 12 are detection wheels.

[0044] A force sensor 135 for detecting the force between the wafer 20 and the detection wheel is provided in the detection wheel. The force sensor 135 can be a pressure sensor 135, so that when the force between the wafer 20 and the detection wheel is a pressure, the pressure applied by the wafer 20 to the detection wheel is detected by the pressure sensor 135.

[0045] The controller can be connected to the force sensor 135, and the connection method can be a wired connection or a wireless connection. The controller is used to determine the relative position of the wafer 20 with respect to the detection wheel according to the force detected by the force sensor 135 during the placement stage when the wafer 20 is placed on the support wheel 12, and when the relative position of the wafer 20 meets the given position condition, determine the current position of the wafer 20 as the end position for placing the wafer 20 to end the placement of the wafer 20. After the placement of the wafer 20 is completed, the wafer 20 can be cleaned.

[0046] As Figure 1 shown, as a feasible implementation manner, the wafer processing apparatus 10 can include three support wheels 12 such as a first support wheel 121, a second support wheel 122, and a third support wheel 123, and among the three support wheels 12, there can be at least two detection wheels. For example, the first support wheel 121 and the second support wheel 122 are detection wheels, the first support wheel 121 and the third support wheel 123 are detection wheels, the second support wheel 122 and the third support wheel 123 are detection wheels, or the first support wheel 121, the second support wheel 122, and the third support wheel 123 are all support wheels 12, etc.

[0047] As Figures 2 - 6 shown, in some alternative embodiments, the detection wheel 13 includes a first wheel cover 131, a second wheel cover 132, a mounting wheel seat 133, and a washer 134. The mounting wheel seat 133 is disposed between the first wheel cover 131 and the second wheel cover 132, and the washer 134 is sleeved outside the mounting wheel seat 133. And the mounting wheel seat 133 can be connected to the first wheel cover 131 or the second wheel cover 132 by welding.

[0048] The force sensor 135 can be disposed within the mounting wheel base 133. The mounting wheel base 133 can include an outer side surface that contacts the washer 134. The force sensor 135 can be disposed inside the mounting wheel base 133, and at least a portion of the force sensor 135 is adjacent to the outer side surface of the mounting wheel base 133, so that the force sensor 135 is as close as possible to the washer 134, facilitating the force sensor 135 to detect the acting force between the wafer 20 and the washer 134 of the detection wheel 13.

[0049] On the side of the washer 134 away from the mounting wheel base 133, a receiving groove 136 for placing the wafer 20 is formed between the first wheel cover 131, the second wheel cover 132, and the washer 134. The rotation axis of the detection wheel 13 can be arranged in the horizontal direction. When placing the wafer 20, the surface of the wafer 20 can be made parallel to the vertical direction, and thus the wafer 20 can be placed in the receiving groove 136 along the vertical direction. The washer 134 of the detection wheel 13 is the main structure for supporting the wafer 20, and it can be made of a flexible material to prevent the washer 134 from damaging the wafer 20.

[0050] It should be noted that when the wafer 20 is placed on the surface of the washer 134, the surface of the washer 134 will deform, which will also cause the mounting wheel base 133 and the force sensor 135 to deform, and further enable the force sensor 135 to detect the acting force of the wafer 20 on the detection wheel 13.

[0051] In the embodiment of the present application, the detection wheel 13 includes a first wheel cover 131, a second wheel cover 132, a mounting wheel base 133, and a washer 134; the mounting wheel base 133 is disposed between the first wheel cover 131 and the second wheel cover 132, the washer 134 is sleeved outside the mounting wheel base 133, and the force sensor 135 is disposed inside the mounting wheel base 133; on the side of the washer 134 away from the mounting wheel base 133, a receiving groove 136 for placing the wafer 20 is formed between the first wheel cover 131, the second wheel cover 132, and the washer 134. When placing the wafer 20, the receiving groove 136 can be used to place the wafer 20, and the washer 134 provides support for the wafer 20, enabling the washer 134 to bear the acting force exerted by the wafer 20 on the detection wheel 13 and transmit the acting force to the mounting wheel base 133, so that the mounting wheel base 133 can not only serve as the base for mounting the washer 134, but also accurately detect the acting force between the wafer 20 and the detection wheel 13 through the force sensor 135, fully exerting the role of the mounting wheel base 133 and expanding the function of the mounting wheel base 133.

[0052] Similar to the detection wheel 13, among the multiple support wheels 12 of the wafer processing apparatus 10, the support wheels 12 other than the detection wheel may also include a first cover, a second cover, a mounting wheel seat, and a washer, except that a force sensor 135 may not be provided in the mounting wheel seat. The specific setting manners of the first cover, the second cover, the mounting wheel seat, and the washer may refer to the embodiments of the detection wheel 13, and will not be elaborated herein.

[0053] In the placement stage of the wafer 20, the robot 30 as shown in Figure 1 can grasp the wafer 20 and place the wafer 20 on the above-mentioned support wheel 12. When placing the wafer 20, there may be three positional relationships between the wafer 20 and the washer 134 of the support wheel 12 as shown in Figures 7 - 9 . Figure 7 In , the wafer 20 is tangent to the washer 134; Figure 8 In , the wafer 20 compresses the washer 134; Figure 9 In , the wafer 20 does not contact the washer 134. As shown in Figure 9 , if the robot 30 that grasps the wafer 20 is released when the wafer 20 does not contact the washer 134, the wafer 20 will perform a free-fall motion under the action of gravity, collide with the washer 134, and compress the washer 134. Compressing the washer 134 may affect the service life of the washer 134, so the situation of compressing the washer 134 should be avoided as much as possible.

[0054] In the embodiment of the present application, the above-mentioned position condition can be set according to the position of the wafer 20 when the wafer 20 is tangent to the washer 134 in the detection wheel. When the relative position of the wafer 20 with respect to the detection wheel meets the position condition (such as the position shown in Figure 7 ), the position of the wafer 20 is determined as the end position for placing the wafer 20, and the robot 30 is controlled to release the wafer 20, ending the placement of the wafer 20, so that the end position for placing the wafer 20 is the position where the wafer 20 is tangent to the washer 134 of the detection wheel, avoiding the wafer 20 from compressing the washer 134.

[0055] In some alternative embodiments, the controller can specifically be used to determine the included angle between the line connecting the center of the wafer and the center of the detection wheel and the vertical direction according to the acting force detected by the force sensor 135, and determine the relative position of the wafer 20 with respect to the detection wheel according to the length and the included angle of the line.

[0056] Hereinafter, taking the wafer processing apparatus 10 including a first support wheel 121, a second support wheel 122, and a third support wheel 123 as an example, the embodiments of the present application will be described.

[0057] As a feasible implementation manner, the multiple support wheels included in the wafer processing apparatus 10, that is, the first support wheel 121, the second support wheel 122, and the third support wheel 123, can be located in the same vertical plane, such asFigure 10 As shown, the third support wheel 123 is the support wheel 12 at the lowest position in the vertical direction among the three support wheels 12. The first support wheel 121 and the second support wheel 122 can be symmetric about the vertical line passing through the center of the third support wheel 123. It should be understood that when the number of support wheels 12 is other numbers, each support wheel 12 can also be located in the same vertical plane and be symmetrically arranged about the vertical line at the middle position of each support wheel 12.

[0058] As Figure 10 shown, when the wafer is placed on the first support wheel 121, the second support wheel 122 and the third support wheel 123, the wafer is on the first washer 1341 of the first support wheel 121, the second washer 1342 of the second support wheel 122 and the third washer 1343 of the third support wheel 123. Figure 10 For the force analysis of the wafer 20 in

[0059] mg = F N1 *cosα + F N2 *cosα + F N3

[0060] F N1 *sinα = F N2 *sinα

[0061] Among them, mg represents the gravity of the wafer 20, Figure 10 and the direction of mg in N1 is the vertical direction. F N2 、F N3 and F

[0062] respectively represent the acting forces between the wafer 20 and the first support wheel 121, the second support wheel 122 and the third support wheel 123, and are approximately equal to the support forces received by the wafer 20 from the first washer 1341, the second washer 1342 and the third washer 1343. α represents the angle between the connection line from the center of the wafer to the center of the first support wheel 121 and the vertical direction, that is, the angle between the connection line from the center of the wafer to the center of the detection wheel and the vertical direction. It should be understood that the center of the detection wheel can coincide with the center of the washer in this detection wheel. In the figure, the angle between the connection line from the center of the wafer to the second support wheel 122 and the vertical direction is also α.

[0062] The magnitude of mg can be a given fixed value. mg can be obtained by acquiring this fixed value. Of course, mg can also be obtained by weighing the wafer. The value of F N1 is equal to the value of the interaction force between the first support wheel 121 and the wafer 20. The value of F N2 is equal to the value of the interaction force between the second support wheel 122 and the wafer 20. The value of F N3The value is equal to the value of the interaction force between the third support wheel 123 and the wafer 20. It should be understood that when the first support wheel 121 is a detection wheel, F N1 The value can be detected by the force sensor 135 in the first washer 1341. When the second support wheel 122 is a detection wheel, F N2 The value can be detected by the force sensor 135 in the second washer 1342. When the third support wheel 123 is a detection wheel, F N3 The value can be detected by the force sensor 135 in the third washer 1343.

[0063] It should be noted that the detection wheels included in the support wheel 12 can be set according to the position of the support wheel, as long as the angle between the line connecting the center of the wafer to the center of any specific detection wheel and the vertical direction can be solved. The specific detection wheel is the detection wheel whose line connecting its center to the center of the wafer 20 intersects / is not parallel to the vertical direction when it contacts the wafer 20.

[0064] Exemplarily, for Figure 1 and Figure 10 among the three support wheels 12, the three support wheels 12 can be partially or entirely detection wheels. Among them, the first support wheel 121 and the second support wheel 122 can be used as the above-mentioned specific detection wheels, Figure 10 where α in

[0065] is the angle between the line connecting the center of the wafer to the center of the specific detection wheel and the vertical direction. N1 When the first support wheel 121, the second support wheel 122, and the third support wheel 123 are partially detection wheels, that is, when two of the first support wheel 121, the second support wheel 122, and the third support wheel 123 are detection wheels, the first support wheel 121 and the third support wheel 123 can be detection wheels. At this time, F N3 and F N1 can be detected, and thus α in the above formula can be solved. When the first support wheel 121, the second support wheel 122, and the third support wheel 123 are all detection wheels, F N2 and F N3 can be directly detected to solve for α in the above formula.

[0066] After determining the angle between the line connecting the center of the wafer and the center of the detection wheel and the vertical direction, the relative position of the wafer 20 relative to the detection wheel can be determined according to the length of the line connecting the center of the wafer and the center of the detection wheel and the angle between the line connecting the center of the wafer and the center of the detection wheel and the vertical direction. Optionally, the relative position can be directly represented by the length of the line connecting the center of the wafer and the center of the detection wheel and the angle between the line connecting the center of the wafer and the center of the detection wheel and the vertical direction, or can be represented by the relative coordinates of the center of the wafer and the center of the detection wheel.

[0067] As a feasible implementation manner, the given position condition may be that the included angle between the line connecting the center of the wafer 20 indicated by the relative position of the wafer with respect to the detection wheel and the center of a specific detection wheel and the vertical direction satisfies a given angle range. Optionally, this angle range may be determined according to the included angle between the line connecting the center of the wafer and the center of the detection wheel when the wafer 20 is tangent to the washer 134 in the detection wheel and the vertical direction. The above angle range does not include 0 degrees and 180 degrees, that is, when the wafer 20 is placed on the support wheel 12, the line connecting the center of the specific detection wheel and the center of the wafer 20 intersects the vertical direction.

[0068] As another feasible implementation manner, the given position condition may be that the position of the center of the wafer 20 indicated by the relative position of the wafer with respect to the detection wheel in the vertical direction satisfies a given position range. Optionally, this position range may be determined according to the position of the center of the wafer in the vertical direction when the wafer 20 is tangent to the washer 134 in the detection wheel.

[0069] The position of the center of the detection wheel is a known position. Based on this known position, according to the relative position of the wafer 20 with respect to the detection wheel, the position of the center of the wafer in the vertical direction can be indicated.

[0070] Exemplarily, according to the length of the line connecting the center of the wafer and the center of the detection wheel and the included angle between the line connecting the center of the wafer and the center of the detection wheel and the vertical direction, the distance between the center of the wafer and the center of the detection wheel in the vertical direction can be determined, and then based on the position of the center of the detection wheel, the position of the center of the wafer in the vertical direction can be obtained.

[0071] In the embodiments of the present application, the included angle between the line connecting the center of the wafer and the center of the detection wheel and the vertical direction can be determined according to the acting force detected by the force sensor 135, and according to the length and the included angle of the line, the relative position of the wafer 20 with respect to the detection wheel can be determined. Thus, during the detection stage of the wafer 20, the placement situation of the wafer 20 can be obtained according to this relative position, which can provide a reference basis for the placement of the wafer 20.

[0072] Specifically, after the placement is completed, the acting force between the wafer and the detection wheel can also be detected. According to the detected acting force, the offset of the relative position of the wafer with respect to the detection wheel compared with the standard position can be determined; according to the offset, the position condition can be updated. The standard position may be the position when the washer is not worn; as the washer is continuously worn, the position of the wafer in the vertical direction moves downward continuously, generating an offset. The offset can be specifically determined according to the position of the center of the wafer in the vertical direction determined based on the acting force. After determining the offset, the position condition can be updated, and the updated position condition can be the distance corresponding to the downward offset of the standard position. The updated position condition can be applied to the processing of subsequent other wafers.

[0073] In addition, in this embodiment, the loss thickness of the washer in the support wheel can also be calculated according to the offset, and the service life of the washer can be judged according to the loss thickness. Specifically, the offset can be made equal to the loss thickness of the washer in the support wheel directly below the wafer, and the loss thickness of the washers in the support wheels on the left and right sides of the wafer can be calculated based on the offset and the α angle. According to the loss thickness of the washer, the service life of the washer can be accurately analyzed, early warning can be given, and the machine tool range analysis can be carried out, greatly reducing the equipment maintenance cost.

[0074] It should be noted that cleaning brushes and nozzles and other cleaning structures can also be provided in the cleaning tank 11. When cleaning the wafer 20, cleaning liquid can be sprayed onto the wafer 20 through the nozzle, and the surface of the wafer 20 can be scrubbed by the cleaning brush. The specific setting method of the cleaning brush and nozzle and other cleaning structures can refer to the related technology and will not be elaborated here.

[0075] In the embodiment of the present application, a plurality of support wheels 12 for carrying the wafer 20 can be provided in the cleaning tank 11 of the wafer processing device 10, and a detection wheel is included among the plurality of support wheels 12. A force sensor 135 for detecting the force between the wafer 20 and the detection wheel is provided in the detection wheel. Thus, during the placement stage when the wafer 20 is placed on the support wheel 12, the force between the wafer 20 and the detection wheel can be detected by the force sensor 135. Through the controller, during the placement stage when the wafer 20 is placed on the support wheel 12, according to the force detected by the force sensor 135, the relative position of the wafer 20 with respect to the detection wheel is determined, and when the relative position of the wafer 20 meets the given position condition, the current position of the wafer 20 is determined as the end position for placing the wafer 20 to end the placement of the wafer 20. The placement position of the wafer 20 can be accurately controlled according to the relative position of the wafer 20 with respect to the detection wheel. When the relative position of the wafer 20 meets the given position condition, the position of the wafer 20 is used as the end of the placement of the wafer 20, and the placement of the wafer 20 is ended in time to avoid damaging the support wheel 12 serving as the carrier of the wafer 20 when placing the wafer 20.

[0076] As Figure 1 shown, in some alternative embodiments, the wafer processing device 10 further includes a driving motor 14, and the driving motor 14 is connected to at least one detection wheel.

[0077] It should be understood that the connection mode of the driving motor 14 connected to the detection wheel can be directly connected or indirectly connected through transmission structures such as synchronous belts and gears. Exemplarily, the detection wheel can include a first support wheel 121 and a second support wheel 122, as Figure 1As shown, the drive motor 14 can be connected to the first support wheel 121 through the synchronous belt 15, so that the drive motor 14 transmits power to the first support wheel 121 through the synchronous belt 15, enabling the first support wheel 121 to drive the wafer 20 to rotate. Alternatively, the drive motor 14 can be connected to the first support wheel 121 and the second support wheel 122 respectively through the synchronous belt 15, so that the drive motor 14 transmits power to the first support wheel 121 and the second support wheel 122 simultaneously through the synchronous belt 15, enabling the first support wheel 121 and the second support wheel 122 to drive the wafer 20 to rotate simultaneously.

[0078] In the embodiment of the present application, the wafer processing device 10 further includes a drive motor 14, and the drive motor 14 can be connected to at least one detection wheel. The drive motor 14 can drive the detection wheel to rotate, and the detection wheel can drive the wafer 20 to rotate, so that the detection wheel can not only detect the force between the wafer 20 and the detection wheel during the wafer 20 placement stage to control the placement of the wafer 20, but also drive the wafer 20 to rotate during the cleaning stage of cleaning the wafer 20, making the cleaning of the wafer 20 by the above-mentioned cleaning brush and nozzle and other cleaning structures more comprehensive, and enabling multiple functions to be concentrated on one component of the detection wheel, thereby reducing the number of components of the wafer processing device 10.

[0079] As Figure 11 shown, as a feasible implementation manner, the wafer processing device 10 can further include a rotating shaft 161 connected to the support wheel 12. Specifically, the support wheel 12 can be arranged on one side of the rotating shaft 161, and a gear 162 that can mesh with the above-mentioned synchronous belt 15 can be installed on the other side of the rotating shaft 161, so as to drive the rotating shaft 161 to rotate through the gear 162. The rotating shaft 161 can be installed in a bearing 163, and the bearing 163 is arranged between the bearing mounting seat 164 and the first gland 165, and the bearing mounting seat 164 and the first gland 165 are fixedly connected, thereby limiting the bearing 163. A second gland 166 can also be arranged on the side of the bearing 163 close to the first gland 165, and the second gland 166 can be located in the through hole opened on the first gland 165. The second gland 166 can be in contact with the inner ring of the bearing 163 and move synchronously with the inner ring of the bearing 163. And, on the side of the gear 162 away from the support wheel 12, a screw 167 connected to the rotating shaft 161 can also be arranged. On the side of the support wheel 12 away from the screw 167, a nut 168 installed on the rotating shaft 161 can be arranged, so as to fix the gear 162, the second end cover, the bearing 163, the bearing mounting seat 164 and the support wheel 12 installed on the rotating shaft 161 through the nut 168 and the screw 167. When the first wheel cover 131 of the support wheel 12 is farther away from the nut 168 than the second wheel cover 132, the mounting wheel seat 133 can be connected to the first wheel cover 131 by welding.

[0080] In some alternative embodiments, the shape of the mounting wheel seat 133 is a runway shape. By setting the shape of the mounting wheel seat 133 as a runway shape, the washer 134 sleeved thereon can be fixed to prevent the washer 134 from rotating relative to the mounting wheel seat 133. Moreover, both ends of the runway-shaped mounting wheel seat 133 are arc-shaped, which facilitates sleeving the washer 134 on the mounting wheel seat 133. Corresponding to the mounting wheel seat 133, as Figure 6 shown, the part of the force sensor 135 adjacent to the outer side surface of the mounting wheel seat 133 can also be runway-shaped.

[0081] As Figure 3 shown, in some alternative embodiments, the receiving groove 136 includes a first side wall 137 located on the first wheel cover 131 and a second side wall 138 located on the second wheel cover 132; the distance from a point on the first side wall 137 to the middle symmetry plane of the washer 134 is positively correlated with the distance from this point to the rotation axis of the detection wheel, and the middle symmetry plane is the symmetry plane of the washer 134 perpendicular to the rotation axis; moreover, the first side wall 137 and the second side wall 138 are symmetric about the middle symmetry plane.

[0082] As a feasible implementation manner, the receiving groove 136 may further include a third side wall located on the first wheel cover 131 and a fourth side wall located on the second wheel cover 132, as well as the bottom of the groove on the washer 134. One side of the third side wall may intersect with the first side wall 137, and the other side may intersect with the bottom of the groove; one side of the fourth side wall may intersect with the second side wall 138, and the other side may intersect with the bottom of the groove, and the third side wall and the fourth side wall may be perpendicular to the bottom of the groove, so that the third side wall and the fourth side wall can be used to guide the wafer 20 to be perpendicular to the bottom of the groove formed by the washer 134, which is beneficial to the stable placement of the wafer 20.

[0083] In the embodiments of the present application, by setting the distance from a point on the first side wall 137 to the middle symmetry plane of the washer 134 to be positively correlated with the distance from this point to the rotation axis of the detection wheel, and the first side wall 137 and the second side wall 138 are symmetric about the middle symmetry plane, the receiving groove 136 can be formed into a funnel-shaped opening by the first side wall 137 and the second side wall 138, that is, the opening range of the receiving groove 136 can be enlarged by the first side wall 137 and the second side wall 138, so that the wafer 20 can more easily enter the receiving groove 136 of the detection wheel.

[0084] The embodiments of the present application further provide a wafer processing method for a wafer processing device. The wafer processing device may include a plurality of support wheels for carrying wafers, and the detection wheel is included in the plurality of support wheels. As Figure 12 shown, the wafer processing method provided by the embodiments of the present application may include:

[0085] S110. During the placement stage when the wafer is placed on the support wheel, detect the acting force between the wafer and the detection wheel.

[0086] S120. Determine the relative position of the wafer with respect to the detection wheel according to the acting force detected by the force sensor, and when the relative position of the wafer meets the given position condition, determine the current position of the wafer as the end position for placing the wafer, so as to end the placement of the wafer.

[0087] S130. Clean the wafer.

[0088] In some alternative embodiments, determining the relative position of the wafer with respect to the detection wheel according to the acting force detected by the force sensor includes: determining the angle between the line connecting the center of the wafer and the center of the detection wheel and the vertical direction according to the acting force detected by the force sensor, and determining the relative position of the wafer with respect to the detection wheel according to the length and the angle of the line.

[0089] In some alternative embodiments, after ending the placement of the wafer, the method further includes: detecting the acting force between the wafer and the detection wheel, and determining the offset of the relative position of the wafer with respect to the detection wheel compared to the standard position according to the detected acting force; updating the position condition according to the offset.

[0090] In addition, in this embodiment, the loss thickness of the washer in the support wheel can also be calculated according to the offset, and the service life of the washer can be judged according to the loss thickness. Specifically, the offset can be made equal to the loss thickness of the washer in the support wheel directly below the wafer, and the loss thickness of the washers in the support wheels on the left and right sides of the wafer can be calculated according to the offset and the α angle. According to the loss thickness of the washer, the service life of the washer can be accurately analyzed, early warning can be carried out, and the machine tool range analysis can be performed, greatly reducing the maintenance cost of the equipment.

[0091] The wafer processing method provided in this embodiment is based on the same inventive concept as the embodiment of the foregoing wafer processing device and has the beneficial effects of the corresponding device embodiment. The specific implementation process can refer to the description in the foregoing embodiment of the wafer processing device and will not be elaborated here.

[0092] The embodiment of the present application also provides a wafer cleaning device for a wafer processing device. The wafer processing device may include a plurality of support wheels for carrying wafers, and the plurality of support wheels include a detection wheel. As shown in the figure, the wafer cleaning device provided in the embodiment of the present application may include:

[0093] A detection module, configured to detect the acting force between the wafer and the detection wheel during the placement stage when the wafer is placed on the support wheel.

[0094] A placement module, configured to determine the relative position of a wafer with respect to a detection wheel according to the acting force detected by a force sensor, and when the relative position of the wafer meets a given position condition, determine the current position of the wafer as the end position for placing the wafer, so as to end the placement of the wafer.

[0095] A cleaning module, configured to clean the wafer.

[0096] The wafer cleaning device provided in this embodiment is based on the same inventive concept as the foregoing embodiment of the wafer processing method, and is used to implement the corresponding wafer processing methods in the foregoing multiple method embodiments, and has the beneficial effects of the corresponding method embodiments. In addition, the function implementation of each unit in the wafer cleaning device of this embodiment can refer to the description of the corresponding part in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be elaborated herein.

[0097] This application also provides a computer storage medium, on which a computer program is stored. When the program is executed by a processor, it implements the method described in any one of the foregoing multiple method embodiments. The computer storage medium includes but is not limited to: Compact Disc Read-Only Memory (CD-ROM), Random Access Memory (RAM), floppy disk, hard disk, or magneto-optical disk, etc.

[0098] It should be noted that, according to the needs of implementation, each component / step described in the embodiments of this application can be split into more components / steps, or two or more components / steps or partial operations of components / steps can be combined into new components / steps to achieve the purpose of the embodiments of this application.

[0099] The method according to the embodiments of this application can be implemented in hardware, firmware, or be implemented as software or computer code that can be stored in a recording medium (such as CD-ROM, RAM, floppy disk, hard disk, or magneto-optical disk), or be implemented as computer code that is originally stored in a remote recording medium or a non-transitory machine-readable medium and downloaded through a network and will be stored in a local recording medium, so that the method described herein can be stored on such a recording medium for software processing using a general-purpose computer, a dedicated processor, or programmable or dedicated hardware (such as an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) or a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)).

[0100] Those of ordinary skill in the art can realize that the units and method steps of the examples described in combination with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented by electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are executed in a hardware or software manner depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional technicians can use different methods for each specific application to implement the described functions, but such implementation should not be considered to exceed the scope of the embodiments of this application.

[0101] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the embodiments of this application, rather than to limit the embodiments of this application. Those of ordinary skill in the relevant technical field can also make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the embodiments of this application. Therefore, all equivalent technical solutions also belong to the scope of the embodiments of this application. The patent protection scope of the embodiments of this application shall be defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A wafer processing device, characterized in that: include: Cleaning box; A plurality of supporting wheels for carrying wafers, wherein the supporting wheels are located in the cleaning box, and the plurality of supporting wheels include a detection wheel; The detection wheel includes a first wheel cover, a second wheel cover, a mounting wheel seat and the gasket; the mounting wheel seat is arranged between the first wheel cover and the second wheel cover, the gasket is sleeved outside the mounting wheel seat, the mounting wheel seat includes an outer side surface in contact with the gasket, and a force sensor is arranged in the mounting wheel seat and at least partially adjacent to the outer side surface of the mounting wheel seat, for detecting the force between the wafer and the detection wheel.

2. The wafer processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The force sensor may be a pressure sensor, and is used to detect the pressure applied by the wafer to the detection wheel through the pressure sensor when the acting force between the wafer and the detection wheel is pressure.

3. The wafer processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: On a side of the gasket away from the mounting wheel seat, a receiving groove for accommodating the wafer is formed between the first wheel cover, the second wheel cover and the gasket.

4. The wafer processing device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The receiving groove includes a first side wall located at the first wheel cover and a second side wall located at the second wheel cover; The distance from a point on the first side wall to the middle symmetry plane of the gasket is positively correlated with the distance from the point to the rotation axis of the detection wheel, and the middle symmetry plane is the symmetry plane of the gasket perpendicular to the rotation axis; and the first side wall and the second side wall are symmetrical about the middle symmetry plane.

5. The wafer processing device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The receiving groove has a funnel-shaped opening.

6. The wafer processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The wafer processing device also includes a controller for determining the angle between the line connecting the center of the wafer and the center of the detection wheel and the vertical direction based on the force detected by the force sensor, and determining the relative position of the wafer with respect to the detection wheel based on the length of the line and the angle.

7. The wafer processing device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The wafer processing device may include a first supporting wheel, a second supporting wheel and a third supporting wheel, and the three supporting wheels include at least two detection wheels.

8. The wafer processing device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The third supporting wheel is located directly below the wafer, the first supporting wheel and the second supporting wheel are symmetrical about the vertical line where the center of the third supporting wheel is located, and at least two detection wheels include the third supporting wheel.

9. The wafer processing device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The angle α between the line connecting the center of the wafer and the center of the detection wheel and the vertical direction is calculated based on the following formula: mg=FN1*cosα+FN2*cosα+FN3 FN1*sinα=FN2*sinα Among them, mg represents the gravity of the wafer 20, FN1, FN2 and FN3 represent the forces between the wafer and the first support wheel, the second support wheel and the third support wheel respectively, and α represents the angle between the line from the center of the wafer to the center of the first support wheel and the vertical direction, that is, the angle between the line from the center of the wafer to the center of the detection wheel and the vertical direction.

Images