Wafer calibration device and method

Abstract

The invention discloses a wafer calibration device and method. The wafer calibration device comprises an upper support and a lower support, and a position detection device is arranged on the upper support; the lower support is provided with a rotating mechanism which comprises a first motor and a transmission disc. The lifting mechanism comprises a supporting rod and a lifting driving part, and the lifting driving part is used for driving the supporting rod to ascend and descend and supporting the wafer when the first end of the supporting rod ascends to a first position; the position deviation rectifying mechanism comprises at least three rotating parts, the rotating parts are distributed around the circumferential direction of the transmission disc, at least one rotating part is a driving part, and when the first end of the supporting rod is lowered to the second position, the wafer is supported by the rotating parts, and the rotating parts drive the wafer to move. According to the invention, the deviation condition of the position of the wafer can be detected through the position detection device, the rotating mechanism and the lifting mechanism are matched to drive the wafer to rotate and transfer the wafer to the position deviation correction mechanism, and the position deviation correction mechanism drives the wafer to move to complete the position deviation correction operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of semiconductor processing technology. More specifically, the present invention relates to a wafer calibration device and method. Background Art

[0002] Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is an advanced thin film deposition technology, and the wafer transfer unit is an important part of the ALD complete equipment, mainly composed of a loading device, a wafer calibration device, a vacuum manipulator, etc. Among them, the wafer calibration device refers to a device that detects and calibrates wafers with angular and positional offsets during the transportation and transfer process. The calibration of wafers can not only reduce the risk of wafer dropping and collision during the transfer process, but also has important significance for the subsequent process treatment.

[0003] The wafer calibration device used in the existing ALD complete equipment has the following disadvantages because it is only equipped with one servo motor and can only drive the wafer to rotate:

[0004] 1. The function is imperfect. It can only perform the calibration work of the wafer angle and cannot independently calibrate the wafer position offset.

[0005] 2. The application range is small and it is not applicable in the process flow with requirements for the wafer position.

[0006] 3. The modularity degree is low, and it is necessary to cooperate with the manipulator to calibrate the wafer position offset. Summary of the Invention

[0007] In view of the deficiencies of the prior art, the present invention innovatively provides a wafer calibration device and method, which can solve the technical problem that the wafer calibration device in the prior art cannot independently correct the wafer position deviation.

[0008] To achieve the above technical purpose, in the first aspect of the present invention, a wafer calibration device is disclosed, including an upper support and a lower support. Among them, a position detection device is provided on the upper support for detecting the position of the wafer;

[0009] The following are provided on the lower support:

[0010] A rotating mechanism, the rotating mechanism includes a first motor and a transmission disk, and the first motor is drivingly connected to the transmission disk;

[0011] A lifting mechanism, the lifting mechanism includes a support rod and a lifting driving member. A plurality of support rods are provided, and the support rods are slidably inserted through the transmission disk.

[0012] The lifting drive is used to drive the support rod to lift, and support the wafer when the first end of the support rod rises to the first position. The transmission disk is used to drive the support rod to rotate for wafer angle correction;

[0013] A position correction mechanism includes at least three rotating members. Each rotating member is provided with a rotating shaft, and the rotating shafts on different rotating members are parallel to each other. The rotating members are distributed circumferentially around the transmission disk, and at least one of the rotating members is a driving member.

[0014] When the first end of the support rod drops to the second position, the height of the first end of the support rod is lower than the height of the rotating member, and the rotating member supports the wafer. The rotating member drives the wafer to move for wafer position correction.

[0015] Further, the rotating member is a roller or a ball. An annular boss is formed around the transmission disk on the lower support. The transmission disk is located inside the annular boss, and the rotating member is arranged on the upper surface of the annular boss.

[0016] Further, the first motor is a servo motor, and the rotating mechanism further includes a servo motor driver for controlling the rotation angle of the first motor.

[0017] Further, a plurality of through holes are axially distributed on the transmission disk, and the first end of the support rod passes through the through holes and is located above the transmission disk.

[0018] Further, the lifting drive includes a telescopic cylinder and a support disk. The support disk is an annular disk. The second end of the support rod is fixedly connected to the upper surface of the support disk, and the telescopic cylinder is slidably connected to the lower surface of the support disk.

[0019] Further, an annular sliding groove is provided on the lower surface of the support disk, and the driving end of the telescopic cylinder is slidably connected to the annular sliding groove.

[0020] Further, a micro motor is arranged inside the annular boss, and the micro motor is drivingly connected to the rotating shaft of the rotating member.

[0021] Further, the position correction mechanism further includes a second motor and a transmission ring. The transmission ring is rotatably arranged inside the lower support, and the upper end of the transmission ring contacts the rotating member.

[0022] The second motor drives the transmission ring to rotate, and the transmission ring drives at least one of the rotating members to rotate.

[0023] In the first aspect of the present invention, a wafer calibration method is disclosed. The position of the wafer is corrected using the above wafer calibration device, including:

[0024] The wafer rotates and data is collected;

[0025] Data analysis is performed to obtain offset parameters;

[0026] Offset position correction;

[0027] Offset angle correction.

[0028] Furthermore,

[0029] The data analysis obtains the wafer offset angle, the maximum offset amount, and the angle corresponding to the maximum offset amount;

[0030] The offset position correction includes:

[0031] The rotating mechanism drives the wafer to rotate to the angle corresponding to the maximum offset amount, the lifting mechanism lowers the height of the wafer so that the wafer falls on the rotating member, and the rotating member rotates to drive the wafer to move the maximum offset amount to complete the position correction;

[0032] The offset angle correction includes:

[0033] The lifting mechanism drives the wafer to rise, and the rotating mechanism drives the wafer to rotate, and the rotation angle is the wafer offset angle.

[0034] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0035] The wafer calibration device and method provided by the present invention can detect the offset of the wafer position through the position detection device, and then cooperate with the rotating mechanism and the lifting mechanism to drive the wafer to rotate and transfer the wafer to the position correction mechanism, and drive the wafer to move through the position correction mechanism to complete the position correction operation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] Figure 1 Shows a schematic structural diagram of the wafer calibration device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 2 Shows a cross-sectional schematic view of the lower support and some mechanisms according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 3 Shows a schematic flow diagram of the wafer calibration method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] In the figure,

[0040] 1. Upper support; 11. Position detection device; 2. Lower support; 21. Annular boss; 31. First motor; 32. Transmission disk; 41. Support rod; 42. Telescopic cylinder; 43. Support disk; 51. Rotating member; 52. Second motor; 53. Transmission ring. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0041] The wafer calibration device and method provided by the present invention will be explained and described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the specification.

[0042] The wafer calibration device and method provided by the present invention can detect the offset of the wafer position through a position detection device, and then cooperate with a rotation mechanism and a lifting mechanism to drive the wafer to rotate and transfer the wafer to a position deviation correction mechanism. The position deviation correction mechanism drives the wafer to move to complete the position deviation correction operation. Thus, the automatic operation of wafer position deviation correction can be realized without the cooperation of a manipulator. The present invention will be introduced in detail below with specific embodiments:

[0043] In some embodiments, the present invention provides a wafer calibration device, as Figure 1 、 Figure 2 shown, including an upper support 1 and a lower support 2. The upper support 1 is located above the lower support 2. A position detection device 11 is provided on the upper support 1 for detecting the position of the wafer. Optionally, the position detection device 11 is a laser sensor, which can detect the offset distance of the wafer. The following are provided on the lower support 2: a rotation mechanism, a lifting mechanism, a position deviation correction mechanism, and a controller. The controller is used to receive and analyze the data collected by each part and control the actions of each part.

[0044] In some embodiments, the rotation mechanism includes a first motor 31 and a transmission disk 32. The transmission disk 32 is located on the upper side of the lower support 2, and the first motor 31 is located on the lower side of the lower support 2. The first motor 31 is drivingly connected to the transmission disk 32 through a drive shaft, and the first motor 31 drives the transmission disk 32 to rotate. Optionally, the first motor 31 is a servo motor, and the rotation mechanism further includes a servo motor driver for controlling and recording the rotation angle of the first motor 31, so as to realize precise control of the rotation angle of the transmission disk 32.

[0045] The lifting mechanism includes a support rod 41 and a lifting driving member. A plurality of support rods 41 are provided. The support rods 41 are slidably inserted through the transmission disk 32. The support rods 41 are parallel to the drive shaft of the rotation mechanism, and the support rods 41 rotate synchronously with the transmission disk 32. The lifting driving member is used to drive the support rods 41 to lift, and when the first end of the support rod 41 rises to the first position, it supports the wafer. The transmission disk 32 drives the support rods 41 to rotate, thereby driving the wafer to rotate, and wafer angle deviation correction can be performed. Optionally, a plurality of support rods 41 are evenly distributed along the circumference of the transmission disk 32. A plurality of through holes are axially distributed on the transmission disk 32. The first end of the support rod 41 passes through the through hole and is located on the upper side of the transmission disk 32, which can provide stable support for the wafer. The plurality of support rods 41 rise or fall synchronously under the action of the lifting driving member.

[0046] Optionally, the lifting driving member includes a telescopic cylinder 42 and a support disk 43. The support disk 43 is an annular disk. The second end of the support rod 41 is fixedly connected to the upper surface of the support disk 43. The connecting shaft of the first motor 31 and the transmission disk 32 passes through the center of the support disk 43. The telescopic cylinder 42 is slidably connected to the lower surface of the support disk 43.

[0047] An annular sliding groove is provided on the lower surface of the support disk 43. The telescopic cylinder 42 is located on one side of the first motor 31. The driving end of the telescopic cylinder 42 is slidably connected to the annular sliding groove. The support disk 43 can rotate synchronously with the support rod 41 and is not restricted by the telescopic cylinder 42. The telescopic cylinder 42 can also drive the support rod 41 to lift through the support disk 43.

[0048] In some embodiments, the position deviation correction mechanism includes at least three rotating members 51. Each rotating member 51 is provided with a rotating shaft. The rotating shafts on different rotating members 51 are parallel to each other. The rotating members 51 are distributed around the circumference of the transmission disk 32. At least one rotating member 51 is a driving member that can drive the wafer to move in a preset direction. When the first end of the support rod 41 is lowered to the second position, the height of the first end of the support rod 41 is lower than the height of the rotating member 51. The rotating member 51 supports the wafer, and the rotating member 51 drives the wafer to move to correct the position deviation of the wafer.

[0049] In some embodiments, the rotating member 51 is a roller or a ball. An annular boss 21 is formed on the lower support 2 around the transmission disk 32. The transmission disk 32 is located inside the annular boss 21. The rotating member 51 is arranged on the upper surface of the annular boss 21. Optionally, the rotating member 51 is a ball, and the rotating shaft coincides with a diameter of the ball. Four balls are provided, and the four balls are evenly distributed along the annular boss 21. The four rotating shafts are arranged parallel to each other. The four balls can roll in the same direction, so as to move the wafer in the rolling direction. Optionally, the position detection device 11 is located on the side opposite to the rolling direction of the ball, and the detection position is on the extension line of the diameter of the annular boss 21. The position detection device 11 is used to detect the distance that the wafer deviates from the annular boss 21, and then the wafer is moved towards the side opposite to the deviation position by the rotation of the ball, so as to complete the correction of the wafer position.

[0050] In some embodiments, a micro motor is arranged inside the annular boss 21. The micro motor is drivingly connected to the rotating shaft of the rotating member 51. Each rotating member 51 is correspondingly provided with a micro motor. Each rotating member 51 can be independently driven by the micro motor, and the multiple rotating members 51 rotate synchronously.

[0051] In some embodiments, the position deviation correction mechanism further includes a second motor 52 and a transmission ring 53. The transmission ring 53 is rotatably arranged in the lower support 2. The upper end of the transmission ring 53 contacts the rotating member 51. Optionally, the rotating member 51 is a rolling ball, and the rolling ball contacts the transmission ring 53. The rotation of the transmission ring 53 can drive the rolling ball to rotate. Further, an annular groove is formed at the top of the transmission ring 53, and the inner wall of the groove is an arc surface. A part of the rolling ball can be embedded in the groove to increase the contact area with the transmission ring 53. Optionally, when driving the rolling ball through the transmission ring 53, only two rolling balls located on the diameter perpendicular to the moving direction need to be driven to rotate.

[0052] The second motor 52 drives the transmission ring 53 to rotate, and the transmission ring 53 drives at least one rotating member 51 to rotate. Optionally, the second driving motor is a servo motor, which can accurately control the number of rotation turns, that is, control the distance that the wafer moves, so as to ensure the accuracy of wafer deviation correction.

[0053] In some embodiments, the present invention further provides a wafer calibration method, which uses the above wafer calibration device to correct the position of the wafer. As Figure 3 shown, the calibration method includes:

[0054] After the wafer is transferred to the wafer calibration device, it is supported by the lifting mechanism, that is, at this time, the support rod 41 is in the first position. The rotating mechanism drives the wafer to rotate, and the servo motor driver detects and records the rotation angle of the wafer and feeds it back to the controller. At the same time, the position detection device 11 detects the position of the wafer, that is, detects the offset value of the wafer and feeds it back to the controller. The controller records the data and corresponds the rotation angle with the offset value one by one.

[0055] The controller analyzes the collected data, establishes a corresponding processing model, and calculates the deflection angle of the wafer, the maximum offset value, and the angle corresponding to the maximum offset value.

[0056] When it is detected that the wafer position is offset, the rotating mechanism drives the wafer to rotate to the angle with the maximum offset distance, and the lifting mechanism lowers the height of the wafer so that the wafer falls on the rotating member 51, that is, the support rod 41 descends to the second position, and the wafer is supported by the rotating member 51.

[0057] The position deviation correction mechanism is started, and the rotation of the rotating member 51 drives the wafer to move a distance of the maximum offset value. At this time, the wafer coincides with the position of the standard wafer, and the position deviation correction is completed.

[0058] The lifting mechanism raises the height of the wafer, that is, the support rod 41 rises to the first position to support the wafer with the support rod 41, and then the rotating mechanism rotates to supplement the calculated offset angle of the wafer, and the wafer angle deviation correction is completed.

[0059] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc. indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. These are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and thus should not be construed as a limitation to the present invention.

[0060] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined and limited, the terms "mounted", "connected", "connected to", "fixed", etc. shall 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, unless otherwise clearly limited. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0061] In the description of this specification, the descriptions with reference to the terms "this embodiment", "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples", etc. mean that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic descriptions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described can be combined in a suitable manner in any at least one embodiment or example. In addition, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and combine the different embodiments or examples described in this specification and the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0062] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, the features defined with "first" and "second" can explicitly or implicitly include at least one of such features. In the description of the present invention, the meaning of "a plurality" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0063] The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, and simple improvements made to the substantial content of the present invention shall be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A wafer calibration device, characterized in that: It comprises an upper support and a lower support, wherein the upper support is provided with a position detection device for detecting the position of the wafer; The lower support is provided with: A rotating mechanism, the rotating mechanism comprising a first motor and a transmission disc, the first motor being drivingly connected to the transmission disc; A lifting mechanism, the lifting mechanism comprising a support rod and a lifting drive member, a plurality of support rods are provided, and the support rods are slidably arranged on the transmission plate, The lifting drive member is used to drive the support rod to lift and lower, and when the first end of the support rod is raised to the first position, the wafer is supported, and the transmission plate is used to drive the support rod to rotate to correct the wafer angle; The position correction mechanism comprises at least three rotating members, each of which is provided with a rotating shaft, the rotating shafts on different rotating members are parallel to each other, the rotating members are distributed around the circumference of the transmission disk, and at least one of the rotating members is a driving member. When the first end of the support rod is lowered to the second position, the height of the first end of the support rod is lower than the height of the rotating member, the wafer is supported by the rotating member, and the rotating member drives the wafer to move to correct the wafer position.

2. The wafer calibration device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotating member is a roller or a ball, an annular boss is formed on the lower support around the transmission disc, the transmission disc is located on the inner side of the annular boss, and the rotating member is arranged on the upper surface of the annular boss.

3. The wafer calibration device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first motor is a servo motor, and the rotating mechanism further includes a servo motor driver, and the servo motor driver is used to control the rotation angle of the first motor.

4. The wafer calibration device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The transmission disc is provided with a plurality of through holes distributed along the axial direction, and the first end of the support rod passes through the through hole and is located on the upper side of the transmission disc.

5. The wafer calibration device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The lifting drive member includes a telescopic cylinder and a support plate, wherein the support plate is a circular ring plate, the second end of the support rod is fixedly connected to the upper surface of the support plate, and the telescopic cylinder is slidably connected to the lower surface of the support plate.

6. The wafer calibration device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The lower surface of the support plate is provided with an annular slide groove, and the driving end of the telescopic cylinder is slidably connected to the annular slide groove.

7. The wafer calibration device according to claim 2, characterized in that: A micro motor is arranged in the annular boss, and the micro motor is drivingly connected to the rotating shaft of the rotating member.

8. The wafer calibration device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The position correction mechanism further includes a second motor and a transmission ring, wherein the transmission ring is rotatably disposed in the lower support, and the upper end of the transmission ring is in contact with the rotating member. The second motor drives the transmission ring to rotate, and the transmission ring drives at least one of the rotating members to rotate.

9. A wafer calibration method, characterized in that: Using the wafer calibration device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 to calibrate the position of a wafer comprises: The wafer rotates and data is collected; Data analysis to obtain offset parameters; Offset position correction; Offset angle correction.

10. The wafer calibration method according to claim 9, characterized in that: The data analysis obtains the wafer offset angle, the maximum offset and the angle corresponding to the maximum offset; The offset position correction comprises: The rotating mechanism drives the wafer to rotate to an angle corresponding to the maximum offset, the lifting mechanism lowers the height of the wafer so that the wafer falls on the rotating member, and the rotating member rotates to drive the wafer to move the maximum offset to complete position correction; The deviation angle correction comprises: The lifting mechanism drives the wafer to rise, and the rotating mechanism drives the wafer to rotate, and the rotation angle is the wafer offset angle.

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