A wafer positioning device for a coating and developing machine

Abstract

This invention provides a wafer positioning device for a coating and developing machine, relating to the field of wafer processing technology. It includes: a base; the base is fixedly connected to the coating and developing machine, and an adjustable support frame is connected to the top of the base; a nut is connected to the top of the base, and the nut contacts the adjustable support frame; a movable tray is installed on the top of the adjustable support frame, and three movable blocks are installed inside the adjustable support frame; a positioning clamp is connected to the top of each movable block, and the positioning clamp is located on the top of the adjustable support frame. When the wafer is placed on the top of the movable tray, the movable tray slightly lowers, and spring A contracts slightly under force, providing a buffering and protective effect for the wafer, preventing damage caused by impacts during placement. This solves the problem that existing wafer positioning devices used in coating and developing machines have poor wafer protection in practical applications, especially during wafer placement, where insufficient protective measures easily lead to wafer damage from impacts.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of wafer processing technology, and in particular to a wafer positioning device for a coating and developing machine. Background Technology

[0002] Photoresist coating and developing machines are key pieces of equipment in the photolithography process, mainly used for photoresist coating and developing in semiconductor manufacturing. As one of the core pieces of equipment in the photolithography process, the performance of the photoresist coating and developing machine directly affects the formation of fine exposure patterns in the photolithography process and the pattern quality in the developing process. With the continuous development of semiconductor technology, photoresist coating and developing machines are also constantly improving and perfecting to meet higher production demands. In the wafer processing process, in order to avoid displacement, a special positioning device needs to be equipped inside the photoresist coating and developing machine.

[0003] For example, the Chinese patent "CN118943067B A Wafer Positioning Device for a Coating and Developing Machine" includes a base and a support column. A mounting cylinder is installed at the top of the support column, and a wafer is placed above the mounting cylinder. The mounting cylinder has a first cavity and a second cavity, and an air pressure hole communicating with the first cavity. A telescopic rod is installed in the inner cavity of the first cavity. The device achieves wafer positioning in a relatively gentle way. By setting up a support mechanism to support the wafer in advance, a rotator is used to rotate the device on the outer surface of the support column, so that the roller achieves synchronous rotation and revolution. It can rotate and adapt to the displacement of the wafer in any direction. This design achieves full rotational support of the bottom of the wafer by the roller, completely avoiding the sliding friction of the support component relative to the displacement of the wafer during the positioning process.

[0004] The existing wafer positioning devices used in coating and developing machines do not provide adequate protection for wafers in practical applications. Especially during wafer placement, due to insufficient protective measures, wafers are easily damaged by impacts. Positioning devices generally use rigid clamping for positioning, which can easily lead to excessive clamping force, thereby further increasing the risk of wafer damage. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This disclosure relates to a wafer positioning device for a coating and developing machine, which solves the problem that the existing wafer positioning devices used in coating and developing machines have poor protection for wafers in practical applications. In particular, during the wafer placement process, due to insufficient protective measures, wafers are easily damaged by impacts.

[0006] In a first aspect, this disclosure provides a wafer positioning device for a coating and developing machine, specifically comprising: a base, an adjustable support frame, a nut, a movable tray, a movable block, a positioning clamping block, a motor, horizontal screws, and a vertical shaft; the base is fixedly connected to the coating and developing machine, and the adjustable support frame is connected to the top of the base; the nut is connected to the top of the base and contacts the adjustable support frame; the movable tray is installed on the top of the adjustable support frame, and three movable blocks are installed inside the adjustable support frame; the positioning clamping block is connected to the top of the movable block and is located on the top of the adjustable support frame; a motor is installed outside the adjustable support frame, and three horizontal screws are installed inside the adjustable support frame, with the motor's drive shaft connected to one of the horizontal screws; a vertical shaft is installed at the center of the adjustable support frame, and the vertical shaft is connected to the three horizontal screws.

[0007] Furthermore, the adjustable support frame is provided with a vertical guide hole at the top and a vertical guide post at the bottom of the movable tray. The vertical guide post slides through the vertical guide hole provided in the adjustable support frame. Through the sliding cooperation between the vertical guide post and the vertical guide hole, the movable tray is guided to move up and down.

[0008] Furthermore, the movable tray has a spring A fitted on the outside of the vertical guide post. The bottom of the spring A contacts the adjustable support frame, and the top of the spring A contacts the movable tray. The spring A provides an elastic reset effect for the movable tray. When the wafer is placed on the top of the movable tray, the movable tray falls slightly, and the spring A contracts slightly under force, providing a buffer and protection effect for the wafer.

[0009] Furthermore, the movable block is slidably connected to the adjustable support frame, and the horizontal screw is rotatably connected to the adjustable support frame. The movable block has a screw hole inside, and the horizontal screw is threaded into the screw hole provided in the movable block. Depending on the wafer specifications, rotating the horizontal screw causes the movable block to move, and the movable block causes the positioning clamping block to move synchronously, thereby improving the spacing between the three positioning clamping blocks and making the positioning clamping block contact the wafer, thus achieving the effect of clamping and positioning the wafer.

[0010] Furthermore, the vertical shaft is rotatably connected to the adjustable support frame. A large gear is provided on the outside of the vertical shaft, and a small gear is provided at the end of the horizontal screw. The small gear and the large gear mesh rotatably. When the motor drives one of the horizontal screws to rotate, the horizontal screw drives the vertical shaft to rotate, and the vertical shaft drives the other two horizontal screws to rotate synchronously, thereby realizing the synchronous adjustment of the three movable blocks.

[0011] Furthermore, the bottom of the positioning clamp block slides in contact with the adjustable support frame, the top of the movable block is provided with a horizontal guide hole, and the outside of the positioning clamp block is provided with a vertical guide rod. The vertical guide rod slides through the horizontal guide hole provided in the movable block. Through the sliding cooperation between the vertical guide rod and the horizontal guide hole, the positioning clamp block is guided to move horizontally.

[0012] Furthermore, the vertical guide rod of the positioning clamp is fitted with a spring B. One end of the spring B contacts the movable block, and the other end of the spring B contacts the movable block. The spring B plays a role in the elastic reset of the positioning clamp. When the positioning clamp contacts the edge of the wafer, the positioning clamp moves slightly in the opposite direction, and the spring B contracts slightly under force, which plays a role in the flexible clamping and positioning of the wafer.

[0013] Furthermore, the top of the bottom connector is provided with a vertical stud in a circumferential shape, and the bottom of the adjustable support frame is provided with a vertical through hole in a circumferential shape. The vertical stud slides through the vertical through hole provided in the adjustable support frame. Through the sliding cooperation between the vertical stud and the vertical through hole, it plays a guiding role in the up-and-down movement of the adjustable support frame. The adjustable support frame can be moved up and down to adjust according to the actual processing needs, thereby changing the height of the wafer and making it more suitable for wafer processing.

[0014] Furthermore, the vertical stud provided on the bottom connecting seat has two nuts on its external thread. One nut contacts the top side of the adjustable support frame, and the other nut contacts the bottom side of the adjustable support frame. After the adjustable support frame is adjusted, the two nuts on the outside of the vertical stud are tightened so that the upper and lower sides of the adjustable support frame contact the nuts, thereby fixing the adjustable support frame.

[0015] This invention provides a wafer positioning device for a coating and developing machine, which has the following beneficial effects:

[0016] In use, the vertical guide post and the vertical guide hole are precisely slidably engaged, providing a stable guiding effect for the up and down movement of the movable tray. Spring A provides the movable tray with an elastic reset function, ensuring that it can automatically return to its original position after being subjected to external force. When the wafer is carefully placed on top of the movable tray, the movable tray will slightly descend under the weight of the wafer, and at the same time, spring A will be slightly compressed. This not only provides precise position control for the wafer, but also effectively absorbs the impact force that may be generated during the placement process through the slight contraction of spring A, thereby playing a buffering and protective role for the wafer and greatly reducing the risk of damage to the wafer due to bumps and knocks.

[0017] Furthermore, during wafer processing, for wafers of different specifications, the horizontal screw is rotated, causing the horizontal screw to drive the movable block to move. The movement of the movable block, in turn, causes the positioning clamping block to move synchronously. By finely adjusting the interval between the three positioning clamping blocks, they can be made to make close contact with the wafer, thereby achieving stable clamping and precise positioning of the wafer, providing a reliable guarantee for wafer processing operations and greatly ensuring the stability of wafer processing operations. When the motor drives one of the horizontal screws to rotate, the horizontal screw in turn drives the vertical shaft to rotate, and the rotation of the vertical shaft synchronously drives the other two horizontal screws, thereby realizing the synchronous adjustment of the three movable blocks and ensuring that the wafer can be accurately centered and clamped.

[0018] Furthermore, the precise sliding cooperation between the vertical guide rod and the horizontal guide hole enables smooth horizontal movement of the positioning clamp. The elastic restoring force of spring B allows the positioning clamp to smoothly achieve elastic reset. When the sensing edge of the positioning clamp contacts the edge of the wafer, the positioning clamp will move slightly in the opposite direction, causing spring B to contract slightly, thereby implementing a flexible and precise clamping and positioning of the wafer, effectively preventing damage to the wafer that may be caused by excessive clamping force.

[0019] Furthermore, the precise sliding fit between the vertical stud and the vertical through hole effectively guides the adjustable support frame's vertical movement. The adjustable support frame can be flexibly adjusted in position according to actual processing needs, thereby changing the height of the wafer and better meeting the stringent precision and positioning requirements during wafer fabrication. After adjusting the position of the adjustable support frame, the two nuts on the outside of the vertical stud need to be tightened, ensuring close contact between the upper and lower sides of the adjustable support frame and the nuts. This securely fixes the adjustable support frame in place, ensuring its stability during use and providing reliable support for wafer fabrication.

[0020] Other advantages, objectives and features of the present invention will become apparent in part from the following description, and in part from those skilled in the art through study and practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings of the embodiments will be briefly described below.

[0022] The accompanying drawings described below are only related to some embodiments of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention.

[0023] In the attached diagram:

[0024] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the overall axonometric structure of this application is shown;

[0025] Figure 2 This paper shows a schematic diagram of the disassembled structure of the bottom connecting seat and the adjustable support frame of this application;

[0026] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the connection structure between the bottom connecting seat and the nut of this application is shown;

[0027] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the adjustable support frame, horizontal screw, and vertical shaft connection structure of this application is shown;

[0028] Figure 5A schematic diagram of the connection structure between the movable tray and spring A in this application is shown;

[0029] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the connection structure of the movable block, positioning clamping block and spring B of this application is shown;

[0030] Figure 7 This paper shows a schematic diagram of the disassembled structure of the movable block, positioning clamp block and spring B of this application;

[0031] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the horizontal screw and vertical shaft transmission connection structure of this application is shown.

[0032] List of reference numerals

[0033] 1. Bottom connecting seat; 101. Vertical stud; 2. Adjustable support frame; 201. Vertical through hole; 202. Vertical guide hole; 3. Nut; 4. Movable support plate; 401. Vertical guide post; 5. Spring A; 6. Movable block; 601. Screw hole; 602. Horizontal guide hole; 7. Positioning clamp; 701. Vertical guide rod; 8. Spring B; 9. Motor; 10. Horizontal screw; 1001. Small gear; 11. Vertical shaft; 1101. Large gear. Detailed Implementation

[0034] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. Based on the described embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0035] Example 1: Please refer to Figures 1 to 8 :

[0036] This invention proposes a wafer positioning device for a coating and developing machine, comprising: a base 1, an adjustable support frame 2, a nut 3, a movable tray 4, movable blocks 6, a positioning clamp 7, a motor 9, horizontal screws 10, and a vertical shaft 11; the base 1 is fixedly connected to the coating and developing machine, and the adjustable support frame 2 is connected to the top of the base 1; the nut 3 is connected to the top of the base 1, and the nut 3 contacts the adjustable support frame 2; the movable tray 4 is installed on the top of the adjustable support frame 2, and three movable blocks 6 are installed inside the adjustable support frame 2; the positioning clamp 7 is connected to the top of the movable blocks 6 and is located on the top of the adjustable support frame 2; the motor 9 is installed outside the adjustable support frame 2, and three horizontal screws 10 are installed inside the adjustable support frame 2, with the drive shaft of the motor 9 connected to one of the horizontal screws 10; a vertical shaft 11 is installed in the center of the adjustable support frame 2. A vertical shaft 11 is connected to three horizontal screws 10. The adjustable support frame 2 has a vertical guide hole 202 at its top, and the movable tray 4 has a vertical guide post 401 at its bottom. The vertical guide post 401 slides through the vertical guide hole 202 of the adjustable support frame 2. A spring A5 is fitted on the outside of the vertical guide post 401 of the movable tray 4. The bottom of the spring A5 contacts the adjustable support frame 2, and the top of the spring A5 contacts the movable tray 4. The sliding cooperation between the vertical guide post 401 and the vertical guide hole 202 guides the movable tray 4 to move up and down, and the spring A5 provides an elastic reset effect for the movable tray 4. When the wafer is placed on the top of the movable tray 4, the movable tray 4 falls slightly, and the spring A5 contracts slightly under force, providing a buffer protection effect for the wafer and preventing damage caused by bumps during placement.

[0037] In this embodiment of the present disclosure, the movable block 6 is slidably connected to the adjustable support frame 2, the horizontal screw 10 is rotatably connected to the adjustable support frame 2, the movable block 6 is provided with a screw hole 601 inside, and the horizontal screw 10 is threadedly connected to the screw hole 601 provided in the movable block 6.

[0038] Using the above technical solution, depending on the wafer specifications, the horizontal screw 10 is rotated, which drives the movable block 6 to move. The movable block 6 drives the positioning clamping block 7 to move synchronously. The spacing between the three positioning clamping blocks 7 is improved, so that the positioning clamping block 7 contacts the wafer, thereby achieving the effect of clamping and positioning the wafer and ensuring the stability of the wafer processing operation.

[0039] In this embodiment of the present disclosure, the vertical shaft 11 is rotatably connected to the adjustable support frame 2, a large gear 1101 is provided on the outside of the vertical shaft 11, and a small gear 1001 is provided at the end of the horizontal screw 10, and the small gear 1001 and the large gear 1101 are rotatably meshed.

[0040] Using the above technical solution, when the motor 9 drives one of the horizontal screws 10 to rotate, the horizontal screw 10 drives the vertical shaft 11 to rotate, and the vertical shaft 11 drives the other two horizontal screws 10 to rotate synchronously, so as to realize the synchronous adjustment of the three movable blocks 6 and ensure the centered clamping and positioning effect of the wafer.

[0041] In this embodiment, the bottom of the positioning clamp 7 is in sliding contact with the adjustable support frame 2, the top of the movable block 6 is provided with a horizontal guide hole 602, the outside of the positioning clamp 7 is provided with a vertical guide rod 701, the vertical guide rod 701 slides through the horizontal guide hole 602 provided in the movable block 6, and a spring B8 is fitted on the outside of the vertical guide rod 701 provided in the positioning clamp 7, one end of the spring B8 is in contact with the movable block 6, and the other end of the spring B8 is in contact with the movable block 6.

[0042] Using the above technical solution, the vertical guide rod 701 slides with the horizontal guide hole 602 to guide the horizontal movement of the positioning clamp 7, and the spring B8 provides an elastic reset effect for the positioning clamp 7. When the positioning clamp 7 contacts the edge of the wafer, the positioning clamp 7 moves slightly in the opposite direction, and the spring B8 contracts slightly under force, which provides a flexible clamping and positioning effect for the wafer, effectively avoiding the problem of wafer damage caused by excessive clamping force.

[0043] In Example 2, based on Example 1, a vertical stud 101 is arranged in a circular shape on the top of the bottom connecting seat 1, and a vertical through hole 201 is arranged in a circular shape on the bottom of the adjustable support frame 2. The vertical stud 101 slides through the vertical through hole 201 provided in the adjustable support frame 2. Two nuts 3 are externally threaded to the vertical stud 101 provided in the bottom connecting seat 1. One nut 3 contacts the top side of the adjustable support frame 2, and the other nut 3 contacts the bottom side of the adjustable support frame 2.

[0044] By adopting the above technical solution, the vertical stud 101 and the vertical through hole 201 slide to guide the adjustable support frame 2 to move up and down. The adjustable support frame 2 can be adjusted up and down according to the actual processing needs to change the height of the wafer and better suit the wafer processing requirements. After the adjustable support frame 2 is adjusted, the two nuts 3 on the outside of the vertical stud 101 are tightened so that the upper and lower sides of the adjustable support frame 2 contact the nuts 3. The nuts 3 fix the adjustable support frame 2 and ensure the stability of the adjustable support frame 2.

[0045] The working principle of this embodiment is as follows: First, the adjustable support frame 2 is moved up and down according to the actual processing requirements to change the height of the wafer, making it more suitable for wafer processing. After the adjustable support frame 2 is adjusted, the two nuts 3 on the outside of the vertical stud 101 are tightened, so that the upper and lower sides of the adjustable support frame 2 contact the nuts 3, and the adjustable support frame 2 is fixed by the nuts 3. Next, the wafer is placed on top of the movable tray 4. The movable tray 4 is slightly lowered, and the spring A5 is slightly compressed, which plays a role in buffering and protecting the wafer, avoiding damage caused by bumps during placement. Then, depending on the wafer size... When motor 9 drives one of the horizontal screws 10 to rotate, the horizontal screw 10 drives the vertical shaft 11 to rotate, and the vertical shaft 11 drives the other two horizontal screws 10 to rotate synchronously, realizing the synchronous adjustment of the three movable blocks 6. The movable blocks 6 drive the positioning clamping blocks 7 to move synchronously, improving the spacing between the three positioning clamping blocks 7, so that the positioning clamping blocks 7 contact the wafer, achieving the effect of clamping and positioning the wafer, and ensuring the stability of the wafer processing operation. When the positioning clamping block 7 contacts the edge of the wafer, the positioning clamping block 7 moves slightly in the opposite direction, and the spring B8 is slightly contracted under force, achieving the effect of flexible clamping and positioning of the wafer, effectively avoiding the problem of wafer damage caused by excessive clamping force.

[0046] The following points should be noted in this article:

[0047] 1. The accompanying drawings of the embodiments disclosed herein only relate to the structures involved in the embodiments disclosed herein; other structures can be referred to in general design.

[0048] 2. Where there is no conflict, the embodiments of this disclosure and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other to obtain new embodiments.

[0049] The above are merely specific embodiments of this disclosure, but the scope of protection of this disclosure is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this disclosure should be included within the scope of protection of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of this disclosure should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A wafer positioning device for a coating and developing machine, comprising: The components include a bottom connecting seat (1), an adjustable support frame (2), a nut (3), a movable tray (4), a movable block (6), a positioning clamp (7), a motor (9), a horizontal screw (10), and a vertical shaft (11). The bottom connecting seat (1) is fixedly connected to a coating and developing machine, and an adjustable support frame (2) is connected to the top of the bottom connecting seat (1). A nut (3) is connected to the top of the bottom connecting seat (1), and the nut (3) contacts the adjustable support frame (2). A movable tray (4) is installed on the top of the adjustable support frame (2), and three movable blocks (6) are installed inside the adjustable support frame (2). A positioning clamp (7) is connected to the top of each movable block (6), and the positioning clamp (7) is located on the top of the adjustable support frame (2). The adjustable support frame (2) is externally equipped with... The motor (9) and the adjustable support frame (2) are equipped with three horizontal screws (10). The drive shaft of the motor (9) is connected to one of the horizontal screws (10). The adjustable support frame (2) is equipped with a vertical shaft (11) in the center. The vertical shaft (11) is connected to the three horizontal screws (10). The adjustable support frame (2) is provided with a vertical guide hole (202) at the top. The movable tray (4) is provided with a vertical guide post (401) at the bottom. The vertical guide post (401) slides through the vertical guide hole (202) provided in the adjustable support frame (2). The vertical guide post (401) provided in the movable tray (4) is fitted with a spring A (5). The bottom of the spring A (5) contacts the adjustable support frame (2), and the top of the spring A (5) contacts the movable tray (4).

2. The wafer positioning device for a coating and developing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The movable block (6) is slidably connected to the adjustable support frame (2), and the horizontal screw (10) is rotatably connected to the adjustable support frame (2). The movable block (6) has a screw hole (601) inside, and the horizontal screw (10) is threadedly connected to the screw hole (601) provided in the movable block (6).

3. The wafer positioning device for a coating and developing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The vertical shaft (11) is rotatably connected to the adjustable support frame (2). A large gear (1101) is provided on the outside of the vertical shaft (11), and a small gear (1001) is provided at the end of the horizontal screw (10). The small gear (1001) and the large gear (1101) rotate and mesh.

4. The wafer positioning device for a coating and developing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom of the positioning clamp (7) is in sliding contact with the adjustable support frame (2), the top of the movable block (6) is provided with a horizontal guide hole (602), and the outside of the positioning clamp (7) is provided with a vertical guide rod (701). The vertical guide rod (701) slides through the horizontal guide hole (602) provided in the movable block (6).

5. A wafer positioning device for a coating and developing machine according to claim 4, characterized in that, The positioning clamp (7) has a vertical guide rod (701) with a spring B (8) on its outside. One end of the spring B (8) is in contact with the movable block (6), and the other end of the spring B (8) is in contact with the movable block (6).

6. The wafer positioning device for a coating and developing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom connecting seat (1) has a vertical stud (101) arranged in a ring shape at the top, and the adjustable support frame (2) has a vertical through hole (201) arranged in a ring shape at the bottom. The vertical stud (101) slides through the vertical through hole (201) provided in the adjustable support frame (2).

7. A wafer positioning device for a coating and developing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The vertical stud (101) provided on the bottom connecting seat (1) has two nuts (3) externally threaded. One nut (3) contacts the top side of the adjustable support frame (2), and the other nut (3) contacts the bottom side of the adjustable support frame (2).

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