Wafer bearing unit, post-processing device, overturning method and processing equipment

Abstract

The invention provides a wafer bearing unit, a post-processing device, an overturning method and processing equipment. The wafer bearing unit comprises a bearing bracket, a detection assembly and an adjusting assembly, the bearing bracket comprises a turnover main body, the main body comprises an upper limiting piece which is fixedly mounted, a lower limiting piece driver and a lower limiting piece which is movably mounted and is used for limiting and bearing a wafer in the turnover process of the main body, and the lower limiting piece driver is used for driving the lower limiting piece to be close to or far away from the center of the main body; the detection assembly is used for detecting the inclination angle of the wafer in the direction from the upper limiting piece to the lower limiting piece when the main body is overturned to the horizontal state; the adjusting assembly comprises an adjusting driver and an adjusting supporting element, and the adjusting driver drives the adjusting supporting element to support the wafer at an inclined angle and drives the adjusting supporting element to be in a horizontal state after the lower limiting part driver drives the lower limiting part to be away from the lower limiting part. According to the invention, the inclined wafer can be leveled, and the wafer cannot be polluted and the limiting piece cannot be damaged.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of chemical mechanical polishing and is used for processing semiconductor chips. Specifically, it relates to a wafer carrier unit, a post-processing device, a flipping method, and a processing equipment. Background Art

[0002] Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) equipment is the only equipment that can currently achieve global planarization of the semiconductor wafer surface and belongs to one of the five core manufacturing processes in the wafer manufacturing process.

[0003] A CMP system generally includes a front-end module (Equipment Front End Module, EFEM), a polishing unit, a cleaning unit, and a drying unit to achieve "dry in and dry out" of the wafer and obtain a wafer with surface uniformity meeting the process requirements. In a vertical cleaning and drying system, the wafer needs to be flipped from a vertical state to a horizontal state before being picked up by the EFEM.

[0004] The carrier bracket for flipping the wafer includes a limiting member for placing the wafer. During the process of the carrier device driving the wafer to flip, multiple points of support are formed between the wafer edge and the limiting member, and the wafer slides along the support surface by inertia and its own gravity to flip to the horizontal. However, in production, there will occasionally be a situation where the wafer cannot be completely flipped to the horizontal, resulting in the EFEM being unable to pick up the wafer normally, leading to the machine alarm and shutdown, and even the wafer being broken. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, the present invention provides a wafer carrier unit, a post-processing device, a flipping method, and a processing equipment, thereby solving or at least alleviating one or more of the above problems and other problems existing in the prior art.

[0006] The first aspect of the present invention provides a wafer carrier unit, including a carrier bracket, a detection component, and an adjustment component; The carrier bracket includes a main body that can be flipped along a first axis. The main body includes a fixed upper limiting member, a lower limiting member driver, and a movably installed lower limiting member. The upper limiting member and the lower limiting member are located on both sides of the first axis and are used to limit and carry the wafer during the flipping process of the main body. The lower limiting member driver is used to drive the lower limiting member to approach or move away from the center of the main body; The detection component is used to detect the inclination angle of the wafer in the direction from the upper limiting member to the lower limiting member when the main body is flipped to the horizontal state; The adjusting assembly includes an adjusting driver and an adjusting support element. The adjusting driver drives the adjusting support element to support the wafer at the inclined angle, and after the lower limit member driver drives the lower limit member away, drives the adjusting support element to a horizontal state; So that the wafer is adjusted to a horizontal state, and the wafer and the lower limit member are not worn.

[0007] Optionally, the main body includes two upper limit members and two lower limit members. The two upper limit members and the two lower limit members are respectively axially symmetrically distributed about the same axis of symmetry, and the axis of symmetry is perpendicular to the first axis; The detection assembly includes a first detection element, and the first detection element is located on the axis of symmetry.

[0008] Optionally, the adjusting driver includes an adjusting drive motor and an adjusting drive arm. The adjusting drive arm connects the adjusting drive motor and the adjusting support element. The connection line of the centers of the two upper limit members is collinear with the center line of the motor shaft of the adjusting drive motor when the main body is in a horizontal state.

[0009] Optionally, the main body includes an avoidance portion. The adjusting support element rotates driven by the adjusting drive arm to pass by one side of the upper limit member, pass through the avoidance portion under the main body and support the wafer.

[0010] Optionally, the adjusting support element includes a support element main body and a clamping portion. When the clamping portion rotates to the inclined angle, the support element main body does not contact the wafer; The clamping portion supports the wafer and has a limiting structure for restricting the position of the wafer.

[0011] Optionally, the clamping portion includes a claw and a claw drive portion. The claw is higher than the surface of the support element main body. The claw drive portion drives the claw to open and close to clamp the edge of the wafer when closed; The avoidance portion allows the opened claw to pass through.

[0012] Optionally, the number of claws is 4. When the clamping portion rotates to a horizontal state, the 4 claws are respectively axially symmetrically distributed about the straight line where the first axis is located and the axis of symmetry, and the claws open and close along the direction of the straight line where the first axis is located.

[0013] Optionally, the upper limit member includes an upper bearing surface and an upper limit surface, the lower limit member includes a lower bearing surface, a lower limit surface and a hook portion, the height of the upper limit surface is 1-2 mm, and the height of the lower limit surface is 5-10 mm; The wafer is a 12-inch wafer; When the main body is in a vertical state, the edge of the wafer abuts against the upper bearing surface and the lower limiting surface; When the main body and the wafer are in a horizontal state, the upper bearing surface and the lower bearing surface support the wafer, and the edge of the wafer abuts against the upper limiting surface and the lower limiting surface; The center of the upper limiting member is the midpoint of the intersection line of the upper bearing surface and the upper limiting surface; The center of the lower limiting member is the midpoint of the intersection line of the lower bearing surface and the lower limiting surface; So that the deviation between the inclination angle and the actual inclination angle of the wafer is less than 0.1°.

[0014] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wafer post-processing apparatus, including: a wafer vertical processing unit, a transfer robot, and the wafer carrying unit as described in the first aspect. The transfer robot is configured to grasp a wafer from the wafer vertical processing unit and place the wafer on the main body in a vertical state in the wafer carrying unit. The wafer carrying unit is configured to flip the wafer to a horizontal state.

[0015] According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wafer flipping method, using the wafer carrying unit as described in the first aspect, including: Detect the inclination angle of the wafer; Control the adjustment driver to drive the adjustment support element to support the wafer at the inclination angle; Control the lower limiting member driver to drive the lower limiting member away from the center of the main body; Control the adjustment driver to drive the adjustment support element to a horizontal state; Control the lower limiting member driver to drive the lower limiting member close to the center of the main body.

[0016] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wafer processing device, including: a controller and the wafer post-processing apparatus as described in the second aspect. The controller is configured to control the transfer robot to grasp a wafer from the wafer vertical processing unit and place it on the main body, and control the wafer carrying unit to execute the wafer flipping method as described in the third aspect.

[0017] The present invention has the following technical effects: The present invention can adjust a wafer that jams when being flipped from a vertical state to a horizontal state to the horizontal state, avoiding the situation where the EFEM cannot pick up the wafer normally, resulting in the machine alarming and shutting down, or even the wafer being broken. At the same time, through the precise detection of the tilt angle, the stable support of the adjustment component, and the active avoidance of the lower limit member, the present invention does not cause wear to the wafer and the lower limit member during the process of adjusting to the horizontal state, avoiding edge damage and contamination of the wafer and extending the service life of the lower limit member. In addition, by optimizing the wafer tilt detection and determination process, the present invention is compatible with wafers in any state during the flipping process, avoiding redundant processes, and improving the quality and stability of the wafer processing equipment in processing wafers by enhancing the efficiency and reliability of wafer interaction and transfer. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention 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 described below are only some embodiments recorded in the embodiments of the present invention, and those of ordinary skill in the art can also obtain other drawings based on these drawings.

[0019] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a CMP device.

[0020] Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of the carrier bracket 22 flipped to the horizontal state.

[0021] Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of the carrier bracket 22 flipped to the vertical state.

[0022] Figure 4 is Figure 2 a schematic structural diagram of the upper limit member 224 of the carrier bracket 22 in

[0023] Figure 5 is Figure 2 a schematic structural diagram of the lower limit member 225 of the carrier bracket 22 in

[0024] Figure 6 is Figure 2 a schematic diagram of the wafer position in

[0025] Figure 7 is a schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of the wafer carrier unit 100 of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 8 is Figure 7 a side view schematic diagram of the carrier bracket 22 of the wafer carrier unit 100 in the vertical state.

[0027] Figure 9 isFigure 7 Side view schematic diagram when the carrier bracket 22 of the wafer carrier unit 100 is in a horizontal state.

[0028] Figure 10 Is Figure 7 Schematic diagram when the leveling component 4 of the wafer carrier unit 100 levels the wafer.

[0029] Figure 11 Is Figure 10 Enlarged structural schematic diagram of part A of the wafer carrier unit 100.

[0030] Figure 12 Is Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the wafer position and parameter relationship when the wafer is stuck in the wafer carrier unit 100.

[0031] Figure 13 Is the structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the wafer flipping method of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 14 Is the structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the wafer processing equipment of the present invention.

[0033] Reference numerals: Fixed surface 1; Front module 10; Front manipulator 11; Front-opening wafer transfer cassette 12; Wafer processing module 20; Transfer manipulator 21; Carrier bracket 22; Main body 221; Avoidance part 2211; Arc part 2212; Flipping connection part 222; Flipping drive motor 223; Upper limit part 224; Upper bearing surface 2241; Upper limit surface 2242; Lower limit part 225; Lower bearing surface 2251; Lower limit surface 2252; Hook part 2253; Lower limit part driver 226; Thin cylinder 2261; Push rod 2262; Compression spring 2263; Spring mounting seat 2264; Buffer block 2265; Groove 227; Drying unit 23; Detection component 3; First detection element 31; Second detection element 32; Adjustment component 4; Adjustment driver 41; Adjustment drive motor 411; Adjustment drive arm 412; Adjustment support element 42; Support element main body 421; Clamping part 422; Claw 4221; Claw drive part 4222; Wafer carrier unit 100; Wafer vertical processing unit 200; Wafer post-processing device 1000; Controller 2000. Detailed implementation manners

[0034] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art shall fall within the scope protected by the embodiments of the present invention.

[0035] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationships indicated by the terms "longitudinal", "transverse", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc. are based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and 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 of the present invention.

[0036] In addition, in the description of the present invention, unless otherwise specified and defined, it should be noted that the terms "installation", "connection", and "coupling" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection, or it can be the communication inside two elements. It can be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms can be understood according to specific situations.

[0037] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a CMP device. As shown in the figure, it includes a front-end module 10 and a wafer processing module 20. The front-end module 10 is used to store wafers to be polished and polished wafers, and it includes a front-end robot 11 (i.e., an EFEM robot) and four front-opening wafer transfer cassettes 12 (Front Opening Unified Pod, FOUP). The front-end robot 11 is arranged on the side adjacent to the wafer processing module 20 of the front-opening wafer transfer cassette 12, and is used to transfer horizontally placed wafers between the wafer processing module 20 and the front-opening wafer transfer cassette 12.

[0038] The wafer processing module 20 includes a carrier bracket 22, a polishing unit, a cleaning unit, and a drying unit 23. The unprocessed wafers are horizontally placed in the front-opening wafer transfer cassette 12, grabbed by the front-end manipulator 11 and fed into the wafer processing module 20, and sequentially undergo the polishing process of the polishing unit, the cleaning process of the cleaning unit, and the drying process of the drying unit. The drying unit 23 uses a vertical drying process such as lift drying or spin drying. The transfer manipulator 21 grabs the vertical wafer from above the drying unit 23 and vertically places it on the carrier bracket 22. The wafer carrier bracket 22 flips the wafer to a horizontal state with the front side facing up, so that the front-end manipulator 11 can grab the wafer and transfer it out of the wafer processing module 20, and finally place it in the front-opening wafer transfer cassette 12.

[0039] Figures 2 - 3 is a schematic structural diagram of the carrier bracket 22. As shown in the figure, the carrier bracket 22 includes a main body 221 that can be flipped around a drive shaft. When the main body 221 is flipped under drive, it switches between the Figure 2 shown horizontal states and Figure 3 shown vertical states. On the circumferential surface of one side of the main body 221, there are distribution-limiting members for supporting, limiting, and carrying wafers, including two upper limiting members 224 and two lower limiting members 225. The upper limiting members 224 and the lower limiting members 225 are located on both sides of the drive shaft.

[0040] Figure 4 and Figure 5 are respectively schematic structural diagrams of the upper limiting member 224 and the lower limiting member 225. As shown in the figure, the upper limiting member 224 includes an upper carrying surface 2241 and an upper limiting surface 2242, and the lower limiting member 225 includes a lower carrying surface 2251, a lower limiting surface 2252, and a hook portion 2253. When the main body 221 is in the vertical state, as Figure 3 shown, the upper limiting member 224 is above, and the lower limiting member 225 is below. The wafer is inclined and placed in the space defined by the upper limiting member 224 and the lower limiting member 225 on the main body 221. The wafer edge is supported by the upper carrying surface 2241, the lower limiting surface 2252, and the hook portion 2253, as Figure 6 the wafer shown by the long dashed line in.

[0041] During the process of the main body 221 flipping from the vertical state to the horizontal state along the Figure 3 arrow shown in, under the action of inertia and its own gravity, the wafer edge slides along the upper carrying surface 2241 and the lower limiting surface 2252, and the sliding direction and process are as Figure 6 the arrow shown in. Until the main body 221 flips to the horizontal state, as Figure 6 the wafer shown by the dotted line in is supported by the upper carrying surface 2241 and the lower carrying surface 2251 and is in a horizontal state, and the front-end manipulator 11 grabs the wafer and transfers it out to the EFEM.

[0042] When the CMP device processes wafers, there is a situation where the wafer cannot be completely flipped to the horizontal state (abbreviated as wafer jamming). For example Figure 6 For the wafer represented by the solid line in the figure, although the main body 221 is flipped to the horizontal state, the wafer is still jammed between the upper bearing surface 2241 and the lower limiting surface 2252 and cannot slide down to the lower bearing surface 2251. After analysis, mainly because there are wafers with relatively large edge roughness, when the friction force between the wafer and the limiting member is too large, the wafer cannot slide down normally. Once wafer jamming occurs, the front-end manipulator 11 cannot normally grasp the wafer, resulting in the machine tool alarming and shutting down, so manual intervention or replacement of the limiting member has to be carried out, causing additional economic losses. More seriously, when the front-end manipulator 11 grasps the wafer placed obliquely, it may collide with the wafer and cause fragments. The fragments belong to serious machine tool accidents, which require long-term shutdown for cleaning or even replacement of the entire unit where the fragments occur, resulting in huge economic losses.

[0043] However, even if a material with relatively good self-lubricity is used to process the limiting member, and the upper bearing surface 2241 and the lower limiting surface 2252 are processed into a specific shape to reduce the influence caused by the friction force, wafer jamming still occurs accidentally and irregularly. After repeated tests and verifications, one of the reasons is that the continuous wear of the friction force on the supporting surface is not uniform. Exactly when the texture of the supporting surface formed by the upper bearing surface 2241 and the lower limiting surface 2252 has a high degree of fit with the edge texture of a certain wafer, the wafer cannot slide down normally, while subsequent wafers may not be affected at all, thus causing occasional wafer jamming and economic losses.

[0044] The present invention provides a wafer carrying unit 100 for flipping a wafer from a vertical state to a horizontal state and adjusting a jammed wafer to the horizontal state, thereby solving the above technical problems.

[0045] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the wafer carrying unit 100 of the present invention, Figure 8 is Figure 7 a side view schematic diagram of the carrying bracket 22 of the wafer carrying unit 100 in a vertical state in the figure, Figure 9 is Figure 7 a side view schematic diagram of the carrying bracket 22 of the wafer carrying unit 100 in a horizontal state in the figure. As shown in the figure, the wafer carrying unit 100 includes: a carrying bracket 22, a detection component 3 and an adjustment component 4.

[0046] The carrier bracket 22 includes a main body 221 that can be flipped along a first axis, an upper limit member 224, a lower limit member 225, and a lower limit member driver 226. The upper limit member 224 and the lower limit member driver 226 are fixedly installed on one side surface of the main body 221, while the lower limit member 225 is movably installed on the same side surface of the main body 221. The upper limit member 224 and the lower limit member 225 are located on both sides of the first axis. The lower limit member driver 226 is used to drive the lower limit member 225 to approach or move away from the center of the main body 221, and when approaching the center of the main body 221, a space for placing the wafer is formed with the upper limit member 224, and when moving away from the center of the main body 221, a space for allowing the adjustment of the wafer angle is formed with the upper limit member 224. When the main body 221 flips, it switches between a horizontal state and a vertical state, and the upper limit member 224 and the lower limit member 225 limit and carry the wafer during the flipping process of the main body 221.

[0047] The detection component 3 is used to detect the tilt angle of the wafer in the direction from the upper limit member 224 to the lower limit member 225 when the main body 221 flips to the horizontal state. If the tilt angle detected by the detection component 3 is less than or equal to a preset threshold value, it indicates that there is no wafer jamming, and the front manipulator 11 can normally grasp the wafer. The preset threshold value can be determined according to the angle deviation allowed when the front manipulator grasps the wafer. If the tilt angle detected by the detection component 3 is greater than the preset threshold value, it indicates that there is wafer jamming, and the adjustment component 4 is triggered to level the wafer. Optionally, as Figures 4 - 6 shown, the upper limit member includes an upper bearing surface 2241 and an upper limit surface 2242, and the lower limit member 225 includes a lower bearing surface 2251, a lower limit surface 2252, and a hook portion 2253. When the wafer is placed with the main body 221 in the vertical state, the edge of the wafer abuts against the upper bearing surface 2241, the lower limit surface 2252, and the hook portion 2253, so that the wafer remains close to the vertical state. When both the main body 221 and the wafer are in the horizontal state, the upper bearing surface 2241 and the lower bearing surface 2251 support the wafer, and the edge of the wafer abuts against the upper limit surface 2242 and the lower limit surface 2252. By defining the number, position of the upper limit member 224 and the lower limit member 225, and the shapes of the upper bearing surface 2241 and the lower limit surface 2252, the wafer slides along the lower limit member 225 in the direction of the upper limit member 224 relative to the main body 221 during the flipping to the horizontal state, and this direction is perpendicular to the first axis.

[0048] The adjusting assembly 4 includes an adjusting driver 41 and an adjusting support element 42. According to the inclination angle detected by the detecting assembly 3, the adjusting driver 41 drives the adjusting support element 42 to support the wafer at the inclination angle, that is, to make the adjusting support element 42 parallel to the wafer when supporting the wafer, so as to ensure the support stability of the wafer. The so-called support stability means that when the adjusting support element 42 supports the wafer, it can fully support the wafer without causing the wafer to displace, so that the edge of the wafer will not generate reverse friction with the lower limit surface 2252. Reverse friction, even if it does not cause serious accidents such as wafer chipping and cracking, is likely to cause wear on the edge of the wafer and the lower limit surface 2252. The pollutants generated by the wear will adhere to the surface of the wafer, resulting in the wafer introduced into the front-opening wafer transfer box 12 not meeting the cleanliness requirements, thus affecting the subsequent processes and ultimately leading to a decrease in the chip yield. Even worse, the cross-diffusion of pollutants may affect other wafers.

[0049] After the adjusting support element 42 supports the wafer, the lower limit member driver 226 drives the lower limit member 225 away from the center of the main body 221, so that the edge of the wafer contacts the lower limit surface 2252. And in the state of maintaining the contact, the adjusting driver 41 drives the adjusting support element 42 to the horizontal state, so as to adjust the wafer to the horizontal state.

[0050] During the process of adjusting the wafer to the horizontal state, since the edge of the wafer and the lower limit surface 2252 always maintain contact, neither the wafer nor the lower limit member 225 will be worn, avoiding the wafer from being contaminated or damaged, and also extending the service life of the lower limit member.

[0051] Optionally, Figure 12 Yes Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the wafer position and parameter relationship when the wafer gets stuck in the wafer carrying unit 100. As shown in the figure, the main body 221 includes two upper limit members 224 and two lower limit members 225. The two upper limit members 224 and the two lower limit members 225 are symmetrically distributed about the same axis of symmetry, and this axis of symmetry is perpendicular to the first axis.

[0052] Optionally, the detecting assembly 3 includes a first detecting element 31, and the first detecting element 31 is a photoelectric sensor located on the axis of symmetry. When the main body 221 is turned to the horizontal state, the first detecting element 31 detects the distance h2 between the point on the lower surface of the wafer directly above the first detecting element 31 and the first detecting element 31. When h2 > the predetermined inclination threshold h b it indicates that the wafer is stuck. The inclination threshold h b is preferably the height difference between the intersection line of the lower bearing surface 2251 and the lower limit surface 2252 and the detection surface of the laser distance sensor.

[0053] Preferably, the first detection element 31 is a laser distance sensor, which is arranged at the midpoint of the line connecting the centers of the two lower limit members 225 (the line where it is located is called the third axis). The tilt angle of the wafer is estimated by the following formula 1: . Wherein, l is the distance between the midpoint of the line connecting the centers of the two lower limit members 225 and the midpoint of the line connecting the centers of the two upper limit members 224 (abbreviated as the center distance). The center of the lower limit member 225 is the midpoint of the intersection line of the lower bearing surface 2251 and the lower limit surface 2252, and the center of the upper limit member 224 is the midpoint of the intersection line of the upper bearing surface 2241 and the upper limit surface 2242. The centers of the four limit members are at the same height to horizontally support the wafer.

[0054] Optionally, the detection assembly 3 further includes a second detection element 32, and the second detection element 32 is a photoelectric sensor located on the axis of symmetry. When the main body 221 is flipped to the horizontal state, the second detection element 32 detects the distance h1 between the point on the lower surface of the wafer directly above the second detection element 32 and the second detection element 32. When h1 > the predetermined in-position threshold h a , it means that the wafer is not in position, where h a is preferably twice the height difference between the intersection line of the upper bearing surface 2241 and the upper limit surface 2242 and the detection surface of the laser distance sensor.

[0055] Preferably, the second detection element 32 is a laser distance sensor, which is arranged at the midpoint of the line connecting the centers of the two upper limit members 224 (abbreviated as the second axis), and is at the same height as the first detection element 31. The tilt angle of the wafer is calculated by the following formula 2: . Wherein, the center distance l is also the distance between the first detection element 31 and the second detection element 32. The center of the lower limit member 225 is the midpoint of the intersection line of the lower bearing surface 2251 and the lower limit surface 2252, and the center of the upper limit member 224 is the midpoint of the intersection line of the upper bearing surface 2241 and the upper limit surface 2242. The centers of the four limit members are at the same height. The tilt angle calculated by formula 2 is more accurate than the tilt angle estimated by formula 1.

[0056] The second detection element 32 can not only detect the wafer in position first, so as to reduce detection and calculation in the case of the wafer not being in position, but also improve the calculation accuracy of the tilt angle, and further increase the support stability between the adjusting support element 42 and the wafer.

[0057] Optionally, the carrier bracket 22 further includes a flipping connection part 222 and a flipping drive motor 223, and the adjusting driver 41 includes an adjusting drive motor 411 and an adjusting drive arm 412. The flipping drive motor 223 and the adjusting drive motor 411 are installed on the same fixed surface 1 at a certain interval, and their respective motor rotating shafts pass through the fixed surface 1 and are respectively connected to the flipping connection part 222 and the adjusting drive arm 412. The other end of the flipping connection part 222 is fixedly connected to the main body 221, and the flipping drive motor 223 drives the flipping connection part 222 to drive the main body 221 to rotate around the motor rotation axis. The center line of the motor rotating shaft of the flipping drive motor 223 is the first axis. The other end of the adjusting drive arm 412 is connected to the adjusting support element 42. When the center line of the motor rotating shaft of the adjusting drive motor 411 is collinear with the connection line (i.e., the second axis) of the centers of the two upper limit members 224 when the main body 221 is in a horizontal state, the adjusting drive arm 412 drives the adjusting support element 42 to rotate around the second axis, and when the main body 221 is in a vertical state, the adjusting support element 42 is located on one side of the main body 221. Preferably, the center of the upper limit member 224 is the midpoint of the intersection line of the upper bearing surface 2241 and the upper limit surface 2242.

[0058] Optionally, as Figure 10 shown, the main body 221 includes an avoidance part 2211. The adjusting support element 42 rotates driven by the adjusting drive arm 412, passes through one side of the upper limit member 224, passes through the avoidance part 2211 from below the main body 221, and until the adjusting support element 42 rotates to an inclined angle to complete the support of the wafer.

[0059] Optionally, the main body 221 is integrally annular and includes an arc-shaped part 2212. The arc-shaped part 2212 is installed inside the main body 221, and the positions at both ends of the arc-shaped part 2212 correspond to the two lower limit members 225. The avoidance part 2211 is arranged between a pair of adjacent upper limit members 224 and lower limit members 225, so that the adjusting support element 42 does not interfere with the arc-shaped part 2212 either. The first detection element 31 is installed on the arc-shaped part 2212.

[0060] Optionally, as Figure 11 shown, the lower limit member driver 226 includes a thin cylinder 2261, a push rod 2262, a compression spring 2263, and a spring mounting seat 2264. The thin cylinder 2261 is installed on the arc-shaped part 2212. One end of the push rod 2262 is connected to the thin cylinder 2261, and the other end is connected to the lower limit member 225. A groove 227 for installing and radially moving the lower limit member 225 is provided on the upper surface of the main body 221. A spring mounting seat 2264 is provided on one side of the groove 227 close to the outer periphery of the main body 221. One end of the compression spring 2263 is fixed on the spring mounting seat 2264, and the other end is fixed on the lower limit member 225. The axes of the push rod 2262, the groove 227, and the compression spring 2263 coincide.

[0061] After the adjusting support element 42 supports the wafer, under the drive of the thin cylinder 2261, the ejector rod 2262 pushes the lower limit member 225 to compress the compression spring 2263, and the lower limit member 225 moves in a direction away from the center of the main body 221, contacts the wafer and leaves a clearance space for leveling the wafer.

[0062] After the adjusting support element 42 levels the wafer, the thin cylinder 2261 stops driving the ejector rod 2262, and the lower limit member 225 moves in a direction close to the center of the main body 221 under the action of the compression spring 2263.

[0063] Optionally, a buffer block 2265 is provided on one side of the groove 227 close to the inner circumference of the main body 221, which is used to absorb the impact elastic potential energy when the compression spring 2263 resets and limit the lower limit member 225, so that while the lower limit member 225 centers the wafer back, the disturbance to the wafer is greatly reduced.

[0064] Optionally, the adjusting support element 42 includes a support element main body 421 and a clamping portion 422. When the adjusting support element 42 rotates to an inclined angle, the support element main body 421 does not contact the wafer. The clamping portion 422 supports the wafer and has a limiting structure for restricting the position of the wafer, so that the wafer will not be displaced or deflected after losing the support of the lower limit surface 2252.

[0065] Optionally, the clamping portion 422 further includes a claw 4221 and a claw driving portion 4222. The claw driving portion 4222 is integrally in an X shape to avoid the arc-shaped member 2212 and pass through the corresponding 4 avoidance portions 2211. The claw 4221 is higher than the upper surface of the support element main body 421. The claw driving portion 4222 is installed on the surface of the support element main body 421 at a certain interval, so that the support element main body 421 is below the main body 221 when the clamping portion 422 supports the wafer, thereby providing stable support for the clamping portion 422 without interfering with the main body 221.

[0066] The claw driving portion 4222 drives the claw 4221 to open and close under the drive of the cylinder. The opened claw 4221 exceeds the upper surface of the wafer from the circumferential side of the wafer when the clamping portion 422 rotates to an inclined angle, so as to clamp the edge of the wafer by the inner edge of the claw 4221 when closed. The avoidance portion 2211 is set to allow the opened claw 4221 to pass through, so that the claw 4221 opens before leveling the wafer, closes when leveling the wafer, and opens again after leveling the wafer, thereby ensuring that the claw 4221 will not interfere with the main body 221 and there will be no abnormal support for the wafer.

[0067] Optionally, the number of the jaws 4221 is four. When the clamping part 422 rotates to the horizontal state, the four jaws are symmetrically distributed with respect to the straight line where the first axis is located and the symmetry axis. Preferably, the jaws 4221 open and close along the direction of the straight line where the first axis is located. Thus, the moving directions of the jaws 4221 and the jaw driving part 4222 are perpendicular to the tilting angle of the wafer, and the clamping distance when the jaws 4221 clamp the wafer is not affected by the tilting angle of the wafer, ensuring the clamping stability of the wafer. Also, together with the upper limit member 224 and the lower limit member 225, a 360° limit for the wafer is formed, reducing the risk of the wafer slipping and running off when clamping abnormalities or leveling abnormalities occur.

[0068] During the process that the transfer manipulator 21 vertically places the wafer on the main body 221 downward, it first passes through the area of the upper limit member 224. In order to avoid the wafer grabbed by the transfer manipulator 21 colliding with the upper limit member 224 and causing fragmentation, the vertical height of the upper limit surface 2242 is set very low, only equivalent to the thickness of the wafer or slightly higher than the thickness of the wafer. The vertical height of the lower limit surface 2252 is set slightly higher to ensure that the wafer is stably placed on the main body 221, and at the same time, it cannot affect the front manipulator 11 to grab the wafer and lift it above the lower limit member 225, so as to transfer the wafer out of the wafer processing module 20. This also explains the necessity of the adjusting assembly 4. If only the two lower limit members 225 are moved backward to contact the wafer to form a falling space for the wafer, the falling process of the wafer will be in a free falling state without position limitation, and thus, under the combined action of gravity, air resistance, etc., the wafer will shift in different directions during the falling process, especially likely to cause the wafer to slide out from one side of the upper limit surface 2242, and the front manipulator 11 still cannot normally grab the wafer.

[0069] Optionally, the wafer is a 12-inch wafer, the thickness of the wafer is about 0.8 mm, the height of the upper limit surface 2242 is set to 1 - 2 mm, the height of the lower limit surface 2252 is set to 5 - 10 mm, and the angle between the lower bearing surface 2251 and the lower limit surface 2252 is set to 95° - 105°, so that the distance between the second axis and the equivalent rotation axis of the wafer tilt is at the millimeter level, and thus the deviation between the calculated tilt angle and the actual tilt angle of the wafer (that is, the tilt angle relative to the equivalent rotation axis) is less than 0.1°.

[0070] The present invention also provides a wafer post-processing device 1000, including: a wafer vertical processing unit 200, a transfer manipulator 21, and a wafer carrying unit 100. The wafer vertical processing unit 200 is a cleaning unit or a drying unit for processing the wafer in a vertical state, such as the drying unit 23. The transfer manipulator 21 grabs the processed wafer from the wafer vertical processing unit 200 and vertically places the wafer on the main body 221 in a vertical state in the wafer carrying unit 100, and the wafer carrying unit 100 is used to flip the wafer to the horizontal state.

[0071] The present invention also provides a wafer flipping method using the wafer carrier unit 100, as Figure 13 shown, which includes the following steps: S21. Detect the tilt angle of the wafer; S22. Control the adjustment driver 41 to drive the adjustment support element 42 to support the wafer at the tilt angle; S23. Control the lower limit member driver 226 to drive the lower limit member 225 away from the center of the main body 221; S24. Control the adjustment driver 41 to drive the adjustment support element 42 to a horizontal state; S25. Control the lower limit member driver 226 to drive the lower limit member 225 close to the center of the main body 221.

[0072] Optionally, before step S21, the following steps are further included: S11. Place the wafer on the main body 221, and control the main body 221 to flip to a horizontal state; S12. Detect whether the wafer is in place; S13. When it is detected that the wafer is in place, detect whether the wafer is in a horizontal state. When it is detected that the wafer is not in a horizontal state, execute step S21.

[0073] Optionally, in step S12, control the second detection element 32 to detect the first distance h1. When h1 ≤ h a , the detection result is that the wafer is in place, where h a is preferably twice the height difference between the intersection line of the upper bearing surface 2241 and the upper limit surface 2242 and the detection surface of the laser range finder.

[0074] Optionally, in step S13, control the first detection element 31 to detect the second distance h2. When h2 ≤ pre - h b , the detection result is that the wafer is in a horizontal state, where h b is preferably the height difference between the intersection line of the lower bearing surface 2251 and the lower limit surface 2252 and the detection surface of the laser range finder.

[0075] Optionally, after step S25, the following steps are further included: S31. Control the adjustment driver 41 to drive the adjustment support element 42 to the initial state; S32. Control the main body 221 to flip to a vertical state.

[0076] The present invention also provides a wafer processing device, as Figure 14As shown in the figure, it includes: a controller 2000 and a wafer post-processing device 1000. The controller is used to control the transfer robot 21 to pick up a wafer from the wafer vertical processing unit 200 and place it on the main body 221, and to control the wafer carrier unit 100 to execute the wafer flipping method of the present invention.

[0077] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the embodiments of the present invention, rather than to limit the embodiments of the present invention. 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 the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent technical solutions also belong to the scope of the embodiments of the present invention. The patent protection scope of the embodiments of the present invention shall be defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A wafer carrier unit, characterized in that, Comprising: a carrier bracket, a detection component, and an adjustment component; The carrier bracket includes a main body that can be flipped along a first axis. The main body includes a fixed upper limit member, a lower limit member driver, and a movably mounted lower limit member. The upper limit member and the lower limit member are located on both sides of the first axis and are used to limit and carry the wafer during the flipping process of the main body. The lower limit member driver is used to drive the lower limit member closer to or farther from the center of the main body; The detection component is used to detect the tilt angle of the wafer along the upper limit member towards the lower limit member when the main body is flipped to a horizontal state; The adjustment component includes an adjustment driver and an adjustment support element. The adjustment driver drives the adjustment support element to support the wafer at the tilt angle and, after the lower limit member driver drives the lower limit member away, drives the adjustment support element to a horizontal state; So that the wafer is adjusted to a horizontal state, and the wafer and the lower limit member are not worn.

2. The wafer carrier unit according to claim 1, wherein, The main body includes two upper limit members and two lower limit members. The two upper limit members and the two lower limit members are respectively axially symmetrically distributed about the same axis of symmetry, and the axis of symmetry is perpendicular to the first axis; The detection component includes a first detection element, and the first detection element is located on the axis of symmetry.

3. The wafer carrier unit according to claim 2, wherein, The adjustment driver includes an adjustment drive motor and an adjustment drive arm. The adjustment drive arm connects the adjustment drive motor and the adjustment support element. The line connecting the centers of the two upper limit members is collinear with the center line of the motor shaft of the adjustment drive motor when the main body is in a horizontal state.

4. The wafer carrier unit according to claim 3, wherein, The main body includes an avoidance portion. The adjustment support element rotates under the drive of the adjustment drive arm to pass by one side of the upper limit member, pass through the avoidance portion from below the main body, and support the wafer.

5. The wafer carrier unit according to claim 4, wherein, The adjustment support element includes a support element main body and a clamping portion. When the clamping portion rotates to the tilt angle, the support element main body does not contact the wafer; The clamping portion supports the wafer and has a limit structure for restricting the position of the wafer.

6. The wafer carrier unit according to claim 5, wherein The clamping portion includes a claw and a claw drive portion. The claw is higher than the surface of the support element main body. The claw drive portion drives the claw to open and close to clamp the edge of the wafer when closed; The avoidance portion allows the opened claw to pass through.

7. The wafer carrier unit according to claim 6, wherein The number of claws is 4. When the clamping portion rotates to a horizontal state, the 4 claws are respectively axially symmetrically distributed about the straight line where the first axis is located and the axis of symmetry. The claws open and close along the direction of the straight line where the first axis is located.

8. The wafer carrier unit according to claim 7, wherein, The upper limit member includes an upper bearing surface and an upper limit surface. The lower limit member includes a lower bearing surface, a lower limit surface, and a hook-shaped portion. The height of the upper limit surface is 1 - 2 mm, and the height of the lower limit surface is 5 - 10 mm; The wafer is a 12-inch wafer; When the main body is in a vertical state, the edge of the wafer abuts against the upper bearing surface and the lower limit surface; When the main body and the wafer are in a horizontal state, the upper bearing surface and the lower bearing surface support the wafer, and the edge of the wafer abuts against the upper limit surface and the lower limit surface; The center of the upper limit member is the midpoint of the intersection line of the upper bearing surface and the upper limit surface; The center of the lower limit member is the midpoint of the intersection line of the lower bearing surface and the lower limit surface; So that the deviation between the inclination angle and the actual inclination angle of the wafer is less than 0.1°.

9. A wafer post-processing device, characterized in that, Comprising: A wafer vertical processing unit, a transfer robot, and a wafer carrying unit according to any one of claims 1-8, wherein the transfer robot is configured to pick up a wafer from the wafer vertical processing unit and place the wafer on the main body in a vertical state in the wafer carrying unit, and the wafer carrying unit is configured to flip the wafer to a horizontal state.

10. A wafer flipping method, characterized in that, Using a wafer carrying unit according to any one of claims 1-8, comprising: Detecting the inclination angle of the wafer; Controlling the adjustment driver to drive the adjustment support element to support the wafer at the inclination angle; Controlling the lower limit member driver to drive the lower limit member away from the center of the main body; Controlling the adjustment driver to drive the adjustment support element to a horizontal state; Controlling the lower limit member driver to drive the lower limit member close to the center of the main body.

11. A wafer processing apparatus, characterized in that, Comprising: A controller and a wafer post-processing device according to claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to control the transfer robot to pick up a wafer from the wafer vertical processing unit and place it on the main body, and to control the wafer carrying unit to perform the wafer flipping method according to claim 10.

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