Wafer polishing and grinding unloading buffer device and unloading method

Abstract

The present application discloses a wafer polishing and grinding wafer caching device and wafer unloading method, which relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology. The wafer polishing and grinding wafer unloading caching device includes a water tank, a plurality of fixed brackets and a plurality of movable brackets. The top of the water tank is open and the sides and bottom are closed. The fixed brackets are fixed to the bottom of the water tank and are arranged at intervals along the bottom of the water tank. Each fixed bracket can accommodate at least one wafer. The movable bracket and the fixed bracket are arranged alternately, and each movable bracket can accommodate at least one wafer; the movable bracket can be raised and lowered along the height direction of the water tank. When a wafer needs to be placed, the movable bracket rises, and the corresponding wafer can be placed on the movable bracket and the fixed bracket at the same time, and the wafers on the movable bracket and the fixed bracket are parallel to each other. Through the above-mentioned arrangement, the present application achieves the technical effect of placing multiple wafers for caching at a single time, which improves the efficiency of wafer unloading while also reducing the occupancy time of the robot.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, and in particular to a wafer polishing and grinding wafer unloading buffer device and wafer unloading method. Background Art

[0002] Wafer polishing and grinding is one of the key processes in semiconductor manufacturing. It is mainly used to flatten the wafer surface to ensure the accuracy and yield of subsequent processes such as lithography and thin film deposition.

[0003] The wafer polishing process is performed on the planetary wheel of the polishing equipment. After the wafer is polished, it needs to be removed from the planetary wheel and placed in a buffer device for storage. The liquid in the buffer device is usually water. Currently, the wafer unloading robot can only transport and cache a single wafer, resulting in a long robot occupancy time during the unloading process and inefficiency of the entire polishing process.

[0004] Therefore, in order to improve the efficiency of unloading wafers and release the robot in time, the applicant has developed a robot that can transport multiple wafers at the same time. Correspondingly, it is necessary to provide a wafer polishing and grinding unloading cache device to adapt to the above-mentioned robot to realize the single placement of multiple wafers for caching. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In order to address the deficiencies of the prior art, one of the objectives of the present application is to provide a wafer polishing and grinding wafer buffer device that can accommodate multiple wafers transported by a robot at a time.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this application adopts the following technical solutions:

[0007] A wafer polishing and grinding wafer buffer device, comprising:

[0008] a sink, open at the top and closed around the sides and bottom;

[0009] A plurality of fixing brackets fixed to the bottom of the water tank and spaced apart along the bottom of the water tank, each of the fixing brackets being capable of accommodating at least one wafer; and

[0010] A plurality of movable supports are arranged alternately with the fixed supports, and each of the movable supports can accommodate at least one wafer;

[0011] The movable bracket can be raised and lowered along the height direction of the water tank;

[0012] When a wafer needs to be placed, the moving bracket rises, and the corresponding wafer can be placed on the moving bracket and the fixed bracket at the same time, and the wafers on the moving bracket and the fixed bracket are parallel to each other.

[0013] Through the above arrangement, after the moving bracket is raised, the fixed bracket is located above the moving bracket. At the same time, the fixed bracket and the moving bracket are spaced apart. When all wafers are placed at the same time, all wafers are staggered and do not interfere with each other. After all wafers on a single planetary wheel are moved to the wafer polishing and grinding lower wafer buffer device using a robot that picks up all wafers in a single time, the moving bracket is raised so that the wafers on the robot are aligned with the corresponding fixed bracket and moving bracket respectively, and the corresponding wafers are placed, thereby achieving the technical effect of placing multiple wafers for buffering at a time, improving the wafer unloading efficiency while also reducing the robot's occupancy time.

[0014] Furthermore, the motion bracket includes a linear unit for driving the motion bracket to rise and fall, and the linear unit is located outside the water tank and fixed between the motion bracket and the bottom of the water tank.

[0015] Furthermore, each of the movable supports has two fixing positions for accommodating wafers.

[0016] Furthermore, each of the motion brackets is provided with two linear units, and the two linear units are respectively located on opposite sides of the water tank.

[0017] Furthermore, the side wall of the water tank is provided with a guide groove opened along the lifting direction of the movable bracket, and the movable bracket is partially located inside the guide groove and can move along the guide groove.

[0018] Furthermore, the fixing bracket has one or two fixing positions.

[0019] Furthermore, the fixed position includes

[0020] A first fixing plate, one side of which is partially recessed to form a first plug-in notch; and

[0021] The second fixing plate is spaced apart from the first fixing plate, and one side of the second fixing plate is partially recessed to form a second plugging notch;

[0022] The first insertion slot and the second insertion slot are arranged opposite to each other, and the wafer can be inserted between the first fixing plate and the second fixing plate.

[0023] Furthermore, an air blower pipe is provided in the water tank; one end of the air blower pipe extends out of the side wall of the water tank and is connected to the air supply device, and the other end is located inside the water tank and is closed; the side wall of the air blower pipe located inside the water tank is provided with multiple through air blower holes.

[0024] Furthermore, an installation gap is formed between the bottom of the fixing bracket and the bottom wall of the water tank;

[0025] A bracket positioning platform is provided in the installation interval, and the fixing bracket is fixed on the bracket positioning platform;

[0026] The air blast tube is at least partially located within the mounting space.

[0027] The second purpose of this application is to provide a wafer unloading method that can accommodate multiple wafers transported by a robot at a time.

[0028] To achieve the above objectives, this application adopts the following technical solutions:

[0029] Using a robot to move all wafers on a single planetary wheel to any of the above-mentioned wafer polishing and grinding buffer devices includes the following steps:

[0030] Move the robot to the planetary wheel and pick up 3 or 4 wafers on the planetary wheel;

[0031] Move the robot to the wafer polishing and grinding lower wafer buffer device, and adjust the position of the wafer on the robot so that the plane where the corresponding wafer is placed on the motion bracket and the planes where the other wafers are located are spaced apart and parallel to each other;

[0032] Raise the moving bracket to the appropriate position, move the robot arm to make the wafer vertical and place it on the corresponding moving bracket or fixed bracket at the same time.

[0033] The present application provides a wafer polishing and grinding lower wafer caching device, which is provided with a fixed bracket fixed in a water tank and a movable bracket that can be raised and lowered. When the movable bracket rises, it can cooperate with the fixed bracket to receive the wafer on the robot arm, so that multiple wafers on the robot arm can be placed in the wafer polishing and grinding lower wafer caching device at the same time, achieving the technical effect of placing multiple wafers for caching at a single time. In addition, the setting of the fixed positions for placing wafers on the fixed bracket and the movable bracket, in conjunction with the position of the wafer on the planetary wheel, allows the robot arm to adjust the height difference when the wafer is in a horizontal position after taking the wafer, so that all the wafers on the robot arm can be placed on the corresponding fixed bracket and movable bracket, which not only improves the wafer removal effect, but also reduces the internal structure adjustment of the robot arm.

[0034] Installing an air blast tube within the water tank enhances water flow, allowing the water to gently clean the wafer surface, keeping it moist while removing polishing fluid and particulate matter. A mounting spacer is also placed between the mounting bracket and the water tank to allow water to flow more effectively beneath the bracket, avoiding stagnant areas at the bottom of the tank and increasing the flow range, allowing overflow water to more effectively remove the original water in the tank. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a wafer buffer device for polishing and grinding wafers in an embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 2A schematic diagram of the internal structure of the wafer polishing and grinding lower wafer buffer device when the fixed bracket is set to a fixed position;

[0037] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the internal structure of the wafer polishing and grinding lower wafer buffer device when two fixed positions are set for the fixed bracket.

[0038] Reference numerals:

[0039] 100, water tank; 110, avoidance structure; 120, guide plate; 121, guide groove; 130, installation interval; 140, bracket positioning platform; 150, air duct;

[0040] 200, fixed bracket;

[0041] 300, motion bracket; 310, linear unit; 320, horizontal plate; 330, vertical plate;

[0042] 400, fixed position; 410, first fixing plate; 411, first plug-in slot; 420, second fixing plate; 421, second plug-in slot. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the solution of the present application, the technical solution in the specific implementation of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the implementation of the present application.

[0044] It should be noted that the directional nouns such as up, down, left, right, front, and back, or ordinal numbers such as "first, second, third, and fourth" mentioned in this document are based on the drawings in the specification and are introduced for the convenience of description. They do not mean any limitation on the order of the components. In addition, since the functions of certain parts of the various components provided in the above embodiments are the same, this specification adopts a unified naming method for these parts. The above is a detailed introduction to the pipe fitting connection device provided by the relevant technical solution, and specific embodiments are used in this article for elaboration. The description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the method and core concept of the present invention, and does not impose any form of limitation on the present invention.

[0045] like Figure 1 As shown, the present application provides a wafer polishing and grinding lower wafer buffer device for receiving polished and ground wafers and moisturizing the wafers with water inside. The wafer polishing and grinding lower wafer buffer device includes a water tank 100, a plurality of fixed brackets 200 fixed within the water tank 100, and a plurality of movable brackets 300 that can be raised and lowered.

[0046] The water tank 100 is open at the top and closed around and at the bottom. Specifically, water is input into the water tank 100 through one side thereof, and the water in the water tank 100 is always in an overflow state, thereby better moisturizing and preliminarily cleaning the wafers entering the water tank 100.

[0047] Combine Figure 2 , the fixed brackets 200 and the moving brackets 300 are arranged alternately and in the same number. The fixed brackets 200 and the moving brackets 300 can each accommodate at least one wafer. When multiple wafers are transported to the wafer polishing and grinding lower wafer buffer device by the robot, the moving bracket 300 is raised, so that the multiple wafers on the robot can be placed on one of the fixed brackets 200 and the adjacent moving bracket 300 at a time, achieving the technical effect of transporting multiple wafers, and the wafers placed on the moving bracket 300 and the fixed bracket 200 are parallel to each other.

[0048] Specifically, the movable bracket 300 can be raised and lowered along the height direction of the water tank 100. When wafers need to be placed, the movable bracket 300 rises, and the corresponding wafers can be placed on the movable bracket 300 and the fixed bracket 200 at the same time.

[0049] Optionally, the fixed bracket 200 and the movable bracket 300 are alternately arranged so that the two ends along the arrangement direction of the fixed bracket 200 and the movable bracket 300 are the fixed bracket 200 and the movable bracket 300 respectively. A fixed bracket 200 and an adjacent movable bracket 300 are regarded as a group of structures, and the robot carries the wafer at a time and places it on one of the groups of structures for storage. The fixed bracket 200 at the end is named the head fixed bracket, the movable bracket 300 at the end is named the tail movable bracket, the group of structures corresponding to the head fixed bracket is named the head structure, and the group of structures corresponding to the tail movable bracket is named the tail structure. The robot places the wafer in the water tank 100 starting from the tail structure, and places it in sequence until the wafer is placed on the head structure.

[0050] Optionally, to allow the robot to better avoid the water tank 100 when placing wafers, the sidewall of the water tank 100 adjacent to the head bracket is convex outward to form a clearance structure 110. This allows the robot to operate while reducing the volume of the lower part of the water tank 100 and consumables. Alternatively, the distance between the sidewall of the water tank 100 adjacent to the head bracket and the head bracket can be increased to achieve the robot's avoidance.

[0051] It should be noted that the robot can also place the wafer in the water tank 100 starting from the head structure, and place it in sequence until the wafer is placed in the tail structure. In this case, the movement of the robot needs to avoid the side wall of the water tank 100 adjacent to the tail motion bracket (not shown in the figure).

[0052] Optionally, the moving bracket 300 includes a linear unit 310 for driving it to lift in the height direction of the water tank 100. The linear unit 310 is located outside the water tank 100 and is fixed between the moving bracket 300 and the bottom of the water tank 100. Specifically, the linear unit 310 can be a cylinder, an electric cylinder or other linear driving structures.

[0053] Optionally, each moving bracket 300 is provided with two linear units 310, and the two linear units 310 are respectively located on opposite sides of the water tank 100. By connecting a linear unit 310 to each end of the moving bracket 300, and the two linear units 310 driving the moving bracket 300 to lift simultaneously, the stability of the movement of the moving unit and the positioning accuracy can be improved.

[0054] Specifically, the moving bracket 300 is integrally arranged in a U-shape, and the opening of the moving bracket 300 faces upward. The two ends of the opening of the moving bracket 300 extend towards the outside of the water tank 100 respectively and are used to fix the corresponding linear unit 310. Specifically, the U-shaped structure of the moving bracket 300 is disassembled into a horizontal plate 320 and two vertical plates 330 perpendicular to the horizontal plate 320. The vertical plates 330 are detachably connected to the horizontal plate 320 or the vertical plates 330 and the horizontal plate 320 are integrally arranged; at least one wafer can be accommodated on the horizontal plate 320. The top of the vertical plate 330 extends towards the outside of the side wall of the adjacent water tank 100 and is connected to the corresponding linear unit 310.

[0055] Optionally, a guiding groove 121 is provided on the side wall of the water tank 100 and is opened along the lifting direction of the moving bracket 300. A part of the moving bracket 300 is located inside the guiding groove 121 and can move along the guiding groove 121. Specifically, a guiding plate 120 is fixed on the side wall of the water tank 100, the guiding groove 121 is opened on the guiding plate 120, and one side of the vertical plate 330 enters the inside of the guiding groove 121 and can slide配合 along the guiding groove 121.

[0056] Optionally, the length of the guiding plate 120 is a part of the height or the entire height of the side wall of the water tank 100.

[0057] In some embodiments, the moving bracket 300 has a fixing position 400 (not shown in the figure) for accommodating wafers.

[0058] In some other embodiments, the moving bracket 300 has two fixing positions 400 for accommodating wafers.

[0059] Optionally, when there is one or two fixing positions 400 for accommodating wafers on the fixing bracket 200, taking the case where the moving bracket 300 can always accommodate two wafers as an example;

[0060] Combined with Figure 2When the fixed bracket 200 has a fixed position 400, the line connecting the centers of the two wafers on the movable bracket 300 and the center of a wafer located on the fixed bracket 200 forms an isosceles triangle, that is, the two wafers on the movable bracket 300 are located on both sides of the central axis of a wafer on the fixed bracket 200.

[0061] Combine Figure 3 When there are two fixed positions 400 on the fixed bracket 200, the center line of the two wafers on the moving bracket 300 and the center line of the two wafers on the corresponding fixed bracket 200 are parallel to each other, that is, the positions of the wafers on the moving bracket 300 and the wafers on the fixed bracket 200 correspond.

[0062] It should be noted that when the moving bracket 300 rises, the wafers on the moving bracket 300 and the wafers on the fixed bracket 200 are staggered and do not interfere with each other, and the above description of the positions of the wafers on the fixed bracket 200 and the moving bracket 300 is consistent with the corresponding positions of the wafers in any state of the moving bracket 300.

[0063] Optionally, the fixing station 400 includes a first fixing plate 410 and a second fixing plate 420 spaced apart. The top of one side of the first fixing plate 410 is recessed inward to form a first insertion slot 411, while the top of one side of the second fixing plate 420 is recessed inward to form a second insertion slot 421. The first insertion slot 411 and the second insertion slot 421 are positioned opposite each other, allowing a wafer to be inserted between the first and second fixing plates 410, 420 and supported at the bottoms of the first and second insertion slots 411, 421. Optionally, the bottoms of the first and second insertion slots 411, 421 are located in the middle of the first and second fixing plates 410, 420, respectively. This allows the wafer to be supported between the first and second fixing plates 410, 420, creating a gap between the main structure of the corresponding movable bracket 300 or fixed bracket 200, thereby better supporting and protecting the wafer. Optionally, the first and second fixing plates 410, 420 are positioned parallel to each other, facilitating installation and saving materials.

[0064] In some embodiments, the ends of the fixing bracket 200 are respectively fixed to two opposing side walls of the water tank 100, and a mounting gap 130 is formed between the fixing bracket 200 and the bottom of the water tank 100, allowing water to flow normally through the mounting gap 130, thereby better cleaning the lower part of the wafer. Specifically, a connecting block with a triangular cross-section is provided between the end of the fixing bracket 200 and the side wall of the water tank 100. The connecting block is used to fix the fixing bracket 200 to the side wall of the water tank 100, thereby facilitating the positioning of the fixing bracket 200 and improving the stability of the fixing bracket 200.

[0065] In other embodiments, the bottom of the fixing bracket 200 is fixed to the bottom of the sink 100 .

[0066] Specifically, a bracket positioning platform 140 is provided at the bottom of the sink 100, and a plurality of fixed brackets 200 are installed on the bracket positioning platform 140, so that an installation gap 130 is formed between the bottom of the fixed bracket 200 and the bottom wall of the sink 100. Specifically, the bracket positioning platform 140 is a block structure with a rectangular cross-section, so that the water flow in the sink 100 can pass through adjacent bracket positioning platforms 140, thereby reducing the flow resistance of the water flow. In order to better support the fixed brackets 200, at least two bracket positioning platforms 140 are provided under each fixed bracket 200. Optionally, the bracket positioning platform 140 and the bottom wall of the sink 100 are arranged as one body, so that the bracket positioning platform 140 and the sink 100 are more integrated, avoiding separate installation.

[0067] Optionally, an air blast tube 150 is provided within the mounting space 130. The air blast tube 150 extends from a side wall of the water tank 100 into the interior of the water tank 100. The air blast tube 150 is located in a short, enclosed portion within the water tank 100, with the other end connected to an air supply device, which may be an air pump or other device capable of generating gas. The side wall of the air blast tube 150 located within the water tank 100 is provided with a plurality of through-going air blast holes. When the air blast device is activated, air enters the air blast tube 150 and is discharged into the water tank 100 through the air blast holes, generating bubbles in the water within the water tank 100, thereby promoting water flow within the water tank, thereby achieving the purpose of preliminary cleaning of the wafer surface by the water flow.

[0068] This application also provides a method for unloading a film, comprising the following steps:

[0069] Move the robot to the planetary wheel and simultaneously pick up all the wafers on a single planetary wheel. Specifically, the number of wafers can be 3 or 4.

[0070] The wafer that the robot is placing on the moving support 300 is called the moving wafer to be placed, and the wafer that the robot is placing on the fixed support 200 is called the fixed wafer to be placed. The robot is moved to the wafer polishing and grinding lower wafer buffer device and the position of the wafer on the robot is adjusted so that the plane of the moving wafer to be placed and the plane of the fixed wafer to be placed are spaced apart and parallel to each other.

[0071] In some embodiments, the robot arm retracts the position of the fixed wafer to be placed so that when the moving wafer to be placed and the fixed wafer to be placed are both in a horizontal plane, the position of the fixed wafer to be placed is higher than the moving wafer to be placed.

[0072] In other embodiments, the position of the robot arm that sucks the moving wafer to be placed is extended so that when the moving wafer to be placed and the fixed wafer to be placed are both in a horizontal plane, the position of the fixed wafer to be placed is higher than the moving wafer to be placed.

[0073] Raise the movable support 300 to the appropriate position, move the robot arm to vertically position the wafer, and place it simultaneously on the fixed support 200 and movable support 300 of the tail structure. Lower the movable support 300 so that the projections of the wafers on the fixed support 200 and movable support 300 on the vertical plane overlap. Repeat these steps until the wafer is placed on the fixed support 200 and movable support 300 of the head structure.

[0074] Optionally, when the moving bracket 300 is completely lowered so that the wafer is immersed in the water in the water tank 100 , the air blowing pipe 150 is opened to blow air into the water tank 100 to disturb the water flow and clean the wafer.

[0075] It should be understood that those skilled in the art can make improvements or changes based on the above description, and all such improvements and changes should fall within the scope of protection of the claims appended to this application.

Claims

1. A wafer polishing and grinding wafer buffer device, characterized in that: include: A water tank (100) having an open top and closed sides and bottom; A plurality of fixed supports (200) are fixed to the bottom of the water tank (100) and are spaced apart along the bottom of the water tank (100), each of the fixed supports (200) being capable of accommodating at least one wafer; as well as A plurality of moving supports (300) and the fixed supports (200) are alternately arranged, and each of the moving supports (300) is capable of accommodating at least one wafer; The motion bracket (300) is movable along the height direction of the water tank (100); When wafers need to be placed, a fixed support (200) and an adjacent moving support (300) are regarded as a group of structures, and a robot carries wafers at a time and places them on one of the groups of structures for storage, with the number of wafers being 3 or 4. The moving support (300) rises, and the corresponding wafers can be placed on the moving support (300) and the fixed support (200) at the same time, and the wafers on the moving support (300) and the fixed support (200) are parallel to each other.

2. The wafer polishing and grinding lower wafer buffer device according to claim 1, characterized in that: described The motion bracket (300) comprises a linear unit (310) for driving the linear unit (310) to rise and fall, wherein the linear unit (310) is located outside the water tank (100) and is fixed between the motion bracket (300) and the bottom of the water tank (100).

3. The wafer polishing and grinding lower wafer buffer device according to claim 2, characterized in that: Each of the moving supports (300) has two fixing positions (400) for accommodating wafers.

4. The wafer polishing and grinding lower wafer buffer device according to claim 3, characterized in that: Each of the motion brackets (300) is provided with two linear units (310), and the two linear units (310) are respectively located on two opposite sides of the water tank (100).

5. The wafer polishing and grinding lower wafer buffer device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that: The side wall of the water tank (100) is provided with a guide groove (121) opened along the lifting direction of the moving bracket (300), and the moving bracket (300) is partially located inside the guide groove (121) and can move along the guide groove (121).

6. The wafer polishing and grinding lower wafer buffer device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The fixing bracket (200) is provided with one or two fixing positions (400).

7. The wafer polishing and grinding lower wafer buffer device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The fixing position (400) includes A first fixing plate (410), one side of which is partially recessed to form a first plugging notch (411); and A second fixing plate (420) is spaced apart from the first fixing plate (410), and one side of the second fixing plate is partially recessed to form a second plug-in notch (421); The first plugging notch (411) and the second plugging notch (421) are arranged opposite to each other, and the wafer can be inserted between the first fixing plate (410) and the second fixing plate (420).

8. The wafer polishing and grinding lower wafer buffer device according to claim 1, characterized in that: An air blast pipe (150) is provided in the water tank (100); one end of the air blast pipe (150) extends out of the side wall of the water tank (100) and is connected to an air supply device, and the other end is located inside the water tank (100) and is closed; a plurality of through-going air blast holes are provided on the side wall of the air blast pipe (150) located inside the water tank (100).

9. The wafer polishing and grinding lower wafer buffer device according to claim 8, characterized in that: An installation gap (130) is formed between the bottom of the fixing bracket (200) and the bottom wall of the water tank (100); A bracket positioning platform (140) is provided in the installation space (130), and the fixed bracket (200) is fixed on the bracket positioning platform (140); The air blast tube (150) is at least partially located within the mounting space (130).

10. A wafer unloading method, using a robot to transport all wafers on a single planetary wheel to the wafer polishing and grinding wafer unloading buffer device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The steps include: Move the robot to the planetary wheel and pick up 3 or 4 wafers on the planetary wheel; Moving the robot to the wafer polishing and grinding lower wafer buffer device, and adjusting the position of the wafer on the robot so that a gap is formed between the plane where the corresponding wafer placed on the motion bracket (300) and the plane where the remaining wafers are located and they are parallel to each other; The moving support (300) is raised to a suitable position, and the robot is moved so that the wafer is vertical and placed on the corresponding moving support (300) or fixed support (200) at the same time.

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