Multi-ray machine detection module of semiconductor equipment

Abstract

The invention relates to a multi-ray machine detection module of semiconductor equipment. The semiconductor equipment comprises two process stations and a transportation mechanism, wherein the two process stations are adjacently spaced along a spacing direction to define a spacing space, and the transportation mechanism is arranged between the process stations and is used for transporting at least one wafer. Wherein one of the process stations is provided with a sealing plate facing the interval space. The multi-ray machine detection module of the semiconductor device comprises an image capturing unit suitable for being installed on the sealing plate, and an illumination unit suitable for being arranged on the sealing plate, located below the image capturing unit and used for emitting illumination light towards the at least one wafer. Wherein the image capturing unit comprises two ray machines which are transversely spaced from each other and can optimize the detection resolution. Therefore, the detection performance is effectively optimized so as to meet the detection function expansion requirement of the existing semiconductor production line.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a modular detection device, and particularly to a multi-optical machine detection module for semiconductor equipment. Background Art

[0002] The semiconductor industry is a very important and high-proportion industry category today. In order to improve the process quality, the detection process at each link in the production line plays a crucial role. If the finished product state can be ensured during the conversion of each process step, it is beneficial to filter out defective products as early as possible, thereby improving the yield. At the same time, it also helps with process parameter calibration, method improvement and other related operations.

[0003] However, the current technology in the semiconductor industry is developing rapidly, and additional detection requirements may increase successively. In the case where the existing production lines of many manufacturers have already been constructed and are difficult to modify, if additional detection stations are to be added for new processes, or even further requirements for detection performance and quality are to be met, even if the production line is not rebuilt and re-planned, due to the limited distance between adjacent stations on the production line, a quite large-scale transformation is bound to be required, which imposes a considerable cost burden on manufacturers, and thus also affects the willingness to further optimize related technologies. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a multi-optical machine detection module for semiconductor equipment that is conducive to modular installation on an existing production line and can exhibit better detection performance.

[0005] The multi-optical machine detection module of the semiconductor equipment of the present invention, the semiconductor equipment includes two process stations that are adjacent to each other at intervals in the interval direction and define an interval space, and a transportation mechanism disposed between the process stations and used for transporting at least one wafer. One of the process stations has a sealing plate facing the interval space. The multi-optical machine detection module of the semiconductor equipment includes an imaging unit suitable for being installed on the sealing plate, and an illumination unit suitable for being disposed on the sealing plate and below the imaging unit and used for emitting illumination light toward the at least one wafer.

[0006] Wherein, the imaging unit includes two optical machines that are horizontally spaced from each other.

[0007] The purpose of the present invention and the solution to its technical problems can be further realized by adopting the following technical measures.

[0008] Preferably, in the aforementioned multi-optical machine detection module of the semiconductor equipment, the imaging unit further includes an adjustment mechanism suitable for being fixed on the sealing plate and for the optical machine to be disposed thereon.

[0009] Preferably, for the multi-optical machine detection module of the semiconductor device described above, the adjustment mechanism of the imaging unit can rotate along the rotation axis extending longitudinally, thereby adjusting the position of the optical machine.

[0010] Preferably, for the multi-optical machine detection module of the semiconductor device described above, the illumination unit includes a light source for emitting the illumination light, and a calibration mechanism for mounting the light source and for changing the irradiation direction of the illumination light.

[0011] Preferably, for the multi-optical machine detection module of the semiconductor device described above, the light source of the illumination unit is disposed between the imaging unit and the transport mechanism.

[0012] Preferably, for the multi-optical machine detection module of the semiconductor device described above, the illumination unit further includes a housing for mounting the light source and having a light-transmitting groove opened toward the optical machine.

[0013] Preferably, for the multi-optical machine detection module of the semiconductor device described above, the calibration mechanism of the illumination unit has a reflecting mirror for reflecting the illumination light.

[0014] The beneficial effect of the present invention is that: the imaging unit and the illumination unit can be easily installed and arranged in the existing partition space by using the existing sealing plate of the process site, and can effectively optimize the detection performance by configuring two optical machines to improve the resolution, so as to meet the detection function expansion requirements of the existing semiconductor production line. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment of the multi-optical machine detection module of the semiconductor device of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 2 is a side view illustrating the imaging unit and the illumination unit of the embodiment;

[0017] Figure 3 is a side view with a different viewing angle from Figure 2 illustrating the relative position of the light source of the illumination unit with respect to the two optical machines of the imaging unit;

[0018] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of the adjustment mechanism of the imaging unit; and

[0019] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of the calibration mechanism of the illumination unit for adjusting the light source. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0021] Refer toFigure 1 , 2 , which is an embodiment of the multi-optical machine detection module of the semiconductor device of the present invention. The semiconductor device includes two process stations 91 that are adjacent and spaced apart in the interval direction D to define an interval space 900, and a transport mechanism 92 disposed between the process stations 91 and used for transporting a plurality of wafers. One of the process stations 91 has a sealing plate 911 facing the interval space 900. The multi-optical machine detection module of this embodiment includes an imaging unit 1 suitable for being installed on the sealing plate 911, and an illumination unit 2 suitable for being disposed on the sealing plate 911 and below the imaging unit 1 and used for emitting illumination light toward the wafer. Wherein, the specific process performed by the process station 91 is not limited, as long as the adjacent interval space 900 is sufficient to configure this embodiment, and there is a sufficiently strong sealing plate 911 such as an outer shell sheet metal. And the transport mechanism 92 can specifically be a robotic arm for transporting the wafer between the process stations 91, or other similar functional mechanisms. In this embodiment, the case where the workpiece processed by the semiconductor device is a silicon wafer is described, but in actual implementation, this embodiment can also be adapted to the use scenarios where the workpiece is a glass substrate, a printed circuit board, or other similar components.

[0022] Refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 , the imaging unit 1 includes two optical machines 11 that are horizontally spaced apart from each other, and an adjustment mechanism 12 suitable for being fixed on the sealing plate 911 and for the optical machines 11 to be disposed. Specifically, each of the optical machines 11 is a CCD (Charge-coupled Device) image sensor for taking images of the wafer for subsequent detection requirements. Considering the positions between the process stations 91 and the sealing plate 911, it is not necessarily beneficial for the optical machines 11 to be accurately oriented toward the wafer. To ensure that both optical machines 11 can indeed take images of the wafer to obtain more favorable images for detection requirements, as Figure 4 presented, the adjustment mechanism 12 can rotate along the longitudinally extending rotation axis by adjusting the position of the screw in the adjustment slot, thereby adjusting the position of the optical machine 11.

[0023] It should be particularly noted that the adjustment mechanism 12 presented as Figure 4 is only a specific form of one implementation. In actual implementation, it can also be achieved through similar mechanisms such as linear rails, robotic arms, universal joints, etc., and is not limited to the mechanism of screws and adjustment slots.

[0024] Refer back to Figure 3 and cooperate with Figure 5, the lighting unit 2 includes a housing 20, a light source 21 installed in the housing 20 and used to emit the lighting light, and a calibration mechanism 22 for installing the light source 21 and used to change the irradiation direction of the lighting light. The light source 21 is disposed between the imaging unit 1 and the transport mechanism 92. In order to enable the optical machine 11 to capture images smoothly, the housing 20 has a light-transmitting groove 201 (see Figure 1 ) opened towards the optical machine 11, so that the optical machine 11 can capture images through the light-transmitting groove 201. Thus, the lighting unit 2 can be arranged longitudinally spaced from the imaging unit 1 substantially, thereby narrowing the lateral width of this embodiment to optimize the installation flexibility. In addition, in order to make the irradiation direction of the lighting light of the light source 21 consistent with the shooting direction of the optical machine 11, specifically, the calibration mechanism 22 can be as shown in Figure 5 , and has a reflector 221 for reflecting the lighting light. By rotating the reflector 221 to adjust the lighting light, the lighting light can indeed achieve an ideal lighting effect for the shooting of the optical machine 11.

[0025] It should be further noted that, as shown in Figure 5 , the calibration mechanism 22 only uses the optical mechanism of the reflector 221 to achieve the adjustment effect in response to light transmission. However, in actual implementation, as long as the irradiation direction of the lighting light can be changed and the calibration effect can be accurately achieved, it is not limited to the form shown in Figure 5 .

[0026] This embodiment can be installed in an existing semiconductor production line, thereby achieving the effect of additionally expanding the detection function. In addition, since two optical machines 11 are used to capture images when this embodiment performs detection, compared with the case where the pixel specification of a single optical machine 11 is fixed, the resolution of the simultaneous capture by the optical machines 11 can be doubled. According to the principle that the smaller the resolution, the higher the detection accuracy, relatively optimized detection performance is achieved.

Claims

1. A multi-optical machine detection module for a semiconductor device, the semiconductor device comprising two process stations that are adjacent to each other in an interval direction and define an interval space therebetween, and a transport mechanism disposed between the process stations and used for transporting at least one wafer, wherein one of the process stations has a sealing plate facing the interval space; characterized in that: The multi-optical machine detection module of the semiconductor device includes: An imaging unit, which is adapted to be installed on the sealing plate and includes two optical machines that are laterally spaced from each other; and An illumination unit, which is adapted to be disposed on the sealing plate and below the imaging unit and is used to emit illumination light toward the at least one wafer.

2. The multi-optical machine detection module of the semiconductor device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The imaging unit further includes an adjustment mechanism that is adapted to be fixed on the sealing plate and for the optical machine to be disposed thereon.

3. The multi-optical machine detection module of the semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein: The adjustment mechanism of the imaging unit can rotate about a rotation axis extending longitudinally, thereby adjusting the position of the optical machine.

4. The multi-optical machine detection module of the semiconductor device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The illumination unit includes a light source for emitting the illumination light, and a calibration mechanism for mounting the light source and for changing the irradiation direction of the illumination light.

5. The multi-optical machine detection module of the semiconductor device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The light source of the illumination unit is disposed between the imaging unit and the transport mechanism.

6. The multi-optical machine detection module of the semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein: The illumination unit further includes a housing for mounting the light source and having a light-transmitting groove opened toward the optical machine.

7. The multi-optical machine detection module of the semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein: The calibration mechanism of the illumination unit has a reflector for reflecting the illumination light.

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