Positioning jig and correction method of active wafer centering system

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of semiconductors, provides a positioning jig and a correction method of an active wafer centering system, and is used for solving the technical problem that the currently used positioning jig affects the correction accuracy. The positioning jig comprises a supporting assembly and a positioning assembly. The supporting assembly comprises a supporting body and a plurality of supporting rods, and the supporting rods are distributed on the edge of the bottom face of the supporting body. The positioning assembly comprises a positioning main body and a pressing head, the positioning main body extends to penetrate through the top surface and the bottom surface of the supporting main body, and a spring sleeves the side wall of the positioning main body between the top surface of the supporting main body and the pressing head.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to the field of semiconductor technologies, and particularly to a positioning jig and a calibration method for an active wafer centering system. Background Art

[0002] In the process of semiconductor device manufacturing, wafers need to be transferred between different chambers to implement different processing technologies on the wafers, such as etching technology or deposition technology, etc. Before the manipulator transfers the wafers, it is usually necessary to calibrate the accuracy of the manipulator for picking and placing the wafers. For example, an active wafer centering system is used for calibration.

[0003] During the calibration process, a positioning jig is usually used. For example, a positioning jig is used to locate the center position of the calibration wafers transferred by the manipulator to each chamber. However, the currently used positioning jigs will affect the calibration accuracy. Summary of the Invention

[0004] According to a first aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, a positioning jig is provided for positioning a calibration wafer in an active wafer centering system; the positioning jig includes: a support component and a positioning component; the support component includes a support body and a plurality of support rods, and the plurality of support rods are distributed at the edge of the bottom surface of the support body; the positioning component includes a positioning body and a pressing head, the positioning body extends through the top surface and the bottom surface of the support body, and a spring is sleeved on the side wall of the positioning body between the top surface of the support body and the pressing head.

[0005] In some embodiments, the support body has an opening penetrating the top surface and the bottom surface; the positioning body includes: a positioning part and a connecting part; the positioning part is located below the bottom surface of the support body, wherein the height of the positioning part is less than the height of the support rod; the connecting part extends through the opening and connects the positioning part and the pressing head respectively, wherein the radial dimension of the positioning part at the connection with the connecting part is greater than the radial dimension of the opening.

[0006] In some embodiments, the positioning part includes a clamping part and a positioning part, the clamping part connects the connecting part and the positioning part respectively, wherein the radial dimension of the clamping part is greater than the radial dimension of the opening, and the radial dimension of the positioning part is less than the radial dimension of the clamping part.

[0007] In some embodiments, the positioning portion includes a first positioning portion and a second positioning portion. The first positioning portion is respectively connected to the clamping portion and the second positioning portion. Wherein, the radial dimension of the first positioning portion is smaller than the radial dimension of the clamping portion, and the radial dimension of the second positioning portion is smaller than the radial dimension of the first positioning portion.

[0008] In some embodiments, the radial dimension of the first positioning portion is adapted to the radial dimension of a first positioning hole opened at the center of the calibration wafer. Wherein, the radial dimension of the clamping portion is larger than the radial dimension of the first positioning hole; the radial dimension of the second positioning portion is adapted to the radial dimension of a second positioning hole opened at the center of the base, where the base is used for placing the calibration wafer.

[0009] In some embodiments, the radial dimension of the first positioning portion is substantially the same as the radial dimension of the connecting component.

[0010] In some embodiments, the radial dimension range of the first positioning portion is from 6.28 mm to 6.32 mm, and the height range of the first positioning portion is from 4 mm to 12 mm; the radial dimension range of the second positioning portion is from 4.755 mm to 4.795 mm, and the height range of the second positioning portion is from 6 mm to 18 mm.

[0011] In some embodiments, the radial dimension of the clamping portion is substantially the same as the radial dimension of the pressing head.

[0012] In some embodiments, the radial dimension range of the clamping portion is from 6.8 mm to 30 mm, and the height range of the clamping portion is from 1.5 mm to 4.5 mm.

[0013] In some embodiments, the material of the support assembly includes Teflon.

[0014] According to a second aspect of the embodiments of the present disclosure, a calibration method for an active wafer centering system is provided. The calibration method uses the positioning jig described in any one of the embodiments in the first aspect for calibration; the calibration method includes: placing a calibration wafer on a base of a loading interlock chamber, where a first positioning hole is opened at the center of the calibration wafer, and a second positioning hole is opened at the center of the base; placing the positioning jig on the calibration wafer such that the plurality of support rods all contact the calibration wafer; applying pressure to the pressing head such that the spring compresses and the positioning assembly moves towards the calibration wafer; based on the bottom of the positioning assembly passing through the first positioning hole and moving into the second positioning hole, determining the position of the calibration wafer as the reference position for picking and placing the wafer.

[0015] In some embodiments, when the positioning fixture includes a clamping portion, the correction method further includes: determining that the bottom of the positioning assembly moves into the second positioning hole based on a height difference between the clamping portion and the correction wafer being less than or equal to a preset value, wherein the preset value is greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 7 mm.

[0016] In some embodiments, the calibration method further includes: after the bottom of the positioning assembly moves into the second positioning hole, canceling the applied pressure.

[0017] In the disclosed embodiment, a positioning fixture is provided including a support component and a positioning component, wherein the support component includes a support body and a plurality of support rods, wherein the plurality of support rods are distributed at the edge of the bottom surface of the support body, and the positioning component includes a positioning body and a pressing head, wherein the positioning body extends through the top surface and the bottom surface of the support body, and a spring is sleeved on the side wall of the positioning body between the top surface of the support body and the pressing head. Thus, on the first hand, after determining the reference position for taking and placing the wafer, the spring rebounds and drives the positioning body to rebound and reset, thereby avoiding the irregular shaking or shaking caused by manual taking and placing of the positioning pin, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the wafer position correction, which is beneficial to improving the accuracy of the correction; on the second hand, the support component can provide stable support during the use of the positioning fixture, which is beneficial to improving the stability of the entire positioning fixture; on the third hand, it can provide a high-precision reference benchmark for the robot to take and place the wafer, which is beneficial to reducing process errors and product defects caused by wafer position deviation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] In the accompanying drawings, unless otherwise specified, the same reference numerals throughout the multiple drawings represent the same or similar parts or elements. These drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. It should be understood that these drawings only depict some embodiments disclosed in the present application and should not be regarded as limiting the scope of the present application.

[0019] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a robot conveying a wafer according to an embodiment; Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of two positioning jigs shown in an embodiment; Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a positioning fixture provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a support assembly provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a positioning component provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 6 is a flow chart of a correction method provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 7AIt is a schematic diagram showing the calibration of a calibration wafer using a positioning jig provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure Figure 1 ; Figure 7B It is a schematic diagram showing the calibration of a calibration wafer using a positioning jig provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure Figure 2 。 Detailed implementation manners

[0020] The technical solutions of the present disclosure will be further elaborated in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. Although the exemplary implementation methods of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure can be implemented in various forms and should not be limited by the implementation manners described herein. On the contrary, these implementation manners are provided to enable a more thorough understanding of the present disclosure and to fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0021] In the following paragraphs, the present disclosure will be described more specifically by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. According to the following description, the advantages and features of the present disclosure will be clearer. It should be noted that the drawings are all in a very simplified form and use non-precise scales, and are only used to conveniently and clearly assist in explaining the purpose of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0022] It can be understood that the meanings of "on...", "above...", and "over..." in the present disclosure should be interpreted in the broadest manner, so that "on..." not only means "on" something "without any intervening features or layers (i.e., directly on something)", but also includes the meaning of having intervening features or layers "on" something.

[0023] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are used to distinguish similar objects and do not necessarily describe a specific order or sequence.

[0024] It should be noted that the technical solutions described in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be combined arbitrarily without conflict.

[0025] After the robot of the semiconductor processing equipment completes the handoff calibration, it is necessary to perform AWC calibration to determine the center position of the wafer placed on each processing station. During the wafer transfer process, the center position of the wafer can be automatically adjusted with reference to this center position.

[0026] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram showing the transfer of a wafer by a robot in an embodiment. The robot for transferring the wafer may include an air transfer module robot (ATM robot) 102 and a vacuum transfer module robot (VTM robot) 104.

[0027] The ATM robot 102 is used to transfer wafers between a front opening unified pod (FOUP) 106 and a load lock chamber (LL) 108, and the VTM robot 104 is used to transfer wafers between the load lock chamber 108 and a process chamber 110. Figure 1 The arrows in represent the paths for the ATM robot and the VTM robot to transfer wafers. The load lock chamber 108 may include an inbound LL and an outbound LL.

[0028] The AWC calibration of the ATM robot 102 and the VTM robot 104 is performed by placing the calibration wafer on the robot arm of the ATM robot 102 and the robot arm of the VTM robot 104 respectively, and using a dedicated fixture to perform position calibration, and then performing automatic AWC calibration.

[0029] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of two positioning fixtures shown in an embodiment, wherein: Figure 2 The positioning fixture 202 shown in (a) can be used to determine Figure 1 Whether the calibration wafer 206 on the robot arm of the ATM robot 102 is placed at the center position of a base (e.g., a base in a load lock chamber), Figure 2 The positioning fixture 204 shown in (b) of the figure can be used to determine whether the calibration wafer 206 on the robot arm of the VTM robot 104 is placed at the center of the base. Here, the positioning fixture is generally operated manually (i.e., manual placement), and manual placement of the positioning pins may cause irregular shaking or shaking, etc., causing the calibration wafer to shift, affecting the accuracy of the calibration.

[0030] In addition, combined Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, when performing AWC calibration from the ATM robot 102 and the VTM robot 104 to the load lock chamber 108, the positioning references of the calibration wafers are different, which will cause the wafers to have accumulated offsets during the transfer process. During the normal transfer of wafers, on the one hand, if the AWC compensation value is too large, it means that the actual position of the wafer may have a large offset, which is unacceptable; on the other hand, if the AWC compensation value is continuously large and stable, it may be caused by accumulated deviations.

[0031] Based on one or more of the above technical problems, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a positioning jig, which can be used to position a calibration wafer in an active wafer centering system.

[0032] Figure 3 FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a positioning jig provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 4 FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a support assembly provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 5 FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a positioning assembly provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. Among them, Figure 4 in FIG. (a) is the front view of the support assembly. Figure 4 in FIG. (b) is the bottom view of the support assembly. Figure 4 in FIG. (c) is the top view of the support assembly. Figure 4 in FIG. (d) is a cross-sectional view of the support body obtained along the dashed line AA in FIG. (c). Figure 5 in FIG. (a) is the front view of the positioning assembly. Figure 5 in FIG. (b) is the bottom view of the positioning assembly. The following will be combined with Figures 3 to 5 to give an exemplary description of the positioning jig provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] Referring to Figure 3 and Figure 4 as shown, the positioning jig 300 includes: a support assembly 302 and a positioning assembly 304; the support assembly 302 includes a support body 306 and a plurality of support rods 308, and the plurality of support rods 308 are distributed at the edge of the bottom surface S1 of the support body 306; the positioning assembly 304 includes a positioning body 310 and a pressing head 312, the positioning body 310 extends through the top surface S2 and the bottom surface S1 of the support body 306, and a spring 314 is sleeved on the side wall of the positioning body 310 between the top surface S2 of the support body 306 and the pressing head 312.

[0034] The support assembly 302 is used to provide support to ensure that the positioning jig 300 remains stable during use. The support assembly 302 may include a support body 306 and a plurality of support rods 308. The support body 306 may have a bottom surface S1 and a top surface S2 opposite to each other in the vertical direction, and the plurality of support rods 308 may be evenly distributed at the edge of the bottom surface S1 of the support body 306. In this way, when the spring 314 is compressed by force, the support assembly 302 can evenly share the pressure, avoiding the positioning jig 300 from tilting or shifting due to uneven force. In addition, the plurality of evenly distributed support rods 308 can ensure that the contact between the support assembly 302 and the calibration wafer described below is smoother, which is beneficial to improving the stability of the entire positioning jig 300.

[0035] As an example, Figure 4Figures (a) and (b) therein show three support rods 308 evenly distributed at the edge of the bottom surface S1 of the support body 306. The three support rods 308 can form a stable "triangular support" to ensure the stability of the positioning fixture 300 during use. Here, the number of the support rods 308 and the distribution manner of the multiple support rods 308 are not limited to Figure 4 as shown in Figures (a) and (b) therein, and may also be other numbers or other distribution manners, and the present disclosure has no special limitation thereto.

[0036] The positioning component 304 is used to determine whether the manipulator places the calibration wafer at the center position of the base, so as to provide a reference benchmark for the subsequent transfer of the wafer. Specifically, if the positioning component 304 determines that the manipulator has placed the calibration wafer at the center position of the base, the current position of the calibration wafer can be determined as the reference position for picking and placing the wafer; conversely, if the positioning component 304 determines that the manipulator has not placed the calibration wafer at the center position of the base, the manipulator adjusts the position of the calibration wafer and uses the positioning fixture 300 to re-calibrate until the manipulator places the calibration wafer at the center position of the base.

[0037] As an example, during the calibration process, the manipulator can place the calibration wafer on the base of the loading interlock chamber. A first positioning hole is provided at the center of the calibration wafer, and a second positioning hole is provided at the center of the base; the operator can place the positioning fixture 300 on the calibration wafer, so that the multiple support rods 308 contact the calibration wafer; then the operator applies pressure to the pressing head 312, so that the spring 314 is compressed and the bottom of the positioning body 310 moves towards the calibration wafer; if the bottom of the positioning body 310 passes through the first positioning hole and moves into the second positioning hole, it is determined that the manipulator has placed the calibration wafer at the center position of the base; the operator cancels the applied pressure, and the spring 314 rebounds to drive the positioning body 310 to move upward until it completely rebounds and resets. Then the operator can gently remove the positioning fixture 300. Here, the manipulator can be the above-mentioned ATM robot or VTM robot. After the positioning body 310 completely rebounds and resets, the bottom of the positioning body 310 is higher than the calibration wafer.

[0038] In this embodiment, the positioning fixture 300 includes a support component 302 and a positioning component 304, the support component 302 includes a support body 306 and a plurality of support rods 308, the plurality of support rods 308 are distributed on the edge of the bottom surface S1 of the support body 306, the positioning component 304 includes a positioning body 310 and a pressing head 312, the positioning body 310 extends through the top surface S2 and the bottom surface S1 of the support body 306, and a spring 314 is sleeved on the side wall of the positioning body 310 located between the top surface S2 of the support body 306 and the pressing head 312. In this way, on the first hand, after determining the reference position for taking and placing the wafer, the spring 314 rebounds to drive the positioning body 310 to rebound and reset, which can avoid irregular shaking or swaying caused by manual taking and placing of the positioning pin, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the correction and helping to improve the accuracy of the reference position; on the second hand, by adding the support assembly 302, stable support can be provided during the use of the positioning fixture 300, which is beneficial to improving the stability of the entire positioning fixture 300; on the third hand, a high-precision reference benchmark can be provided for the robot to take and place the wafer, which is beneficial to reduce process errors and product defects caused by wafer position deviations.

[0039] It should be noted that if the material of the support component 302 is heavy, the calibration wafer will bear a large load during the process of pressing the spring 314, and the calibration wafer may be deformed or even broken due to the excessive load. Therefore, the support component 302 can be made of a lighter material, and the calibration wafer can be made of a material with higher mechanical strength.

[0040] Specifically, the material of the support assembly 302 may include Teflon. Due to its low density, Teflon can make the overall weight of the support assembly 302 lighter, thereby reducing the load on the calibration wafer and preventing the calibration wafer from being deformed or even broken due to excessive load. Of course, the material of the support assembly 302 is not limited thereto, and may also be other lightweight materials.

[0041] The material of the calibration wafer may include carbon fiber, which has high mechanical strength and can withstand the load from the support assembly 302, thereby ensuring that the calibration wafer remains stable under external forces and will not be deformed or damaged. Of course, the material of the calibration wafer is not limited thereto, and may also be other materials with high mechanical strength.

[0042] In practical applications, the material of the support assembly 302 and the material of the calibration wafer can be comprehensively considered according to the requirements to ensure that the calibration wafer will not be deformed during the calibration process.

[0043] In some embodiments, reference Figures 3 to 5 As shown, the support body 306 has an opening 316 extending through the top surface S2 and the bottom surface S1 .

[0044] In this embodiment, the support body 306 may be a hollow structure, and the hollow structure includes but is not limited to a hollow cylinder. Specifically, an opening 316 as shown in Figure 4 is provided at the central position of the support body 306, thereby forming a hollow structure. The positioning body 310 can extend through the support body 306 through the opening 316. In this way, the hollow support body 306 can provide a necessary space channel for the movement of the positioning body 310.

[0045] As an example, as shown in figure (d) of Figure 4 , the opening 316 includes a first sub-opening and a second sub-opening that are connected. Among them, the radial dimension of the second sub-opening is larger than the radial dimension of the first sub-opening. In this way, the spring 314 can be limited above the bottom surface S1 of the support assembly 302, for example, limited above the connection between the first sub-opening and the second sub-opening.

[0046] In this example, the bottom surface S1 of the support body 306 exposes the first sub-opening. The radial dimension of the support body 306 is R1, and the radial dimension of the first sub-opening is R2, as shown in figure (b) of Figure 4 ; the top surface S2 of the support body 306 exposes the second sub-opening, and the radial dimension of the second sub-opening is R3, as shown in figure (c) of Figure 4 . Here, R1, R2, and R3 are all greater than 0, and R1 > R3 > R2.

[0047] In a specific example, R1 may be 90 mm, R2 may be 6.35 mm, and R3 may be 7.1 mm. However, the radial dimension of the support body 306, the radial dimension of the first sub-opening, and the radial dimension of the second sub-opening are not limited to this example and may also be other values.

[0048] In practical applications, the radial dimension of the support body 306 can be reasonably set according to the radial dimension of the calibration wafer, and the radial dimension of the opening 316 can be reasonably set according to the radial dimension of the positioning assembly 304 and the size of the spring 314 on the side wall of the positioning assembly 304. The present disclosure has no special limitation on this.

[0049] It should be noted that the orthographic projection shape of the support body 306 and the orthographic projection shape of the opening 316 can both be circular, and the radial dimension can be the diameter or radius of the circle. However, the orthographic projection shape of the support body 306 and the orthographic projection shape of the opening 316 are not limited to Figure 4 the circle shown, and can also be other geometric shapes, such as an ellipse or a polygon, etc.

[0050] In some embodiments, refer to Figures 3 to 5As shown, the positioning body 310 includes a positioning member 318, which is located below the bottom surface S1 of the support body 306, and the height of the positioning member 318 is less than the height of the support rod 308.

[0051] In this embodiment, in the natural state where no pressure is applied to the pressing head 312, the bottom of the positioning body 310 should be higher than the bottoms of the respective support rods 308, that is, the height of the positioning member 318 is less than the height of the support rod 308. In this way, it can be ensured that the bottoms of the support rods 308 first contact the calibration wafer when using the positioning jig 300 for calibration to provide stable support.

[0052] As an example, Figure 4 Figure (a) in shows that the height of the support assembly 302 is h1, Figure 4 Figure (d) in shows that the height of the first sub-opening is h2, the height of the support body 306 is h3, the height of the support rod 308 is (h1 - h3), and the height of the second sub-opening is (h3 - h2). Here, h1, h2, and h3 are all greater than 0, and h1 > h3 > h2.

[0053] In a specific example, h1 can be 29 mm, h2 can be 2 mm, and h3 can be 3 mm. However, the height of the support assembly 302, the height of the first sub-opening, and the height of the support body 306 are not limited to this example and can also be other values.

[0054] In some embodiments, referring to Figures 3 to 5 As shown, the positioning body 310 further includes a connecting member 320. The connecting member 320 extends through the opening 316 and is respectively connected to the positioning member 318 and the pressing head 312. The radial dimension of the positioning member 318 at the connection between the connecting member 320 and the positioning member 318 is greater than the radial dimension of the opening 316.

[0055] The connecting member 320 may include a first end and a second end opposite to each other in the vertical direction. The first end is connected to the pressing head 312, and the second end is connected to the positioning member 318. Here, in the natural state where no pressure is applied to the pressing head 312, the second end is substantially flush with the bottom surface S1 of the support body 306. By setting the radial dimension of the positioning member 318 at the connection between the connecting member 320 and the positioning member 318 to be greater than the radial dimension of the opening 316, the positioning member 318 can be limited, that is, the positioning member 318 is limited below the bottom surface S1 of the support body 306 to prevent the positioning member 318 from passing upward through the opening 316 and detaching from the support body 306 during rebound, thereby avoiding calibration failure caused by accidental detachment of the positioning member 318 and being beneficial to improving the stability and reliability of the positioning jig 300 during use.

[0056] In some embodiments, the radial dimension of the connecting member 320 is smaller than the radial dimension of the opening 316 to ensure that the connecting member 320 can move up and down within the opening 316.

[0057] In some embodiments, the connecting member 320 is detachably connected to the positioning member 318. For example, the detachable connection is achieved by means of threads, flanges or other means.

[0058] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 5 As shown, the positioning member 318 includes a clamping portion 322 and a positioning portion 324. The clamping portion 322 is connected to the connecting member 320 and the positioning portion 324 respectively. Among them, the radial dimension of the clamping portion 322 is larger than the radial dimension of the opening 316, and the radial dimension of the positioning portion 324 is smaller than the radial dimension of the clamping portion 322.

[0059] The clamping portion 322 can serve as a transition structure between the connecting member 320 and the positioning portion 324. The clamping portion 322 may include a third end and a fourth end that are opposite to each other in the vertical direction. The third end is connected to the second end, and the fourth end is connected to the positioning portion 324. The connection position between the connecting member 320 and the positioning member 318 is the contact position between the third end and the second end. By setting the radial dimension of the clamping portion 322 to be larger than the radial dimension of the opening 316, for example, larger than the radial dimension of the first sub-opening, a limiting effect can be achieved. By setting the radial dimension of the positioning portion 324 to be smaller than the radial dimension of the clamping portion 322, the positioning portion 324 can pass through the first positioning hole at the center of the calibration wafer and move into the second positioning hole at the center of the base to achieve precise calibration.

[0060] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 5 As shown, the positioning portion 324 includes a first positioning portion 326 and a second positioning portion 328. The first positioning portion 326 is connected to the clamping portion 322 and the second positioning portion 328 respectively. Among them, the radial dimension of the first positioning portion 326 is smaller than the radial dimension of the clamping portion 322, and the radial dimension of the second positioning portion 328 is smaller than the radial dimension of the first positioning portion 326.

[0061] In this embodiment, the positioning portion 324 can be divided into a first positioning portion 326 and a second positioning portion 328. The radial dimension of the first positioning portion 326 is smaller than the radial dimension of the clamping portion 322. For example, the radial dimension of the first positioning portion 326 is adapted to the radial dimension of the first positioning hole opened at the center of the calibration wafer, which can ensure that the first positioning portion 326 can pass through the first positioning hole. The radial dimension of the second positioning portion 328 is smaller than the radial dimension of the first positioning portion 326. For example, the radial dimension of the second positioning portion 328 is adapted to the radial dimension of the second positioning hole opened at the center of the base, which can ensure that the second positioning portion 328 can move into the second positioning hole, thereby realizing the precise calibration of the calibration wafer placed on the base. Here, the radial dimension of the clamping portion 322 is larger than the radial dimension of the first positioning hole, and the base is used to place the calibration wafer.

[0062] It should be noted that the radial dimension of the positioning portion 324 being adapted to the radial dimension of the positioning hole means that the radial dimension of the positioning portion 324 is designed to match the radial dimension of the positioning hole. For example, the radial dimension of the positioning portion 324 is close to the radial dimension of the positioning hole, so as to ensure that the positioning portion 324 can be accurately inserted into the corresponding positioning hole to achieve precise positioning between the center of the calibration wafer and the center of the base. Through this adapted design, the fitting clearance between the positioning portion 324 and the positioning hole is controlled within a reasonable range, which not only ensures the accuracy of positioning but also avoids the difficulty of inserting the positioning portion 324 into the positioning hole due to over-tight fitting.

[0063] In some embodiments, the radial dimension of the first positioning portion 326 is substantially the same as the radial dimension of the connecting member 320; the radial dimension of the clamping portion 322 is substantially the same as the radial dimension of the pressing head 312. In this embodiment, being substantially the same can mean that the radial dimensions of two or more components are exactly the same, or the difference in the radial dimensions of two or more components is small enough to be negligible.

[0064] Refer to Figure 5 As shown, the radial dimensions of both the first positioning portion 326 and the connecting member 320 are R5, the radial dimension of the second positioning portion 328 is R4, and the radial dimensions of both the clamping portion 322 and the pressing head 312 are R6. Here, R4, R5, and R6 are all greater than 0, and R6 > R5 > R4.

[0065] In some embodiments, the radial dimension range of the first positioning portion 326 is 6.3 ± 0.02 mm, that is, 6.28 mm ≤ R5 ≤ 6.32 mm. For example, R5 can be 6.28 mm, 6.3 mm, 6.32 mm, or other values.

[0066] In some embodiments, the radial dimension range of the second positioning portion 328 is 4.775 ± 0.02 mm, that is, 4.755 mm ≤ R4 ≤ 4.795 mm. For example, R4 can be 4.755 mm, 4.775 mm, 4.795 mm or other values.

[0067] In some embodiments, the radial dimension range of the clamping portion 322 is from 6.8 mm to 30 mm, that is, 6.8 mm ≤ R6 ≤ 30 mm. For example, R6 can be 6.8 mm, 8.5 mm, 30 mm or other values.

[0068] In a specific example, R6 can be 8.5 mm, R5 can be 6.3 mm, and R4 can be 4.775 mm. However, the radial dimensions of the first positioning portion 326 and the connecting member 320, the radial dimension of the second positioning portion 328, and the radial dimensions of the clamping portion 322 and the pressing head 312 are not limited to this example and can also be other values.

[0069] In practical applications, the radial dimension of the first positioning portion 326 can be reasonably set according to the radial dimension of the first positioning hole, the radial dimension of the second positioning portion 328 can be reasonably set according to the radial dimension of the second positioning hole, and the radial dimension of the clamping portion 322 can be reasonably set according to the radial dimension of the opening 316. The present disclosure has no special limitation on this.

[0070] It should be noted that the orthographic projection shapes of the first positioning portion 326, the second positioning portion 328, the clamping portion 322, the connecting member 320, and the pressing head 312 can all be circular, and the radial dimension can be the diameter or radius of the circle. However, the orthographic projection shapes of the various components of the positioning body are not limited to Figure 5 the circle shown, and can also be other geometric shapes, such as an ellipse or a polygon, etc.

[0071] Refer to Figure 5 As shown, the height of the first positioning portion 326 is h4, the height of the second positioning portion 328 is h5, the height of the clamping portion 322 is h6, the height of the connecting member 320 is h7, the height of the pressing head 312 is h8, and the height of the positioning member 318 is (h4 + h5). Here, h4 to h8 are all greater than 0, and (h4 + h5) < (h1 - h3).

[0072] In some embodiments, the height range of the first positioning portion 326 is from 4 mm to 12 mm, that is, 4 mm ≤ h4 ≤ 12 mm. For example, h4 can be 4 mm, 5 mm, 9 mm, 12 mm or other values.

[0073] In some embodiments, the height range of the second positioning portion 328 is from 6 mm to 18 mm, that is, 6 mm ≤ h5 ≤ 18 mm. For example, h5 can be 6 mm, 10 mm, 12 mm, 18 mm or other values.

[0074] In some embodiments, the height range of the clamping portion 322 is from 1.5 mm to 4.5 mm, that is, 1.5 mm ≤ h6 ≤ 4.5 mm. For example, h6 can be 1.5 mm, 2 mm, 3 mm, 4.5 mm or other values.

[0075] In some embodiments, the height range of the connecting member 320 is from 27 mm to 50 mm, that is, 27 mm ≤ h7 ≤ 50 mm. For example, h7 can be 27 mm, 37 mm, 45 mm, 50 mm or other values.

[0076] In a specific example, h4 can be 12 mm, h5 can be 10 mm, h6 can be 2 mm, h7 can be 37 mm, and h8 can be 2 mm. However, the height of each component in the positioning main body 310 is not limited to this example and can also be other values.

[0077] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 3 As shown, the positioning fixture 300 further includes an anti-slip pad 330, and the anti-slip pad 330 is provided at the bottom of each support rod 308. By providing the anti-slip pad 330 at the bottom of each support rod 308, the friction between the support rod 308 and the calibration wafer can be increased, which is beneficial to improving the stability of the positioning fixture during use and avoiding positioning deviation caused by accidental sliding.

[0078] Based on the above positioning fixture, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a calibration method for an active wafer centering system, and this calibration method can be calibrated using the positioning fixture in any of the above embodiments.

[0079] Figure 6 It is a flowchart of a calibration method provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 6 As shown, this calibration method includes: S410: Place the calibration wafer on the base of the loading interlock chamber. Among them, a first positioning hole is provided at the center of the calibration wafer, and a second positioning hole is provided at the center of the base; S420: Place the positioning fixture on the calibration wafer so that a plurality of support rods are all in contact with the calibration wafer; S430: Apply pressure to the pressing head so that the spring is compressed and the positioning assembly moves towards the calibration wafer; S440: Based on the bottom of the positioning assembly passing through the first positioning hole and moving into the second positioning hole, determine that the position of the calibration wafer is the reference position for picking and placing the wafer.

[0080] In this embodiment, the active wafer centering system can be used Figures 3 to 5 The positioning fixture 300 shown is used for calibration. In this way, firstly, after determining the reference position for taking and placing the wafer, the spring rebound drives the positioning body to rebound and reset, which can avoid the irregular shaking or shaking caused by manual taking and placing of the positioning pin, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the calibration and facilitating the improvement of the accuracy of the reference position; secondly, the support assembly can provide stable support during the calibration process, which is conducive to improving the stability of the entire positioning fixture; thirdly, it can provide a high-precision reference benchmark for the robot to take and place the wafer, which is conducive to reducing process errors and product defects caused by wafer position deviation; fourthly, the ATM robot and the VTM robot can use the loading interlock chamber as the same positioning benchmark and use the same positioning fixture for calibration, which can avoid the accumulation of wafer offsets at the loading interlock chamber when the ATM robot and the VTM robot take and place the wafer during normal wafer transfer, so that the value of the AWC compensation is maintained within a smaller range.

[0081] Figure 7A The present invention provides a schematic diagram of using a positioning fixture to calibrate a calibration wafer. Figure 1 , Figure 7B The present invention provides a schematic diagram of using a positioning fixture to calibrate a calibration wafer. Figure 2 The following will combine Figure 3 , Figure 6 , Figure 7A and Figure 7B The correction method provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure is exemplarily described.

[0082] In step S410, refer to Figure 6 and Figure 7A As shown, the calibration wafer 502 is placed on a base 504 of a load lock chamber, wherein a first positioning hole 506 is opened at the center of the calibration wafer 502 , and a second positioning hole 508 is opened at the center of the base 504 .

[0083] As an example, during the calibration process, the robot can place the calibration wafer 502 on the base 504 of the load lock chamber, such as Figure 7A As shown. The center of the first positioning hole 506 and the center of the calibration wafer 502 may coincide, the center of the second positioning hole 508 and the center of the base 504 may coincide, and the radial dimension of the first positioning hole 506 and the radial dimension of the second positioning hole 508 may be the same or different. In this embodiment, the radial dimension of the first positioning hole 506 may be greater than the radial dimension of the second positioning hole 508.

[0084] In step S420, refer to Figure 6 and Figure 7AAs shown, the positioning fixture 300 is placed on the calibration wafer 502 such that multiple support rods 308 are all in contact with the calibration wafer 502.

[0085] As an example, an operator can place the positioning fixture 300 on the calibration wafer 502 such that multiple support rods 308 are in contact with the calibration wafer 502, as Figure 7A shown. In the natural state where no pressure is applied to the pressing head 312, there is a certain height difference between the bottom of the positioning assembly 304 and the calibration wafer 502.

[0086] In step S430, referring to Figure 6 and Figure 7A shown, pressure is applied to the pressing head 312 such that the spring 314 is compressed and the positioning assembly 304 moves towards the calibration wafer 502.

[0087] As an example, an operator applies pressure to the pressing head 312 such that the spring 314 is compressed and the bottom of the positioning assembly 304 moves towards the calibration wafer 502. The positioning assembly 304 will pass through the first positioning hole 506 and continue to move towards the base 504.

[0088] In step S440, referring to Figure 6 and Figure 7B shown, based on the bottom of the positioning assembly 304 passing through the first positioning hole 506 and moving into the second positioning hole 508, the position of the calibration wafer 502 is determined as the reference position for picking and placing the wafer.

[0089] As an example, if the bottom of the positioning assembly 304 passes through the first positioning hole 506 and moves into the second positioning hole 508, as Figure 7B shown, it is determined that the robotic arm has placed the calibration wafer 502 at the center position of the base 504.

[0090] In other examples, if the bottom of the positioning assembly 304 passes through the first positioning hole 506 but does not move into the second positioning hole 508, it is determined that the robotic arm has not placed the calibration wafer 502 at the center position of the base 504. The position of the calibration wafer 502 needs to be adjusted and the positioning fixture 300 is used for re - calibration until the robotic arm places the calibration wafer 502 at the center position of the base 504.

[0091] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 3 and Figure 7B shown, in the case where the positioning fixture 300 includes a clamping portion 322, the above - mentioned calibration method further includes: based on the height difference between the clamping portion 322 and the calibration wafer 502 being less than or equal to a preset value, it is determined that the bottom of the positioning assembly 304 has moved into the second positioning hole 508, where the preset value is greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 7 mm. For example, the preset value can be 0, 1 mm, 2 mm, 4 mm, 6 mm, 7 mm or other values.

[0092] In this embodiment, by detecting whether the height difference between the clamping portion 322 and the calibration wafer 502 is less than or equal to a preset value, it is determined whether the bottom of the positioning assembly 304 has accurately moved into the second positioning hole 508. Specifically, when the height difference between the clamping portion 322 and the calibration wafer 502 is less than or equal to the preset value, it indicates that the bottom of the positioning assembly 304 has been aligned with the second positioning hole 508 and successfully inserted, thereby achieving precise calibration of the calibration wafer 502 on the base 504; conversely, when the height difference between the clamping portion 322 and the calibration wafer 502 is greater than the preset value, it indicates that the bottom of the positioning assembly 304 may be offset relative to the second positioning hole 508. For example, if it touches the surface of the base 504, the position of the calibration wafer 502 needs to be adjusted and recalibrated. In this way, not only the accuracy and reliability of positioning are improved, but also positioning deviation caused by visual error or inaccurate manual operation can be avoided.

[0093] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 7B the above calibration method further includes: after the bottom of the positioning assembly 304 moves into the second positioning hole 508, cancel the applied pressure.

[0094] In this embodiment, after the bottom of the positioning assembly 304 moves into the second positioning hole 508, it can be determined that the manipulator has placed the calibration wafer 502 at the center position of the base 504. The operator can hold the support assembly by hand and cancel the applied pressure. After the positioning assembly 304 completely rebounds and resets, the operator can gently remove the positioning jig 300.

[0095] In some embodiments, two manipulators in different environments use the same positioning jig for calibration. For example, Figure 1 as shown, both the ATM robot 102 and the VTM robot 104 use the positioning jig 300 in the above embodiment to perform calibration on the base 504 of the input lock chamber. Thus, when performing AWC calibration on the ATM robot 102 and the VTM robot 104 to the input lock chamber, the calibration wafer 502 uses the same positioning reference. The offset accumulation during wafer transfer can be reduced, so that the value of AWC compensation is maintained at a small value.

[0096] For each step of the calibration method, reference may be made to the above embodiments. Since the calibration method of this embodiment uses the positioning jig in any of the above embodiments for calibration, it has at least all the beneficial effects brought by the technical solutions of the embodiments of the above positioning jig, which will not be elaborated here one by one.

[0097] As described above, this is only a specific implementation manner of the present disclosure, but the protection scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed by the present disclosure can easily think of changes or substitutions, which should all be covered within the protection scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A positioning jig, characterized in that, For positioning a calibration wafer in an active wafer centering system; the positioning fixture includes: A support assembly, the support assembly includes a support body and a plurality of support rods, and the plurality of support rods are distributed at the edge of the bottom surface of the support body; A positioning assembly, the positioning assembly includes a positioning body and a pressing head, the positioning body extends through the top surface and the bottom surface of the support body, and a spring is sleeved on the side wall of the positioning body between the top surface of the support body and the pressing head.

2. The positioning jig according to claim 1, characterized in that, The support body has an opening penetrating through the top surface and the bottom surface; the positioning body includes: A positioning part, the positioning part is located below the bottom surface of the support body, and the height of the positioning part is less than the height of the support rod; A connecting part, the connecting part extends through the opening and connects the positioning part and the pressing head respectively, and the radial dimension of the positioning part at the connection of the connecting part and the positioning part is greater than the radial dimension of the opening.

3. The positioning jig according to claim 2, wherein The positioning part includes a clamping part and a positioning part, the clamping part connects the connecting part and the positioning part respectively, and the radial dimension of the clamping part is greater than the radial dimension of the opening, and the radial dimension of the positioning part is less than the radial dimension of the clamping part.

4. The positioning jig according to claim 3, wherein The positioning part includes a first positioning part and a second positioning part, the first positioning part connects the clamping part and the second positioning part respectively, and the radial dimension of the first positioning part is less than the radial dimension of the clamping part, and the radial dimension of the second positioning part is less than the radial dimension of the first positioning part.

5. The positioning fixture according to claim 4, wherein The radial dimension of the first positioning part is adapted to the radial dimension of the first positioning hole opened at the center of the calibration wafer, and the radial dimension of the clamping part is greater than the radial dimension of the first positioning hole; The radial dimension of the second positioning part is adapted to the radial dimension of the second positioning hole opened at the center of the base, and the base is used for placing the calibration wafer.

6. The positioning jig according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that, The radial dimension of the first positioning part is substantially the same as the radial dimension of the connecting part.

7. The positioning fixture according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that, The radial dimension range of the first positioning part is from 6.28 mm to 6.32 mm, and the height range of the first positioning part is from 4 mm to 12 mm; The radial dimension range of the second positioning part is from 4.755 mm to 4.795 mm, and the height range of the second positioning part is from 6 mm to 18 mm.

8. The positioning jig according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that, The radial dimension of the clamping part is substantially the same as the radial dimension of the pressing head.

9. The positioning jig according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that The radial dimension range of the clamping part is from 6.8 mm to 30 mm, and the height range of the clamping part is from 1.5 mm to 4.5 mm.

10. The positioning jig according to claim 1, wherein, The material of the support assembly includes Teflon.

11. A calibration method for an active wafer centering system, characterized in that, The calibration method uses the positioning fixture according to any one of claims 1 to 10 for calibration; the calibration method includes: Placing the calibration wafer on the base of the loading interlock chamber, wherein a first positioning hole is opened at the center of the calibration wafer, and a second positioning hole is opened at the center of the base; Placing the positioning fixture on the calibration wafer so that the plurality of support rods all contact the calibration wafer; Apply pressure to the pressing head so that the spring is compressed and the positioning component moves toward the calibration wafer; Based on the bottom of the positioning component passing through the first positioning hole and moving into the second positioning hole, determine that the position of the calibration wafer is the reference position for picking and placing the wafer.

12. The calibration method according to claim 11, wherein, When the positioning fixture includes a clamping portion, the calibration method further includes: Based on the height difference between the clamping portion and the calibration wafer being less than or equal to a preset value, determine that the bottom of the positioning component moves into the second positioning hole, where the preset value is greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 7 mm.

13. The calibration method according to claim 11, wherein The calibration method further includes: After the bottom of the positioning component moves into the second positioning hole, cancel the applied pressure.

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