Alignment mechanism for vacuum chamber and wafer alignment system

Abstract

The present invention discloses a positioning mechanism and wafer positioning system for a vacuum chamber, wherein a wafer is arranged in the vacuum chamber, and the positioning mechanism includes a positioning member, a power assembly, a power transmission member and a sealing unit; the positioning member is arranged inside the vacuum chamber; the power assembly is arranged outside the vacuum chamber; the power transmission member is used to transmit the power of the power assembly to the positioning member, so that the positioning member can reciprocate towards or away from the wafer; the sealing unit is connected to the outer wall of the vacuum chamber and the power assembly and is sleeved on the outside of the power transmission member. The present invention avoids the vacuum contamination and sealing problems caused by the traditional built-in linear drive and simplifies the internal structure of the vacuum chamber. At the same time, it significantly improves the maintenance convenience and long-term operation reliability of the equipment, providing a better solution for wafer bonding processes with high cleanliness requirements.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of wafer bonding, and in particular to an alignment mechanism and a wafer alignment system for a vacuum chamber. Background Art

[0002] The contents in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.

[0003] In the field of semiconductor manufacturing, the wafer bonding process usually requires precise alignment of the wafers in a vacuum chamber.

[0004] In related technologies, wafer alignment systems often use an alignment mechanism distributed around the periphery of the wafer. This mechanism typically includes a positioning member and a linear actuator, and the entire mechanism is completely installed within a vacuum chamber. During wafer alignment, a linear actuator (such as a pneumatic cylinder or electric push rod) directly drives the positioning member to contact the wafer edge for positioning. However, this design has at least the following drawbacks:

[0005] 1. Long-term operation of linear actuators (especially pneumatic components) in a vacuum environment may release lubricant volatiles or metal wear particles, thereby polluting the vacuum environment. In addition, the heating problem of the linear actuator may affect the temperature uniformity in the vacuum chamber, thereby affecting the bonding quality.

[0006] 2. If the linear actuator fails during wafer alignment, the vacuum chamber needs to be evacuated for maintenance, and then evacuated again to continue subsequent operations. This process is time-consuming and energy-consuming, and affects bonding efficiency.

[0007] 3. The built-in linear drive will occupy the limited space of the vacuum chamber and hinder the layout of other process modules.

[0008] 4. When the connecting parts of the linear actuator (such as cylinder pipes or motor cables) pass through the vacuum chamber wall, the problem of reliable sealing must be solved. Long-term use is prone to leakage risks due to wear. Summary of the Invention

[0009] In view of this, an object of the present invention is to provide an alignment mechanism and a wafer alignment system for a vacuum chamber, so as to at least overcome the above-mentioned technical problems existing in the conventional alignment mechanisms.

[0010] The purpose of the present invention is achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0011] In one aspect, the present invention discloses an alignment mechanism for a vacuum chamber, wherein a wafer is provided in the vacuum chamber;

[0012] The alignment mechanism comprises:

[0013] A positioning member is provided inside the vacuum chamber and outside the wafer;

[0014] A power assembly is provided outside the vacuum chamber;

[0015] A power transmission component; both ends of the power transmission component are connected to the positioning member and the power assembly respectively; the power transmission component is used to transmit the power of the power assembly to the positioning member, so that the positioning member can reciprocate towards or away from the wafer;

[0016] A sealing unit is connected to the outer wall of the vacuum chamber and the power assembly and is sleeved on the outside of the power transmission component, so that the power transmission component is sealed and transmitted inside the sealing unit.

[0017] Optionally, the power assembly includes a rotating arm and a linear drive device;

[0018] The rotating arm is hingedly arranged outside the vacuum chamber to form a hinge point, and the rotating arm includes a driven part and an active part located on both sides of the hinge point and rotatable around the hinge point;

[0019] The sealing unit is a welding bellows, one end of which is sealed and connected to the outer wall of the vacuum chamber, and the other end of which is sealed and connected to the rotating arm;

[0020] One end of the power transmission component away from the positioning member is located inside the welding bellows and connected to the driven part;

[0021] The output end of the linear drive device is connected to the active part to drive the rotating arm to rotate around the hinge point.

[0022] Optionally, the alignment mechanism further includes a second elastic member, one end of the second elastic member is connected to the rotating arm, and the other end of the second elastic member is fixed.

[0023] Optionally, the power assembly includes a rotating arm, a gear transmission mechanism and a drive motor;

[0024] The rotating arm is hingedly arranged outside the vacuum chamber to form a hinge point, and the rotating arm includes a driven part and an active part located on both sides of the hinge point and rotatable around the hinge point;

[0025] The sealing unit is a welding bellows, one end of which is sealed and connected to the outer wall of the vacuum chamber, and the other end of which is sealed and connected to the rotating arm;

[0026] One end of the power transmission component away from the positioning member is located inside the welding bellows and connected to the driven part;

[0027] The output end of the driving motor is connected to the active part through the gear transmission mechanism to drive the rotating arm to rotate around the hinge point.

[0028] Optionally, the gear transmission mechanism includes an arc-shaped rack and a gear;

[0029] The gear transmission is connected to the output end of the driving motor, and the arc-shaped rack is connected to the driving part and meshes with the gear;

[0030] The alignment mechanism further includes a rotation limiting member, which is rotatably arranged on a side of the active portion away from the arc-shaped rack, and the rotation limiting member is in rolling contact with the active portion.

[0031] Optionally, the alignment mechanism further includes an elastic buffer component, and the elastic buffer component includes:

[0032] Fixed blocks, fixed settings;

[0033] A moving member passing through the fixed block and slidingly engaging with the fixed block;

[0034] A first elastic member, one end of the first elastic member is connected to the moving member, and the other end of the first elastic member is connected to the power transmission component or the positioning member.

[0035] Optionally, the positioning member includes a connecting portion and a contact portion;

[0036] The connecting portion is connected to the power transmission component; the contact portion is rotatably provided on the connecting portion and is used to form rolling contact with the edge of the wafer;

[0037] A buffer slot is provided on the connecting portion between the contact portion and the power transmission component, and the buffer slot extends from a side wall of the connecting portion toward the interior of the connecting portion.

[0038] Optionally, the contact portion is made of a first material, and the wafer is made of a second material;

[0039] The Vickers hardness of the first material is lower than the Vickers hardness of the second material.

[0040] Optionally, a buffer member is provided at the connection between the positioning member and the power transmission member.

[0041] On the other hand, the present invention discloses a wafer alignment system, comprising the above-mentioned alignment mechanism for a vacuum chamber.

[0042] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention have at least the following advantages and beneficial effects:

[0043] 1. The alignment mechanism disclosed in the present invention achieves reciprocating drive of the positioning member by placing the power assembly outside the vacuum chamber and adopting a dynamically sealed power transmission component. This not only avoids the vacuum contamination and sealing problems caused by traditional built-in linear drives, but also simplifies the internal structure of the vacuum chamber. At the same time, it significantly improves the maintenance convenience and long-term operation reliability of the equipment, providing a better solution for wafer bonding processes with high cleanliness requirements.

[0044] 2. The present invention achieves wafer positioning by allowing the positioning member to swing closer to or away from the edge of the wafer. Compared with the known method in the prior art of directly using a linear driver to drive the positioning member to perform linear motion to position the wafer, it is beneficial to reduce the rigid impact of the positioning member on the edge of the wafer, reduce the risk of damage to the wafer during the alignment operation, and make the contact force between the positioning member and the edge of the wafer more controllable. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of an alignment mechanism for a vacuum chamber provided in Example 1 of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A magnified view of the local structure at point A;

[0047] Figure 3 A schematic structural diagram of a positioning member provided in Example 1 of the present invention;

[0048] Figure 4 A schematic structural diagram of an alignment mechanism for a vacuum chamber provided in Example 2 of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of the driving part, gear transmission mechanism and rotation limiter provided in Example 2 of the present invention, viewed from a top view;

[0050] Figure 6 A schematic structural diagram of the connection between the positioning member and the power transmission component provided in Example 2 of the present invention;

[0051] Figure 7 This is a schematic structural diagram of the wafer alignment system provided in Example 3 of the present invention from a top-down perspective.

[0052] Icons: 10 - Positioning member, 11 - Connecting portion, 111 - Buffer gap, 12 - Contact portion, 20 - Power assembly, 21 - Rotating arm, 211 - Driven portion, 212 - Active portion, 22 - Linear drive device, 23 - Gear transmission mechanism, 231 - Arc-shaped rack, 232 - Gear, 24 - Drive motor, 30 - Power transmission component, 40 - Sealing unit, 50 - Elastic buffer assembly, 51 - Fixed block, 52 - Moving member, 53 - First elastic member, 60 - Second elastic member, 70 - Rotation limiter, 80 - Buffer, 100 - Reference module, 200 - First alignment mechanism, 300 - Second alignment mechanism. s - Vacuum chamber, a - Hinge point. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with specific implementation methods. The same figure marks in the accompanying drawings represent the same components. It should be noted that the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the described embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0054] Compared to the embodiments shown in the drawings, feasible embodiments within the scope of protection of the present invention may have fewer components, additional components not shown in the drawings, different components, differently arranged components, or differently connected components, etc. In addition, two or more components in the drawings may be implemented in a single component, or a single component shown in the drawings may be implemented as multiple separate components.

[0055] Example 1:

[0056] Embodiment 1 of the present invention discloses an alignment mechanism for a vacuum chamber s, which is mainly used to align wafers in the vacuum chamber s, thereby laying a foundation for subsequent wafer bonding.

[0057] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of an exemplary alignment mechanism disclosed in Example 1 of the present invention. Figure 1 In the illustrated embodiment, the alignment mechanism may include a positioning member 10 , a power assembly 20 , a power transmission component 30 and a sealing unit 40 .

[0058] The positioning member 10 is disposed within the vacuum chamber s and is positioned outside the wafer within the vacuum chamber s. The positioning member 10 is configured to reciprocate toward and away from the edge of the wafer, allowing the positioning member 10 to contact the edge of the wafer to position the wafer and to separate from the wafer after the alignment operation is completed.

[0059] The power assembly 20 is disposed outside the vacuum chamber s and is mainly used to provide power for the movement of the positioning member 10 .

[0060] One end of the power transmission component 30 is connected to the positioning member 10, and the other end of the power transmission component 30 is connected to the power assembly 20. The power transmission component 30 is used to transmit the power of the power assembly 20 to the positioning member 10, so that the positioning member 10 can reciprocate towards or away from the wafer.

[0061] The sealing unit 40 is connected to the outer wall of the vacuum chamber s and the power assembly 20 and is mounted on the outside of the power transmission component 30, so that the power transmission component 30 can be sealed and transmitted within the sealing unit 40, that is, power transmission is completed within the sealing unit 40, thereby maintaining the vacuum sealing state of the vacuum chamber s and allowing the power transmission component 30 to transmit.

[0062] Based on the above settings, when performing wafer alignment operations, it is only necessary to operate the power assembly 20 to transmit power to the positioning member 10 through the power transmission component 30, so that the positioning member 10 can be close to the wafer and contact the edge of the wafer to achieve wafer positioning.

[0063] The alignment mechanism disclosed in Example 1 of the present invention, by placing the power component 20 outside the vacuum chamber s and using a dynamically sealed power transmission component 30 to realize the reciprocating drive of the positioning member 10, avoids the vacuum contamination and sealing problems caused by the traditional built-in linear drive, simplifies the internal structure of the vacuum chamber s, and significantly improves the maintenance convenience and long-term operation reliability of the equipment, providing a better solution for wafer bonding processes with high cleanliness requirements.

[0064] In some embodiments, the reciprocating motion of the positioning member 10 can be achieved in the following manner but is not limited thereto.

[0065] Continue to refer to Figure 1 The power assembly 20 may include a rotating arm 21 and a linear drive device 22. The rotating arm 21 is hingedly disposed outside the vacuum chamber s and forms a hinge point a. The rotating arm 21 includes a driven portion 211 and a driving portion 212 located on either side of the hinge point a and rotatable about the hinge point a.

[0066] The sealing unit 40 is a welding bellows, one end of which is sealed and connected to the outer wall of the vacuum chamber s, and the other end of which is sealed and connected to the rotating arm 21 .

[0067] The end of the power transmission component 30 away from the positioning member 10 is located inside the welding bellows and connected to the driven part 211. The output end of the linear drive device 22 is connected to the active part 212 to drive the rotating arm 21 to rotate around the hinge point a.

[0068] Based on the above arrangement, when the linear drive device 22 operates to drive the rotating arm 21 to rotate, the driven portion 211 rotates accordingly, allowing the power transmission component 30 to drive the positioning member 10 to swing back and forth toward and away from the wafer edge. During this process, because the portion of the power transmission component 30 located outside the vacuum chamber s remains within the welded bellows, the vacuum seal within the vacuum chamber s is reliably maintained during power transmission.

[0069] It is worth noting that the above method not only realizes the transmission of power and maintains the vacuum sealing state of the vacuum chamber s, but also positions the edge of the wafer by allowing the positioning member 10 to swing. Compared with the known method in the prior art of directly using a linear drive to drive the positioning member 10 to perform linear motion to position the wafer, it is beneficial to reduce the rigid impact of the positioning member 10 on the edge of the wafer, reduce the risk of damage to the wafer during the alignment operation, and make the contact force between the positioning member 10 and the edge of the wafer more controllable.

[0070] In some embodiments, the linear drive device 22 may be, but is not limited to, a conventional linear drive such as a pneumatic cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder. Furthermore, the output end of the linear drive device 22 may be arranged downward to further optimize the structural design of the entire alignment mechanism.

[0071] In some embodiments, the distance from the connection point between the linear drive device 22 and the active portion 212 to the hinge point a is greater than the distance from the connection point between the power transmission component 30 and the driven portion 211 to the hinge point a. This design can make the linear drive device 22 more labor-saving when driving the rotating arm 21 to rotate.

[0072] In some embodiments, as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the alignment mechanism may further include an elastic buffer assembly 50. The elastic buffer assembly 50 may include a fixed block 51, a movable member 52, and a first elastic member 53. The fixed block 51 is fixedly arranged, and the movable member 52 passes through the fixed block 51 and slidably engages with the fixed block 51. One end of the first elastic member 53 is connected to the movable member 52, and the other end of the first elastic member 53 is connected to the power transmission component 30 or the positioning member 10.

[0073] Based on the above arrangement, when the power transmission component 30 and the positioning member 10 move under the action of the power assembly 20, the first elastic member 53 can transmit the movement of the power transmission component 30 and the positioning member 10 to the movable member 52, thereby causing the movable member 52 to move. During this process, the first elastic member 53 can undergo elastic deformation and absorb part of the impact force from the power transmission component 30, thereby further reducing the rigid impact caused by the positioning member 10 on the wafer. The sliding fit between the movable member 52 and the fixed block 51 can also guide the first elastic member 53 to undergo orderly elastic deformation, and the presence of the fixed block 51 can also serve to limit the movement range of the power transmission component 30 and the positioning member 10.

[0074] The first elastic member 53 may be, but is not limited to, a straight spring.

[0075] In some embodiments, as Figure 1 As shown, the alignment mechanism may further include a second elastic member 60. One end of the second elastic member 60 is connected to the rotating arm 21, in particular, to the driven portion 211 of the rotating arm 21; the other end of the second elastic member 60 is fixed.

[0076] Based on the above arrangement, when the linear drive 22 drives the rotating arm 21 to rotate so that the positioning member 10 contacts the wafer edge, the second elastic member 60 is stretched to store elastic potential energy. When the linear drive 22 drives the rotating arm 21 to rotate in the opposite direction, the second elastic member 60 releases the elastic potential energy to smooth the movement of the rotating arm 21. The arrangement of the second elastic member 60 effectively absorbs the instantaneous impact of the linear drive 22 during operation through its elastic deformation, reducing vibration of the positioning member 10 and facilitating stable contact between the positioning member 10 and the wafer edge.

[0077] In some embodiments, as Figure 3 As shown, the positioning member 10 may further include a connecting portion 11 and a contact portion 12. The connecting portion 11 is connected to the power transmission component 30, and the contact portion 12 is rotatably disposed on the connecting portion 11 and is used to form rolling contact with the edge of the wafer to achieve wafer positioning.

[0078] The contact portion 12 may be a rolling component such as a ball or roller rotatably disposed on the connecting portion 11 .

[0079] Such a design can transform the contact between the positioning member 10 and the wafer into rolling contact, thereby reducing the friction between the positioning member 10 and the wafer edge when they are in contact, and improving the stability of the positioning member 10 when in contact with the wafer.

[0080] In some embodiments, the contact portion 12 is made of a first material and the wafer is made of a second material. The first material has a Vickers hardness that is less than the second material. For example, the contact portion 12 may be made of an aluminum alloy and the wafer may be made of single crystal silicon.

[0081] With such a design, when the contact portion 12 contacts the edge of the wafer, even if the contact force between the two is too large and damage occurs, only the contact portion 12 will be damaged, thereby further reducing the risk of wafer damage.

[0082] In some embodiments, continue to refer to Figure 3 A buffer slit 111 is provided on the connecting portion 11 between the contact portion 12 and the power transmission component 30. The buffer slit 111 extends horizontally from the sidewall of the connecting portion 11 toward the interior of the connecting portion 11. For example, the drawings of the embodiment of the present invention illustrate a case where a buffer slit 111 is provided on each of two opposing sides of the connecting portion 11. In this case, the connecting portion 11 is generally S-shaped.

[0083] It is understood that the provision of the buffer gap 111 provides the connection portion 11 with a certain degree of deformation capability. Thus, when the contact portion 12 contacts the edge of the wafer, the connection portion 11 can deform to some extent due to the buffer gap 111, thereby absorbing part of the impact force between the contact portion 12 and the wafer.

[0084] Example 2:

[0085] Although the alignment mechanism disclosed in Example 1 of the present invention can make the contact force between the positioning member 10 and the edge of the wafer more controllable by changing the movement mode of the positioning member 10 from conventional linear motion to swinging, the swinging of the positioning member 10 is achieved by cooperating with the rotating arm 21 through the linear drive device 22. The entire process may still be affected by the rigid impact of the linear drive device 22, resulting in that the alignment mechanism may still not meet the application scenarios that require high-precision control of the contact force.

[0086] Therefore, based on Example 1, Example 2 of the present invention discloses another structural form of the alignment mechanism. Different from Example 1, Example 2 of the present invention uses another method to achieve the swing of the positioning member 10, that is, the power assembly 20 is improved.

[0087] Specifically, combined Figure 4 As shown, the power assembly 20 may include a rotating arm 21, a gear transmission mechanism 23, and a drive motor 24. The rotating arm 21 is hingedly disposed outside the vacuum chamber s and forms a hinge point a. The rotating arm 21 includes a driven portion 211 and a driving portion 212, which are located on either side of the hinge point a and can rotate about the hinge point a.

[0088] The sealing unit 40 is a welding bellows, one end of which is sealed and connected to the outer wall of the vacuum chamber s, and the other end of which is sealed and connected to the rotating arm 21 .

[0089] The end of the power transmission component 30 away from the positioning member 10 is located inside the welding bellows and connected to the driven part 211. The output end of the drive motor 24 is connected to the driving part 212 through the gear transmission mechanism 23 to drive the rotating arm 21 to rotate around the hinge point a.

[0090] Based on the above setting, when the drive motor 24 works to drive the rotating arm 21 to rotate through the gear transmission mechanism 23, the driven part 211 will rotate accordingly, so that the power transmission component 30 can still drive the positioning part 10 to move back and forth in a swinging form towards or away from the edge of the wafer.

[0091] It is understood that the use of the drive motor 24 as the power source and the transmission of power through the gear transmission mechanism 23 facilitates more precise control of the swing amplitude of the rotating arm 21, the power transmission component 30, and the positioning member 10, compared to the method of directly connecting the linear drive device 22 to the active part 212. This allows for more precise control of the contact force between the positioning member 10 and the wafer edge. Furthermore, this alignment mechanism can eliminate the second elastic member 60 in Example 1.

[0092] in, Figure 4 The figure shows a situation where the driving motor 24 is arranged right in front of the active portion 212 of the rotating arm 21 to optimize the structural design of the entire alignment mechanism.

[0093] In some embodiments, reference Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the gear transmission mechanism 23 may include an arc-shaped rack 231 and a gear 232. The gear 232 is connected to the output end of the drive motor 24 so as to be driven by the drive motor 24 to rotate the gear 232. The arc-shaped rack 231 is connected to the driving portion 212 and meshes with the gear 232.

[0094] With such a design, when the driving motor 24 works to drive the gear 232 to rotate, the rotating arm 21 can be driven to rotate around the hinge point a through the transmission of the arc-shaped rack 231 .

[0095] In some embodiments, as Figure 5 As shown, the alignment mechanism may further include a rotation limiter 70. The rotation limiter 70 is rotatably disposed on the side of the active portion 212 facing away from the arcuate rack 231, with the rotation limiter 70 in rolling contact with the active portion 212. The rotation limiter 70 reliably limits the degrees of freedom of the active portion 212, and therefore the entire rotating arm 21, in directions other than its own rotational direction, thereby improving the stability and reliability of the rotating arm 21 during rotation.

[0096] The rotation limiter 70 may be, but is not limited to, Figure 5 Bearing shown.

[0097] In some embodiments, reference Figure 4 and Figure 6 As shown, a buffer member 80 is sleeved on the connection between the positioning member 10 and the power transmission member 30. The buffer member 80 can be, but is not limited to, a rubber ring.

[0098] By setting the buffer member 80, when the positioning member 10 contacts the edge of the wafer, the buffer member 80 can absorb the reaction force from the wafer and acting on the positioning member 10, thereby avoiding the reaction force directly acting on the power transmission component 30, affecting the reliability of the power assembly 20 and even the entire alignment mechanism.

[0099] In some embodiments, the alignment mechanism may further include a limiting component (not shown). This limiting component may be positioned along the rotation path of the pivot arm 21 to limit the rotation angle of the pivot arm 21. This arrangement helps prevent excessive rotation of the pivot arm 21, which could cause the entire alignment mechanism to malfunction, thereby further improving the reliability of the alignment mechanism.

[0100] The limiting component may be a mechanical limiting structure or an electronic limiting device, such as a limit sensor or a limit switch, which is not limited here.

[0101] In addition, it is worth noting that when the alignment mechanism disclosed in Example 2 of the present invention is applied to a high-precision alignment scenario, the end of the positioning member 10 that contacts the edge of the wafer may be tapered (see Figure 6 ), so that when the positioning member 10 contacts the edge of the wafer, the contact between the two is point contact, thereby ensuring reliable positioning of the wafer while further reducing the contact force between the positioning member 10 and the wafer.

[0102] Example 3:

[0103] On the basis of Example 1 and Example 2, Example 3 of the present invention discloses a wafer alignment system, which includes the alignment mechanism disclosed in Example 1 and / or Example 2 above.

[0104] That is to say, the types of alignment mechanisms adopted by the wafer alignment system can have at least the following situations: the first is that all the alignment mechanisms adopted by the wafer alignment system are the alignment mechanisms disclosed in Example 1; the second is that all the alignment mechanisms adopted by the wafer alignment system are the alignment mechanisms disclosed in Example 2; the third is that the alignment mechanisms adopted by the wafer alignment system include both the alignment mechanisms disclosed in Example 1 and the alignment mechanisms disclosed in Example 2.

[0105] By adopting the alignment mechanism disclosed in the above-mentioned embodiment 1 and / or embodiment 2, the wafer alignment system at least has the beneficial effects of the above-mentioned alignment mechanism.

[0106] In other embodiments of the present invention, in order to further improve the alignment accuracy and reliability of the wafer alignment system, the wafer alignment system may be constructed using the third scenario described above.

[0107] Specifically, refer to Figure 7 As shown, the wafer alignment system may include a reference module 100 , a plurality of first alignment mechanisms 200 , and a plurality of second alignment mechanisms 300 .

[0108] The reference module 100 is fixedly installed in the vacuum chamber s and is located outside the wafer. The reference module 100 is mainly used to preliminarily determine the position of the wafer in the vacuum chamber s. Specifically, when performing the wafer alignment operation, one side of the wafer can be first contacted with the reference module 100. For example, when the wafer is a round wafer, the straight edge of the wafer can be placed against the reference module 100 to achieve a preliminary determination of the wafer position. Figure 7 .

[0109] The reference module 100 is a structure of a wafer alignment system known in the prior art. Therefore, the structure of the reference module 100 will not be described in detail herein.

[0110] The plurality of first alignment mechanisms 200 and the plurality of second alignment mechanisms 300 are distributed around the periphery of the wafer along the circumference of the wafer. The first alignment mechanism 200 may be the alignment mechanism disclosed in Example 1, and the second alignment mechanism 300 may be the alignment mechanism disclosed in Example 2.

[0111] For example, the drawings of the embodiments of the present invention illustrate a configuration in which two first alignment mechanisms 200 and three second alignment mechanisms 300 are provided. The two first alignment mechanisms 200 can be spaced apart at a predetermined angle (e.g., 60°) along the circumference of the wafer, and each first alignment mechanism 200 can be spaced apart from the reference module 100 at the same angle (e.g., 150°). One of the second alignment mechanisms 300 can be positioned at the reference module 100. The other two second alignment mechanisms 300 can be positioned between the two first alignment mechanisms 200. These two second alignment mechanisms 300 can be spaced apart at a predetermined angle (e.g., 30°), and each second alignment mechanism 300 can be spaced apart from the adjacent first alignment mechanism 200 at the same angle (e.g., 15°).

[0112] Based on the above configuration, when performing a wafer alignment operation, the wafer alignment method described below can be used for wafer alignment. Considering that a pair of wafers to be bonded are generally positioned simultaneously during a wafer alignment operation, the embodiments of the present invention will use the alignment of a pair of wafers as an example to illustrate the wafer alignment method. The pair of wafers can include two upper and lower wafers arranged sequentially along the height direction.

[0113] Specifically, the wafer alignment method includes:

[0114] 1. Determine the initial position: Place the same side of the upper and lower wafers against the reference module 100 at the same time to determine the initial position of the two wafers.

[0115] 2. Initial positioning: Allow the positioning members 10 of the multiple first alignment mechanisms 200 to approach the edges of the two wafers at the same time until the positioning members 10 of the multiple first alignment mechanisms 200 contact the edges of the two wafers at the same time to achieve initial positioning of the two wafers.

[0116] 3. Secondary positioning: Based on the preliminary positioning of the two wafers, with the lower wafer as the reference, allow the positioning parts 10 of multiple second alignment mechanisms 300 to approach the edge of the upper wafer at the same time, until the positioning parts 10 of multiple second alignment mechanisms 300 contact the edge of the upper wafer at the same time, and gently push the upper wafer to the allowable accuracy range relative to the lower wafer to achieve accurate alignment of the upper and lower wafers.

[0117] It is understandable that the wafer alignment system constructed using the above method can position the wafer through two positioning operations, which not only achieves higher-precision wafer alignment, but also reduces the impact on the wafer during the alignment operation, thereby reducing damage to the wafer. In addition, this wafer alignment system can also be applied to the alignment of wafers of various shapes, including but not limited to circular, square, regular polygonal and other shapes, effectively expanding the scope of application of the wafer alignment system.

[0118] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that various modifications and variations of the present invention are possible. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention shall be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A positioning mechanism for a vacuum chamber, wherein a wafer is arranged in the vacuum chamber, characterized in that: The alignment mechanism comprises: A positioning member is provided inside the vacuum chamber and outside the wafer; the positioning member includes a connecting portion and a contact portion; The connecting portion is connected to the power transmission component; the contact portion is rotatably arranged on the connecting portion and is used to form rolling contact with the edge of the wafer; A buffer seam is provided on the connecting portion between the contact portion and the power transmission component, and the buffer seam extends from a side wall of the connecting portion toward an interior of the connecting portion; A power assembly is arranged outside the vacuum chamber; A power transmission component; both ends of the power transmission component are connected to the positioning member and the power assembly respectively; the power transmission component is used to transmit the power of the power assembly to the positioning member, so that the positioning member can reciprocate towards or away from the wafer; a sealing unit connected to the outer wall of the vacuum chamber and the power assembly and sleeved on the outside of the power transmission component so that the power transmission component is sealed and transmitted inside the sealing unit; The power assembly includes a rotating arm, which is hingedly arranged outside the vacuum chamber and forms a hinge point, and the rotating arm includes a driven part and an active part located on both sides of the hinge point and rotatable around the hinge point; The sealing unit is a welding bellows, one end of which is sealed and connected to the outer wall of the vacuum chamber, and the other end of which is sealed and connected to the rotating arm; One end of the power transmission component away from the positioning member is located inside the welding bellows and connected to the driven part; The alignment mechanism further includes an elastic buffer component, which includes: Fixed blocks, fixed settings; A moving member passing through the fixed block and slidingly engaging with the fixed block; A first elastic member, one end of the first elastic member is connected to the moving member, and the other end of the first elastic member is connected to the power transmission component or the positioning member.

2. The alignment mechanism for a vacuum chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that: The power assembly also includes a linear drive device; The output end of the linear drive device is connected to the active part to drive the rotating arm to rotate around the hinge point.

3. The alignment mechanism for a vacuum chamber according to claim 2, wherein: The alignment mechanism further includes a second elastic member, one end of the second elastic member is connected to the rotating arm, and the other end of the second elastic member is fixed.

4. The alignment mechanism for a vacuum chamber according to claim 1, wherein: The power assembly also includes a gear transmission mechanism and a drive motor; The output end of the driving motor is connected to the active part through the gear transmission mechanism to drive the rotating arm to rotate around the hinge point.

5. The alignment mechanism for a vacuum chamber according to claim 4, characterized in that: The gear transmission mechanism includes an arc-shaped rack and a gear; The gear transmission is connected to the output end of the driving motor, and the arc-shaped rack is connected to the driving part and meshes with the gear; The alignment mechanism further includes a rotation limiting member, which is rotatably arranged on a side of the active portion away from the arc-shaped rack, and the rotation limiting member is in rolling contact with the active portion.

6. The alignment mechanism for a vacuum chamber according to claim 1, wherein: The contact portion is made of a first material, and the wafer is made of a second material; The Vickers hardness of the first material is lower than the Vickers hardness of the second material.

7. The alignment mechanism for a vacuum chamber according to claim 1, wherein: A buffer is sleeved on the connection between the positioning member and the power transmission member.

8. A wafer alignment system, characterized in that: The device comprises the alignment mechanism for a vacuum chamber according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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