Multifunctional traceless wafer carrying end effector

Abstract

The invention provides a multifunctional traceless wafer carrying end effector, which is characterized in that one side of a wafer finger is provided with an air flow groove, the air flow groove is provided with a plurality of connecting hole sites, an adsorption device is fixedly connected to the wafer finger through the connecting hole sites, and the terminal of the air flow groove is provided with a vacuum pumping hole; the adsorption device comprises an elastic suction cup and a traceless contact pad, wherein the top of the elastic suction cup is fixedly connected to a wafer finger through a connecting hole site; the traceless contact pad is detachably connected to the bottom of the elastic suction cup. The interior of the elastic suction cup is communicated with the airflow groove. The vacuum pumping hole is connected with a vacuum pump, and the vacuum pump is used for forming a vacuum environment in the elastic suction cup, so that the bottom contact surface of the traceless contact pad is in close contact with the surface of a wafer to be carried, and traceless carrying of the wafer is achieved. According to the multifunctional traceless wafer carrying end effector provided by the invention, the compatibility of multiple transmission modes of the same end effector is realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of the semiconductor industry, and more particularly to a multi-functional and trace-free wafer handling end effector. Background Art

[0002] In the semiconductor field, mechanical fingers are commonly used to complete the transfer of wafers, as well as subsequent processing and inspection processes. During the transfer of wafers, it is necessary to fix the wafers. Common transfer methods used by end effectors include mechanical clamping, vacuum adsorption, and Bernoulli adsorption, etc., to transfer the wafers to workstations or chambers. During the handling process, the mechanical clamping type end effector realizes the grasping of wafers through the reciprocating motion of the clamping mechanism gear driven by a motor. However, due to a certain clamping force, it is easy to damage the wafers, and the handling efficiency is low; while the Bernoulli adsorption type end effector is suitable for thin wafers and has limitations; the wafer end effector with the vacuum adsorption method has high handling efficiency and is widely used, but it is easy to leave adsorption marks on the wafers.

[0003] Therefore, in today's semiconductor industry, it is required that the end effector has the ability to adsorb warpage and bonding pads. However, in the face of various wafer transfer requirements, in addition to the existing mechanical clamping type and Bernoulli type end effectors having certain limitations, there are also problems such as the vacuum adsorption type end effector being unable to be used for the adsorption of warped wafers, and the end effector being unable to be compatible with the adsorption of wafers of multiple specifications and sizes. Facing these problems, the usual countermeasure is to replace the corresponding end effector and re-debug, which is cumbersome and time-consuming to replace, greatly affecting the work efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention aims to provide a multi-functional and trace-free wafer handling end effector to solve the above technical problems and meet the needs of handling multiple wafers while making the replacement operation simple.

[0005] To solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides a multi-functional and trace-free wafer handling end effector, including wafer fingers and a rotating robotic arm detachably connected to the wafer fingers, and further including: a plurality of adsorption devices and a vacuum pump, wherein:

[0006] An air flow groove is provided on one side of the wafer fingers, a plurality of connection holes are provided on the air flow groove, the adsorption devices are fixedly connected to the wafer fingers through the connection holes, and a vacuum pumping hole is provided at the end of the air flow groove;

[0007] The adsorption device includes an elastic suction cup and a trace-free contact pad, wherein: the top of the elastic suction cup is fixedly connected to the wafer fingers through the connection holes; the trace-free contact pad is detachably connected to the bottom of the elastic suction cup; the inside of the elastic suction cup communicates with the air flow groove;

[0008] The vacuum pumping hole is connected to a vacuum pump, and the vacuum pump is used to create a vacuum environment inside the elastic suction cup, so that the bottom contact surface of the traceless contact pad is in close contact with the surface of the wafer to be transported, realizing traceless transportation of the wafer.

[0009] In the above solution, an adsorption device is formed by detachably connecting an elastic suction cup and a traceless contact pad. The elastic suction cup is fixedly connected to the wafer finger. The inside of the adsorption device communicates with the air flow groove on the wafer finger, and the vacuum pumping hole at the end of the air flow groove is connected to the vacuum pump. Then, the wafer can be adsorbed through the vacuum pumping operation to realize the transportation process of the wafer, simplifying the structure of the wafer transfer device; the traceless contact pad is used, and no adsorption marks will be left on the surface of the wafer during the transportation process; and based on the detachable structure of several adsorption devices, it is possible to change the adsorption principle of the adsorption device or the number of adsorptions generated by the adsorption device by replacing different types of traceless contact pads, etc., and then change the adsorption transfer method of the wafer finger, realizing the compatibility of multiple specifications of wafer transfer and multiple transfer methods on the same end effector to meet different production requirements, and being convenient for quick switching operations, greatly improving work efficiency.

[0010] Further, a snap ring is provided on the upper part of the traceless contact pad; the traceless contact pad is detachably snap-connected to the cavity of the elastic suction cup through the snap ring.

[0011] In the above solution, by providing a snap ring structure on the upper part of the traceless contact pad and snapping the snap ring structure into the elastic suction cup from the bottom, the detachable connection with the elastic suction cup is realized simply and quickly, and it is not easy to fall off, facilitating the quick replacement of the corresponding type of traceless contact pad when facing different wafers to be transported.

[0012] Further, the traceless contact pad includes a vacuum suction cup pad, where: the vacuum suction cup pad is used to create a vacuum environment inside the elastic suction cup when the vacuum pump is started, and then the surface of the wafer to be transported is adsorbed on the bottom contact surface of the vacuum suction cup pad, realizing traceless transportation of the wafer.

[0013] In the above solution, by providing a vacuum suction cup pad, when the vacuum pump is used for pumping air, a vacuum environment is formed inside the elastic suction cup, and then a negative pressure is generated inside the traceless contact pad to generate an adsorption force so that the surface of the wafer to be transported is adsorbed on the bottom contact surface of the vacuum suction cup pad, thus realizing traceless transportation of the wafer.

[0014] Further, the traceless contact pad includes a cyclone suction cup pad, wherein: a cyclone nozzle is provided on the side of the cyclone suction cup pad. When the cyclone suction cup pad is detachably connected to the bottom of the elastic suction cup, the cyclone nozzle communicates with the air flow groove; the cyclone suction cup pad is used to supply supply gas from the vacuum pumping hole to the air flow groove. The supply gas flows through the air flow groove and is ejected at high speed through the cyclone nozzle, and a rotating air flow is formed inside the cyclone suction cup pad, so that a pressure difference is formed on both sides of the surface of the wafer to be transported based on the rotating air flow, and then the surface of the wafer to be transported is adsorbed on the bottom contact surface of the cyclone suction cup pad based on the pressure difference.

[0015] In the above solution, by providing a cyclone suction cup pad with a cyclone nozzle on the side, the adsorption device combined with the elastic suction cup can achieve the adsorption method based on the Bernoulli adsorption principle, that is, a low-pressure area is formed on the suction cup surface by the high-speed air flow generated by the supply gas, thereby generating an adsorption force: when the supply gas flows through the air flow groove and is ejected at high speed through the cyclone nozzle, the ejected air flow forms a stable laminar flow in the space between the cyclone suction cup pad and the wafer, and then causes a pressure difference between the upper and lower surfaces of the wafer, and finally an adsorption force on the wafer is formed on the contact surface.

[0016] Further, the traceless contact pad includes a solid suction cup pad, wherein: when any adsorption device is composed of a detachable connection of an elastic suction cup and a solid suction cup pad, the adsorption device cannot adsorb the wafer to be transported.

[0017] In the above solution, by simply replacing it with a solid contact pad, the adsorption device that is useless for fingers can be blocked. By forming any adsorption device with a solid contact pad and an elastic suction cup, the number of adsorption devices that can generate adsorption force can be controlled, and then the adsorption requirements for wafers of different specifications can be realized. Without replacing the end effector, the wafer transfer requirements of various specifications and sizes can be met, and the teaching time of the finger is reduced due to frequent finger replacement, which is beneficial to improving production efficiency.

[0018] Further, the lower part of the elastic suction cup is set as a flared structure with an upward opening according to a preset suction cup angle, and the bottom of the flared structure is detachably connected to the snap ring on the upper part of the traceless contact pad.

[0019] In the above solution, by setting the lower part of the elastic suction cup as a flared structure with an upward opening, the grasping and adsorption of the contact surface of the wafer to be transported with a certain arc or inclination angle can be realized.

[0020] Further, the lower part of the traceless contact pad is set as a flared structure with a downward opening according to a preset contact pad angle; the preset contact pad angle matches the preset suction cup angle.

[0021] In the above solution, by setting the angles of the horn-shaped structures at the lower parts of the traceless contact pads to match the angles of the horn-shaped structures at the lower parts of the elastic suction cups, the bottom contact surface fits more closely to the wafer surface, so as to achieve the grasping and adsorption of the contact surface of the wafer to be transported with a certain arc or inclination angle during the elastic deformation process of the elastic suction cup.

[0022] Furthermore, the outer wall of the upper snap ring of the traceless contact pad is set to an optimized arc of the outer wall, and the inner wall of the lower part of the elastic suction cup is set to an optimized arc of the inner wall that matches the optimized arc of the outer wall.

[0023] In the above solution, by setting the arcs of the outer wall of the snap ring and the inner wall of the lower part of the elastic suction cup to match, the elastic suction cup and the traceless contact pad can be completely and tightly fitted together, ensuring the stability of the structure of the adsorption device and thus ensuring the normal and stable adsorption function.

[0024] Furthermore, the upper part of the elastic suction cup is set to a corrugated pipe structure that can be elastically compressed. The top of the corrugated pipe structure is fixedly connected to the wafer finger through a connection hole position; the corrugated pipe structure is used to change the adsorption angle and adsorption height of the adsorption device by elastic compression to meet the different adsorption requirements of the wafer to be transported.

[0025] In the above solution, by setting the upper part of the elastic suction cup to a corrugated pipe structure that can be elastically compressed, elastic compression of the elastic suction cup can be achieved, thereby changing the adsorption angle and adsorption height of the adsorption device to meet the contact surfaces of wafers to be transported with different heights and warpage amounts, and realizing the grasping, adsorption, and transportation of wafers with different shapes and thicknesses.

[0026] Furthermore, grooves are provided on the bottom contact surface of the traceless contact pad.

[0027] In the above solution, by providing grooves on the bottom contact surface of the traceless contact pad, the friction between the traceless contact pad and the surface of the wafer to be transported is increased, preventing potential transportation hazards caused by the movement of the wafer to be transported on the adsorption device.

[0028] A multi-functional traceless wafer handling end effector provided by the present invention aims at the wafer handling requirements in the semiconductor technology field. By setting an adsorption device composed of a detachable elastic suction cup and a traceless contact pad, and fixedly connecting the elastic suction cup to the wafer finger, the interior of the adsorption device communicates with the air flow groove on the wafer finger, and is connected to a vacuum pump through the vacuum pumping hole at the end of the air flow groove. Thus, the wafer can be adsorbed through vacuum pumping operation to realize the wafer handling process, simplifying the structure of the wafer transfer device; adopting a traceless contact pad, no adsorption marks will be left on the wafer surface during the handling process; setting the corrugated structure and horn-shaped structure of the elastic suction cup, as well as the horn-shaped structure of the traceless contact pad, to achieve the adsorption of wafers with a certain arc warpage amount, meeting the adsorption contact surfaces with different arcs and heights; and based on the detachable structure of several adsorption devices, realizing the change of the adsorption principle of the adsorption device or the number of adsorptions generated by the adsorption device by replacing different models of traceless contact pads, etc., which can meet the transmission methods of vacuum adsorption and Bernoulli adsorption principles, and can be quickly switched to meet the wafer transfer requirements of various specifications and thicknesses; ultimately realizing a multi-functional traceless end effector with a simple and compact structure, which can solve the adsorption marks of wafer handling, be compatible with the handling problems of warped wafers and bonded wafer wafers, as well as the handling method of Bernoulli adsorption, and while simplifying the structure of the wafer transfer device, avoid contaminating and damaging the wafer and reduce the wafer manufacturing cost, realizing the transfer of wafers of various specifications and greatly improving the production efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a multi-functional traceless wafer handling end effector provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of an adsorption device provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 3 Schematic plan view of a wafer finger provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of different shapes of a wafer finger provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of an adsorption device applied to adsorb a wafer with a warpage amount provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of a solid contact pad provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of a cyclone suction cup pad provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 8Schematic diagram of a multifunctional traceless handling wafer end effector for adsorbing wafers of different sizes provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 9 Schematic diagram of an adsorption device for adsorbing a wafer with a certain curvature provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] In the figure: 1, wafer finger; 2, adsorption device; 3, sealing strip; 4, operating robotic arm; 5, auxiliary mounting part; 6, air flow groove; 7, vacuum pumping hole; 8, mounting hole position; 9, connection hole position; 10, shaft hole; 11, 6-inch wafer; 12, 8-inch wafer; 13, 12-inch wafer; 14, vacuum suction cup pad; 15, solid suction cup pad; 21, elastic suction cup; 22, traceless contact pad; 23, suction hole; 24, snap ring; 25, suction cup inner cavity; 26, air cyclone nozzle. Detailed implementation manners

[0039] Next, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without making creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0040] This embodiment provides a multifunctional traceless handling wafer end effector, including a wafer finger and an operating robotic arm detachably connected to the wafer finger, and further including: a plurality of adsorption devices and a vacuum pump, wherein:

[0041] An air flow groove is provided on one side of the wafer finger, a plurality of connection hole positions are arranged on the air flow groove, the adsorption device is fixedly connected to the wafer finger through the connection hole positions, and a vacuum pumping hole is provided at the terminal of the air flow groove;

[0042] The adsorption device includes an elastic suction cup and a traceless contact pad, wherein: the top of the elastic suction cup is fixedly connected to the wafer finger through a connection hole position; the traceless contact pad is detachably connected to the bottom of the elastic suction cup; the inside of the elastic suction cup communicates with the air flow groove;

[0043] The vacuum pumping hole is connected to the vacuum pump, and the vacuum pump is used to form a vacuum environment inside the elastic suction cup, so that the bottom contact surface of the traceless contact pad is in close contact with the surface of the wafer to be handled, realizing traceless handling of the wafer.

[0044] The above solution forms an adsorption device by detachably connecting an elastic suction cup and a traceless contact pad. The elastic suction cup is fixedly connected to the wafer finger. The inside of the adsorption device communicates with the air flow groove on the wafer finger, and is connected to a vacuum pump through the vacuum extraction hole at the end of the air flow groove. Thus, the wafer can be adsorbed through the vacuum pumping operation to realize the handling process of the wafer, simplifying the structure of the wafer transfer device; the traceless contact pad is used, and no adsorption marks will be left on the wafer surface during the handling process; and based on the detachable structure of several adsorption devices, the adsorption principle of the adsorption device or the number of adsorptions generated by the adsorption device can be changed by replacing traceless contact pads of different models, etc., and then the adsorption transfer method of the wafer finger can be changed to realize the compatibility of the transfer of wafers of multiple specifications and multiple transfer methods on the same end effector, so as to meet different production requirements, and it is convenient for quick switching operations, greatly improving the work efficiency.

[0045] In the specific implementation process, a multi-functional end effector structure for semiconductor wafer handling refers to a load-bearing and picking structure installed on the end arm of a handling robot for loading wafers. The end effector structure of the present invention uses a vacuum pump to extract air from the space inside the elastic suction cup, creating a vacuum environment inside the elastic suction cup, and forming a tight contact between the wafer surface and the bottom contact surface of the traceless contact pad, thereby realizing the handling of the wafer; at the same time, the components in contact with the wafer are all made of non-sticky materials, so no adsorption marks will be left on the adsorption surface of the wafer; the adsorption of the warped wafer is realized by combining the traceless contact pad and the elastic suction cup, and the compression of the elastic suction cup meets the adsorption of wafers with different warpage degrees and different warpage directions.

[0046] In the specific implementation process, as Figure 1 shown, a multi-functional traceless wafer handling end effector is composed of a wafer finger 1, an adsorption device 2, a sealing strip 3, a running robotic arm (4) and an auxiliary mounting part 5. Among them, an air flow groove 6 is provided on one side of the wafer finger 1, and the end of the air flow groove 6 is a vacuum extraction hole 7, and the vacuum extraction hole 7 communicates with the vacuum pump; the wafer finger 1 is detachably connected to the running robotic arm 4 through the mounting hole position 8; the adsorption device 2 is as Figure 2 shown, and is detachably composed of an elastic suction cup 21 and a traceless contact pad 22; as Figure 3 shown in the schematic plan view of the wafer finger 1, several connection hole positions 9 are provided on the air flow groove 6. The connection hole positions 9 are located on the surface of the wafer finger 1 and are fixedly connected to the adsorption device 2. A shaft hole 10 is opened in the center of the connection hole position 9, and the shaft hole 10 communicates with the air flow groove 6.

[0047] In the specific implementation process, the wafer finger 1 is made of integral ceramic, alumina and other materials through machining. While meeting the requirement of no deformation of the finger, it can be changed according to the actual size and shape of the wafer and the stage, and the wafer finger 1 with various external dimensions is processed, such as double fingers, single finger, circular finger, semi-circular finger, etc. As Figure 4 shown, Figure 4 (a) shows the structure of the wafer finger 1 with a single finger, Figure 4 (b) shows the structure of the wafer finger 1 with double fingers, Figure 4 (c) shows the structure of the wafer finger 1 with circular fingers, Figure 4 (d) shows the structure of the semi-circular wafer finger 1. The mounting hole positions 8 of each wafer finger 1 are the same as those of the robot holes, which is convenient for replacing the wafer finger 1 according to different processes.

[0048] Optionally, a snap ring is provided on the upper part of the traceless contact pad 22; the traceless contact pad 22 is detachably clamped in the cavity of the elastic suction cup 21 through the snap ring.

[0049] In the specific implementation process, the diameter of the snap ring on the upper part of the traceless contact pad 22 is larger than the inner diameter of the cavity of the elastic suction cup 21. When the traceless contact pad 22 is detachably clamped in the cavity of the elastic suction cup 21 through the snap ring, the traceless contact pad 22 is tightly combined with the elastic suction cup 21, providing good structural support for the realization of the adsorption function; at the same time, due to the elasticity of the elastic suction cup 21, the installation is simple, the replacement is convenient and it is not easy to fall off.

[0050] Optionally, the traceless contact pad 22 includes a vacuum suction cup pad, where: the vacuum suction cup pad is used to form a vacuum environment inside the elastic suction cup 21 when the vacuum pump is started, so that the surface of the wafer to be carried is adsorbed on the bottom contact surface of the vacuum suction cup pad, realizing traceless handling of the wafer.

[0051] In the specific implementation process, the traceless contact pad 22 is made by machining with non-stick materials (such as PEEK, alumina coated with Teflon, etc.). As Figure 5 shown, a suction hole 23 is provided on the traceless contact pad 22. When the traceless contact pad 22 is detachably connected to the bottom of the elastic suction cup 21, the suction hole 23 communicates with the shaft hole 10, and a snap ring 24 is provided on the upper part. When the traceless contact pad 22 is a vacuum suction cup pad, after the vacuum pump is started, a vacuum environment is formed inside the elastic suction cup 21, and a negative pressure is formed in the suction cavity 25 of the vacuum suction cup pad, thereby firmly adsorbing the wafer.

[0052] Optionally, the traceless contact pad 22 includes a cyclone suction cup pad, where: a cyclone nozzle is provided on the side of the cyclone suction cup pad. When the cyclone suction cup pad is detachably connected to the bottom of the elastic suction cup 21, the cyclone nozzle communicates with the air flow groove 6; the cyclone suction cup pad is used to supply supply gas to the air flow groove 6 from the vacuum pumping hole 7. The supply gas passes through the air flow groove 6 and is ejected at high speed through the cyclone nozzle, and a rotating air flow is formed inside the cyclone suction cup pad, so as to form a pressure difference on both sides of the surface of the wafer to be transported based on the rotating air flow, and then the surface of the wafer to be transported is adsorbed on the bottom contact surface of the cyclone suction cup pad based on the pressure difference.

[0053] In the specific implementation process, for the adsorption of extremely thin wafers, an adsorption method based on the Bernoulli adsorption principle is often used, that is, a low-pressure area is formed on the adsorption surface through a high-speed air flow, so as to generate an adsorption force. The high-speed air flow is finally released into the external space through the gap between the surface of the adsorption device and the surface of the wafer to be transported, and a stable laminar flow is formed in the space between the cyclone suction cup pad and the wafer to be transported, causing a pressure difference between the upper and lower surfaces of the wafer to be transported, and finally forming an adsorption force on the wafer. In this embodiment, the traceless contact pad 22 is replaced with a cyclone suction cup pad based on the Bernoulli principle, so as to realize the transformation of the vacuum suction cup into a Bernoulli suction cup. The specific implementation method of the cyclone suction cup pad is as Figure 6 shown. The size of the snap ring 24 on the upper part of the cyclone suction cup pad is the same as that of the snap ring 24 of the above-mentioned vacuum suction cup pad. A suction hole 23 is provided. The snap ring 24 is clamped in the elastic suction cup 21. When the supply gas passes through the air flow groove 6 of the wafer finger 1 into the elastic suction cup 21, it is ejected at high speed through the side cyclone nozzle 26 of the cyclone suction cup pad, and a rotating air flow is formed in the cyclone suction cup pad, and a negative pressure is formed. Finally, a pressure difference is formed between the upper and lower surfaces of the wafer to be transported, so that the extremely thin wafer to be transported is firmly attached to the cyclone suction cup pad.

[0054] Optionally, the traceless contact pad 22 includes a solid suction cup pad, where: when any adsorption device 2 is composed of a detachable connection of an elastic suction cup 21 and a solid suction cup pad, the adsorption device 2 cannot adsorb the wafer to be transported.

[0055] In the specific implementation process, by replacing the traceless contact pad 22 with a solid suction cup pad, the solid contact pad has the same material and size as the above-mentioned vacuum suction cup pad, and is made of non-sticky materials (such as PEEK, alumina coated with Teflon, etc.) by machining. The only difference is that the solid contact pad does not have a suction hole 23 for realizing vacuum pumping, as Figure 7 shown. In this way, by simply replacing the contact pad, the useless adsorption device 2 of the wafer finger 1 can be blocked, and the vacuum adsorption of wafers of multiple specifications can be realized, that is, the wafer transfer requirements of multiple specification sizes can be met without replacing the end effector, reducing the working production time increased due to frequent replacement of the wafer finger 1, which is beneficial to improving production efficiency.

[0056] In the specific implementation process, by increasing the number of adsorption devices 2 and replacing the traceless contact pads 22, when bonding wafers of different sizes and weights are adsorbed, for example Figure 8 as shown Figure 8 in (a) represents the adsorption of a 6-inch wafer 11, Figure 8 in (b) represents the adsorption of an 8-inch wafer 12, Figure 8 in (c) represents the adsorption of a 12-inch wafer 13: For the 6-inch wafer 11, it can be composed of 3 elastic suction cups 21 and 3 vacuum suction cup pads 14, and the contact pads of the remaining compression suction cups are replaced with solid suction cup pads 15, blocking unnecessary vacuum suction ports to prevent air leakage when adsorbing small-sized wafers; for the 8-inch wafer 12, it is composed of 5 elastic suction cups 21 and 5 vacuum suction cup pads; the adsorption of the 12-inch wafer 13 is achieved by 7 elastic suction cups 21 and 7 vacuum suction cup pads; that is, the load capacity of the end effector can be increased by increasing the number of suction cups.

[0057] In the specific implementation process, for wafers or bonding wafers of different weights to be transported, by increasing the traceless contact pads 22 with suction holes 23, the number of wafer suction points is increased to achieve the required adsorption force to meet the adsorption of heavier wafers or bonding wafers to be transported. For example, for the adsorption of a 12-inch wafer 13, a total of 2 adsorption devices are designed, and the specific calculation is as follows:

[0058] F = S * P / U = 0.785 * 0.75 / 2.5 = 0.255 kg;

[0059] S = 3.14 * 0.5 * 0.5 = 0.785 cm 2 ;

[0060] P = -75 Kpa = 75 x 0.01 kg / cm2 = 0.75 kg / cm 2 ;

[0061] G = 0.255 kg * 6 = 1.53 kg;

[0062] M = ρsh * 2 = 7.456 * 10 3 x 0.15 * 0.15 * 3.14 * 0.75 X 10-3 * 2 = 0.79 kg;

[0063] where F represents the suction force of a single adsorption device 2, S represents the area of the bottom contact surface of the traceless contact pad 22, P represents the air pressure, U represents the safety factor (greater than the safety factor of 2.5), G represents the total load of the wafer finger 1; the wafer finger 1 can withstand a maximum load of 1.785 kg; the density of the LT wafer is 7.456 * 10 3 kg / m 3, where M represents the weight of the LT wafer / the weight of the LT bonding chip, which is less than the total load of the wafer finger 1. That is, the end effector of this embodiment can satisfy the adsorption of the LT bonding chip of the 12-inch LT material with a higher density. Therefore, the end effector of this embodiment can meet the transfer requirements of most wafers.

[0064] Optionally, the lower part of the elastic suction cup 21 is set as a horn-shaped structure with an upward opening according to a preset suction cup angle, and the bottom of the horn-shaped structure is detachably connected to the snap ring 24 on the upper part of the traceless contact pad 22.

[0065] In the specific implementation process, by setting the lower part of the elastic suction cup 21 as a horn-shaped structure with an upward opening, it is possible to achieve the grasping and adsorption of the contact surface of the wafer to be transported with a certain arc or inclination angle.

[0066] Optionally, the lower part of the traceless contact pad 22 is set as a horn-shaped structure with a downward opening according to a preset contact pad angle; the preset contact pad angle matches the preset suction cup angle.

[0067] In the specific implementation process, by setting the angle of the lower horn-shaped structure of the traceless contact pad 22 to match the angle of the lower horn-shaped structure of the elastic suction cup 21, the bottom contact surface fits more closely to the wafer surface, realizing the grasping and adsorption of the contact surface of the wafer to be transported with a certain arc or inclination angle during the elastic deformation process of the elastic suction cup 21.

[0068] Optionally, the outer wall of the snap ring 24 on the upper part of the traceless contact pad 22 is set as an optimized outer wall arc, and the inner wall of the lower part of the elastic suction cup 21 is set as an optimized inner wall arc that matches the optimized outer wall arc.

[0069] In the specific implementation process, by setting the arcs of the outer wall of the snap ring 24 and the inner wall of the lower part of the elastic suction cup 21 to match, the elastic suction cup 21 and the traceless contact pad 22 can be completely and tightly fitted together, ensuring the stability of the structure of the adsorption device 2 and thus ensuring the normal and stable adsorption function.

[0070] Optionally, the upper part of the elastic suction cup 21 is set as a bellows structure that can be elastically compressed. The top of the bellows structure is fixedly connected to the wafer finger 1 through the connection hole 9; the bellows structure is used to change the adsorption angle and adsorption height of the adsorption device 2 through elastic compression to meet the different adsorption requirements of the wafer to be transported.

[0071] In the specific implementation process, the elastic suction cup 21 is made of rubber through a mold opening process. The upper part of the elastic suction cup 21 is similar in shape to a bellows structure, the lower part is in a horn shape, and the inside is communicated with the air flow groove 6 of the wafer finger 1. As Figure 4, for the adsorption of warped wafers, the elastic compression of the corrugated pipe structure on the upper part of the elastic suction cup 21 can be used to meet contact surfaces of different heights. At the same time, for contact surfaces with a certain arc, the horn structure at the lower part can be used to achieve surface grasping at an inclined angle. As Figure 9 shown, for the contact surface of the to-be-transported wafer 16 with a certain arc, the elastic suction cup 21 realizes the changes in the contact surface angle and height by compressing the corrugated pipe structure on the upper part and changing the horn-shaped structure at the lower part.

[0072] Optionally, grooves are provided on the bottom contact surface of the traceless contact pad 22.

[0073] In the specific implementation process, by providing grooves on the bottom contact surface of the traceless contact pad 22, the friction between the traceless contact pad 22 and the surface of the to-be-transported wafer is increased, preventing potential transportation hazards caused by the radial sliding of the to-be-transported wafer during adsorption on the adsorption device 2.

[0074] A multifunctional traceless wafer handling end effector provided in this embodiment aims at the wafer handling requirements in the semiconductor technology field. By optimizing the wafer finger structure, a detachable connection elastic suction cup and a traceless contact pad are set up to form an adsorption device, and the elastic suction cup is fixedly connected to the wafer finger. The inside of the adsorption device communicates with the air flow grooves on the wafer finger, and is connected to a vacuum pump through the vacuum pumping holes at the end of the air flow grooves. Furthermore, the wafer can be adsorbed through vacuum pumping operation to realize the wafer handling process, simplifying the structure of the wafer transfer device; adopting a traceless contact pad, no adsorption marks will be left on the wafer surface during handling; setting the corrugated pipe structure and the horn-shaped structure of the elastic suction cup, as well as the horn-shaped structure of the traceless contact pad, realizes the adsorption of warped wafers with a certain arc amount, meeting adsorption contact surfaces of different arcs and heights; and based on the detachable structure of several adsorption devices, it is possible to change the adsorption principle of the adsorption device or the number of adsorptions generated by the adsorption device by replacing different models of traceless contact pads, etc., which can meet the transmission methods of vacuum adsorption and Bernoulli adsorption principles, and can be quickly switched to meet the wafer transfer requirements of various specifications and thicknesses; ultimately, a multifunctional traceless end effector is realized that can solve the adsorption marks in wafer handling, be compatible with the handling problems of warped wafers and bonded wafer wafers, as well as the handling method of Bernoulli adsorption, and while simplifying the structure of the wafer transfer device, avoid contaminating and damaging the wafer and reduce the wafer manufacturing cost, realizing the transfer of various specifications of wafers and greatly improving the production efficiency.

[0075] The above are the preferred embodiments of the present invention. It should be noted that for those of ordinary skill in the art in this technical field, without departing from the principle of the present invention, several improvements and refinements can still be made, and these improvements and refinements are also regarded as the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A multi-functional seamless wafer handling end effector, comprising wafer fingers and a running robotic arm detachably connected to the wafer fingers, characterized in that, Further included are: a plurality of adsorption devices and a vacuum pump, wherein: an air flow groove is provided on one side of the wafer finger, a plurality of connection holes are provided on the air flow groove, the adsorption device is fixedly connected to the wafer finger through the connection holes, and a vacuum pumping hole is provided at the end of the air flow groove; the adsorption device includes an elastic suction cup and a traceless contact pad, wherein: the top of the elastic suction cup is fixedly connected to the wafer finger through the connection holes; the traceless contact pad is detachably connected to the bottom of the elastic suction cup; the inside of the elastic suction cup communicates with the air flow groove; the vacuum pumping hole is connected to the vacuum pump, and the vacuum pump is used to create a vacuum environment inside the elastic suction cup, so that the bottom contact surface of the traceless contact pad is in close contact with the surface of the wafer to be transported, realizing traceless transportation of the wafer.

2. The multifunctional traceless wafer handling end effector according to claim 1, wherein a snap ring is provided on the upper part of the traceless contact pad; the traceless contact pad is detachably clamped in the cavity of the elastic suction cup through the snap ring.

3. The multifunctional traceless wafer handling end effector according to claim 2, characterized in that, the traceless contact pad includes a vacuum suction cup pad, wherein: the vacuum suction cup pad is used to create a vacuum environment inside the elastic suction cup when the vacuum pump is started, so that the surface of the wafer to be transported is adsorbed on the bottom contact surface of the vacuum suction cup pad, realizing traceless transportation of the wafer.

4. A multifunctional seamless handling wafer end effector according to claim 2, characterized in that, the traceless contact pad includes a cyclone suction cup pad, wherein: a cyclone nozzle is provided on the side of the cyclone suction cup pad, and when the cyclone suction cup pad is detachably connected to the bottom of the elastic suction cup, the cyclone nozzle communicates with the air flow groove; the cyclone suction cup pad is used to supply supply gas from the vacuum pumping hole to the air flow groove, the supply gas flows through the cyclone nozzle at a high speed through the air flow groove, and a rotating air flow is formed inside the cyclone suction cup pad, so as to form a pressure difference on both sides of the surface of the wafer to be transported based on the rotating air flow, and then the surface of the wafer to be transported is adsorbed on the bottom contact surface of the cyclone suction cup pad based on the pressure difference.

5. A multifunctional seamless wafer handling end effector according to claim 2, characterized in that, the traceless contact pad includes a solid suction cup pad, wherein: when any of the adsorption devices is detachably connected by the elastic suction cup and the solid suction cup pad, the adsorption device cannot adsorb the wafer to be transported.

6. The multifunctional seamless wafer handling end effector according to claim 2, wherein: the lower part of the elastic suction cup is arranged in a horn-shaped structure with an upward opening according to a preset suction cup angle, and the bottom of the horn-shaped structure is detachably connected to the snap ring on the upper part of the traceless contact pad.

7. A multifunctional seamless wafer handling end effector according to claim 6, characterized in that: the lower part of the traceless contact pad is arranged in a horn-shaped structure with a downward opening according to a preset contact pad angle; the preset contact pad angle matches the preset suction cup angle.

8. The multifunctional seamless wafer handling end effector according to claim 2, wherein: the outer wall of the snap ring on the upper part of the traceless contact pad is set to an optimized outer wall radian, and the inner wall of the lower part of the elastic suction cup is set to an optimized inner wall radian matching the optimized outer wall radian.

9. A multifunctional traceless wafer handling end effector according to claim 1, wherein: the upper part of the elastic suction cup is arranged in an elastically compressible corrugated pipe structure, and the top of the corrugated pipe structure is fixedly connected to the wafer finger through the connection holes; the corrugated pipe structure is used to change the adsorption angle and adsorption height of the adsorption device through elastic compression to meet different adsorption requirements of the wafer to be transported.

10. A multifunctional seamless wafer handling end effector according to claim 1, wherein: grooves are provided on the bottom contact surface of the traceless contact pad.

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