A semiconductor wafer processing device and its processing method

Abstract

This application discloses a semiconductor wafer processing equipment and method, relating to the field of semiconductor processing equipment technology. This application provides a gripper-type wafer processing equipment, where the grippers are vertically positioned conveyor belt structures mounted on vertical rods. The conveyor belt is made of a soft material and has a ring of soft teeth on its outer edge. The number of grippers is greater than or equal to three, sliding towards each other to clamp and release the wafer. During use, the wafer to be cleaned is inserted between the grippers, and as the conveyor belt rotates, its edge is gradually filled between the teeth and positioned. During the rotational cleaning process, if it is desired to rotate the wafer around its own axis, the clamping on the wafer can be loosened without disengaging the soft teeth. After rotation, a rapid stop or deceleration is performed, and then the wafer rotates relative to the grippers due to inertia. This achieves the technical effects of enabling the semiconductor wafer processing equipment to clean wafers without dead angles, with high wafer processing efficiency and strong applicability to wafer specifications.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of semiconductor processing equipment technology, and in particular to a semiconductor wafer processing equipment and its processing method. Background Technology

[0002] In the manufacturing process of integrated circuits, wafers come into contact with a large number of particles during multiple processes such as thin film deposition, etching, and polishing. In order to keep the wafer surface clean and eliminate particles left on the wafer surface during the process, the wafer must be cleaned after each process. Among them, horizontal cleaning technology involves placing the wafer on a clamping device and rotating it at a certain speed while spraying a certain flow rate of cleaning fluid onto the wafer to clean the wafer surface.

[0003] Chinese invention patent with authorization announcement number CN113990798B discloses a wafer clamping device and a wafer post-processing equipment. The solution discloses a simple and reliable structure that uses a chuck positioned on a turntable that can lift and clamp to position a single wafer. It achieves the effect of clamping the wafer after lowering it to perform high-speed rotation and releasing the wafer after rising it to interact with a robotic arm.

[0004] While the above solution can achieve wafer clamping and positioning relatively easily, it has the following drawbacks:

[0005] Firstly, due to its own structural limitations, the wafer needs to be firmly fixed by the chuck during the positioning and cleaning process, and the relative position between the wafer and the chuck cannot be changed. This results in cleaning dead zones at the point where the wafer contacts the chuck, which seriously affects the overall cleaning effect.

[0006] Secondly, it can only process one wafer at a time, resulting in low processing efficiency and hindering large-scale production.

[0007] Thirdly, the equipment has poor applicability to wafers; a single set of equipment can only process wafers of one specification or multiple similar specifications, which indirectly affects production costs.

[0008] Therefore, there is a need for a semiconductor wafer processing equipment that can clean wafers without dead angles, has high wafer processing efficiency, and is highly adaptable to wafer specifications. Summary of the Invention

[0009] This application provides a semiconductor wafer processing device that solves the technical problems in the prior art where wafer processing devices suffer from cleaning dead zones, low processing efficiency, and poor applicability to wafers due to their own structural limitations. It achieves the technical effects of enabling the semiconductor wafer processing device to clean wafers without dead zones, with high wafer processing efficiency and strong applicability to wafer specifications.

[0010] This application provides a semiconductor wafer processing device, including a base barrel, a rotating ring assembly, and a wafer carrier assembly;

[0011] The basic barrel is a rigid cylindrical barrel with an open top, a discharge port at the bottom, and a supply unit on the side wall;

[0012] The main body of the rotating ring assembly is a rigid ring driven by a motor, including a bearing ring rotatably connected to the bottom of the base barrel.

[0013] The number of wafer carrier components is three or more, which cooperate with each other to achieve wafer clamping and releasing, including carrier and conveyor belt assembly;

[0014] The carrier is a vertical rod that is slidably positioned on the carrier ring and slides along the radial direction of the carrier ring as needed to adjust the spacing between the wafer carrier components;

[0015] The conveyor belt assembly is a vertically arranged conveyor belt structure, positioned on a foundation support rod, and the outer ring of the conveyor belt is provided with a ring of soft teeth.

[0016] During the rotation cleaning process, the clamping of the wafer is loosened without dislodging it from the soft teeth, and then the speed is quickly stopped or reduced. The wafer is rotated relative to the wafer-bearing components due to inertia, thereby eliminating cleaning dead zones.

[0017] Furthermore, the rotating carrier ring assembly includes a carrier ring, a rotating drive assembly, and limiting rails; the carrier ring is a rigid ring body, rotatably connected to the inner bottom of the base barrel; the rotating drive assembly is positioned on the inner wall of the base barrel and is a combination of a motor and gears; the limiting rails are rigid straight guide rails, numbered three or more, arranged radially, with the included angle between two adjacent limiting rails less than or equal to 120 degrees, and the limiting rails are positioned on the carrier ring or integrally formed with the carrier ring; the limiting rails serve to guide the movement of the wafer carrier assembly, and their length direction is the same as the radial direction of the carrier ring.

[0018] Furthermore, each wafer carrier component corresponds to a limiting track;

[0019] The conveyor belt assembly is a vertically oriented conveyor belt structure positioned on a carrier, including a top support pulley, a bottom support pulley, and a carrier belt. Both the top and bottom support pulleys are cylindrical wheels, indirectly positioned on the carrier via rods or plates, and at least one of them rotates under the drive of a motor. The axial directions of the top and bottom support pulleys are perpendicular to the axial direction of the base drum. The carrier belt is a soft, annular belt, fitted onto the top and bottom support pulleys and always kept taut. The soft teeth on the outer ring of the carrier belt are carrier teeth; these carrier teeth are rubber soft teeth arranged in a ring on the carrier belt.

[0020] Preferably, a tape adsorbent is also positioned on the base carrier rod; the tape adsorbent is a block-shaped electromagnet, located in the space surrounded by the tape and controlled by the control unit to be powered on and off; the distance between the tape adsorbent and the top support pulley and the bottom support pulley is similar, and the distance difference does not exceed one-fifth of the distance between the top support pulley and the bottom support pulley; the tape is of a hollow structure, and the internal hollow area thereof is annular, and an inner core is filled in this area; the inner core is made of ferromagnetic material.

[0021] Further, one or more photoelectric sensors are provided at a position on the inner wall of the base barrel near the top opening; the photoelectric sensors are infrared photoelectric sensors, which are signal-connected to the control unit and are used to detect and determine whether the wafer placed in the device of the present application is in place.

[0022] Preferably, a support carrier is further included; the support carrier is of a frame structure and is positioned on the ground;

[0023] The side wall of the base barrel is rotatably connected to the support carrier, the axial direction of the rotating shaft is perpendicular to its own axial direction, and it rotates under the collaborative control of the control unit and the power component.

[0024] Preferably, an extrusion positioning component is further included;

[0025] The number of the extrusion positioning components is 3 or more, and they are all slidably positioned on the limit track, and each corresponds to a limit track;

[0026] The extrusion positioning component includes a support rod, a top rod, a positioning ball and a bottom rod;

[0027] The support rod is generally in an inverted U shape, and the bottom is slidably positioned on the limit track and is closer to the inner wall of the base barrel than the positioning ball;

[0028] The top rod, the positioning ball and the bottom rod are combined and spliced into a vertically arranged rod body, and both ends of the rod body are respectively positioned at positions near the ends of the support rod;

[0029] At least one of the top rod and the bottom rod is a telescopic rod with an internal compression spring;

[0030] Among all the extrusion positioning components, at least one positioning ball rotates under the collaborative control of the control unit and the power component;

[0031] The positioning ball includes a top plate, a bottom plate, a rubber ring and an internal adsorbent; the top plate and the bottom plate are both horizontally arranged; the rubber ring is a vertically arranged tubular rubber material ring body, the longitudinal section of which is in the shape of "()", and the top and bottom edges are respectively fixed to the edges of the top plate and the bottom plate; the internal adsorbent is positioned on the top plate or the bottom plate, and when powered on, the magnetic force is used to drive the top plate and the bottom plate to approach each other.

[0032] Preferably, the top rod is a telescopic rod with a built-in compression spring, and the bottom rod is a telescopic rod controlled by a control unit;

[0033] After clamping and positioning the wafer using multiple positioning balls, multiple base rods are controlled to extend and retract to different degrees without damaging the wafer, thereby enabling the wafer to be cleaned in an inclined state.

[0034] Preferably, it also includes an expansion unit;

[0035] The expansion unit includes a connector and a carrier plate;

[0036] The carrier plate is a rigid plate that serves as a load-bearing component. A rotating carrier ring assembly is positioned on the carrier plate, and three or more wafer carrier assemblies are positioned on the rotating carrier ring assembly.

[0037] The connecting body is a rod or plate, which is fixed to the carrier plate and positioned on the robotic arm or workshop transport trolley, serving as a connecting element.

[0038] When wafers need to be transferred, multiple wafers are carried by expansion units and moved to the top opening of the base barrel. The wafers are then placed into the base barrel one by one. After the wafers are cleaned, the base barrel is rotated so that its opening faces downward. Then, other expansion units are used to support the cleaned wafers from the bottom of the base barrel.

[0039] One or more technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application have at least the following technical effects or advantages:

[0040] This invention provides a gripper-type wafer processing device. The grippers are vertically positioned conveyor belts mounted on vertical rods. The conveyor belt is made of a soft material and has a ring of soft teeth on its outer edge. There are three or more grippers that slide towards each other to clamp and release the wafer. During use, the wafer to be cleaned is inserted between the grippers and gradually positioned between the teeth as the conveyor belt rotates. During the cleaning process, if the wafer is to rotate around its own axis, the clamping can be loosened without disengaging the wafer from the soft teeth. After rotation, the device can quickly stop or decelerate, relying on inertia to rotate the wafer relative to the grippers. This effectively solves the technical problems of existing wafer processing devices, such as cleaning dead zones, low processing efficiency, and poor applicability to wafers due to their structural limitations. This invention achieves the technical effect of enabling seamless wafer cleaning, high wafer processing efficiency, and strong applicability to wafer specifications. Attached Figure Description

[0041] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the semiconductor wafer processing equipment of this application;

[0042] Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of the external structure of the semiconductor wafer processing equipment of this application;

[0043] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the rotating carrier ring assembly, the wafer carrier assembly, and the wafer rotation assembly.

[0044] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the external structure of the basic barrel;

[0045] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the bottom structure of the basic barrel;

[0046] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the carrier tape structure;

[0047] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between the base barrel and the supporting frame;

[0048] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between the base barrel and the supporting frame after it has been flipped over.

[0049] Figure 9 A schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between the expansion unit and the basic barrel;

[0050] Figure 10 This is a structural diagram of the extended unit.

[0051] In the picture:

[0052] 100 base barrel, 110 electric slip ring, 120 outlet, 130 shielding ring, 150 photoelectric sensor, 160 base carrier ring, 170 supply unit, 210 bearing ring, 230 limiting track, 240 sliding block, 310 base carrier rod, 320 top support pulley, 330 bottom support pulley, 340 carrier belt, 341 inner core, 342 bearing teeth, 410 carrier belt adsorption body, 420 support rod, 430 top rod, 440 positioning ball, 441 top plate, 442 bottom plate, 443 rubber ring, 444 built-in adsorption body, 450 bottom rod, 500 support frame, 610 connecting body, 620 carrier plate. Detailed Implementation

[0053] To facilitate understanding of the present invention, a more complete description of this application will be given below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention. However, the invention can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to enable a more thorough and complete understanding of the disclosure of the present invention.

[0054] It should be noted that the terms "vertical," "horizontal," "up," "down," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this article are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0055] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains; the terminology used herein in the description of the invention is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the invention; the term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0056] Example 1

[0057] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the semiconductor wafer processing equipment of this application includes a base barrel 100, a rotating ring assembly, a wafer carrier assembly, a power assembly, and a control unit.

[0058] The base tank 100 is a rigid cylindrical barrel with an open top, serving as a load-bearing and supporting structure. An electric slip ring 110 for transmitting electrical energy is positioned at the center of the bottom of the base tank 100, and a drain outlet 120 for draining liquid is provided at the bottom. A base support ring 160 is positioned at the inner bottom of the base tank 100. The base support ring 160 is a rigid ring, its bottom fixed to the inner bottom of the base tank 100 and coaxial with the base tank 100, matching the rotating support ring assembly, and serving to support the rotating support ring assembly. The base tank 100 is also equipped with a supply unit 170 for spraying cleaning liquid and / or gas into the base tank 100. The supply unit 170 includes a nozzle and a delivery pipe. The nozzle is positioned on the inner wall of the base tank 100 and, under the control of the control unit, sprays towards the wafer inside the base tank 100. The delivery pipe is connected to the nozzle. The supply unit 170 is prior art and will not be described in detail here.

[0059] The main body of the rotating carrier ring assembly is a rigid ring driven by a motor, including a carrier ring 210, a rotation drive assembly, and limiting rails 230. The carrier ring 210 is a rigid ring rotatably connected to the base carrier ring 160 and coaxial with the base carrier ring 160. The rotation drive assembly is used to drive the carrier ring 210 to rotate relative to the base carrier ring 160 and is positioned on the inner wall of the base barrel 100. It is a combination of a motor and gears. The limiting rails 230 are rigid straight guide rails, with three or more arranged radially. The included angle between two adjacent limiting rails 230 is less than or equal to 120 degrees. The limiting rails 230 are positioned on the carrier ring 210 or integrally formed with the carrier ring 210. The limiting rails 230 serve as guides for the movement of the wafer carrier assembly, and their length direction is the same as the radial direction of the carrier ring 210.

[0060] The number of wafer carrier components is three or more, all of which are slidably positioned on the limiting track 230, with each wafer carrier component corresponding to one limiting track 230; all wafer carrier components cooperate with each other to achieve wafer clamping and positioning;

[0061] The wafer carrier assembly includes a carrier and a conveyor belt assembly;

[0062] The carrier includes a sliding block 240 and a base support rod 310; the sliding block 240 is slidably positioned on the limiting rail 230, slides along the length of the limiting rail 230 and can be fixed on the limiting rail 230 as needed; the base support rod 310 is a rigid rod, arranged longitudinally, and its bottom is fixed to the top of the sliding block 240.

[0063] The conveyor belt assembly is a vertically oriented conveyor belt structure positioned on the base support rod 310, including a top support pulley 320, a bottom support pulley 330, and a carrier belt 340. Both the top support pulley 320 and the bottom support pulley 330 are cylindrical wheels, indirectly positioned on the base support rod 310 via a rod or plate. At least one of them rotates under the drive of a motor, which is electrically connected to the slip ring 110. The axial directions of the top support pulley 320 and the bottom support pulley 330 are perpendicular to the axial direction of the base barrel 100. Both are closer to the axis of the base barrel 100 than the base support rod 310; the carrier belt 340 is a soft annular belt, preferably made of rubber, and is fitted on the top support pulley 320 and the bottom support pulley 330 and is always in a taut state; a ring of bearing teeth 342 is positioned on the outer ring of the carrier belt 340 (i.e., the surface away from the top support pulley 320 and the bottom support pulley 330); the bearing teeth 342 are soft rubber teeth, arranged in a ring on the carrier belt 340, with uniform spacing between the teeth and a spacing of less than 8 mm;

[0064] Multiple wafer carrier components move closer and further apart under the control of the control unit to achieve the clamping and releasing action of the wafer (when used in combination, they have the function of grippers).

[0065] Furthermore, the limiting track 230 is provided with a scale; the sliding block 240 is slidably positioned on the limiting track 230, can be slid manually, and the sliding block 240 can be fixed as needed through a pin structure, buckle, pawl mechanism or clamp.

[0066] Furthermore, the sliding block 240 is slidably positioned on the limiting track 230, and slides as needed under the control of the control unit and driven by the electric telescopic rod, cylinder or hydraulic cylinder.

[0067] The power assembly is used to provide power for the operation of various components of the semiconductor wafer processing equipment of this application, and the control unit plays the role of controlling the coordinated operation of various components of the semiconductor wafer processing equipment. Both are existing technologies and will not be described in detail here.

[0068] When the semiconductor wafer processing equipment of this application embodiment is used:

[0069] 1. First, the wafer carrier assembly is moved according to the specifications of the wafer that needs to be cleaned, so that the wafer can be filled between multiple wafer carrier assemblies and will not fall off due to the support of the carrier teeth 342.

[0070] 2. Then, using grippers or suction cups, the wafer to be cleaned is moved to the top of the base barrel 100 while keeping it horizontal, ensuring that the wafer is coaxial with the base barrel 100;

[0071] 3. Subsequently, the wafer is controlled to move down and the carrier tape 340 is controlled to rotate, so that the edge of the wafer is gradually filled between the two teeth and then supported by the carrier teeth 342 (this process occurs near the top of the wafer carrier assembly);

[0072] 4. After this, control multiple carrier tapes 340 to rotate synchronously to move the wafers located between the wafer carrier assemblies downward; at the same time, while ensuring that the spacing between the wafers on the wafer carrier assemblies is greater than 3 cm, place other wafers that need to be cleaned between the wafer carrier assemblies;

[0073] 5. After placing multiple wafers and ensuring that these wafers are below the top support pulley 320 and above the bottom support pulley 330, control the wafer carrier components to move towards each other to clamp and fix the wafers between the wafer carrier components;

[0074] 6. Subsequently, the rotating carrier ring assembly is controlled to rotate the wafer on the semiconductor wafer processing equipment of this application, while the supply unit 170 is controlled to clean and / or dry the wafer; during this period, the wafer carrier assemblies are controlled to move away from each other, and the rotating carrier ring assembly is controlled to stop quickly or decelerate rapidly without the wafer dislodging from the carrier teeth 342, relying on inertia to make the wafer rotate relative to the rotating carrier ring assembly, thereby eliminating the dead corners of wafer cleaning, and then re-clamping the wafer; during the cleaning period, the wafer clamping and loosening actions are performed once or multiple times;

[0075] 7. After cleaning, control the carrier tape 340 to rotate and use the grippers or suction cups (the grippers and suction cups here need to be clean, instead of continuing to use the grippers and suction cups used to put the wafer into the device of this application, to prevent the wafer from being contaminated again) to remove the cleaned wafer from the top of the wafer carrier assembly.

[0076] Preferred, such as Figure 1 and Figure 3As shown, to further precisely control the on-demand rotation of the wafer, a carrier tape adsorbent 410 is also positioned on the base carrier rod 310; the carrier tape adsorbent 410 is a block electromagnet, located in the space enclosed by the carrier tape 340 and controlled by the control unit to switch on and off; the distance between the carrier tape adsorbent 410 and the top support pulley 320 and the bottom support pulley 330 is similar, and the distance difference does not exceed one-fifth of the distance between the top support pulley 320 and the bottom support pulley 330; the carrier tape 340 is a hollow structure, and its internal hollow area is annular, which is filled with an inner core 341; the inner core 341 is made of ferromagnetic material; the inner core 341 is preferably an iron strip; the inner core 341 is preferably magnetic powder and / or iron powder; during the wafer cleaning process, the above step 6 is changed to: then controlling the rotation of the carrier ring assembly to drive the wafer on the semiconductor wafer processing equipment of this application to rotate while controlling the supply unit 170 to clean and / or dry the wafer; during this period, controlling the desired To eliminate cleaning dead zones, wafers are moved between the carrier adsorbents 410. The carrier adsorbents 410 are then controlled to operate, causing the carrier tape 340 to bend and deform under the influence of magnetic force, thereby releasing the clamping of the wafers between the carrier adsorbents 410. Subsequently, without the wafers detaching from the carrier teeth 342, the rotating ring assembly is controlled to stop quickly or decelerate rapidly. Relying on inertia, the wafers between the carrier adsorbents 410 rotate at a differential speed relative to the rotating ring assembly, thereby eliminating the cleaning dead zones. After this, the carrier adsorbents 410 are de-energized, and other wafers are controlled to move sequentially between the carrier adsorbents 410. The process of "controlling the operation of the carrier adsorbents 410, causing the carrier tape 340 to bend and deform, thereby releasing the clamping of the wafers between the carrier adsorbents 410, and subsequently, without the wafers detaching from the carrier teeth 342, the rotating ring assembly is controlled to stop quickly or decelerate rapidly, relying on inertia, the wafers between the carrier adsorbents 410 rotate at a differential speed relative to the rotating ring assembly" is repeated.

[0077] Furthermore, the carrier adsorbent 410 is indirectly positioned on the base carrier rod 310 via a plate or rod.

[0078] Preferably, in order to improve the rotational accuracy of the carrier belt 340, the inner ring of the carrier belt 340 is provided with protrusions or recesses, and the side walls of the top support pulley 320 and the bottom support pulley 330 are also provided with matching recesses or protrusions.

[0079] Preferably, the inner ring of the carrier belt 340 is also provided with teeth, and the top support pulley 320 and the bottom support pulley 330 are gears.

[0080] Preferably, all the top support pulleys 320 and bottom support pulleys 330 are driven by the same power source.

[0081] Preferred, such as Figure 6 As shown, in order to reduce the backflow of cleaning fluid, the bearing tooth 342 is conical and the carrier belt 340 is strip-shaped.

[0082] Furthermore, the outlet 120 is equipped with a shut-off valve controlled by the control unit. When the equipment of this application needs to be cleaned after a certain period of use, the outlet 120 can be shut off first, and then water can be injected into the base tank 100 by the supply unit 170. Finally, the liquid in the base tank 100 is agitated by the rotation of the rotating carrier ring assembly, the forward and reverse rotation of the carrier belt 340 and / or the operation of the carrier belt adsorbent 410 to achieve self-cleaning of the equipment of this application.

[0083] Furthermore, considering the environment surrounding the equipment in this application, to reduce liquid splashing, such as... Figure 5 As shown, a shielding ring 130 is also positioned on the base tank 100; the shielding ring 130 is a tubular ring that is sleeved on the base tank 100 and coaxial with the base tank 100, and can be detachably fixed on the base tank 100; the presence of the shielding ring 130 increases the tank depth and reduces liquid splashing.

[0084] Furthermore, the shielding ring 130 has multiple fixing points on the base barrel 100, and the height of the shielding ring 130 can be adjusted as needed during use.

[0085] Preferably, a ring lifting assembly is also positioned on the base tank 100; the ring lifting assembly is a telescopic rod that is controlled by a control unit to extend and retract, and its top is positioned on the shielding ring 130; the shielding ring 130 is slidably positioned on the base tank 100; in use, the height of the shielding ring 130 can be adjusted as needed to balance the convenience of wafer placement and the effect of shielding splashed liquid.

[0086] Preferred, such as Figure 1 As shown, one or more photoelectric sensors 150 are provided on the inner wall of the basic barrel 100 near the top opening; the photoelectric sensor 150 is an infrared photoelectric sensor, which is connected to the control unit signal and is used to detect and determine whether the wafer placed in the device of this application is in place.

[0087] Preferred, such as Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, the device of this application also includes a support frame 500; the support frame 500 is a frame structure and is positioned on the ground; the side wall of the base barrel 100 is rotatably connected to the support frame 500, and the axis of rotation is perpendicular to its own axis, rotating under the coordinated control of the control unit and the power component; after the wafer cleaning is completed in the device of this application, the base barrel 100 can be controlled to rotate 180 degrees, so that the wafers enter from the top and exit from the bottom (entering from the top of the device of this application and exiting from the bottom of the device of this application); and then the output wafers can be transported away by conveyor belts and other equipment.

[0088] The technical solutions described in the embodiments of this application have at least the following technical effects or advantages:

[0089] It solves the technical problems in the prior art that the wafer processing equipment has cleaning dead corners due to its limited structure, low processing efficiency, and poor applicability to wafers, and achieves the technical effects that the semiconductor wafer processing equipment can clean the wafer without dead corners, has high wafer processing efficiency, and strong applicability to wafer specifications.

[0090] Embodiment 2

[0091] Considering that the method of relying on the inertia of the wafer to make it rotate automatically to eliminate cleaning dead corners has certain uncertainties, which to a certain extent affects the stability of the wafer cleaning effect; in view of the above problems, the embodiment of the present application adds an extrusion positioning component on the basis of the above embodiment, and realizes the on-demand rotation of the wafer by squeezing and fixing the wafer and then using the rotation to drive the wafer to rotate, and avoids the frequent sudden stop and rapid deceleration of the rotating carrier ring component. Specifically:

[0092] As Figure 1 and Figure 4 shown, the number of the limiting tracks 230 of the rotating carrier ring component is 6 or more, and they are arranged in a radial pattern, and the included angle between two adjacent limiting tracks 230 is less than or equal to 60 degrees; the limiting track 230 also serves as a guide for the movement of the extrusion positioning component.

[0093] The number of the extrusion positioning components is 3 or more, and they are all slidably positioned on the limiting track 230. Each extrusion positioning component corresponds to one limiting track 230 and does not share the limiting track 230 with the wafer carrying component; the included angle between adjacent limiting tracks 230 carrying the extrusion positioning components is less than or equal to 120 degrees;

[0094] The extrusion positioning component is integrally in a square shape or a D shape, and includes a support rod 420, a top rod 430, a positioning ball 440, and a bottom rod 450;

[0095] The support rod 420 is a vertically arranged rigid rod body, integrally in a "匚" shape, and its bottom is slidably positioned on the limiting track 230, and it serves to carry and support other components of the extrusion positioning component; the support rod 420 is closer to the inner wall of the base barrel 100 than the positioning ball 440;

[0096] The top rod 430, the positioning ball 440, and the bottom rod 450 are combined and spliced into a vertically arranged rod body, and the three are coaxial, with the top rod 430 on the top and the bottom rod 450 on the bottom; the top of the top rod 430 is fixed at a position near the top end of the support rod 420, and the bottom of the bottom rod 450 is fixed at a position near the bottom end of the support rod 420; at least one of the top rod 430 and the bottom rod 450 is a telescopic rod with an internal compression spring, and it expands and contracts when受压 or受拉;

[0097] It should be noted that there is an incorrect expression "受压或受拉" in the original text, which is translated as "受压 or受拉" here. It is recommended to correct this incorrect expression in the original text for a more accurate translation.In all the extrusion positioning components, at least one positioning ball 440 rotates around its own axis under the coordinated control of the control unit and the power component;

[0098] The positioning ball 440 is approximately spherical in shape and includes a top plate 441, a bottom plate 442, a rubber ring 443, and an internal suction body 444. Both the top plate 441 and the bottom plate 442 are rigid plates, both horizontally positioned; the former is fixed to the bottom of the top rod 430, and the latter is fixed to the top of the bottom rod 450. The rubber ring 443 is a vertically positioned tubular rubber ring, with its top and bottom edges fixed to the edges of the top plate 441 and the bottom plate 442, respectively. The longitudinal section of the rubber ring 443 is... The top plate 441 and the bottom plate 442 are positioned with a compression spring, the two ends of which abut against the top plate 441 and the bottom plate 442 respectively; the built-in adsorbent 444 is an electromagnet, positioned at the bottom of the top plate 441 or the top of the bottom plate 442, and is controlled by the control unit; an iron sheet that cooperates with the built-in adsorbent 444 is positioned at the top of the bottom plate 442 or the bottom of the top plate 441; when the built-in adsorbent 444 is energized, the top plate 441 and the bottom plate 442 move closer to each other, squeezing the rubber ring 443.

[0099] A carrier tape adsorption body 410 is positioned on the base support rod 310, and the carrier tape adsorption body 410 is at the same height as the positioning ball 440; the carrier tape 340 has an inner core 341 inside.

[0100] Furthermore, the limiting track 230 is provided with a scale; the support rod 420 is slidably positioned on the limiting track 230, can be slid manually, and can be fixed as needed by a pin structure, buckle, pawl mechanism or clamp.

[0101] Furthermore, the support rod 420 is slidably positioned on the limiting track 230, and slides as needed under the control of the control unit and driven by the electric telescopic rod, cylinder or hydraulic cylinder.

[0102] In this embodiment of the semiconductor wafer processing equipment, when cleaning wafers, the spacing between the extrusion positioning components needs to be adjusted according to the specifications of the wafers to be cleaned; and step 6 above is modified as follows: then, the rotating carrier ring assembly is controlled to run, driving the wafers on the semiconductor wafer processing equipment of this application to rotate, while the supply unit 170 is controlled to run to clean and / or dry the wafers; during this period, the wafers for which cleaning dead corners are to be eliminated are controlled to move between the carrier adsorbents 410, and then the carrier adsorbents 410 are controlled to run, so that the carrier 340 bends and deforms under the influence of magnetic force, thereby releasing the clamping of the wafers between the carrier adsorbents 410; after this, the built-in adsorbent 444 is controlled to run. Power is applied, and multiple positioning balls 440 clamp and position the wafer. The wafer is rotated as needed by controlling the rotation of the positioning balls 440, thereby eliminating dead corners in wafer cleaning. After that, the power is turned off to the carrier adsorbent 410, the positioning balls 440 are reset, and other wafers are moved sequentially between the carrier adsorbent 410. The process of "controlling the operation of the carrier adsorbent 410 to make the carrier 340 bend and deform, thereby releasing the clamping of the wafers between the carrier adsorbent 410, and then controlling the power to the built-in adsorbent 444 to clamp and position the wafer using multiple positioning balls 440, and controlling the rotation of the positioning balls 440 to control the wafers as needed" is repeated.

[0103] To further improve the cleaning effect of the wafer, preferably, the top rod 430 is a telescopic rod with a built-in compression spring, and the bottom rod 450 is a telescopic rod controlled by the control unit; after the wafer is clamped and positioned by multiple positioning balls 440, the multiple bottom rods 450 are controlled to extend and retract to different degrees without damaging the wafer, thereby prompting the wafer to be cleaned in an inclined state.

[0104] Example 3

[0105] To further improve the practicality and efficiency of this application and reduce the number of wafer transfers, this application adds an extension unit based on the above embodiments, specifically:

[0106] like Figure 9 and Figure 10 As shown, the device of this application also includes a support frame 500; the support frame 500 is a frame structure and is positioned on the ground; the side wall of the base barrel 100 is rotatably connected to the support frame 500, and the axis of rotation is perpendicular to its own axis, and it rotates under the coordinated control of the control unit and the power component.

[0107] The expansion unit includes a connector 610 and a carrier plate 620;

[0108] The carrier plate 620 is a rigid plate that serves as a load-bearing component. A rotating carrier ring assembly is positioned on it, and three or more wafer carrier assemblies are positioned on the rotating carrier ring assembly.

[0109] The connector 610 is a rod or plate, which is fixed on the carrier plate 620 and positioned on the robotic arm or workshop transport trolley, serving as a connector.

[0110] When wafers need to be transferred, multiple wafers can be carried by an expansion unit and moved to the top opening of the base barrel 100. The wafers are then placed into the base barrel 100 one by one. After the wafers are cleaned, the base barrel 100 is rotated so that its opening faces downward. Then, other expansion units (expansion units in a clean state) are used to support the cleaned wafers from the bottom of the base barrel 100.

[0111] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. For those skilled in the art, the present invention can have various modifications and variations. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A semiconductor wafer processing apparatus, characterized in that: Includes the basic barrel body (100), the rotating carrier ring assembly, and the wafer carrier assembly; The basic barrel body (100) is a rigid cylindrical barrel with an open top, a discharge port (120) at the bottom, and a supply unit (170) on the side wall; The main body of the rotating ring assembly is a rigid ring driven by a motor, including a bearing ring (210) rotatably connected to the inner bottom of the base barrel (100); The number of wafer carrier components is three or more, which cooperate with each other to achieve wafer clamping and releasing, including carrier and conveyor belt assembly; The carrier is a vertical rod that is slidably positioned on the carrier ring (210) and slides as needed along the radial direction of the carrier ring (210) to adjust the spacing between the wafer carrier components; The conveyor belt assembly is a vertically arranged conveyor belt structure, positioned on the base support rod (310), and the outer ring of the conveyor belt is provided with a ring of soft teeth; During the rotation cleaning process, the clamping of the wafer is loosened without dislodging it from the soft teeth, and then the speed is quickly stopped or reduced. The wafer is rotated relative to the wafer-carrying components due to inertia, thereby eliminating cleaning dead corners. The rotating ring assembly includes a bearing ring (210), a rotation drive assembly, and a limiting track (230); The limiting rail (230) is a rigid straight guide rail, and there are more than 3 of them; Each wafer carrier component corresponds to a limiting track (230); The conveyor belt assembly is a vertically oriented conveyor belt structure positioned on a carrier body, including a top support pulley (320), a bottom support pulley (330), and a carrier belt (340). The top support pulley (320) and the bottom support pulley (330) are both cylindrical wheels, indirectly positioned on the carrier body via rods or plates, and at least one of them rotates under the drive of a motor. The axial direction of the top support pulley (320) and the bottom support pulley (330) is perpendicular to the axial direction of the base barrel (100). The carrier belt (340) is a soft annular belt, fitted onto the top support pulley (320) and the bottom support pulley (330) and always in a taut state. The soft teeth on the outer ring of the carrier belt (340) are carrier teeth (342). The carrier teeth (342) are rubber soft teeth arranged in a ring on the carrier belt (340).

2. The semiconductor wafer processing equipment as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The bearing ring (210) is a rigid ring body and is rotatably connected to the inner bottom of the base barrel (100); the rotation drive assembly is positioned on the inner wall of the base barrel (100) and is a combination of a motor and gears; the limiting rails (230) are arranged radially, and the included angle between two adjacent limiting rails (230) is less than or equal to 120 degrees. The limiting rails (230) are positioned on the bearing ring (210) or integrally formed with the bearing ring (210); the limiting rails (230) serve as guides for the movement of the wafer bearing assembly, and their length direction is the same as the radial direction of the bearing ring (210).

3. The semiconductor wafer processing equipment as described in claim 1, characterized in that: A carrier tape adsorbent (410) is also positioned on the base carrier rod (310); the carrier tape adsorbent (410) is a块状electromagnet, located in the space surrounded by the carrier tape (340) and controlled by the control unit to be powered on and off; the distance between the carrier tape adsorbent (410) and the top support pulley (320) and the bottom support pulley (330) is similar, and the distance difference does not exceed one-fifth of the distance between the top support pulley (320) and the bottom support pulley (330); the carrier tape (340) is a hollow structure, and the internal hollow area is annular, and an inner core (341) is filled in this area; the inner core (341) is made of ferromagnetic material.

4. The semiconductor wafer processing equipment as described in claim 1, characterized in that: One or more photoelectric sensors (150) are provided at a position near the top opening on the inner wall of the base barrel (100); the photoelectric sensors (150) are infrared photoelectric sensors, signal-connected to the control unit, and used to detect and determine whether the wafer placed in the device of the present application is in place.

5. The semiconductor wafer processing equipment as described in claim 1, characterized in that: It further includes a support carrier (500); the support carrier (500) is a frame structure and is positioned on the ground; The side wall of the base barrel (100) is rotationally connected to the support carrier (500), the axial direction of the rotation axis is perpendicular to its own axial direction, and it rotates under the coordinated control of the control unit and the power component.

6. The semiconductor wafer processing equipment as described in claim 3, characterized in that: It further includes an extrusion positioning component; The number of the extrusion positioning components is more than 3, all are slidably positioned on the limit track (230), and each corresponds to one limit track (230) and does not share the limit track (230) with the wafer loading component; The extrusion positioning component includes a support rod (420), a top rod (430), a positioning ball (440) and a bottom rod (450); The support rod (420) is integrally in an "匚" shape, and the bottom is slidably positioned on the limit track (230), and is closer to the inner wall of the base barrel (100) relative to the positioning ball (440); The top rod (430), the positioning ball (440) and the bottom rod (450) are combined and spliced into a vertically placed rod body, and both ends of the rod body are positioned at positions near the ends of the support rod (420); At least one of the top rod (430) and the bottom rod (450) is a telescopic rod with a built-in compression spring; Among all the extrusion positioning components, at least one positioning ball (440) rotates under the coordinated control of the control unit and the power component; The positioning ball (440) includes a top plate (441), a bottom plate (442), a rubber ring (443) and a built-in adsorbent (444); both the top plate (441) and the bottom plate (442) are horizontally arranged; the rubber ring (443) is a vertically arranged tubular rubber material ring body, the longitudinal section is in a "()" shape, and the top and bottom edges are respectively fixed to the edges of the top plate (441) and the bottom plate (the bottom plate (442); the built-in adsorbent (444) is positioned on the top plate (441) or the bottom plate (442), and when powered on, it uses magnetic force to drive the top plate (441) and the bottom plate (442) to approach each other The top rod (430) is a telescopic rod with a built-in compression spring, and the bottom rod (450) is a telescopic rod controlled by the control unit; After clamping and positioning the wafer using multiple positioning balls (440), multiple base rods (450) are controlled to extend and retract to different degrees without damaging the wafer, thereby causing the wafer to be cleaned in an inclined state. The wafer, having eliminated cleaning dead corners, moves between the carrier adsorbents (410), and then the carrier adsorbents (410) are controlled to operate, causing the carrier tape (340) to bend and deform under the influence of magnetic force, thereby releasing the clamping of the wafer between the carrier adsorbents (410). After this, the built-in adsorbent (444) is energized, and the wafer is clamped and positioned using multiple positioning balls (440). The wafer is then controlled to rotate as needed by controlling the rotation of the positioning balls (440), thereby eliminating wafer cleaning dead corners.

7. The semiconductor wafer processing equipment as described in claim 5, characterized in that: It also includes expansion units; The expansion unit includes a connector (610) and a carrier plate (620); The carrier plate (620) is a rigid plate that serves as a load-bearing component. A rotating carrier ring assembly is positioned on the carrier plate, and more than three wafer carrier assemblies are positioned on the rotating carrier ring assembly. The connecting body (610) is a rod or plate, which is fixed on the carrier plate (620) and positioned on the robotic arm or workshop transport trolley, serving as a connector; When it is necessary to transfer wafers, multiple wafers are carried by the expansion unit and moved to the top opening of the base barrel (100), and the wafers are placed into the base barrel (100) one by one. After the wafer cleaning is completed, the base barrel (100) is rotated and its opening is turned downwards. Then, other expansion units are used to support the cleaned wafers from the bottom of the base barrel (100).

8. A wafer processing method, characterized in that: The semiconductor wafer processing equipment as described in claim 1 comprises the following steps: Step 1: First, adjust the spacing between the wafer carrier components according to the specifications of the wafer that needs to be cleaned, so that the wafer can be filled between multiple wafer carrier components and will not fall off due to the support of the carrier teeth (342); Step 2: Then, using grippers or suction cups, move the wafer that needs to be cleaned to the top of the base barrel (100) while keeping it horizontal, and ensure that the wafer is coaxial with the base barrel (100). Step 3: Subsequently, control the wafer to move down and coordinate with the carrier tape (340) to rotate, so that the edge of the wafer gradually fills between the two teeth and is then supported by the carrier teeth (342); Step 4: After this, control multiple carrier tapes (340) to rotate synchronously to move the wafers located between the wafer carrier components downward; at the same time, while ensuring that the spacing between the wafers on the wafer carrier components is greater than 3 cm, place other wafers that need to be cleaned between the wafer carrier components; Step 5: After placing multiple wafers and ensuring that these wafers are below the top support pulley (320) and above the bottom support pulley (330), control the wafer carrier components to move towards each other to clamp and fix the wafers between the wafer carrier components; Step Six: Subsequently, control the rotating carrier ring assembly to rotate the wafer on the semiconductor wafer processing equipment of this application, while controlling the supply unit (170) to clean and / or dry the wafer; during this period, control the wafer carrier assemblies to move away from each other, and control the rotating carrier ring assembly to stop quickly or decelerate rapidly without the wafer coming off the carrier teeth (342), relying on inertia to make the wafer rotate relative to the rotating carrier ring assembly, thereby eliminating the wafer cleaning dead corner, and then re-clamping the wafer; during the cleaning period, the wafer clamping and loosening actions are performed once or multiple times; Step 7: After cleaning, control the carrier tape (340) to rotate and use the grippers or suction cups to remove the cleaned wafer from the top of the wafer carrier assembly.

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