Wafer state detection method and device, electronic equipment and storage medium

Abstract

The invention discloses a wafer state detection method and device, electronic equipment and a storage medium, and relates to the technical field of semiconductors. The method comprises the following steps: controlling a preset sensor to sequentially carry out wafer scanning on each layer of a wafer bearing container; acquiring a scanning result signal of each layer of the wafer bearing container output by the sensor; wherein the scanning result signal of each layer comprises at least one of a high level signal and a low level signal; determining a wafer thickness value of a wafer borne by each layer of the wafer bearing container according to the duration of a high level signal in the scanning result signal of each layer of the wafer bearing container; determining a wafer thickness reference value according to the wafer thickness value of the wafer borne by each layer of the wafer bearing container; and determining the state of the wafer borne by each layer of the wafer bearing container according to the wafer thickness reference value and the wafer thickness value of the wafer borne by each layer of the wafer bearing container. According to the invention, the state detection of wafers of different materials and different thicknesses can be effectively realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of semiconductor technology, and in particular to a wafer status detection method, device, electronic equipment and storage medium. Background Art

[0002] In the field of semiconductor manufacturing, with the continuous advancement of integrated circuit technology and the widespread application of emerging semiconductor materials, the production model of wafer fabs is developing in the direction of diversification and efficiency. In order to improve production efficiency and reduce production costs, wafer fabs often adopt a mixed production model for products, that is, processing wafers of different materials and thicknesses simultaneously in the same equipment or the same production batch. Among them, wafers of different materials include silicon (Si), silicon carbide (SiC), gallium nitride (GaN), etc. Due to differences in physical properties, these materials have significant differences in production process parameters, optical reflectivity, etc.; wafers of different thicknesses include but are not limited to specifications such as 300 microns and 775 microns. Thickness changes directly affect the signal feedback and process adaptability during wafer detection and processing.

[0003] Currently, wafer mapping, a widely used feature on wafer manufacturing equipment, is primarily used to monitor wafer status in real time and is a key technology for ensuring production quality and efficiency. However, existing wafer mapping functions are typically designed for wafers of a single material or within a fixed thickness range. When faced with mixed production scenarios like these, these devices exhibit significant compatibility issues, necessitating a new wafer status detection method. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention provides a wafer status detection method, device, electronic equipment and storage medium.

[0005] According to one aspect of the present invention, a wafer status detection method is provided, comprising:

[0006] Controlling the preset sensor to scan wafers on each layer of the wafer carrying container in sequence;

[0007] Obtaining a scanning result signal of each layer of the wafer carrying container output by a sensor; wherein the scanning result signal of each layer of the wafer carrying container includes at least one of a high-level signal and a low-level signal;

[0008] Determining the wafer thickness of the wafers carried in each layer of the wafer carrying container according to the duration of the high-level signal in the scanning result signal of each layer of the wafer carrying container;

[0009] Determine a wafer thickness reference value according to the wafer thickness values ​​of the wafers carried by each layer of the wafer carrying container;

[0010] The state of the wafers carried in each layer of the wafer carrying container is determined according to the wafer thickness reference value and the wafer thickness value of the wafers carried in each layer of the wafer carrying container.

[0011] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wafer status detection device, comprising:

[0012] Controlling the preset sensor to scan wafers on each layer of the wafer carrying container in sequence;

[0013] Obtaining a scanning result signal of each layer of the wafer carrying container output by a sensor; wherein the scanning result signal of each layer of the wafer carrying container includes at least one of a high-level signal and a low-level signal;

[0014] Determining the wafer thickness of the wafers carried in each layer of the wafer carrying container according to the duration of the high-level signal in the scanning result signal of each layer of the wafer carrying container;

[0015] Determine a wafer thickness reference value according to the wafer thickness values ​​of the wafers carried by each layer of the wafer carrying container;

[0016] The state of the wafers carried in each layer of the wafer carrying container is determined according to the wafer thickness reference value and the wafer thickness value of the wafers carried in each layer of the wafer carrying container.

[0017] According to another aspect of the present invention, an electronic device is provided, the electronic device comprising:

[0018] at least one processor; and

[0019] a memory communicatively connected to at least one processor; wherein,

[0020] The memory stores a computer program that can be executed by at least one processor. The computer program is executed by the at least one processor so that the at least one processor can execute the wafer status detection method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] According to another aspect of the present invention, a computer-readable storage medium is provided. The computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions, and the computer instructions are used to enable a processor to implement the wafer status detection method according to an embodiment of the present invention when executed.

[0022] The technical solution of the embodiment of the present invention can effectively realize the status detection of wafers of different materials and different thicknesses.

[0023] It should be understood that the content described in this section is not intended to identify the key or important features of the embodiments of the present invention, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Other features of the present invention will become readily understood through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0025] Figure 1 1 is a flow chart of a wafer status detection method provided according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 is a flow chart of another wafer status detection method provided according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 1 is a flow chart of another wafer status detection method provided according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 4 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a wafer status detection device provided according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 5 It is a structural diagram of an electronic device for implementing the wafer status detection method according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the solutions of the present invention, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0031] Example 1

[0032] Figure 1 A flowchart of a wafer status detection method provided in an embodiment of the present invention is applicable to scenarios in which the status of wafers in a wafer carrying container is detected during the wafer production process. The method can be executed by a wafer status detection device, which can be implemented in the form of hardware and / or software. The wafer status detection device can be configured in an electronic device, such as a computer device.

[0033] like Figure 1 As shown, the wafer status detection method includes:

[0034] S101 , controlling a preset sensor to scan wafers on each layer of a wafer carrying container in sequence.

[0035] In the embodiments of the present invention, the preset sensor can be any type of photoelectric sensor or other tactile sensor, and is not specifically limited here. The wafer carrier refers to a standardized wafer storage and transport carrier, typically containing 25 slots, each layer capable of holding one wafer. Exemplarily, the wafer carrier can be a card box. It is understood that during the wafer production process, wafers can be placed on each layer of the wafer carrier, or only on some layers, and is not specifically limited here.

[0036] In an embodiment of the present invention, controlling a preset sensor to sequentially scan wafers on each layer of a wafer carrying container includes: controlling the preset sensor to sequentially scan wafers on each layer of the wafer carrying container according to a preset moving speed and moving direction. Furthermore, the sensor involved in the present invention is usually installed in a robotic arm, so the robotic arm can be controlled to drive the sensor to achieve wafer scanning on each layer of the wafer carrying container. For example, the robotic arm can be controlled at a constant speed to drive the sensor to scan wafers on each layer of the wafer carrying container in a bottom-up or top-down direction.

[0037] In an embodiment of the present invention, a photoelectric sensor is used as an example to describe the principle of scanning wafers on each layer of a wafer carrier. The photoelectric sensor includes at least a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter is composed of a component responsible for emitting light signals, and the receiver is composed of a component responsible for capturing reflected light signals. The specific scanning principle is as follows: when the robotic arm drives the photoelectric sensor to move, the transmitter of the photoelectric sensor actively emits a modulated light signal to adapt to the reflective characteristics of the wafer material. If the photoelectric sensor receiver detects a strong light signal (for example, the signal is greater than a preset threshold), it is considered that the wafer has been detected. Then, the conversion amplifier circuit at the photoelectric sensor receiver converts the detected strong light signal into a digital level output, such as a high level signal output. If the photoelectric sensor receiver does not detect a light signal or the detected light signal is extremely weak (for example, below a preset threshold), it is considered that the photoelectric sensor has not detected the wafer. Then, the conversion amplifier circuit at the photoelectric sensor receiver converts the detected light signal into a digital level output, such as a low level signal output. Therefore, if the photoelectric sensor outputs a high level signal, it indicates that the wafer has been detected; if it outputs a low level signal, it indicates that the wafer has not been detected. It is understandable that since the wafer has a certain thickness, the light signal emitted by the sensor during movement will illuminate different positions of the wafer, and each position will reflect the light signal, so the high-level signal output by the sensor will last for a certain period of time.

[0038] S102 , obtaining a scanning result signal of each layer of the wafer carrying container output by a sensor.

[0039] In an embodiment of the present invention, since the thickness of the wafer is less than the interlayer spacing of each layer of the wafer carrying container (the distance between the top of the layer and the bottom of the layer), when the sensor performs wafer scanning on any layer of the wafer carrying container, it will output a continuous high-level signal when scanning the wafer, and output a low-level signal at other times. Exemplarily, for each layer of the wafer carrying container, if the wafer is placed in the middle of each layer, then when the sensor scans each layer, it first outputs a low level (i.e., the wafer is not scanned at the beginning), then outputs a high level (scans the wafer), and finally outputs a low level (i.e., the sensor has scanned the wafer on this layer); in addition, if a wafer is not placed on a certain layer of the wafer carrying container, then when the sensor performs wafer scanning on this layer, it will only output a low-level information signal, indicating that there is no wafer on this layer. On the basis of the above, the scanning result signal obtained for each layer of the wafer carrying container includes at least one of a high-level signal and a low-level signal.

[0040] S103 , determining the wafer thickness of the wafers carried in each layer of the wafer carrying container according to the duration of the high-level signal in the scanning result signal of each layer of the wafer carrying container.

[0041] In this embodiment of the present invention, significant differences in the optical reflectivity of wafers made of different materials (such as Si, SiC, and GaN) are considered. For example, Si's reflectivity for specific wavelengths is approximately 30% to 50%; SiC's reflectivity may fluctuate depending on the doping concentration; and GaN's reflectivity in the ultraviolet band differs significantly from that in the visible band. If the transmitter is used as a reference (e.g., with a fixed transmitted light intensity), the reflected light intensity will fluctuate significantly due to material differences, resulting in signal distortion at the receiver. Using the receiver as a reference, the wafer thickness of each wafer in the wafer container can be determined based on the duration of the high-level signal in the scan result signal for each layer of the wafer container. This eliminates the impact of material differences on wafer thickness calculation. Furthermore, the intensity of the light source at the transmitter may decrease due to equipment aging, temperature fluctuations, or optical path contamination (such as dust). Ambient light may also interfere with the detection signal. As the final step in signal acquisition, the receiver uses this as a reference to directly reflect the actual effective reflected light intensity, avoiding detection errors caused by fluctuations at the transmitter. It should be noted that the materials of the wafers placed in the same wafer carrying container are the same, while the materials of the wafers placed in different wafer carrying containers may be different.

[0042] In some embodiments, determining the wafer thickness of wafers held in each layer of the wafer container based on the duration of a high-level signal in a scan result signal of each layer of the wafer container includes calculating the wafer thickness of the wafers in each layer according to a linear formula: Thickness = k × Δt + b; wherein Thickness represents the wafer thickness; k represents a reflection coefficient determined based on material information of the wafers held in the wafer container; b represents a predetermined offset; and Δt represents the duration of a high-level signal in a scan result signal of each layer of the wafer container. It will be understood that calculating the wafer thickness of the wafers held in each layer of the wafer container using the aforementioned linear formula is merely an example, and other methods may also be used.

[0043] In some embodiments, a neural network model can be pre-constructed; wherein, the input layer of the neural network model is the wafer material and the duration of the high-level signal output by the sensor during the wafer detection process; the output of the neural network model is the wafer thickness; the number of neurons included in the hidden layer of the neural network model can be set according to actual needs, for example, it can be set to 4-8; the loss function of the neural network model can be a mean square error function or other functions, which are not specifically limited here. After determining the model structure, a wafer of known material and thickness can be measured by high-precision equipment, and the duration of the high-level signal output by the device sensor when scanning the wafer is recorded; on this basis, each training sample constructed includes three core fields: wafer material, high-level signal duration, and wafer true thickness. In an embodiment of the present invention, for each material of the wafer, the number of training samples constructed can be determined according to actual needs, which is not specifically limited here. Further, based on the constructed training samples, the neural network model can be optimized using a small batch gradient descent method (Batch Size = 32, learning rate 0.001, momentum 0.9) to obtain a wafer thickness calculation model. Subsequently, it is only necessary to input the wafer material and the duration of the high-level signal in the scanning result signal of each layer into the model, and determine the thickness of the wafer carried by each layer of the wafer carrying container based on the model output.

[0044] It should be noted that if there are multiple wafer carrying containers during the wafer production process, and the materials of the wafers carried by different wafer carrying containers are different; according to the above method, the wafers in different wafer carrying containers can be scanned at the same time and the wafer thickness can be calculated, so as to judge the wafer status based on the thickness, so that the wafer status detection method of the present invention can be applicable to wafers of different materials.

[0045] In the embodiment of the present invention, the duration of the high-level signal in the scanning result signal of each layer of the wafer carrier is equal to the time difference between the rising edge (triggering moment) and the falling edge (ending moment) of the scanning result signal of each layer.

[0046] S104 , determining a wafer thickness reference value according to the wafer thickness values ​​of the wafers carried by each layer of the wafer carrying container.

[0047] In the embodiment of the present invention, the wafer thickness reference value is a reference value used to calibrate the standard thickness of wafers in semiconductor manufacturing.

[0048] In an embodiment of the present invention, a wafer carrying container is provided with multiple layers of slots, each layer of which can hold one wafer. During the wafer production process, there are multiple possibilities for the wafer carrying conditions of the wafer carrying container: 1. Only one layer carries wafers; 2. Only two layers carry wafers; 3. The number of layers carrying wafers is greater than or equal to 3. For different wafer carrying conditions of the wafer carrying container, the method for determining the wafer thickness reference value is different according to the wafer thickness value of the wafer carried by each layer of the wafer carrying container. Specifically, it includes:

[0049] If the number of layers of wafers carried in the wafer carrying container is greater than or equal to three, that is, there are at least three layers of slots in the wafer carrying container with wafers placed therein, then the maximum thickness value and the minimum thickness value are determined from the wafer thickness values ​​of the wafers carried by each layer of the wafer carrying container; and the wafer thickness reference value is determined using the other wafer thickness values ​​except the maximum thickness value and the minimum thickness value. Optionally, the median thickness is solved based on the other wafer thickness values ​​except the maximum thickness value and the minimum thickness value, and the obtained median thickness is used as the wafer thickness reference value. For example, assuming that a wafer carrying container has 5 layers of slots with wafers placed therein, the wafer thickness values ​​(unit: micrometer) of each layer of wafers are 198, 202, 200, 205, and 195 respectively. According to the above rules, the specific calculation process is as follows: first sort the 5 wafer thickness values, and get 195, 198, 200, 202, and 205; thus, the minimum thickness value is 195 microns and the maximum thickness value is 205 microns; after removing the maximum thickness value 205 microns and the minimum thickness value 195 microns, the remaining wafer thickness values ​​are 198, 200, and 202; calculate the median of these 3 values. Since the number of data is an odd number, the value in the middle after sorting is the median, so the wafer thickness baseline value is 200 microns.

[0050] If the number of layers of wafers carried in the wafer carrying container is equal to two, that is, there are two layers of slots in the wafer carrying container with wafers placed therein, then the maximum thickness value and the minimum thickness value are determined from the wafer thickness values ​​of the wafers carried by each layer of the wafer carrying container; the minimum thickness value is used as the wafer thickness reference value. It is understandable that if the number of layers of wafers carried in the wafer carrying container is two, then after determining the maximum thickness value and the minimum thickness value, the number of other wafer thickness values ​​is zero, and it is impossible to determine the wafer thickness reference value by calculating the median thickness. Using the minimum thickness value as the wafer thickness reference value can ensure the smooth determination of the wafer thickness reference value, and thus ensure that the method of the present invention can be applied to more wafer carrying situations. In addition, it should be noted that if the wafer thickness values ​​of the two layers of wafers are the same, then the maximum thickness value and the minimum thickness value are the same, and this same wafer thickness value can be directly used as the wafer thickness reference value.

[0051] If the number of wafer layers in the wafer carrier is equal to one, that is, there is only one slot in the wafer carrier with wafers, it is impossible to determine the maximum and minimum thickness values, and thus it is impossible to determine the wafer thickness reference value. Therefore, the wafer status detection method of the present application is not applicable to the case where there is only one slot in the wafer carrier with wafers. For this special case, other methods can be used to detect the wafer status, for example, by photographing the wafer surface with an industrial camera or microscope and analyzing the image features to determine whether there is any overlap.

[0052] S105 , determining the status of the wafers carried in each layer of the wafer carrying container according to the wafer thickness reference value and the wafer thickness values ​​of the wafers carried in each layer of the wafer carrying container.

[0053] In some embodiments, the wafer thickness reference value can be compared with the wafer thickness value of each layer of the wafer carrying container, and based on the comparison result, it can be determined whether the wafers carried by each layer of the wafer carrying container are in a stacked state; wherein, the stacked state refers to the number of wafers carried by a certain layer of the wafer carrying container being two or more, and the two or more wafers are adhered together due to electrostatic adsorption or mechanical error. For example, if the wafer thickness value of the wafer carried by a certain layer of the wafer carrying container is 1.5 times the wafer thickness reference value, it is considered that the wafers carried by this layer are in a stacked state. It can be understood that for each wafer carrying container, the calculated wafer thickness reference value can be used to determine whether the wafers carried by this wafer carrying container are in a stacked state. This judgment method is not limited by the thickness of the wafer itself, that is, the method of the present invention is applicable to wafers of different thicknesses.

[0054] In an embodiment of the present invention, considering the situation where a certain layer of a wafer carrying container carries at least two wafers, when two or more wafers are adsorbed together, there will be a gap between two adjacent wafers. When the sensor scans the wafers on this layer, it first scans the wafer and outputs a high-level signal, then scans the gap and outputs a low-level signal, and then scans the wafer and outputs a high-level signal again. By analogy, if a certain layer of the wafer carrying container carries at least two wafers (i.e., the wafers on a certain layer are in a stacked state), the scan result signal of this layer includes at least two high-level signals, and there is a low-level signal with a short duration between adjacent high-level signals. Based on this, by analyzing the scan result signal of each layer of the wafer carrying container, it can be inferred whether the wafers on each layer of the wafer carrying container are in a stacked state. Specifically, if the scan result signal of a certain layer of the wafer carrying container output by the sensor includes at least two high-level signals, and there is a low-level signal with a duration shorter than a preset value between any two adjacent high-level signals, it is determined that the wafers carried on this layer are in a stacked state.

[0055] In the embodiment of the present invention, the status detection of wafers of different materials and different thicknesses can be effectively realized.

[0056] Example 2

[0057] Figure 2 A flow chart of a wafer status detection method is provided for an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 , the method comprises the following steps:

[0058] S201. Control the preset sensor to scan the wafers on each layer of the wafer carrying container in turn, and during the wafer scanning process, determine the standard detection trigger time when the sensor scans the wafers on each layer of the wafer carrying container at the earliest according to the preset standard range of wafer locations on each layer of the wafer carrying container.

[0059] In the embodiment of the present invention, the process of controlling the preset sensor to scan the wafers on each layer of the wafer carrying container in sequence can be referred to the description of the above embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0060] In an embodiment of the present invention, the standard range of wafer location refers to the limit range of the physical position deviation allowed for the wafer in the wafer carrying container. For example, the standard range of wafer location is 1 / 4 of the interlayer spacing, wherein, for any layer, the interlayer spacing refers to the distance between the top of the layer and the bottom of the layer; specifically, starting from the center of the interlayer spacing, 1 / 8 of the interlayer spacing is extended upward to obtain the upper boundary, and 1 / 8 of the interlayer spacing is extended downward to obtain the lower boundary. The range defined by the upper boundary and the lower boundary is the standard range of wafer location. Furthermore, if the sensor scans the wafer from bottom to top, for any layer of the wafer carrying container, the time when the sensor scans to the lower boundary position of the layer is used as the earliest standard detection trigger time for scanning the wafer; if the sensor scans the wafer from top to bottom, for any layer of the wafer carrying container, the time when the sensor scans to the upper boundary position of the layer is used as the earliest standard detection trigger time for scanning the wafer.

[0061] S202 , obtaining a scanning result signal of each layer of the wafer carrying container output by a sensor; wherein the scanning result signal of each layer of the wafer carrying container includes at least one of a high-level signal and a low-level signal.

[0062] S203 , determining whether the wafers carried on each layer of the wafer carrying container are in a tilted state according to the scanning result signal of each layer of the wafer carrying container and the standard detection trigger time.

[0063] In some embodiments, the actual detection trigger time when the sensor scans the wafer on each layer of the wafer carrying container can be determined based on the scanning result signal of each layer of the wafer carrying container; optionally, the moment corresponding to the rising edge of the signal in the scanning result signal of each layer is used as the actual detection trigger time; and then, based on the actual detection trigger time and the standard detection trigger time when the sensor scans the wafer on each layer of the wafer carrying container, it is determined whether the wafer carried on each layer of the wafer carrying container is in a tilted state.

[0064] In some embodiments, whether the wafers carried on each layer of the wafer carrying container are in a tilted state is determined based on the actual detection trigger time and the standard detection trigger time when the sensor scans the wafers on each layer of the wafer carrying container, including: in response to the actual detection trigger time when the sensor scans the wafers on any layer of the wafer carrying container being earlier than the standard detection trigger time, it is determined that the wafers carried on this layer in the wafer carrying container are in a tilted state.

[0065] It can be understood that if the actual detection trigger time when the sensor scans the wafer on any layer of the wafer carrying container is earlier than the standard detection trigger time, then the wafer carried on this layer must be beyond the standard range of wafer placement, that is, the wafer on this layer is in a tilted state.

[0066] The present invention can effectively detect whether the wafers in the wafer carrying container are in a tilted state.

[0067] Example 3

[0068] Figure 3 A flowchart of a wafer status detection method is provided for the third embodiment of the present invention. The third embodiment is a combination of the first and second embodiments above. Figure 3 , the method comprises the following steps:

[0069] S301. Control the preset sensor to scan the wafers on each layer of the wafer carrying container in turn, and during the wafer scanning process, determine the standard detection trigger time for the sensor to scan the wafers on each layer of the wafer carrying container at the earliest according to the pre-set standard range of wafer locations on each layer of the wafer carrying container.

[0070] S302 , obtaining a scanning result signal of each layer of the wafer carrying container output by a sensor; wherein the scanning result signal of each layer of the wafer carrying container includes at least one of a high-level signal and a low-level signal.

[0071] S303 , determining whether the wafers carried on each layer of the wafer carrying container are in a tilted state according to the scanning result signal of each layer of the wafer carrying container and the standard detection trigger time.

[0072] In the embodiment of the present invention, the specific implementation process of steps S301-S303 can be found in the description of the above-mentioned embodiment 2, and will not be repeated here.

[0073] S304 , determining the wafer thickness of the wafers carried in each layer of the wafer carrying container according to the duration of the high-level signal in the scanning result signal of each layer of the wafer carrying container.

[0074] S305 , determining a wafer thickness reference value according to the wafer thickness values ​​of the wafers carried by each layer of the wafer carrying container.

[0075] S306 , determining the status of the wafers carried in each layer of the wafer carrying container according to the wafer thickness reference value and the wafer thickness values ​​of the wafers carried in each layer of the wafer carrying container.

[0076] In the embodiment of the present invention, the specific implementation process of steps S304-S306 can be found in the description of the above embodiment 1 and will not be repeated here.

[0077] It should be noted that the process of determining whether the wafer is in a tilted state (step S303) and the process of determining whether the wafer is in a stacked state (steps S304-S306) can be performed in parallel, in no particular order. For the specific process, please refer to the attached Figure 3; It is also possible to first execute the process of determining whether the wafer is in a tilted state (step S303), and then execute the process of determining whether the wafer is in a stacked state (steps S304-S306); It is also possible to first execute the process of determining whether the wafer is in a stacked state (steps S304-S306), and then execute the process of determining whether the wafer is in a tilted state (step S303).

[0078] The present invention is compatible with wafers of varying materials and thicknesses, accurately determining whether stacked or skewed wafers are present in a wafer container. Furthermore, based on the distribution of high and low level signals within the scanned signal of each layer of the wafer container, it is also possible to accurately determine whether each layer of the wafer container is loaded with wafers.

[0079] Example 4

[0080] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the structure of a wafer status detection device provided by an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 As shown, the device includes:

[0081] The control module 401 is used to control the preset sensor to scan the wafers on each layer of the wafer carrying container in sequence;

[0082] A signal acquisition module 402 is configured to acquire a scanning result signal of each layer of the wafer carrier output by a sensor; wherein the scanning result signal of each layer of the wafer carrier includes at least one of a high-level signal and a low-level signal;

[0083] The thickness calculation module 403 is used to determine the wafer thickness value of the wafers carried in each layer of the wafer carrying container according to the duration of the high-level signal in the scanning result signal of each layer of the wafer carrying container;

[0084] A reference determination module 404 is configured to determine a wafer thickness reference value based on the wafer thickness values ​​of the wafers carried by each layer of the wafer carrying container;

[0085] The state detection module 405 is used to determine the state of the wafers carried in each layer of the wafer carrying container according to the wafer thickness reference value and the wafer thickness value of the wafers carried in each layer of the wafer carrying container.

[0086] In some embodiments, in determining a wafer thickness reference value based on the wafer thickness values ​​of the wafers carried by each layer of the wafer carrying container, the reference determination module 404 is specifically configured to:

[0087] When the number of layers of wafers carried in the wafer carrying container is greater than or equal to three, determining a maximum thickness value and a minimum thickness value from wafer thickness values ​​of wafers carried in each layer of the wafer carrying container;

[0088] The wafer thickness reference value is determined using other wafer thickness values ​​except the maximum thickness value and the minimum thickness value.

[0089] In some embodiments, the benchmark determination module 404 is further configured to:

[0090] When the number of layers of wafers carried in the wafer carrying container is equal to two, determining a maximum thickness value and a minimum thickness value from wafer thickness values ​​of wafers carried in each layer of the wafer carrying container;

[0091] The minimum thickness value is used as the wafer thickness reference value.

[0092] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises:

[0093] The stacking status detection module is used to determine that the wafers carried by a layer are in a stacking state if the scanning result signal of a certain layer of the wafer carrying container output by the sensor includes at least two high-level signals, and there is a low-level signal with a time shorter than a preset value between any two adjacent high-level signals.

[0094] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises:

[0095] A time standard determination module is used to determine the standard detection trigger time for the sensor to scan the earliest wafer on each layer of the wafer carrier container according to the pre-set wafer location standard range on each layer of the wafer carrier container;

[0096] The tilted wafer detection module is used to determine whether the wafers carried on each layer of the wafer carrying container are in a tilted state based on the scanning result signal of each layer of the wafer carrying container and the standard detection trigger time.

[0097] In some embodiments, in determining whether the wafers carried on each layer of the wafer carrier are in a tilted state based on the scanning result signal of each layer of the wafer carrier and the standard detection trigger time, the tilted wafer detection module is specifically configured to:

[0098] Determine the actual detection trigger time when the sensor scans the wafer at each layer of the wafer carrier according to the scanning result signal of each layer of the wafer carrier;

[0099] According to the actual detection trigger time and the standard detection trigger time when the sensor scans the wafers at each layer of the wafer carrying container, it is determined whether the wafers carried on each layer of the wafer carrying container are in a tilted state.

[0100] In some embodiments, in determining whether the wafers carried on each layer of the wafer carrier are in a tilted state based on the actual detection trigger time and the standard detection trigger time when the sensor scans the wafers on each layer of the wafer carrier, the tilted detection module is specifically configured to:

[0101] In response to the sensor scanning a wafer at any layer of the wafer carrying container and the actual detection trigger time being earlier than the standard detection trigger time, it is determined that the wafer carried at the layer in the wafer carrying container is in a tilted state.

[0102] The wafer status detection device provided in the embodiment of the present invention can execute the wafer status detection method provided in any embodiment of the present invention, and has the corresponding functional modules and beneficial effects of the execution method.

[0103] Example 5

[0104] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device 10 that can be used to implement an embodiment of the present invention is shown. The electronic device is intended to represent various forms of digital computers, such as laptop computers, desktop computers, workstations, personal digital assistants, servers, blade servers, mainframe computers, and other suitable computers. The electronic device can also represent various forms of mobile devices, such as personal digital processing, cellular phones, smart phones, wearable devices (such as helmets, glasses, watches, etc.) and other similar computing devices. The components shown herein, their connections and relationships, and their functions are merely examples and are not intended to limit the implementation of the present invention described and / or claimed herein.

[0105] like Figure 5 As shown, the electronic device 10 includes at least one processor 11 and a memory, such as a read-only memory (ROM) 12, a random access memory (RAM) 13, etc., which is communicatively connected to the at least one processor 11. The memory stores a computer program that can be executed by the at least one processor, and the processor 11 can perform various appropriate actions and processes according to the computer program stored in the read-only memory (ROM) 12 or the computer program loaded from the storage unit 18 into the random access memory (RAM) 13. Various programs and data required for the operation of the electronic device 10 can also be stored in the RAM 13. The processor 11, ROM 12, and RAM 13 are connected to each other via a bus 14. An input / output (I / O) interface 15 is also connected to the bus 14.

[0106] Multiple components in the electronic device 10 are connected to the I / O interface 15, including an input unit 16, such as a keyboard, a mouse, etc.; an output unit 17, such as various types of displays, speakers, etc.; a storage unit 18, such as a magnetic disk, an optical disk, etc.; and a communication unit 19, such as a network card, a modem, a wireless communication transceiver, etc. The communication unit 19 allows the electronic device 10 to exchange information / data with other devices via a computer network such as the Internet and / or various telecommunication networks.

[0107] The processor 11 can be any general-purpose and / or specialized processing component with processing and computing capabilities. Some examples of the processor 11 include, but are not limited to, a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), various specialized artificial intelligence (AI) computing chips, various processors running machine learning model algorithms, a digital signal processor (DSP), and any other suitable processor, controller, microcontroller, etc. The processor 11 executes the various methods and processes described above, such as executing the wafer status detection method.

[0108] In some embodiments, the wafer status detection method can be implemented as a computer program, which is tangibly contained in a computer-readable storage medium, such as the storage unit 18. In some embodiments, part or all of the computer program can be loaded and / or installed on the electronic device 10 via the ROM 12 and / or the communication unit 19. When the computer program is loaded into the RAM 13 and executed by the processor 11, one or more steps of the wafer status detection method described above can be performed. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the processor 11 can be configured to execute the wafer status detection method in any other appropriate manner (for example, by means of firmware).

[0109] Various embodiments of the systems and techniques described above can be implemented in digital electronic circuit systems, integrated circuit systems, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), application specific standard products (ASSPs), system-on-chip systems (SOCs), complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), computer hardware, firmware, software, and / or combinations thereof. These various embodiments can include being implemented in one or more computer programs that are executable and / or interpreted on a programmable system that includes at least one programmable processor, which can be a special purpose or general purpose programmable processor that can receive data and instructions from a storage system, at least one input device, and at least one output device, and transmit data and instructions to the storage system, the at least one input device, and the at least one output device.

[0110] Computer programs for implementing the methods of the present invention can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. These computer programs can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable wafer status detection device, so that when executed by the processor, the computer programs implement the functions / operations specified in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams. The computer programs can be executed entirely on the machine, partially on the machine, as a stand-alone software package, partially on the machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0111] In the context of the present invention, computer-readable storage media can be tangible media that can contain or store a computer program for use with an instruction execution system, device or equipment or used in combination with an instruction execution system, device or equipment. Computer-readable storage media can include but are not limited to electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared or semiconductor systems, devices or equipment, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. Alternatively, computer-readable storage media can be machine-readable signal media. More specific examples of machine-readable storage media can include electrical connections based on one or more lines, portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memories (RAM), read-only memories (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memories (EPROM or flash memory), optical fibers, portable compact disk read-only memories (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0112] To provide interaction with a user, the systems and techniques described herein can be implemented on an electronic device having: a display device (e.g., a CRT (cathode ray tube) or LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor) for displaying information to the user; and a keyboard and pointing device (e.g., a mouse or trackball) through which the user can provide input to the electronic device. Other types of devices can also be used to provide interaction with the user; for example, the feedback provided to the user can be any form of sensory feedback (e.g., visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback); and input from the user can be received in any form (including acoustic input, voice input, or tactile input).

[0113] The systems and techniques described herein can be implemented in a computing system that includes back-end components (e.g., as a data server), or a computing system that includes middleware components (e.g., an application server), or a computing system that includes front-end components (e.g., a user computer with a graphical user interface or web browser through which a user can interact with implementations of the systems and techniques described herein), or a computing system that includes any combination of such back-end components, middleware components, or front-end components. The components of the system can be interconnected by any form or medium of digital data communication (e.g., a communication network). Examples of communication networks include: a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a blockchain network, and the Internet.

[0114] A computing system may include clients and servers. The clients and servers are typically remote from each other and typically interact via a communication network. This client-server relationship arises through computer programs running on the respective computers, creating a client-server relationship. The server may be a cloud server, also known as a cloud computing server or cloud host. This server is a hosting product within the cloud computing service ecosystem that addresses the management difficulties and limited scalability of traditional physical hosting and VPS services.

[0115] It should be understood that the various forms of the processes shown above can be used to reorder, add, or delete steps. For example, the steps described in the present invention can be performed in parallel, sequentially, or in a different order, as long as the desired results of the technical solution of the present invention can be achieved. This is not limited herein.

[0116] The above specific embodiments do not limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, combinations, sub-combinations, and substitutions may be made based on design requirements and other factors. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention are intended to be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A wafer status detection method, characterized in that: include: Controlling the preset sensor to scan wafers on each layer of the wafer carrying container in sequence; Obtaining a scanning result signal of each layer of the wafer carrying container output by the sensor; wherein the scanning result signal of each layer of the wafer carrying container includes at least one of a high-level signal and a low-level signal; Determining the wafer thickness of the wafers carried in each layer of the wafer carrying container according to the linear formula Thickness=k×Δt+b based on the duration of the high-level signal in the scan result signal of each layer of the wafer carrying container; wherein Thickness represents the wafer thickness; k represents the reflection coefficient determined based on the material information of the wafer carried in the wafer carrying container; b represents a predetermined offset; and Δt represents the duration of the high-level signal in the scan result signal of each layer of the wafer carrying container; When the number of layers of wafers carried in the wafer carrying container is greater than or equal to three, determining a maximum thickness value and a minimum thickness value from wafer thickness values ​​of the wafers carried in each layer of the wafer carrying container; Calculating a median thickness using the other wafer thickness values ​​except the maximum thickness value and the minimum thickness value, and using the obtained median thickness as a wafer thickness reference value; Whether the wafers carried in each layer of the wafer carrying container are in a stacked state is determined according to the wafer thickness reference value and the wafer thickness values ​​of the wafers carried in each layer of the wafer carrying container.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that Also includes: When the number of layers of wafers carried in the wafer carrying container is equal to two, determining a maximum thickness value and a minimum thickness value from wafer thickness values ​​of the wafers carried in each layer of the wafer carrying container; The minimum thickness value is used as the wafer thickness reference value.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: If the scanning result signal of a certain layer of the wafer carrying container output by the sensor includes at least two high-level signals, and there is a low-level signal with a time shorter than a preset value between any two adjacent high-level signals, it is determined that the wafers carried by this layer are in a stacked state.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein The method further comprises: Determining a standard detection trigger time for the sensor to scan the earliest wafer on each layer of the wafer carrier according to a preset standard range of wafer placement on each layer of the wafer carrier; According to the scanning result signal of each layer of the wafer carrying container and the standard detection trigger time, it is determined whether the wafers carried by each layer of the wafer carrying container are in a tilted state.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The step of determining whether the wafers carried on each layer of the wafer carrying container are in a tilted state according to the scanning result signal of each layer of the wafer carrying container and the standard detection trigger time includes: Determining, based on a scanning result signal of each layer of the wafer carrying container, an actual detection trigger time when the sensor scans a wafer at each layer of the wafer carrying container; Whether the wafers carried on each layer of the wafer carrying container are in a tilted state is determined according to the actual detection trigger time when the sensor scans the wafers on each layer of the wafer carrying container and the standard detection trigger time.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The determining whether the wafers carried on each layer of the wafer carrying container are in a tilted state according to the actual detection trigger time when the sensor scans the wafers on each layer of the wafer carrying container and the standard detection trigger time includes: In response to the actual detection trigger time when the sensor scans a wafer at any layer of the wafer carrying container earlier than the standard detection trigger time, it is determined that the wafer carried by the layer in the wafer carrying container is in a tilted state.

7. A wafer status detection device, characterized in that: include: A control module, used to control a preset sensor to scan wafers on each layer of the wafer carrying container in sequence; a signal acquisition module, configured to acquire a scanning result signal of each layer of the wafer carrying container output by the sensor; wherein the scanning result signal of each layer of the wafer carrying container comprises at least one of a high-level signal and a low-level signal; a thickness calculation module for determining the wafer thickness of the wafers carried in each layer of the wafer carrying container according to the duration of the high-level signal in the scanning result signal of each layer of the wafer carrying container and the linear formula Thickness = k × Δt + b; wherein Thickness represents the wafer thickness value; k represents the reflection coefficient determined based on the material information of the wafer carried in the wafer carrying container; b represents a predetermined offset; and Δt represents the duration of the high-level signal in the scanning result signal of each layer of the wafer carrying container; A reference determination module is configured to determine a maximum thickness value and a minimum thickness value from wafer thickness values ​​of wafers carried in each layer of the wafer carrying container when the number of layers of wafers carried in the wafer carrying container is greater than or equal to three; and to determine a wafer thickness reference value using other wafer thickness values ​​except the maximum thickness value and the minimum thickness value; The state detection module is used to determine whether the wafers carried in each layer of the wafer carrying container are in a stacking state according to the wafer thickness reference value and the wafer thickness value of the wafers carried in each layer of the wafer carrying container.

8. An electronic device, characterized in that: include: at least one processor; as well as a memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor; wherein, The memory stores a computer program executable by the at least one processor. The computer program is executed by the at least one processor to enable the at least one processor to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

9. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions, and the computer instructions are used to enable a processor to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6 when executed.

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