Wafer feeding and discharging mechanism of wafer electroplating machine

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of wafer electroplating, in particular to a wafer feeding and discharging mechanism of a wafer electroplating machine, the feeding mechanism comprises a wafer box channel and a feeding support, and the wafer box channel is formed in a shell; the feeding support comprises a fixed frame and a movable frame, the distance between the fixed frame and the movable frame is adjustable, conveying mechanisms are installed in the movable frame and the fixed frame, a plurality of clamping assemblies are arranged on the conveying mechanisms, and clamping mechanisms are arranged on the clamping assemblies. The overturning assembly comprises a wafer adsorption frame and a mounting frame, the wafer adsorption frame is rotationally mounted on the mounting frame, a bearing seat is arranged in the center of the mounting frame, and a lifting air cylinder is arranged at the bottom of the bearing seat; a plurality of groups of wafer adsorption ends are circumferentially arrayed on the wafer adsorption frame, the wafer adsorption frame is provided with an annular groove, the annular groove is matched with the positioning rod, and the annular groove comprises an arc-shaped groove and a linear groove; the detection mechanism comprises a CCD detection camera, and an alarm is installed on the CCD detection camera. The electroplating feeding and discharging requirements of wafers of different specifications can be met, and the feeding and discharging efficiency and the positioning precision of the wafers are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of wafer electroplating technology, and in particular to a wafer loading and unloading mechanism of a wafer electroplating machine. Background Art

[0002] Wafer refers to the silicon chip made of silicon semiconductor integrated circuits. Due to its round shape, it is called a wafer. A layer of conductive metal is electroplated on the wafer, and the conductive metal layer is processed to make a conductive circuit. In the automated process of the semiconductor industry, it is often necessary to flip the wafer up and down around its center. During the flipping process, a high concentricity requirement is required between the center of the wafer and the center of the rotation axis, and the angle accuracy of the flip is also very important. High requirements. For example, the electroplating process is one of the key processes for producing these metal layers. However, the wafer loading and unloading operations of existing wafer electroplating equipment, especially vertical wafer electroplating equipment, are usually manually operated, resulting in low wafer loading and unloading efficiency. At the same time, manual operation also affects the wafer electroplating quality.

[0003] Chinese patent CN117604598B discloses a wafer loading and unloading mechanism for a wafer electroplating machine, comprising a vertical lift rail, a protective cover fixedly mounted on the top surface of the vertical lift rail, and a wafer feeding mechanism provided on the top and inside of the protective cover, wherein the wafer feeding mechanism enables the wafer to be transported downward in the vertical direction. The wafer loading and unloading mechanism of the wafer electroplating machine, during the wafer electroplating operation, uses a wafer flipping assembly and a wafer adsorption mechanism to automatically adsorb the wafer in the vertical direction and flip it to the bottom for electroplating operation, thereby achieving the goal of directly flipping the top wafer to the bottom for electroplating operation, reducing the multiple flipping steps in the traditional method, thereby saving electroplating time, which helps to improve the production efficiency of electroplating, reduce waiting time, and improve equipment utilization.

[0004] However, the wafers in the existing patent need to be loaded into the wafer feeding mechanism in sequence before loading, and only a single wafer can be flipped at the same time in a single wafer flipping mechanism. The automatic loading and flipping efficiency of the wafers is low. Although it reduces the number of wafer flips, the loading and unloading efficiency of the wafer electroplating machine is low as a whole. Therefore, a more efficient wafer loading and unloading mechanism for a wafer electroplating machine is desired. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In order to overcome the problems existing in the prior art, the present application provides a wafer loading and unloading mechanism for a wafer electroplating machine.

[0006] The wafer loading and unloading mechanism of a wafer electroplating machine provided in this application adopts the following technical solution: A wafer loading and unloading mechanism of a wafer electroplating machine, comprising The loading mechanism comprises a wafer box passage and a loading support. The wafer box passage is arranged on the back of the loading mechanism, and the wafer box is fed to the loading mechanism through the wafer box passage by a mechanical arm. The loading support comprises a fixed frame and a movable frame. The distance between the fixed frame and the movable frame is adjustable. The movable frame and the fixed frame are both provided with a conveying mechanism for clamping and conveying wafers. A plurality of clamping assemblies are arranged on the conveying mechanism in an array. Each clamping assembly is provided with a clamping mechanism, and the number of clamping mechanisms is equal to the number of wafers in a single wafer box. The turnover assembly comprises a wafer suction frame and mounting frames arranged in front of and behind the wafer suction frame. The wafer suction frame is rotationally mounted on the mounting frames. A first bearing seat is arranged in the center of the mounting frames and is slidably mounted. A lifting cylinder is arranged at the bottom of the first bearing seat to drive the first bearing seat to lift. A plurality of wafer suction tips are arranged in a circumferential array on the wafer suction frame. Ring grooves are arranged on the surfaces of the wafer suction frame facing the mounting frames. The ring grooves are adapted to positioning rods on the inner surfaces of the mounting frames. The ring grooves comprise a plurality of circumferential arrays of arc grooves and straight grooves. The number of arc grooves and straight grooves is equal to the number of wafer suction tips. The arc grooves extend from the outer side of the wafer suction frame to the center. The straight grooves are arranged between the arc grooves. The center line of the straight grooves is horizontal to the center line of the wafer suction tips. The detection mechanism comprises a CCD detection camera arranged on the side of the wafer suction mechanism in the rotation direction. An alarm is arranged on the CCD detection camera.

[0007] By adopting the above technical solution, the loading mechanism uses a robot to move the wafer box containing the wafers directly through the wafer box channel to the side of the fixed frame. The multiple clamping mechanisms in the clamping assembly in the fixed frame adsorb the wafers in the wafer box, cooperate with the robot to take the wafers out of the wafer box, and then drive the movable frame to move toward the fixed frame. The clamping components in the conveying mechanisms in the two clamp the multiple groups of wafers in the entire wafer box, thereby completing the loading of the wafers in the entire wafer box at one time, greatly improving the wafer loading efficiency. The wafer adsorption rack is rotated and mounted in the first bearing seat on the mounting frames on both sides. The first bearing seat controls the lifting and rotation of the wafer adsorption rack through the driving of the bottom lifting cylinder. During specific operation, the loading mechanism transfers the wafer to the wafer adsorption end head on the top of the wafer adsorption rack for adsorption, and then the lifting cylinder drives the wafer adsorption rack to move down and take the wafer out of the loading rack. At this time, the positioning rod on the inside of the mounting frame moves from the bottom of the linear groove to the top of the linear groove, and the lifting cylinder drives the wafer adsorption mechanism to move down. At this time, the positioning rod moves from the top of the linear groove along the arc groove to the bottom of the adjacent linear groove. In this process, since the arc groove moves from the outside to the center of the wafer adsorption mechanism, the wafer adsorption mechanism will rotate accordingly, and the bottom of the loading rack corresponds to the next group of wafer adsorption ends. At this time, the loading mechanism moves the next group of wafers down to the wafer adsorption end head, and the wafer adsorption end head adsorbs the wafer, and then drives the wafer to move down again through the action of the lifting cylinder and separates from the loading mechanism, and repeats this process. The wafer adsorbed on the wafer adsorption end is rotated to the CCD detection camera on the side for visual inspection of the wafer surface. If any abnormality occurs, the alarm will alert the operator to handle it.

[0008] Preferably, the conveying mechanism includes an active roller, a driven roller and a conveyor belt wound around the active roller and the driven roller, wherein the circumferential surfaces of the active roller and the driven roller are provided with annular tooth surfaces that mesh with the inner side of the conveyor belt, and servo motors for driving the active rollers are installed in the fixed frame and the movable frame, and the servo motors are driven synchronously; there are intervals between the clamping components, and the clamping mechanisms on the clamping components are installed on the mounting plates distributed at intervals, including a wafer adsorption mechanism located at the bottom of the mounting plate and a wafer retraction mechanism located at the top of the mounting plate, and the two are signal-connected, and the wafer adsorption mechanism and the wafer retraction mechanism correspond between the mounting plates.

[0009] Preferably, the wafer adsorption mechanism includes an adsorption rod rotatably mounted at the end of the mounting plate, wherein a slide groove is provided on the bottom surface of the adsorption rod, and an adsorption plate is slidably installed in the slide groove along the length direction of the adsorption rod. The end of the adsorption rod is driven to rotate by a first micro motor, and a wire sleeve provided at the bottom of the adsorption plate cooperates with a lead screw distributed along the length direction of the slide groove for transmission, wherein the lead screw is driven by a second micro motor at the end, and the first micro motor and the second micro motor are connected to the controller signal.

[0010] Preferably, the wafer retracting mechanism includes two groups of symmetrically distributed telescopic cylinders fixedly mounted on the top of the mounting plate, wherein the output end of the telescopic cylinder is rotatably mounted with a U-shaped clamping block, and an angle sensor is installed at the connection between the U-shaped clamping block and the output end of the telescopic cylinder, wherein the angle sensor is connected to the controller signal, and a rubber buffer pad is installed on the clamping end of the U-shaped clamping block.

[0011] By adopting the above technical solution, after the loading mechanism installs all wafers in the wafer cassette onto the conveyor mechanism on the fixed and movable frames, the conveyor mechanism's servo motor synchronously drives the active roller. The active roller, with its annular tooth surface meshing with the inner teeth of the conveyor belt, drives the driven roller, achieving stable transmission of the conveyor belt, thereby moving the wafers in the loading mechanism toward the flip assembly. The spacing of the clamping assemblies allows the number of clamping mechanisms within a single clamping assembly on the conveyor belt to be set according to the number of wafers in a single wafer cassette, thereby isolating the wafers in each cassette. The wafer suction mechanism and wafer retraction mechanism on the clamping mechanism correspond to each other on the mounting plate and are signal-connected. When the robot moves the wafer box into the shell and needs to grab the wafer, the telescopic cylinder of the wafer retraction mechanism is activated, driving the U-shaped clamping block installed at its output end to rotate close to the wafer, ensuring that the U-shaped clamping block is against the edge of the wafer. The angle sensor provides real-time feedback of the U-shaped clamping block angle information to the controller, which transmits the signal to the first micromotor and the second micromotor. Based on the information fed back by the controller, the suction rod is driven by the first micromotor to rotate to the appropriate angle. The second micromotor drives the lead screw to rotate, so that the suction plate, which cooperates with the lead screw to slide along the bottom groove of the suction rod to the center of the wafer and adsorb the wafer. In addition, when the wafer retraction mechanism on the fixed frame and the movable frame clamps the wafer that has been taken out of the wafer box, the rubber buffer pads at the clamping end of the U-shaped clamping block can prevent damage to the wafer, ensuring that the wafer is completely grasped and transferred.

[0012] Preferably, sliding protrusions are provided on both sides of the fixed frame and the movable frame, and the sliding protrusions are adapted to the sliding grooves on the inner side of the shell, wherein the sliding protrusions on both sides of the fixed frame are fixedly connected to the sliding grooves, and a second bearing seat is installed on the top of the fixed frame, the sliding protrusions on both sides of the movable frame are slidably connected to the sliding grooves, and a wire sleeve is installed on the top of the movable frame, an adjusting motor is installed in the shell at one end of the movable frame away from the fixed frame, a screw rod is installed on the output end of the adjusting motor and is distributed along the length direction of the sliding groove, the screw rod passes through the wire sleeve on the top of the movable frame and is rotatably connected to the second bearing seat on the top of the fixed frame.

[0013] By adopting the above technical solution, when it is necessary to adjust the distance between the fixed frame and the movable frame, the motor output end is adjusted to drive the screw to rotate. The movable frame will slide relative to the fixed frame along the length direction of the sliding groove with its sliding protrusion under the drive of the screw, thereby realizing precise adjustment of the distance between the fixed frame and the movable frame to meet the loading requirements of wafer boxes of different sizes.

[0014] Preferably, the two ends of the linear groove are respectively connected to two adjacent arc grooves, wherein the two ends of the linear groove adopt an arc structure adapted to the circumferential surface of the positioning rod, and a one-way limiting mechanism is installed on the side of the linear groove, the one-way limiting mechanism includes a limiting column and a spring connected to the accommodating groove in the side wall of the linear groove, one end of the limiting column is rotatably connected to the side wall of the linear groove, the gap between the surface of the end of the limiting column away from the rotating part and the adjacent arc groove is smaller than the cross-sectional diameter of the positioning rod, and the limiting column is adapted to the accommodating groove.

[0015] By adopting the above technical solution, when the positioning rod moves in the track formed by the arc groove and the straight groove, the arc structure at both ends of the straight groove is adapted to the circumferential surface of the positioning rod, which enables the positioning rod to smoothly transition through the straight groove between two adjacent arc grooves. The one-way limiting mechanism installed on the side of the straight groove plays a key role. Under the action of the spring, one end of the limiting column rotates around the rotating part of the side wall of the straight groove. The gap between the surface away from the rotating part and the adjacent arc groove is smaller than the cross-sectional diameter of the mounting rod. This allows the mounting rod to pass from the bottom of the straight groove to the top of the straight groove. However, when moving in the opposite direction, the mounting rod will be blocked by the triangular prism limiting column, and can move from the top of the straight groove to the arc groove, ensuring that the positioning rod and related components move in the predetermined direction.

[0016] Preferably, the wafer adsorption end adopts a diameter-adjustable structure, including a base and an adjustment block, the base includes a rectangular mounting seat and a suction cup bottom, wherein a groove for accommodating the adjustment block is provided on the bottom surface of the suction cup, and the adjustment block adopts an inverted T-shaped structure, including an upper adsorption layer and a lower adjustment layer, wherein the upper circular array of the adsorption layer has a first adsorption hole, the upper circular array of the adjustment layer has a plug, and the top of the suction cup bottom is provided with a second adsorption hole corresponding to the plug.

[0017] Preferably, an adjusting cylinder for driving the adjusting block to move up and down is installed at the bottom of the groove, and the contact surface between the adjusting block and the groove notch is sealed, and the height of the adjusting block is greater than the thickness of the groove notch.

[0018] By adopting the above technical solution, the diameter of the wafer adsorption end can be adjusted accordingly according to the size of the wafer. The adjusting cylinder drives the inverted T-shaped adjustment block to rise and fall in the groove at the bottom of the suction cup. Since the contact surface between the adjustment block and the groove notch is sealed, and the height of the adjustment block is greater than the thickness of the groove notch, the sealing of the adjustment process can be ensured. When the adjustment block rises, the plug on the adjustment layer blocks the second adsorption hole corresponding to the top of the bottom of the suction cup. At this time, only the first adsorption hole of the circular array on the adsorption layer works, and wafers with smaller diameters can be adsorbed. When the adjustment block descends, the plug is separated from the second adsorption hole, and the first adsorption hole and the second adsorption hole work together to expand the adsorption range, which can adsorb wafers with larger diameters. In this way, the diameter of the adsorption end can be flexibly adjusted according to the size of the wafer to meet the adsorption needs of different wafers.

[0019] Preferably, opposing photoelectric sensors are installed on the opposite surfaces of the fixed frame and the movable frame, wherein the opposing photoelectric sensors are evenly distributed at the four corners of the fixed frame and the movable frame.

[0020] By adopting the above technical solution, when the wafer cassette enters the loading mechanism, the through-beam photoelectric sensors evenly distributed at the four corners of the fixed frame and the movable frame play a key role. The through-beam photoelectric sensors consist of a transmitter and a receiver, which are respectively installed at the opposite corners of the fixed frame and the movable frame. When the wafer cassette enters the optical path between the transmitter and the receiver, the light is blocked, and the receiver cannot receive the light emitted by the transmitter. At this time, the through-beam photoelectric sensor will immediately generate an electrical signal change and transmit this signal to the controller, which controls the wafer adsorption mechanism in the clamping assembly to start working. In this way, it can be determined whether the wafer cassette has accurately reached the specified position, providing a reliable detection basis for the operation of removing wafers from the wafer cassette, ensuring the smooth progress of the entire process.

[0021] Preferably, support legs are installed at the bottom of the shell, and a space for accommodating the electroplating device is provided between the support legs at the bottom of the flip assembly, and the wafer adsorption end of the flip assembly away from the detection mechanism extends out of the shell.

[0022] By adopting the above technical solution, during the operation of the wafer electroplating machine, the support legs at the bottom of the shell provide stable support for the entire equipment, and a space specifically for accommodating the electroplating device is reserved between the support legs at the bottom of the flip assembly to ensure that the flip assembly can transfer the wafer to the electroplating device, ensuring the smooth installation of the electroplating device without affecting the stability of the overall structure. When the wafer is unloaded or unloaded, the flip assembly starts working, and the wafer suction end on it grabs the wafer from the loading mechanism and flips it. The wafer suction end of the flip assembly away from the detection mechanism extends out of the shell. This design allows the end to flexibly move the wafer that has completed inspection and electroplating outside the shell, making it convenient for the robot to transfer it to the subsequent process. The various parts work closely together to ensure the smooth operation of the wafer from unloading and loading to electroplating and subsequent processing.

[0023] In summary, this application includes at least one of the following beneficial technical effects: The present application improves the efficiency of wafer loading. The distance between the fixed frame and the movable frame of the loading bracket is adjustable to accommodate wafers of different specifications. The transmission mechanism array has multiple groups of clamping components, which can clamp multiple wafers at the same time. The servo motor synchronously drives the active roller to accurately and efficiently transport the wafers, eliminating the need to load them one by one, greatly saving time. The flipping assembly in this application reduces the load level of wafer flipping. The wafer adsorption rack has multiple adsorption ends in a circular array, which can continuously adsorb multiple wafers for flipping, changing the inefficient situation of traditional single wafer flipping. The annular groove cooperates with the positioning rod to achieve precise positioning, ensuring the accuracy of the flipping operation and greatly improving the flipping efficiency. This application ensures that the wafers are stably clamped and accurately transferred by the wafer adsorption and retraction mechanisms when transferring the wafers in the wafer box to the loading mechanism. The diameter of the adsorption end is adjustable and the through-beam photoelectric sensor assists in monitoring, thereby improving the equipment operation stability and loading and unloading efficiency in many aspects. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the wafer loading and unloading mechanism of a wafer electroplating machine; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the rear structure of the wafer loading and unloading mechanism of a wafer electroplating machine; Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Enlarged view of point A in the middle; Figure 4 The diagram is a schematic diagram of the structure of the wafer loading and unloading mechanism of a wafer electroplating machine without the front shell; Figure 5 yes Figure 4 Exploded view of the middle mounting frame and wafer adsorption frame; Figure 6 yes Figure 5 Enlarged view of point B in the middle; Figure 7 yes Figure 6 Enlarged view of point C in the middle; Figure 8 This is an exploded view of the adjustment block and base; Figure 9 yes Figure 5 Rear side view; Figure 10 yes Figure 9 Enlarged view of point D in the middle; Figure 11 yes Figure 4 Bottom side view; Figure 12 yes Figure 11 Enlarged view of point E in the middle.

[0025] Explanation of reference numerals: 1. loading mechanism; 11. wafer box channel; 12. loading bracket; 2. fixing frame; 21. second bearing seat; 22. through-beam photoelectric sensor; 3. movable frame; 31. sliding protrusion; 32. adjusting motor; 4. conveying mechanism; 41. driving roller; 42. driven roller; 43. conveyor belt; 5. clamping assembly; 51. clamping mechanism; 52. mounting plate; 53. wafer adsorption mechanism; 531. adsorption rod; 532. slide; 533. adsorption disk; 534. first micro motor; 535. second micro motor; 54. wafer retraction mechanism; 541. telescopic cylinder; 542. U-shaped clamping block; 543. rubber buffer pad; 6. flip assembly; 61. wafer adsorption rack; 62 , wafer adsorption end; 621, base; 6211, rectangular mounting seat; 6212, suction cup bottom; 6213, groove; 6214, adjusting cylinder; 622, adjusting block; 6221, adsorption layer; 6222, adjusting layer; 6223, first adsorption hole; 6224, plug; 6225, second adsorption hole; 623, annular groove; 6231, arc groove; 6232, linear groove; 624, one-way limiting mechanism; 6241, limiting column; 6242, accommodating groove; 63, mounting frame; 631, first bearing seat; 632, lifting cylinder; 633, positioning rod; 7, detection mechanism; 71, CCD detection camera; 72, alarm; 8, housing; 81, sliding groove; 82, supporting leg DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The following is combined with Figures 1-12 This application is described in further detail.

[0027] An embodiment of the present application discloses a wafer loading and unloading mechanism for a wafer electroplating machine.

[0028] Reference Figures 1 to 12, a wafer loading and unloading mechanism of a wafer electroplating machine, comprising a loading mechanism 1, comprising a wafer box channel 11 and a loading bracket 12, wherein the wafer box channel 11 is opened on the outer shell 8 on the back of the loading mechanism 1, and the wafer box is fed to the loading mechanism 1 through the wafer box channel 11 by a robot; the loading bracket 12 comprises a fixed frame 2 and a movable frame 3, wherein the distance between the fixed frame 2 and the movable frame 3 is adjustable, and a conveying mechanism 4 for clamping and conveying wafers is installed in the movable frame 3 and the fixed frame 2, and a plurality of groups of clamping components 5 are arrayed on the conveying mechanism 4, and the clamping component 5 is provided with a clamping mechanism 51 with the same number as the wafers in a single wafer box; a flip component 6, comprising a wafer adsorption frame 61 and a mounting frame 63 located in front and behind the wafer adsorption frame 61, the wafer adsorption frame 61 is rotatably mounted on the mounting frame 63, and a first bearing seat 631 is installed at the center of the mounting frame 63 for lifting and sliding, wherein the bottom of the first bearing seat 631 The part is provided with a lifting cylinder 632 for driving the first bearing seat 631 to rise and fall; there are four groups of wafer adsorption ends 62 in a circular array on the wafer adsorption rack 61, and annular grooves 623 are provided on the front and rear sides of the wafer adsorption rack 61 facing the mounting rack 63, wherein the annular grooves 623 are adapted to the positioning rods 633 on the inner side of the mounting rack 63, and the annular grooves 623 include four groups of arc grooves 6231 and straight grooves 6232 in a circular array, and the number of arc grooves 6231 and straight grooves 6232 is the same as that of the wafer adsorption end 62, the arc grooves 6231 extend from the outside to the center of the wafer adsorption rack 61, the straight grooves 6232 are located between the arc grooves 6231, and the center line of the straight grooves 6232 is horizontal with the center line of the wafer adsorption end 62; the detection mechanism 7 includes a CCD detection camera 71 provided on the side of the rotation direction of the wafer adsorption mechanism 53, and an alarm 72 is installed on the CCD detection camera 71. The loading mechanism 1 uses a robot to move the wafer box containing the wafers directly through the wafer box channel 11 to the side of the fixed frame 2. The multiple clamping mechanisms 51 in the clamping assembly 5 in the fixed frame 2 adsorb the wafers in the wafer box, cooperate with the robot to take the wafers out of the wafer box, and then drive the movable frame 3 to move toward the fixed frame 2. The clamping assembly 5 in the conveying mechanism 4 between the two clamps the multiple groups of wafers in the entire wafer box, thereby completing the loading of the wafers in the entire wafer box at one time, greatly improving the wafer loading efficiency.The flip assembly 6 is installed below the loading mechanism 1, in which the wafer adsorption rack 61 is rotatably installed in the first bearing seat 631 on the mounting frames 63 on both sides. The first bearing seat 631 controls the lifting and rotation of the wafer adsorption rack 61 through the driving of the bottom lifting cylinder 632. During operation, the loading mechanism 1 transfers the wafer to the wafer adsorption end 62 on the top of the wafer adsorption rack 61 for adsorption, and then the lifting cylinder 632 drives the wafer adsorption rack 61 to descend and take the wafer out from the loading rack. At this time, the positioning rod 633 on the inside of the mounting frame 63 moves from the bottom of the linear groove 6232 to the top of the linear groove 6232, and then rises. The lowering cylinder 632 drives the wafer suction mechanism 53 downward. At this time, the positioning rod 633 moves from the top of the linear slot 6232 along the arcuate slot 6231 to the bottom of the adjacent linear slot 6232. During this process, as the arcuate slot 6231 moves from the outside of the wafer suction mechanism 53 to the center, the wafer suction mechanism 53 rotates accordingly. The bottom of the loading rack corresponds to the next set of wafer suction heads 62. At this time, the loading mechanism 1 moves the next set of wafers downward onto the wafer suction heads 62. The wafer suction heads 62 absorb the wafers and then, driven downward again by the action of the lifting cylinder 632, separate from the loading mechanism 1. This reciprocating process repeats. The wafers adsorbed on the wafer suction heads 62 are rotated to the side CCD inspection camera 71 for visual inspection of the wafer surface. If any abnormality occurs, the alarm 72 will alert the operator to take corrective action.

[0029] Reference Figures 1 to 12The conveying mechanism 4 includes an active roller 41, a driven roller 42 and a conveyor belt 43 wound around the active roller 41 and the driven roller 42, wherein the circumferential surfaces of the active roller 41 and the driven roller 42 are provided with annular tooth surfaces that mesh with the inner side of the conveyor belt 43, and a servo motor for driving the active roller 41 is installed in the fixed frame 2 and the movable frame 3, and the servo motor is driven synchronously; there is a gap between the clamping components 5, and the clamping mechanism 51 on the clamping component 5 is installed on the spaced mounting plates 52, including a wafer adsorption mechanism 53 located at the bottom of the mounting plate 52 and a wafer retracting mechanism 54 located at the top of the mounting plate 52, and the two are signal connected, and the wafer adsorption mechanism 53 and the wafer retracting mechanism 54 correspond between the mounting plates 52. The wafer suction mechanism 53 includes a suction rod 531 rotatably mounted on the end of the mounting plate 52. A chute 532 is provided on the bottom surface of the suction rod 531. A suction disc 533 is slidably mounted in the chute 532 along the length of the suction rod 531. The end of the suction rod 531 is driven to rotate by a first micromotor 534. A threaded sleeve provided at the bottom of the suction disc 533 cooperates with a lead screw distributed along the length of the chute 532. The lead screw is driven by a second micromotor 535 at the end. The first and second micromotors 534 and 535 are connected to the controller signal. The wafer retraction mechanism 54 includes two sets of symmetrically distributed telescopic cylinders 541 fixedly mounted on the top of the mounting plate 52. A U-shaped clamping block 542 is rotatably mounted on the output end of the telescopic cylinder 541. An angle sensor is installed at the connection between the U-shaped clamping block 542 and the output end of the telescopic cylinder 541. The angle sensor is connected to the controller signal. A rubber cushion 543 is installed on the clamping end of the U-shaped clamping block 542. After the loading mechanism 1 installs all the wafers in the wafer box onto the conveyor mechanism 4 on the fixed frame 2 and the movable frame 3, the servo motor of the conveyor mechanism 4 synchronously drives the active roller 41. The active roller 41 drives the driven roller 42 by virtue of the annular tooth surface on the circumference that meshes with the inner side of the conveyor belt 43, thereby achieving stable transmission of the conveyor belt 43, thereby moving the wafers in the loading mechanism 1 toward the flip assembly 6. The clamping assemblies 5 are distributed at intervals. The number of clamping mechanisms 51 in a single group of clamping assemblies 5 on the conveyor belt 43 can be set according to the number of wafers in a single wafer box, and the wafers in each box are separated by intervals. The wafer suction mechanism 53 and the wafer retraction mechanism 54 on the clamping mechanism 51 correspond to each other on the mounting plate 52 and are signal-connected.When the robot moves the wafer cassette into the housing and needs to grab a wafer, the telescopic cylinder 541 of the wafer retraction mechanism 54 is activated, driving the U-shaped clamping block 542 mounted on its output end to move closer to the wafer, ensuring that the U-shaped clamping block 542 contacts the edge of the wafer. The angle sensor provides real-time feedback on the angle of the U-shaped clamping block 542 to the controller, which transmits the signal to the first micromotor 534 and the second micromotor 535. Based on the feedback from the controller, the suction rod 531, driven by the first micromotor 534, rotates to the appropriate angle. The second micromotor 535 drives the lead screw, causing the suction plate 533, which is driven by the lead screw, to slide along the bottom groove 532 of the suction rod 531 to the center of the wafer and absorb the wafer. Furthermore, when the wafer retraction mechanism 54 on the fixed frame 2 and movable frame 3 clamps the wafer removed from the wafer cassette, the rubber cushion 543 provided on the clamping end of the U-shaped clamping block 542 prevents damage to the wafer, ensuring complete wafer grabbing and transfer.

[0030] Reference Figures 1 to 12 , both sides of the fixed frame 2 and the movable frame 3 are provided with sliding protrusions 31, and the sliding protrusions 31 are adapted to the sliding grooves 81 inside the shell 8, wherein the sliding protrusions 31 on both sides of the fixed frame 2 are fixedly connected to the sliding grooves 81, and a second bearing seat 21 is installed on the top of the fixed frame 2, and the sliding protrusions 31 on both sides of the movable frame 3 are slidably connected to the sliding grooves 81, and a wire sleeve is installed on the top of the movable frame 3, and an adjustment motor 32 is installed in the shell 8 at the end of the movable frame 3 away from the fixed frame 2, and the output end of the adjustment motor 32 is installed with a screw distributed along the length direction of the sliding groove 81, and the screw passes through the wire sleeve at the top of the movable frame 3 and is rotatably connected to the second bearing seat 21 at the top of the fixed frame 2. When the distance between the fixed frame 2 and the movable frame 3 needs to be adjusted, the screw is driven by the output end of the adjustment motor 32 to rotate, and the movable frame 3 will slide relative to the fixed frame 2 along the length direction of the sliding groove 81 under the drive of the screw, thereby realizing precise adjustment of the distance between the fixed frame 2 and the movable frame 3 to meet the loading requirements of wafer boxes of different sizes.

[0031] Reference Figures 1 to 12The two ends of the straight slot 6232 are communicated with two adjacent arc-shaped slots 6231, wherein the two ends of the straight slot 6232 adopt arc-shaped structures matched with the circumferential surface of the positioning rod 633, and the side surface of the straight slot 6232 is provided with a one-way limiting mechanism 624. The one-way limiting mechanism 624 comprises a limiting column 6241 and a spring connected with a containing groove 6242 in the side wall of the straight slot 6232. One end of the limiting column 6241 is rotationally connected with the side wall of the straight slot 6232, and the face of the other end of the limiting column 6241 is smaller than the sectional diameter of the positioning rod 633. The limiting column 6241 is matched with the containing groove 6242. When the positioning rod 633 moves in the track formed by the arc-shaped slot 6231 and the straight slot 6232, the positioning rod 633 can smoothly pass through the straight slot 6232 between two adjacent arc-shaped slots 6231 due to the arc-shaped structure of the two ends of the straight slot 6232 matched with the circumferential surface of the positioning rod 633. The one-way limiting mechanism 624 installed on the side surface of the straight slot 6232 plays a key role. Under the action of the spring, one end of the limiting column 6241 rotates around the rotating part of the side wall of the straight slot 6232, and the face of the other end of the limiting column 6241 is smaller than the sectional diameter of the positioning rod 633. This makes the positioning rod move from the bottom of the straight slot 6232 to the top of the straight slot 6232, but when moving in the opposite direction, the positioning rod is blocked by the three-prism limiting column 6241, realizing the movement from the top of the straight slot 6232 to the arc-shaped slot 6231, and ensuring the movement of the positioning rod 633 and related components in the predetermined direction.

[0032] With reference to Figures 1 to 12The wafer suction head 62 has an adjustable diameter and includes a base 621 and an adjustment block 622. The base 621 includes a rectangular mounting seat 6211 and a suction cup base 6212. The suction cup base 6212 has a groove 6213 on its surface for accommodating the adjustment block 622. The adjustment block 622 has an inverted T-shaped structure, including an upper suction layer 6221 and a lower adjustment layer 6222. The suction layer 6221 has a circumferential array of first suction holes 6223, and the adjustment layer 6222 has a circumferential array of plugs 6224. The top of the suction cup base 6212 has second suction holes 6225 corresponding to the plugs 6224. An adjustment cylinder 6214 is installed at the bottom of the groove 6213 to drive the adjustment block 622 up and down. The contact surface between the adjustment block 622 and the notch of the groove 6213 is sealed, and the height of the adjustment block 622 is greater than the thickness of the notch of the groove 6213. To adjust the diameter of the wafer suction head 62 according to the wafer size, an adjustment cylinder 6214 drives the inverted T-shaped adjustment block 622 up and down within the groove 6213 of the suction cup base 6212. Because the contact surface between the adjustment block 622 and the notch of the groove 6213 is sealed, and the height of the adjustment block 622 is greater than the thickness of the notch, a tight seal is ensured during the adjustment process. When the adjustment block 622 rises, the plug 6224 on the adjustment layer 6222 blocks the second suction holes 6225 corresponding to the top of the suction cup base 6212. Only the first suction holes 6223 in the circumferential array of the suction layer 6221 are active, allowing for the suction of smaller wafers. When the adjustment block 622 descends, the plug 6224 disengages from the second suction holes 6225, allowing the first and second suction holes 6223 to work together, expanding the suction range and accommodating larger wafers. This allows for flexible adjustment of the suction head diameter based on wafer size to meet the suction requirements of varying wafers.

[0033] Reference Figures 1 to 12 , on the opposite surfaces of the fixed frame 2 and the movable frame 3 are installed with opposing photoelectric sensors 22, wherein the opposing photoelectric sensors 22 are evenly distributed at the four corners of the fixed frame 2 and the movable frame 3. When the wafer box enters the loading mechanism 1, the opposing photoelectric sensors 22 evenly distributed at the four corners of the fixed frame 2 and the movable frame 3 play a key role. The opposing photoelectric sensors 22 are composed of a transmitter and a receiver, which are respectively installed on the opposite corners of the fixed frame 2 and the movable frame 3. When the wafer box enters the optical path between the transmitter and the receiver, the light is blocked and the receiver cannot receive the light emitted by the transmitter. At this time, the opposing photoelectric sensor 22 will immediately generate an electrical signal change and transmit the signal to the controller to control the wafer adsorption mechanism 53 in the clamping assembly 5 to start working. In this way, it can be judged whether the wafer box has accurately reached the specified position, providing a reliable detection basis for the operation of taking the wafer from the wafer box, and ensuring the smooth progress of the entire process.

[0034] ReferenceFigures 1 to 12 The bottom of the shell 8 is provided with support legs 82, and the support legs 82 at the bottom of the turnover assembly 6 are provided with a space for accommodating the electroplating device. The wafer suction end head 62 at the end of the turnover assembly 6 away from the detection mechanism 7 extends out of the shell 8. During the operation of the wafer electroplating machine, the support legs 82 at the bottom of the shell 8 provide stable support for the entire device, and the space reserved between the support legs 82 at the bottom of the turnover assembly 6 is specially used for accommodating the electroplating device, which ensures that the turnover assembly 6 can deliver the wafer to the electroplating device and guarantees the smooth installation of the electroplating device without affecting the stability of the overall structure. When the wafer loading and unloading operation is performed, the turnover assembly 6 starts to work, and the wafer suction end head 62 thereon grabs the wafer from the loading mechanism 1 and performs turnover. The wafer suction end head 62 at the end of the turnover assembly 6 away from the detection mechanism 7 extends out of the shell 8, which enables the end head to flexibly move the wafer that has completed detection and electroplating outside the shell 8, facilitating the transfer of the wafer to the subsequent process by the mechanical hand. Each part is closely matched to ensure smooth operation of the wafer from loading and unloading to electroplating and subsequent processing.

[0035] The wafer loading and unloading mechanism of the wafer electroplating machine works as follows: the loading mechanism 1 sends the wafer box to the side of the fixed frame 2 through the wafer box channel 11 by the mechanical hand, the multiple sets of clamping mechanisms 51 of the clamping assembly 5 in the fixed frame 2 adsorb the wafers and cooperate with the mechanical hand to take out, the movable frame 3 moves towards the fixed frame 2, and the clamping assemblies 5 of the inner conveying mechanisms 4 in the two frames clamp multiple sets of wafers to complete loading; the servo motor synchronously drives the driving roller 41 of the conveying mechanism 4 to drive the driven roller 42 to rotate, realizing the transmission of the transmission belt 43 and moving the wafers to the turnover assembly 6; after the mechanical hand moves the wafer box to the designated position, the light emitting photoelectric sensor 22 detects that the wafer box is in place, and then controls the wafer suction mechanism 53 of the clamping assembly 5 to work; the wafer suction frame 61 in the turnover assembly 6 is rotationally installed on the mounting frame 63, and is driven by the lifting cylinder 632 to lift and rotate. After the loading mechanism 1 delivers the wafer to the wafer suction end head 62 for adsorption, the lifting cylinder 632 drives the wafer suction frame 61 to descend and take out the wafer from the loading mechanism 1. The positioning rod 633 moves in the linear groove 6232 and the arc-shaped groove 6231 to rotate the wafer suction frame 61. The loading mechanism 1 continues to move the next set of wafers to the wafer suction end head 62 for adsorption, and the operation is repeated. The wafer adsorbed on the wafer suction end head 62 rotates to the CCD detection camera 71 for detection, and the alarm 72 alarms when abnormal. The wafer suction end head 62 can adjust the diameter by adjusting the lifting of the adjusting block 622 driven by the adjusting cylinder 6214 according to the size of the wafer. When adjusting the distance between the fixed frame 2 and the movable frame 3, the adjusting motor 32 drives the screw to rotate, so that the movable frame 3 slides along the sliding groove 81 relative to the fixed frame 2. The support legs 82 at the bottom of the shell 8 provide stable support, and the space reserved between the support legs 82 at the bottom of the turnover assembly 6 is used to accommodate the electroplating device. The wafer suction end head 62 at the end of the turnover assembly 6 away from the detection mechanism 7 extends out of the shell 8, facilitating the transfer of the wafer that has completed detection and electroplating to the subsequent process.

[0036] The above are all preferred embodiments of the present application, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, any equivalent changes made based on the structure, shape, and principle of the present application should be included in the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A wafer loading and unloading mechanism for a wafer electroplating machine, characterized by: include A loading mechanism (1) comprises a wafer box channel (11) and a loading support (12), wherein the wafer box channel (11) is opened on a housing (8) on the back of the loading mechanism (1), and the wafer box is fed to the loading mechanism (1) through the wafer box channel (11) by a robot; the loading support (12) comprises a fixed frame (2) and a movable frame (3), wherein the distance between the fixed frame (2) and the movable frame (3) is adjustable, and a conveying mechanism (4) for clamping and conveying wafers is installed in both the movable frame (3) and the fixed frame (2), and a plurality of groups of clamping components (5) are arrayed on the conveying mechanism (4), and the clamping components (5) are provided with the same number of clamping mechanisms (51) as the number of wafers in a single wafer box; The flip assembly (6) comprises a wafer adsorption rack (61) and a mounting rack (63) located in front and behind the wafer adsorption rack (61), wherein the wafer adsorption rack (61) is rotatably mounted on the mounting rack (63), and a first bearing seat (631) is mounted in a lifting and sliding manner at the center of the mounting rack (63), wherein a lifting cylinder (632) for driving the first bearing seat (631) to be lifted and lowered is provided at the bottom of the first bearing seat (631); a plurality of groups of wafer adsorption ends (62) are arranged in a circular array on the upper circumference of the wafer adsorption rack (61), and an annular groove is provided on the front and rear sides of the wafer adsorption rack (61) facing the mounting rack (63). (623), wherein the annular groove (623) is adapted to the positioning rod (633) on the inner side of the mounting frame (63), the annular groove (623) includes a plurality of groups of arc grooves (6231) and straight grooves (6232) in a circumferential array, the number of the arc grooves (6231) and the straight grooves (6232) are the same as the number of the wafer adsorption end (62), the arc grooves (6231) extend from the outside to the center of the wafer adsorption frame (61), the straight grooves (6232) are located between the arc grooves (6231), and the center line of the straight groove (6232) is horizontal with the center line of the wafer adsorption end (62); The detection mechanism (7) includes a CCD detection camera (71) provided on the side of the wafer adsorption mechanism (53) in the rotation direction, and an alarm (72) is installed on the CCD detection camera (71).

2. The wafer loading and unloading mechanism of a wafer electroplating machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The conveying mechanism (4) includes an active roller (41), a driven roller (42) and a conveyor belt (43) wound on the active roller (41) and the driven roller (42), wherein the circumferential surfaces of the active roller (41) and the driven roller (42) are provided with annular tooth surfaces meshing with the inner side of the conveyor belt (43), and the fixed frame (2) and the movable frame (3) are equipped with servo motors for driving the active roller (41), and the servo motors are driven synchronously; there are intervals between the clamping components (5), and the clamping mechanisms (51) on the clamping components (5) are installed on the installation plates (52) distributed at intervals, including a wafer adsorption mechanism (53) located at the bottom of the installation plate (52) and a wafer retraction mechanism (54) located at the top of the installation plate (52), and the two are signal-connected, and the wafer adsorption mechanism (53) and the wafer retraction mechanism (54) correspond between the installation plates (52).

3. The wafer loading and unloading mechanism of a wafer electroplating machine according to claim 2, characterized in that: The wafer adsorption mechanism (53) includes an adsorption rod (531) rotatably mounted on the end of the mounting plate (52), wherein a slide groove (532) is provided on the bottom surface of the adsorption rod (531), and an adsorption disk (533) is slidably mounted in the slide groove (532) along the length direction of the adsorption rod (531), and the end of the adsorption rod (531) is driven to rotate by a first micro motor (534), and a wire sleeve provided at the bottom of the adsorption disk (533) cooperates with a screw distributed along the length direction of the slide groove (532) for transmission, wherein the screw is driven by a second micro motor (535) at the end, and the first micro motor (534) and the second micro motor (535) are connected to the controller signal.

4. The wafer loading and unloading mechanism of a wafer electroplating machine according to claim 3, characterized in that: The wafer retracting mechanism (54) comprises two groups of symmetrically distributed telescopic cylinders (541) fixedly mounted on the top of the mounting plate (52), wherein a U-shaped clamping block (542) is rotatably mounted on the output end of the telescopic cylinder (541), and an angle sensor is mounted at the connection between the U-shaped clamping block (542) and the output end of the telescopic cylinder (541), wherein the angle sensor is connected to a controller signal, and a rubber buffer pad (543) is mounted on the clamping end of the U-shaped clamping block (542).

5. The wafer loading and unloading mechanism of a wafer electroplating machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: Both sides of the fixed frame (2) and the movable frame (3) are provided with sliding protrusions (31), and the sliding protrusions (31) are adapted to the sliding grooves (81) on the inner side of the shell (8), wherein the sliding protrusions (31) on both sides of the fixed frame (2) are fixedly connected to the sliding grooves (81), and a second bearing seat (21) is installed on the top of the fixed frame (2), the sliding protrusions (31) on both sides of the movable frame (3) are slidably connected to the sliding grooves (81), and a wire sleeve is installed on the top of the movable frame (3), and an adjusting motor (32) is installed in the shell (8) at one end of the movable frame (3) away from the fixed frame (2), and a screw rod is installed at the output end of the adjusting motor (32) and distributed along the length direction of the sliding groove (81), and the screw rod passes through the wire sleeve at the top of the movable frame (3) and is rotatably connected to the second bearing seat (21) at the top of the fixed frame (2).

6. The wafer loading and unloading mechanism of a wafer electroplating machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The two ends of the linear groove (6232) are respectively connected to two adjacent arc-shaped grooves (6231), wherein the two ends of the linear groove (6232) adopt an arc-shaped structure adapted to the circumferential surface of the positioning rod (633), and a one-way limiting mechanism (624) is installed on the side of the linear groove (6232), and the one-way limiting mechanism (624) comprises a limiting column (6241) and a spring connected to the receiving groove (6242) on the side wall of the linear groove (6232), one end of the limiting column (6241) is rotatably connected to the side wall of the linear groove (6232), and the gap between the surface of the limiting column (6241) away from the rotating part and the adjacent arc-shaped groove (6231) is smaller than the cross-sectional diameter of the positioning rod (633), and the limiting column (6241) is adapted to the receiving groove (6242).

7. The wafer loading and unloading mechanism of a wafer electroplating machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The wafer adsorption end head (62) adopts a diameter-adjustable structure, comprising a base (621) and an adjustment block (622), wherein the base (621) comprises a rectangular mounting seat (6211) and a suction cup bottom (6212), wherein a groove (6213) for accommodating the adjustment block (622) is provided on the surface of the suction cup bottom (6212), and the adjustment block (622) adopts an inverted T-shaped structure, comprising an upper adsorption layer (6221) and a lower adjustment layer (6222), wherein the adsorption layer (6221) has a first adsorption hole (6223) in a circumferential array, and the adjustment layer (6222) has a plug (6224) in a circumferential array, and the top of the suction cup bottom (6212) has a second adsorption hole (6225) corresponding to the plug (6224).

8. The wafer loading and unloading mechanism of a wafer electroplating machine according to claim 7, characterized in that: An adjusting cylinder (6214) for driving the adjusting block (622) to move up and down is installed at the bottom of the groove (6213), and the contact surface between the adjusting block (622) and the notch of the groove (6213) is sealed. The height of the adjusting block (622) is greater than the thickness of the notch of the groove (6213).

9. The wafer loading and unloading mechanism of a wafer electroplating machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: Opposing photoelectric sensors (22) are installed on the opposite surfaces of the fixed frame (2) and the movable frame (3), wherein the opposing photoelectric sensors (22) are evenly distributed at the four corners of the fixed frame (2) and the movable frame (3).

10. The wafer loading and unloading mechanism of a wafer electroplating machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: Support legs (82) are installed at the bottom of the housing (8), and a space for accommodating an electroplating device is provided between the support legs (82) at the bottom of the flip assembly (6). The wafer adsorption end (62) at one end of the flip assembly (6) away from the detection mechanism (7) extends out of the housing (8).

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