Wafer carrying device and wafer detection method
By deploying pressure sensors on the wafer carrier mechanism to monitor wafer offset in real time, the problem of wafer offset during handling is solved, reducing costs and improving handling accuracy and production efficiency.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-12-19
- Publication Date
- 2026-03-31
AI Technical Summary
During wafer handling, existing technologies struggle to effectively detect and prevent wafer misalignment, leading to bumps and scratches that affect product yield and production line efficiency.
Pressure sensors are evenly distributed in the target bearing area of the wafer carrier mechanism. By acquiring pressure values, the specifications and offset of the wafer are determined. Combined with position detection, real-time monitoring and early warning of wafer offset are achieved.
It effectively reduces hardware and software computing costs, improves wafer positioning accuracy and stability during handling, avoids wafer damage, and improves production yield and efficiency.
Smart Images
Figure CN121772702A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application belongs to the field of semiconductor technology, and more specifically, relates to a wafer handling device and a wafer inspection method. Background Technology
[0002] In the entire semiconductor chip manufacturing process, the wafer serves as the core carrier for integrated circuit manufacturing. The stability and positional accuracy of its handling directly determine product yield and production line efficiency. The wafer surface is covered with a precise thin film structure. If edge offset, tilting, or misalignment with the carrier mechanism occurs during handling, it can lead to collisions when placed into the wafer cassette, causing scratches or breakage of the wafer. Since the alignment errors in subsequent photolithography, etching, or thin film deposition processes are typically at the nanometer level, this can easily result in wafer scrap.
[0003] Therefore, there is a need for a device and a detection method that can detect whether a wafer has shifted during handling. Summary of the Invention
[0004] The purpose of this application is to provide a wafer handling device and a wafer inspection method to detect whether the wafer has shifted during the handling process.
[0005] A first aspect of this application provides a wafer inspection method, performed by a wafer handling device. The wafer handling device includes a robotic arm and a wafer carrier mechanism disposed at the end of the robotic arm. When the wafer carrier mechanism handles wafers of various sizes, at least a portion of the wafer's edge is supported on a target support area. The method includes: Acquire the target pressure values sent by each pressure sensor, and each pressure sensor is evenly distributed on the target bearing area of the wafer carrier mechanism; The specifications of the target wafer are determined based on the target pressure values from each pressure sensor. Determine the standard pressure distribution characteristics based on the specifications of the target wafer; The wafer inspection results are determined based on the target pressure values and standard pressure distribution characteristics sent by each pressure sensor; the wafer inspection results are used to characterize whether the target wafer has shifted.
[0006] A second aspect of this application provides a wafer handling device, including: a controller, a robotic arm, and a wafer carrier mechanism disposed at the end of the robotic arm; The robotic arm is used to drive the wafer carrier mechanism to transport wafers; Multiple pressure sensors are evenly distributed on the target bearing area of the wafer carrier mechanism; when the wafer carrier mechanism transports wafers of various sizes, at least a portion of the edge of the wafer is supported on the target bearing area. The controller is used to acquire the target pressure values sent by each pressure sensor, determine the specifications of the target wafer based on the target pressure values of each pressure sensor, determine the standard pressure distribution characteristics based on the specifications of the target wafer, determine the wafer detection results based on the target pressure values sent by each pressure sensor and the standard pressure distribution characteristics, and use the wafer detection results to characterize whether the target wafer has shifted.
[0007] A third aspect of this application provides a controller, including a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and running on the processor, wherein the processor executes the computer program to implement the steps of the wafer inspection method described above.
[0008] A fourth aspect of this application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the wafer inspection method described above.
[0009] The beneficial effects of the wafer handling device and wafer inspection method provided in this application are as follows: This embodiment of the application obtains target pressure values by uniformly distributing pressure sensors in the target bearing area of the wafer carrier mechanism, thereby determining the wafer detection results to characterize whether the wafer has shifted. This allows for timely detection of wafer shift, preventing wafer damage due to improper handling, and enabling the detection of wafer shift during handling. This embodiment reduces the use of pressure sensors and the amount of data processing required by distributing pressure sensors only in the target bearing area of the wafer carrier mechanism, thus reducing hardware and software computation costs. Attached Figure Description
[0010] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.
[0011] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a wafer handling device provided in one embodiment of this application; Figure 2 for Figure 1 A top view of a wafer handling device carrying a wafer; Figure 3 for Figure 1 A top view of a wafer handling device carrying another wafer; Figure 4 This is a schematic flowchart of a wafer inspection method provided in one embodiment of this application; Figure 5A structural block diagram of a wafer handling device provided in one embodiment of this application; Figure 6 A schematic block diagram of a controller provided in one embodiment of this application; In the diagram, 1 is the robotic arm, 2 is the wafer carrier mechanism, 3 is the target carrier area, and 4 is the wafer. Detailed Implementation
[0012] In the following description, specific details such as particular system architectures and techniques are set forth for illustrative purposes and not for limitation, in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of this application. However, those skilled in the art will understand that this application may also be implemented in other embodiments without these specific details. In other instances, detailed descriptions of well-known systems, apparatuses, circuits, and methods have been omitted so as not to obscure the description of this application with unnecessary detail.
[0013] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the following description will be provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.
[0014] Please refer to Figure 1 The wafer handling device may include a robotic arm 1 and a wafer carrier mechanism 2 disposed at the end of the robotic arm 1. The robotic arm 1 is connected to the wafer carrier mechanism 2. When wafer handling is required, the robotic arm 1 can drive the wafer carrier mechanism 2 to handle the wafer. Figure 1 The toothed fork is used as an example of a wafer carrier mechanism 2.
[0015] In this field, during the process of a wafer carrier structure carrying and transporting a wafer, the wafer may shift in different directions and / or to different degrees due to unstable control of the robotic arm 1 or rapid changes in its operating state (such as turning, short-term acceleration, or short-term deceleration). Therefore, it is considered to deploy multiple pressure sensors on the wafer carrier mechanism 2 to detect whether the wafer has shifted during transport. However, deploying a complete set of high-precision, high-density pressure sensors on the wafer carrier mechanism 2 would not only result in high hardware costs, but also high software computation costs for the wafer transport device when processing data from multiple pressure sensors. Based on this, it was observed that when the wafer carrier mechanism 2 carries wafers of different specifications, the pressure distribution on the wafer carrier mechanism 2 is different (different specifications of wafers can be divided according to their size (i.e., wafer radius)). Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, taking the wafer carrier mechanism 2 as a toothed fork as an example, most of the edge area of the wafer 4 does not directly contact the toothed fork. However, regardless of the size of the wafer 4, there is always a part of the bearing area of the toothed fork that can stably bear part of the edge of the wafer 4. This part of the area is specifically the starting end area of the bearing part and the ending end area of the connecting part of the wafer carrier mechanism 2. In this embodiment, this area is marked as the target bearing area 3.
[0016] Therefore, in this embodiment, multiple pressure sensors are evenly distributed in at least the target bearing area 3 within the bearing area of the wafer bearing mechanism 2. The pressure values sent by each pressure sensor in the target bearing area 3 can be used to determine whether the target wafer 4 has shifted. The higher the accuracy, the smaller the size, or the higher the density of the pressure sensors, the more accurate the final wafer detection result will be.
[0017] In this embodiment, the process of determining the wafer inspection result can be specifically executed by the controller (not shown in the figure) in the wafer handling device. The controller can be a computer or other controller with digital processing function. The controller can receive the target pressure value sent by multiple pressure sensors deployed in the target bearing area 3 through wired or wireless means. The target pressure value refers to the pressure value detected by the corresponding pressure sensor.
[0018] Figure 4 This is a schematic flowchart of a wafer inspection method provided in an embodiment of this application. The method may include: S101-S104.
[0019] S101: Receives the target pressure value sent by each pressure sensor.
[0020] In this embodiment, each pressure sensor is evenly distributed in the target bearing area 3. When the wafer handling device handles the wafer, each pressure sensor can detect the pressure and send its detected pressure value to the controller.
[0021] S102: Determine the specifications of the target wafer based on the target pressure values of each pressure sensor.
[0022] In this embodiment, wafer specifications can be determined based on the following method: The target pressure sensor is selected from the pressure sensors based on the target pressure values of each pressure sensor; the target pressure sensor is the pressure sensor that is in contact with the edge of the target wafer, and there are multiple target pressure sensors; The dimensions of the target wafer are determined based on the location of the target pressure sensor in the target bearing area 3.
[0023] In this embodiment, the geometry of the wafer edge is directly related to its size, and the distribution of pressure sensors in contact with the wafer edge objectively reflects this geometric feature. Therefore, by analyzing the position of the target pressure sensor, the wafer specification can be accurately determined without being affected by changes in weight (thickness). The specific implementation process is as follows: First, select pressure sensors whose target pressure value is greater than the first pressure value from among the pressure sensors; For each pressure sensor that exceeds a first pressure value, determine the pressure difference between that pressure sensor and its adjacent pressure sensor in a preset direction. The pressure sensor whose pressure difference is greater than the second pressure value is identified as the target pressure sensor.
[0024] The contact between the wafer edge and the support structure exhibits abrupt pressure changes. Pressure sensors in the contact area experience significant pressure readings due to the wafer's gravity, while sensors immediately outside the edge (not in contact with the wafer) show a sharp drop in pressure (even to zero). Based on this, the screening logic is as follows: From all pressure sensors, sensors with target pressure values greater than a first pressure threshold are first selected to preliminarily determine candidate sensors for contact with the wafer. For each candidate sensor, the pressure value difference between it and a sensor adjacent in a preset direction is calculated. If this difference is greater than a second pressure threshold, it indicates that the sensor is at the boundary between contact and non-contact, i.e., in direct contact with the wafer edge, and is thus identified as the target pressure sensor. Here, the preset direction refers to the direction from the end of the wafer support mechanism 2 to the starting end. The first and second pressure thresholds can be determined based on multiple experiments. For example, the first pressure threshold can be set to a value slightly smaller than the standard value of a single pressure sensor for a minimum-sized wafer under unbiased load conditions, and the second pressure threshold can be set to a value slightly smaller than the first pressure threshold.
[0025] Since the wafer is a standard circle, the coordinates of the target pressure sensor that its edge contacts should be distributed on the same circumference, and the radius of this circumference is the radius of the corresponding wafer.
[0026] Therefore, the specifications of the target wafer can be determined as follows: the target radius is determined based on the position of each target pressure sensor in the target bearing area 3; the target radius is the radius of the fitted circle determined based on the position of each target pressure sensor in the target bearing area 3; and the specifications of the target wafer are determined based on the target radius.
[0027] Specifically, a coordinate system can be determined first. The origin of this coordinate system can be any point on the wafer bearing surface. Any two mutually perpendicular straight lines on the same horizontal plane of the bearing surface can be the X-axis and Y-axis. The positive direction can be set by the user. Next, the coordinates of all target pressure sensors in the bearing area are extracted, and the least squares method is used to perform circle fitting on these coordinates. The target radius is then calculated, which is the radius of the target wafer, thus obtaining the specifications of the target wafer.
[0028] S103: Determine standard pressure distribution characteristics based on the specifications of the target wafer.
[0029] In this embodiment, the theoretical pressure distribution characteristics of wafers of various specifications can be predetermined. For example, the pressure values of each pressure sensor for wafers of various specifications under normal, unbiased load conditions can be used to obtain the standard pressure distribution characteristics corresponding to each wafer specification. Once the specifications of the target wafer are determined, the standard pressure distribution characteristics corresponding to that target wafer can be determined from them.
[0030] S104: Determine the wafer inspection results based on the target pressure values and standard pressure distribution characteristics sent by each pressure sensor.
[0031] In this embodiment, the standard pressure distribution features contain the standard pressure values of each pressure sensor. Therefore, the difference between the standard pressure values corresponding to the target pressure values sent by each pressure sensor can be calculated and the average value can be calculated. If the deviation is greater than the preset deviation threshold, the wafer detection result can be determined as an offset. The wafer detection result is used to characterize whether the target wafer has shifted.
[0032] As can be seen from the above, this embodiment of the application, by uniformly distributing pressure sensors in the target bearing area 3 of the wafer carrier mechanism 2, obtains the target pressure value and then determines the wafer detection result to characterize whether the wafer has shifted. This allows for timely detection of wafer shift, avoiding wafer damage due to improper handling, and enabling the detection of wafer shift during handling. This embodiment, by distributing pressure sensors only in the target bearing area 3, minimizes the use of pressure sensors and the amount of data processing, thereby reducing hardware and software computation costs.
[0033] This embodiment deploys high-precision, high-density pressure sensors across the entire wafer carrier 2, resulting in high hardware costs. In contrast, this embodiment only evenly deploys multiple pressure sensors in the target carrier area 3, avoiding a comprehensive high-density deployment and effectively reducing hardware costs. By reducing the number of pressure sensors, the software computation load for processing pressure sensor data in the wafer handling device is correspondingly reduced, thereby lowering software computation costs and improving the overall system operating efficiency. Different wafer sizes exhibit different pressure distributions on the wafer carrier 2. This embodiment can accurately determine wafer sizes and detect offsets based on the pressure distribution characteristics of different wafer sizes. Whether it's a large wafer where most of its edges are not in direct contact with the carrier, or a small wafer where most of its edges are in direct contact with the carrier, effective detection can be achieved through the pressure sensors in the target carrier area 3, demonstrating strong versatility and adaptability.
[0034] In one embodiment of this application, the standard pressure distribution characteristics include: a standard position and standard pressure values of various pressure sensors located at different positions in the target bearing area 3; the standard position refers to the position of the pressure sensor whose edge contacts the target bearing area 3 when the wafer of the same specifications as the target wafer is under a load state without offset; in this embodiment, the wafer detection result is determined based on the target pressure values sent by each pressure sensor and the standard pressure distribution characteristics, which may specifically include: The standard deviation of the target pressure is determined based on the target pressure values of each pressure sensor. The standard pressure standard deviation is determined based on the standard pressure values of each pressure sensor. The first test result is determined based on the target pressure standard deviation and the standard pressure standard deviation; The target location is determined based on the position of each target pressure sensor. The second detection result is determined based on the target location and the standard location; The wafer inspection results are determined based on the first and second inspection results.
[0035] In this embodiment, the standard position can refer to the specific position of the pressure sensor whose edge contacts the bearing area when the wafer of the same specification is without offset, and the standard pressure value refers to the pressure value of each pressure sensor in the target bearing area 3 under normal conditions.
[0036] In this embodiment, the target pressure standard deviation can be compared with the standard pressure standard deviation. If the ratio is less than a preset proportion, it indicates that the uniformity of the real-time pressure distribution is consistent with the normal state, and the first detection result is that the pressure distribution is normal. If the ratio is greater than or equal to the preset proportion, it indicates that the real-time pressure distribution is disordered, which may be due to wafer tilting or local warping causing uneven contact, and the first detection result is that the pressure distribution is abnormal. The first detection result is used to characterize the contact stability between the wafer and the support mechanism and to reflect whether there is poor contact.
[0037] If the coordinates of all target pressure sensors fall within the tolerance range of the corresponding standard position, such as ±0.3mm, it indicates that there is no offset in the contact position, and the second test result is that the position is normal; if some or all coordinates exceed the tolerance, it indicates that the contact point at the edge of the wafer deviates from the normal position, and the second test result is that the position is abnormal, which may be due to radial offset, circumferential rotation, etc.
[0038] In this embodiment, the first detection result and the second detection result can be directly integrated together as the wafer detection result.
[0039] In one embodiment of this application, the standard position includes a standard radial position and a standard circumferential position; the target position includes a target radial position and a target circumferential position; in this embodiment, the standard radial position refers to the radial distance reference value from the pressure sensor whose edge contacts the target bearing area 3 under a load-bearing state with no offset, to the center of the wafer; the standard circumferential position refers to the circumferential angle reference value of the pressure sensor whose edge contacts the target bearing area 3 under a load-bearing state with no offset, with the center of the wafer as the origin; Based on the above embodiments, the target position is determined based on the position of each target pressure sensor, including: determining the radial position and circumferential position of the target based on the position of each target pressure sensor.
[0040] The second detection result is determined based on the target location and the standard location, including: The first sub-detection result is determined based on the target radial position and the standard radial position; The second sub-detection result is determined based on the target circumferential position and the standard circumferential position; The second detection result is determined based on the first sub-detection result and the second sub-detection result.
[0041] In this embodiment, the target pressure sensor is a sensor that is in real-time contact with the edge of the wafer, and its position directly reflects the current edge profile of the wafer. Therefore, the radial position and circumferential position can be extracted from these positions.
[0042] Specifically, in this embodiment, the radial position of the target can be determined based on the following method, which may include: The standard reference point is determined based on the specifications of the target wafer; the standard reference point is the position of the geometric center of the wafer with the same specifications as the target wafer under load without offset. For each target pressure sensor, the radial distance from the target pressure sensor to the standard reference point is calculated based on the position of the target pressure sensor in the target bearing area 3 and the position of the standard reference point. The average radial distance of each target pressure sensor is used to determine the target radial position.
[0043] In this embodiment, the projection point of the preset wafer center is used as the reference point O, with coordinates as follows: For each target pressure sensor, use its coordinates Calculate the distance to point O. The radial distance of the sensor is used to calculate the pressure of each target pressure sensor. The average value is used as the target radial position.
[0044] Specifically, in this embodiment, determining the circumferential position of the target based on the positions of each target pressure sensor may include: For each target pressure sensor, the circumferential angle from the target pressure sensor to the standard reference point is calculated based on the position of the target pressure sensor in the target bearing area 3 and the position of the standard reference point. The circumferential angle of each target pressure sensor is determined as the target circumferential position.
[0045] In this embodiment, the angle of each target pressure sensor is calculated using the same reference point (i.e., reference point O mentioned above). That is, the circumferential angle of the sensor. Since the angle of different contact points should correspond to different standard circumferential positions, they need to be compared one by one. Therefore, the target circumferential distance should contain the circumferential angle of each target pressure sensor.
[0046] In this embodiment, the deviation thresholds between the target radial position and the standard radial position, and the deviation thresholds between the target circumferential position and the corresponding standard circumferential position, can be set independently. In this embodiment, these thresholds will not be elaborated further. If the deviation exceeds the corresponding threshold, the sub-detection result for that dimension is determined as an offset. For example, if the radial dimension exceeds the deviation threshold corresponding to the radial dimension, the first sub-detection result is determined as a radial offset. Similarly, if the circumferential dimension exceeds the deviation threshold corresponding to the circumferential dimension, the second sub-detection result is determined as a circumferential offset.
[0047] In this embodiment, the first sub-detection result and the second sub-detection result can be directly integrated together as the wafer detection result.
[0048] In one embodiment of this application, the wafer inspection method further includes: In response to an anomaly in the wafer inspection results, an early warning message is sent to the target device based on the wafer inspection results, and the handling action of the robotic arm 1 is terminated.
[0049] In this embodiment, as can be seen from the foregoing embodiments, the wafer inspection results may contain multiple dimensions of inspection results. If any one of them is abnormal, an early warning message should be sent to the target device and the handling action should be terminated. The target device may be a mobile phone or computer of relevant laboratory personnel.
[0050] As can be seen from the above, this embodiment not only detects from the perspective of pressure distribution, judging the uniformity of real-time pressure distribution by calculating the ratio of the target pressure standard deviation to the standard pressure standard deviation, thus reflecting the contact stability between the wafer and the support mechanism; it also detects from the perspective of position, comparing the actual position of the target pressure sensor with the standard position to determine whether the wafer edge contact point deviates from the normal position. This dual-dimensional detection method avoids the limitations that may exist in a single detection dimension, and can more comprehensively and accurately determine whether the wafer has shifted. For example, when the wafer only has local warping causing uneven contact, the pressure distribution detection dimension can keenly capture the anomaly; while when the wafer undergoes radial shift or circumferential rotation, the position detection dimension can accurately locate the shift. In terms of position detection, the target position is further subdivided into the target radial position and the target circumferential position, and compared with the corresponding standard radial position and standard circumferential position, respectively, to determine the first sub-detection result and the second sub-detection result, more accurately identifying the specific type of wafer shift, such as radial shift or circumferential rotation, providing more detailed information for relevant personnel to make subsequent adjustments and processing.
[0051] Corresponding to the wafer inspection method in the above embodiment, Figure 5 This is a structural block diagram of a wafer handling apparatus according to an embodiment of this application. For ease of explanation, only the parts relevant to the embodiment of this application are shown. References Figure 5 A wafer handling system 20 is applied to the controller of a wafer handling device. The wafer handling system includes: a data acquisition module 21, a specification determination module 22, a standard determination module 23, and a wafer inspection module 24.
[0052] Among them, the data acquisition module 21 is used to acquire the target pressure value sent by each pressure sensor, and each pressure sensor is evenly distributed on the target bearing area 3 of the wafer bearing mechanism 2. Specification determination module 22 is used to determine the specifications of the target wafer based on the target pressure values of each pressure sensor; Standard determination module 23 is used to determine standard pressure distribution characteristics based on the specifications of the target wafer; The wafer inspection module 24 is used to determine the wafer inspection result based on the target pressure value and standard pressure distribution characteristics sent by each pressure sensor; the wafer inspection result is used to characterize whether the target wafer has shifted.
[0053] In one embodiment of this application, the specification determination module 22 is specifically used to select a target pressure sensor from each pressure sensor based on the target pressure value of each pressure sensor; the target pressure sensor is the pressure sensor that is in contact with the edge of the target wafer among the pressure sensors, and there are multiple target pressure sensors; The dimensions of the target wafer are determined based on the location of the target pressure sensor in the target bearing area 3.
[0054] In one embodiment of this application, the specification determination module 22 is further configured to select pressure sensors from among the various pressure sensors whose target pressure value is greater than the first pressure value; For each pressure sensor that exceeds a first pressure value, determine the pressure difference between that pressure sensor and its adjacent pressure sensor in a preset direction. The pressure sensor whose pressure difference is greater than the second pressure value is identified as the target pressure sensor.
[0055] In one embodiment of this application, the specification determination module 22 is further configured to determine the target radius based on the position of each target pressure sensor in the target bearing area 3; the target radius is the radius of the fitted circle determined based on the position of each target pressure sensor in the target bearing area 3; The dimensions of the target wafer are determined based on the target radius.
[0056] In one embodiment of this application, the standard pressure distribution features include: standard positions and standard pressure values of various pressure sensors located at different positions in the target bearing area 3; the standard position refers to the position of the pressure sensor whose edge contacts the target bearing area 3 when the wafer of the same specifications as the target wafer is under a load state without offset; The wafer inspection module 24 is specifically used to determine the target pressure standard deviation based on the target pressure values of each pressure sensor; The standard pressure standard deviation is determined based on the standard pressure values of each pressure sensor. The first test result is determined based on the target pressure standard deviation and the standard pressure standard deviation; The target location is determined based on the position of each target pressure sensor. The second detection result is determined based on the target location and the standard location; The wafer inspection results are determined based on the first and second inspection results.
[0057] In one embodiment of this application, the standard position includes a standard radial position and a standard circumferential position; the target position includes a target radial position and a target circumferential position. The standard radial position refers to the radial distance reference value from the pressure sensor to the center of the wafer when the edge of the wafer with the same specifications as the target wafer is in contact with the target bearing area 3 under a load-bearing state without offset; the standard circumferential position refers to the circumferential angle reference value of the pressure sensor with the center of the wafer as the origin when the edge of the wafer with the target bearing area 3 is in contact with the target wafer with the same specifications as the target wafer under a load-bearing state without offset. The wafer inspection module 24 is also specifically used to determine the radial position and circumferential position of the target based on the position of each target pressure sensor; The second detection result is determined based on the target location and the standard location, including: The first sub-detection result is determined based on the target radial position and the standard radial position; The second sub-detection result is determined based on the target circumferential position and the standard circumferential position; The second detection result is determined based on the first sub-detection result and the second sub-detection result.
[0058] In one embodiment of this application, the wafer inspection module 24 is further configured to determine a standard reference point based on the specifications of the target wafer; the standard reference point is the position of the geometric center of a wafer with the same specifications as the target wafer under a load-bearing state without offset; For each target pressure sensor, the radial distance from the target pressure sensor to the standard reference point is calculated based on the position of the target pressure sensor in the target bearing area 3 and the position of the standard reference point. The average radial distance of each target pressure sensor is used to determine the target radial position.
[0059] In one embodiment of this application, the wafer inspection module 24 is further configured to calculate the circumferential angle from the target pressure sensor to the standard reference point for each target pressure sensor, based on the position of the target pressure sensor in the target bearing area 3 and the position of the standard reference point. The circumferential angle of each target pressure sensor is determined as the target circumferential position.
[0060] In one embodiment of this application, the specification determination module 22 is further used to determine the average value of the target pressure values of each pressure sensor to obtain the average target pressure value; The target wafer specifications are determined based on the target average pressure and the average pressure of each standard; each average pressure corresponds to a different wafer specification.
[0061] See Figure 6 , Figure 6This is a schematic block diagram of a controller provided in one embodiment of this application. Figure 6 The controller 300 in this embodiment may include one or more processors 301, one or more input devices 302, one or more output devices 303, and one or more memories 304. The processors 301, input devices 302, output devices 303, and memories 304 communicate with each other via a communication bus 305. The memories 304 store computer programs, including program instructions. The processors 301 execute the program instructions stored in the memories 304. Specifically, the processors 301 are configured to invoke the program instructions to perform the functions of the modules in the various system embodiments described above, for example... Figure 5 The functions of the data acquisition module 21, specification determination module 22, standard determination module 23, and wafer inspection module 24 are shown.
[0062] It should be understood that, in the embodiments of this application, the processor 301 may be a central processing unit (CPU), but it may also be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.
[0063] Input device 302 may include a touchpad, a fingerprint sensor (for collecting the user's fingerprint information and fingerprint orientation information), a microphone, etc., and output device 303 may include a display (LCD, etc.), a speaker, etc.
[0064] The memory 304 may include read-only memory and random access memory, and provides instructions and data to the processor 301. A portion of the memory 304 may also include non-volatile random access memory. For example, the memory 304 may also store device type information.
[0065] In specific implementations, the processor 301, input device 302, and output device 303 described in the embodiments of this application can execute the implementation method described in the wafer inspection method provided in the embodiments of this application, or they can execute the implementation method of the controller described in the embodiments of this application, which will not be repeated here.
[0066] In another embodiment of this application, a computer-readable storage medium is provided. This computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program, which includes program instructions. When executed by a processor, the program instructions implement all or part of the processes in the methods described above. Alternatively, the computer program can instruct related hardware to complete the process. The computer program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, and when executed by a processor, it can implement the steps of the various method embodiments described above. The computer program includes computer program code, which can be in the form of source code, object code, executable files, or certain intermediate forms. The computer-readable medium can include any entity or device capable of carrying computer program code, a recording medium, a USB flash drive, a portable hard drive, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a computer memory, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), an electrical carrier signal, a telecommunication signal, and a software distribution medium, etc.
[0067] The computer-readable storage medium can be an internal storage unit of the controller in any of the foregoing embodiments, such as the controller's hard disk or memory. The computer-readable storage medium can also be an external storage device of the controller, such as a plug-in hard disk, smart media card (SMC), secure digital (SD) card, flash card, etc., mounted on the controller. Furthermore, the computer-readable storage medium can include both internal storage units and external storage devices of the controller. The computer-readable storage medium is used to store computer programs and other programs and data required by the controller. The computer-readable storage medium can also be used to temporarily store data that has been output or will be output.
[0068] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the modules / units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both. To clearly illustrate the interchangeability of hardware and software, the components and steps of the various examples have been generally described in terms of functionality in the foregoing description. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementations should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.
[0069] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working process of the controller and unit described above can be referred to the corresponding process in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.
[0070] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed controllers and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For instance, the division of modules / units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple modules, units, or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. In addition, the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be indirect coupling or communication connection through some interfaces or modules / units, or it may be an electrical, mechanical, or other form of connection.
[0071] The modules / units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. Similarly, the components shown as modules / units may or may not be physical modules / units; they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network modules / units. Some or all of the modules / units can be selected to achieve the purpose of the embodiments of this application, depending on actual needs.
[0072] Furthermore, the functional modules / units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing module / unit, or each module / unit can exist physically separately, or two or more modules / units can be integrated into one module / unit. The integrated modules / units described above can be implemented in hardware or in the form of software functional modules / units.
[0073] The above are merely specific embodiments of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of various equivalent modifications or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this application, and these modifications or substitutions should all be covered within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.
Claims
1. A wafer inspection method, characterized by, The method is performed by a wafer carrying device, the wafer carrying device comprising a mechanical arm and a wafer carrying mechanism arranged at the end of the mechanical arm, at least part of the edge of the wafer is carried on a target carrying area when carrying wafers of various specifications, the method comprises: acquiring target pressure values sent by each pressure sensor, the each pressure sensor is uniformly arranged on the target carrying area of the wafer carrying mechanism; determining the specification of the target wafer based on the target pressure values of the each pressure sensor; determining the standard pressure distribution characteristics based on the specification of the target wafer; determining the wafer detection result based on the target pressure values sent by the each pressure sensor and the standard pressure distribution characteristics; the wafer detection result is used to represent whether the target wafer is offset.
2. The wafer inspection method of claim 1, wherein, The method comprises: selecting target pressure sensors from the each pressure sensor based on the target pressure values of the each pressure sensor; the target pressure sensor is the pressure sensor in contact with the edge of the target wafer, and the target pressure sensor is multiple; determining the specification of the target wafer based on the position of the target pressure sensor on the target carrying area.
3. The wafer inspection method of claim 2, wherein, The method comprises: selecting the pressure sensor with a target pressure value greater than a first pressure value from the each pressure sensor; for each pressure sensor with a target pressure value greater than a first pressure value, determining the pressure value difference between the pressure sensor and its adjacent pressure sensor in a preset direction; determining the pressure sensor with a pressure value difference greater than a second pressure value as the target pressure sensor.
4. The wafer inspection method of claim 2, wherein, The method comprises: determining a target radius based on the position of each target pressure sensor on the target carrying area; the target radius is the radius of a fitting circle determined based on the position of each target pressure sensor on the target carrying area; determining the specification of the target wafer based on the target radius.
5. The wafer inspection method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein The standard pressure distribution characteristics comprise: a standard position and a standard pressure value of each pressure sensor at different positions of the target carrying area; the standard position refers to the position of the pressure sensor in contact with the edge of the wafer with the same specification as the target wafer in the non-offset carrying state. The method comprises: determining a target pressure standard deviation based on the target pressure value of each pressure sensor; determining a standard pressure standard deviation based on the standard pressure value of each pressure sensor; determining a first detection result based on the target pressure standard deviation and the standard pressure standard deviation; determining a target position based on the position of each target pressure sensor; determining a second detection result based on the target position and the standard position; determining the wafer detection result based on the first detection result and the second detection result.
6. The wafer inspection method of claim 5, the standard position comprising: standard radial position and standard circumferential position; the target position comprises: a target radial position and a target circumferential position; the standard radial position refers to a radial distance reference value from a pressure sensor to a wafer center when a wafer with the same specification as the target wafer is in a non-offset bearing state and its edge is in contact with the target bearing area; the standard circumferential position refers to a circumferential direction angle reference value from a pressure sensor to a wafer center when a wafer with the same specification as the target wafer is in a non-offset bearing state and its edge is in contact with the target bearing area; the target position is determined based on the position of each target pressure sensor, comprising: the target radial position and the target circumferential position are determined based on the position of each target pressure sensor; the second detection result is determined based on the target position and the standard position, comprising: a first sub-detection result is determined based on the target radial position and the standard radial position; a second sub-detection result is determined based on the target circumferential position and the standard circumferential position; the second detection result is determined based on the first sub-detection result and the second sub-detection result.
7. The wafer inspection method of claim 6, wherein, the target radial position is determined based on the position of each target pressure sensor, comprising: a standard reference point is determined based on the specification of the target wafer; the standard reference point is the position of the geometric center of a wafer with the same specification as the target wafer in a non-offset bearing state; for each target pressure sensor, the radial distance from the target pressure sensor to the standard reference point is calculated based on the position of the target pressure sensor in the target bearing area and the position of the standard reference point; the average of the radial distances of each target pressure sensor is determined as the target radial position.
8. The wafer inspection method of claim 7, wherein, the target circumferential position is determined based on the position of each target pressure sensor, comprising: for each target pressure sensor, the circumferential angle from the target pressure sensor to the standard reference point is calculated based on the position of the target pressure sensor in the target bearing area and the position of the standard reference point; the circumferential angle of each target pressure sensor is determined as the target circumferential position.
9. The wafer inspection method of claim 1, wherein, Further comprising: in response to an abnormality in the wafer detection result, sending a warning message to a target device based on the wafer detection result, and terminating the wafer carrying operation of the robot arm.
10. A wafer handling device, characterized by, Comprising: a controller, a robot arm, and a wafer carrying mechanism arranged at the end of the robot arm; the robot arm is used to drive the wafer carrying mechanism to carry wafers; a plurality of pressure sensors are uniformly arranged on the target bearing area of the wafer carrying mechanism; when the wafer carrying mechanism carries wafers of each specification, at least part of the edge of the wafer is carried on the target bearing area; the controller is used to execute the wafer detection method of any one of claims 1 to 9.