Clamp for wafer vacuum coating and workpiece carrier

Abstract

The invention discloses a clamp for wafer vacuum coating and a workpiece carrier, and belongs to the technical field of vacuum coating equipment, the clamp comprises a bottom plate for placing a wafer and more than two groups of clamping assemblies which are mounted on the bottom plate and used for clamping and fixing the wafer from the peripheral edge of the wafer, at least one group of clamping assemblies is a movable clamping assembly, and the workpiece carrier is mounted on the movable clamping assembly. The movable clamping assembly comprises a movable clamping piece, the movable clamping piece is installed on the bottom plate in the mode that the distance between the movable clamping piece and the center of the wafer can be adjusted, and the movable clamping piece is connected with an elastic mechanism which elastically forces the movable clamping piece to move close to the center of the wafer. The workpiece carrier comprises a drum-shaped carrier body, and more than one clamp for wafer vacuum coating is mounted on the carrier body. The device has the advantages of being easy and convenient to operate, high in loading and unloading efficiency, good in universality and clamping adaptability and the like.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of vacuum coating equipment technology, specifically to a fixture and workpiece carrier for wafer vacuum coating. Background Technology

[0002] In vacuum coating processes, drum-shaped workpiece carriers are commonly used to achieve uniform coating. For thin, circular workpieces like wafers, they need to be vertically fixed on a rotatable workpiece carrier and kept stable during high-speed rotation to ensure coating uniformity and process consistency. Currently, common wafer fixing methods include using single-sided adhesive tape to adhere to the workpiece edge. While this method is simple and easy to implement, it has the following significant drawbacks: the tape may release volatiles in a vacuum environment, contaminating the coating chamber; adhesive residue remains on the wafer edge, increasing the difficulty and cost of subsequent cleaning; loading and unloading efficiency is low, making it unsuitable for mass production; and at high speeds, insufficient tape adhesion can cause the wafer to detach or shift, affecting coating quality and process safety. Furthermore, most mechanical clamps or specialized fixtures currently used by other companies are complex in structure, inconvenient to adjust, or may damage the wafer surface, making it difficult to balance clamping stability and ease of operation. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the existing technology and provide a wafer vacuum coating fixture that is easy to operate, has high loading and unloading efficiency, and has good versatility and clamping adaptability.

[0004] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: A wafer vacuum coating fixture includes a base plate for placing a wafer and two or more sets of clamping assemblies mounted on the base plate for clamping and fixing the wafer from its four edges. At least one set of clamping assemblies is a movable clamping assembly. The movable clamping assembly includes a movable clamping member, which is mounted on the base plate in a manner that allows adjustment of the distance between the movable clamping member and the center of the wafer. The movable clamping member is connected to an elastic mechanism that elastically forces the movable clamping member to move closer to the center of the wafer.

[0005] As a further improvement to the above-mentioned wafer vacuum coating fixture: The movable clamping assembly also includes a mounting base mounted on the base plate, and the movable clamping member is slidably disposed on the mounting base in a linear reciprocating motion.

[0006] The mounting base is provided with a guide hole, and the movable clamping member is provided with a guide portion and a strip hole. The guide portion slides with the guide hole to enable the movable clamping member to move linearly back and forth. A limit member is threadedly connected to the mounting base. The limit member passes through the strip hole to limit the travel range of the linear reciprocating motion of the movable clamping member.

[0007] The limiting component includes a threaded screw portion and a limiting head connected to one end of the screw portion. The other end of the screw portion passes through the strip hole and is threadedly connected to the mounting base. The limiting head and the mounting base are respectively located on opposite sides of the movable clamping component to limit the movable clamping component.

[0008] The elastic mechanism includes one or more telescopic springs disposed on the mounting base, the telescopic springs being compressed between the movable clamp and the mounting base.

[0009] The mounting base is provided with a T-shaped groove, and the base plate and the T-shaped groove together form the guide hole and the receiving cavity for accommodating the telescopic spring.

[0010] The mounting base is detachably mounted on the base plate.

[0011] The movable clamping member is provided with a tool operating part, which is used to engage with a tool so that the tool drives the movable clamping member to overcome the elastic force of the elastic mechanism and move the movable clamping member closer to the center of the wafer.

[0012] The tool operating part is a through hole or boss provided on the movable clamping part.

[0013] At least one of the two or more clamping assemblies is a fixed clamping assembly, and the fixed clamping assembly includes a fixed clamping member, which is fixedly installed on the base plate.

[0014] Both the movable clamping member and the fixed clamping member are provided with limiting parts, and a limiting groove for inserting the wafer edge is formed between the limiting parts and the base plate.

[0015] The base plate is also provided with two limiting mechanisms, which are used to limit the wafer from the opposite sides of the wafer placed on the base plate. All clamping components are located on the opposite sides of the line connecting the two limiting mechanisms.

[0016] The limiting mechanism is a limiting boss that is detachably mounted on the base plate by screws.

[0017] A workpiece carrier includes a drum-shaped carrier body, on which one or more of the aforementioned wafer vacuum coating fixtures are mounted.

[0018] As a further improvement to the aforementioned workpiece carrier: The carrier body is provided with multiple support plates, which are arranged around the axis of the carrier body. At least one of the support plates is provided with one or more of the wafer vacuum coating fixtures.

[0019] The base plate is provided with multiple mounting holes. The base plate is fixed to the support plate by screws that pass through the mounting holes and are threadedly connected to the support plate. The mounting holes include a small part and a large part. The size of the small part is smaller than the size of the screw head, and the size of the large part is larger than the size of the screw head.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the present invention are as follows: The wafer vacuum coating fixture of the present invention, by setting up a movable clamping component and cooperating with an elastic mechanism, can automatically or semi-automatically clamp the wafer after it is placed. Placing and removing the wafer only requires a simple operation of driving the movable clamping component away from the center of the wafer in one direction. It is easy to operate and has high loading and unloading efficiency. At the same time, the form of clamping and fixing the wafer from the four edges of the wafer by multiple sets of clamping components not only has good wafer clamping stability, but also does not easily cause damage to the wafer surface. In addition, the distance between the movable clamping component and the center of the wafer can be adjusted, which is suitable for wafers of different sizes or with slight size fluctuations, thus improving the versatility and clamping adaptability of the fixture.

[0021] The workpiece carrier of the present invention also has the advantages of the wafer vacuum coating fixture of the present invention because it is equipped with the wafer vacuum coating fixture of the present invention. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the main structure of the fixture for wafer vacuum coating in Example 1.

[0023] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the fixture used for wafer vacuum coating in Example 1.

[0024] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Enlarged structural diagram at point A in the middle.

[0025] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the movable clamping component and the mounting base.

[0026] Figure 5 for Figure 2 Enlarged structural diagram at point B.

[0027] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the main structure of the fixture for wafer vacuum coating in Example 2.

[0028] Figure 7 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the movable clamping component in Example 2.

[0029] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the main structure of the fixture used for wafer vacuum coating in step 3.

[0030] Figure 9This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the workpiece carrier in Example 4.

[0031] Figure 10 This is a front view schematic diagram of the structure in Example 4 where multiple clamps are mounted on the support plate.

[0032] Legend: 1. Base plate; 11. Mounting hole; 111. Small size part; 112. Large size part; 2. Movable clamping part; 21. Guide part; 22. Strip hole; 23. Through hole; 24. Limiting part; 25. Limiting groove; 3. Mounting base; 31. Guide hole; 32. Receiving cavity; 4. Limiting part; 41. Screw part; 42. Limiting head; 5. Telescopic spring; 6. Fixed clamping part; 7. Limiting boss; 100. Carrier frame body; 101. Bearing plate. Detailed Implementation

[0033] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0034] Example 1 like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the wafer vacuum coating fixture of this embodiment includes a base plate 1 for placing a wafer and two or more sets of clamping assemblies mounted on the base plate 1. The two or more sets of clamping assemblies are distributed around the area on the base plate 1 where the wafer is to be placed and fixed, and are used to clamp and fix the wafer from the edges of the wafer. At least one set of clamping assemblies is a movable clamping assembly, which includes a movable clamping member 2. The movable clamping member 2 is mounted on the base plate 1 in a manner that allows adjustment of the distance between it and the center of the wafer. The movable clamping member 2 is connected to an elastic mechanism that elastically forces the movable clamping member 2 to move closer to the center of the wafer. In use, the movable clamping member 2 is manually or with a tool driven to overcome the elastic mechanism and move away from the center of the wafer. At this time, the wafer can be placed in the space between the clamping assemblies on the base plate 1. Then, the movable clamping member 2 is released. Under the action of the elastic mechanism, the movable clamping member 2 moves closer to the center of the wafer, thereby cooperating with other clamping assemblies to clamp and fix the wafer. When disassembling, the movable clamping member 2 is driven away from the center of the wafer to remove the wafer. This wafer vacuum coating fixture, by setting up movable clamping components and cooperating with elastic mechanisms, can automatically or semi-automatically clamp the wafer after it is placed. Placing and removing the wafer only requires a simple operation of driving the movable clamping component 2 away from the center of the wafer in one direction. It is easy to operate and has high loading and unloading efficiency. At the same time, the form of multiple clamping components clamping and fixing the wafer from the four edges not only has good wafer clamping stability, but also does not easily cause damage to the wafer surface. In addition, the distance between the movable clamping component 2 and the center of the wafer can be adjusted, which is suitable for wafers of different sizes or with slight size fluctuations, thus improving the versatility and clamping adaptability of the fixture.

[0035] In this embodiment, the movable clamping assembly also includes a mounting base 3 mounted on the base plate 1, and the movable clamping member 2 is slidably disposed on the mounting base 3 in a linear reciprocating motion. The assembly structure of the movable clamping member 2 and the mounting base 3 can be manufactured independently and then installed on the base plate 1, which facilitates assembly. Furthermore, the number of assembly structures of the movable clamping member 2 and the mounting base 3 and their positions on the base plate 1 can be selected as needed to adapt to different clamping stability or spatial constraints.

[0036] In this embodiment, as Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the mounting base 3 has a guide hole 31, and the movable clamping member 2 has a guide portion 21 and a strip hole 22. The guide portion 21 slides with the guide hole 31 to allow the movable clamping member 2 to move linearly back and forth. A limit member 4 is threadedly connected to the mounting base 3. The limit member 4 passes through the strip hole 22 to limit the travel range of the linear reciprocating motion of the movable clamping member 2. The direction of the linear reciprocating motion of the guide portion 21 is towards the center of the wafer, and the extension direction of the strip hole 22 is radial towards the wafer. By sliding the movable clamping member 2 within the guide hole 31 of the mounting base 3 and providing the strip hole 22 to cooperate with the limit member 4, precise control and reliable guidance of the movement stroke of the movable clamping member 2 are achieved, preventing skewing or jamming during clamping, ensuring that the clamping force direction is always towards the center of the wafer, and improving the alignment and repeatability of the clamping. Moreover, this assembly structure is simple in structure and easy to manufacture and assemble.

[0037] In this embodiment, the limiting member 4 includes a threaded screw portion 41 and a limiting head 42 connected to one end of the screw portion 41. The other end of the screw portion 41 passes through the strip hole 22 and is threadedly connected to the mounting base 3. The limiting head 42 and the mounting base 3 are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the movable clamping member 2 to limit the movable clamping member 2. On the one hand, the limiting member 4 is threadedly connected to the mounting base 3, which facilitates installation and maintenance. On the other hand, the limiting head 42 and the mounting base 3 limit the movable clamping member 2, improving the stability and reliability of the sliding movement of the movable clamping member 2. The limiting member 4 can be directly made of bolts.

[0038] In this embodiment, the elastic mechanism includes one or more telescopic springs 5 ​​disposed on the mounting base 3. The telescopic springs 5 ​​are compressed and disposed between the movable clamping member 2 and the mounting base 3. Using the telescopic springs 5 ​​as the elastic mechanism provides a continuous and stable elastic clamping force, which can effectively clamp the wafer while avoiding wafer edge damage or stress concentration due to excessive clamping force. The structure is simple, the cost is low, and it is easy to replace.

[0039] In this embodiment, the mounting base 3 is provided with a T-shaped groove, and the base plate 1 and the T-shaped groove together form a guide hole 31 and a receiving cavity 32 for accommodating the telescopic spring 5. The mounting base 3 with the T-shaped groove and the base plate 1 together form the guide hole 31 and the receiving cavity 32, resulting in a compact structure, reducing the number of parts, and lowering the overall weight and manufacturing cost. Preferably, the elastic mechanism includes two telescopic springs 5, and the movable clamping member 2 is also T-shaped, forming two receiving cavities 32. The two receiving cavities 32 are respectively located on both sides of the guide portion 21 of the movable clamping member 2, and the two telescopic springs 5 ​​are respectively located in the two receiving cavities 32, providing uniform and stable elastic force, which helps to improve the smoothness of the sliding movement of the movable clamping member 2.

[0040] In this embodiment, the mounting base 3 is detachably mounted on the base plate 1. This facilitates the individual replacement or maintenance of a clamping component without replacing the entire base plate 1, improving the modularity and service life of the fixture and reducing maintenance costs. Specifically, the mounting base 3 is mounted on the base plate 1 with screws.

[0041] In this embodiment, at least one of the two or more clamping assemblies is a fixed clamping assembly, which includes a fixed clamping member 6, which is fixedly mounted on the base plate 1. By using the combination of the fixed clamping member 6 and the movable clamping member 2, it is not necessary to operate all clamping assemblies during wafer loading and unloading, simplifying the operation and reducing operational difficulty. Furthermore, the assembly structure of the fixed clamping member 6 is relatively simple, resulting in a simpler overall fixture structure and lower cost. The fixed clamping member 6 also provides a reliable reference positioning point for the wafer, which helps improve the accuracy of the wafer's fixed position.

[0042] In this embodiment, as Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, both the movable clamping member 2 and the fixed clamping member 6 are provided with limiting parts 24, and limiting grooves 25 for inserting wafer edges are formed between the limiting parts 24 and the base plate 1. The limiting grooves 25 for inserting wafer edges provide axial (thickness direction) constraint, which can effectively prevent wafer jumps or tilts, and improve the reliability of clamping.

[0043] In this embodiment, the base plate 1 is also provided with two limiting mechanisms. The two limiting mechanisms are used to limit the wafer from the opposite sides of the wafer placed on the base plate 1. All clamping components are respectively located on the opposite sides of the line connecting the two limiting mechanisms. The two limiting mechanisms can quickly and roughly pre-position the wafer in the initial stage of clamping, and form constraints on the opposite sides of the wafer after clamping, preventing the wafer from undergoing large lateral displacement or even falling off when the clamping force is insufficient.

[0044] In this embodiment, the limiting mechanism is a limiting boss 7 that is detachably mounted on the base plate 1 by screws. The limiting mechanism uses a detachable limiting boss 7 and is fixed by screws, which not only has a simple structure, low cost, and easy assembly and disassembly, but also facilitates adjustment or replacement of the limiting position according to wafer size or process requirements, enhancing the flexibility and adaptability of the fixture. Preferably, the limiting boss 7 has a cylindrical structure.

[0045] This embodiment specifically includes a set of movable clamping components and a set of fixed clamping components, which are respectively located on opposite sides of the line connecting the two limiting mechanisms.

[0046] Example 2 The wafer vacuum coating fixture in this embodiment is basically the same as that in Embodiment 1, with the main difference being that, Figure 6 As shown, in this embodiment, the base plate 1 is provided with three sets of clamping components. One set of clamping components is a movable clamping component, and the other two sets of clamping components are fixed clamping components. One set of movable clamping components is located on one side of the line connecting the two limiting mechanisms, and the two sets of fixed clamping components are located on the other side of the line connecting the two limiting mechanisms.

[0047] In this embodiment, as Figure 7 As shown, the movable clamping member 2 is equipped with a tool operating section. The tool operating section is used to engage with a tool so that the tool drives the movable clamping member 2 to overcome the elastic force of the elastic mechanism and move the movable clamping member 2 closer to the wafer center. The tool operating section on the movable clamping member 2 allows for easy pulling of the movable clamping member 2 away from the wafer center using a dedicated or general-purpose tool (such as a lever) when clamping the wafer, improving the convenience and efficiency of loading and unloading operations, and making it particularly suitable for rapid wafer changeovers on the production line.

[0048] In this embodiment, the tool operating part is a through hole 23 provided on the movable clamping member 2. It has a simple structure, is easy to manufacture, and is easy to reliably engage with the tool. In other embodiments, the tool operating part may also be a boss or other structure provided on the movable clamping member 2.

[0049] Example 3 The wafer vacuum coating fixture in this embodiment is basically the same as that in Embodiment 2, with the main difference being that, Figure 8 As shown, in this embodiment, the three sets of clamping components on the base plate 1 are all movable clamping components. One set of movable clamping components is located on one side of the line connecting the two limiting mechanisms, and the other two sets of movable clamping components are located on the other side of the line connecting the two limiting mechanisms.

[0050] Example 4 like Figure 9 and Figure 10As shown, a workpiece carrier includes a drum-shaped carrier body 100, on which a plurality of wafer vacuum coating fixtures of Embodiment 1 are mounted.

[0051] In this embodiment, the carrier body 100 is provided with multiple support plates 101, which are arranged around the axis of the carrier body 100. One support plate 101 is provided with multiple wafer vacuum deposition fixtures. In other embodiments, preferably, each support plate 101 is provided with multiple wafer vacuum deposition fixtures. Installing fixtures on multiple surrounding support plates 101 achieves uniform and dense arrangement of wafers in the axial and circumferential directions of the carrier body 100, which is beneficial for uniform deposition of the coating material in the vacuum cavity and maximizes the utilization of the coating space. In other embodiments, the number of fixtures on each support plate 101 can be flexibly configured according to production capacity and other requirements.

[0052] In this embodiment, the base plate 1 has multiple mounting holes 11. The base plate 1 is fixed to the support plate 101 by screws that pass through the mounting holes 11 and are threadedly connected to the support plate 101. The mounting holes 11 include a small portion 111 and a large portion 112. The size of the small portion 111 is smaller than the head size of the screw, and the size of the large portion 112 is larger than the head size of the screw. The mounting holes 11 on the base plate are designed as irregularly shaped holes containing the small portion 111 and the large portion 112. When the clamp needs to be disassembled and replaced, simply loosen the screws, move the base plate 1 so that the large portion 112 is aligned with the head of the screw, and the base plate 1 can be removed. To reinstall, simply operate the base plate 1 so that the large portion 112 is aligned with the head of the screw and inserted, then move the base plate 1 so that the shank of the screw engages with the small portion 111. The shank of the screw and the small portion 111 cooperate to form a positioning, and then tighten the screw. This eliminates the need to completely remove the screws, simplifying the clamp replacement process and operation, and improving maintenance efficiency. At the same time, the base plate 1 is allowed to be finely adjusted within a certain range when it is installed on the carrier plate 101, so that when multiple fixtures are installed on the workpiece carrier, it is easy to uniformly adjust the vertical posture or circumferential position of the wafer, ensuring that all wafers are in the optimal coating area when rotating, thus improving process consistency.

[0053] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. For those skilled in the art, improvements and modifications obtained without departing from the inventive concept should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A fixture for wafer vacuum coating, characterized in that: It includes a base plate (1) for placing a wafer and two or more sets of clamping components mounted on the base plate (1) for clamping and fixing the wafer from the periphery of the wafer. At least one set of clamping components is a movable clamping component. The movable clamping component includes a movable clamping member (2). The movable clamping member (2) is mounted on the base plate (1) in a manner that can adjust the distance between it and the center of the wafer. The movable clamping member (2) is connected to an elastic mechanism that elastically forces the movable clamping member (2) to move closer to the center of the wafer.

2. The wafer vacuum coating fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that: The movable clamping assembly also includes a mounting base (3) mounted on the base plate (1), and the movable clamping member (2) is slidably disposed on the mounting base (3) in a linear reciprocating motion.

3. The wafer vacuum coating fixture according to claim 2, characterized in that: The mounting base (3) is provided with a guide hole (31), and the movable clamping member (2) is provided with a guide part (21) and a strip hole (22). The guide part (21) and the guide hole (31) are slidably engaged to allow the movable clamping member (2) to move linearly back and forth. A limiting member (4) is threadedly connected to the mounting base (3). The limiting member (4) passes through the strip hole (22) to limit the stroke range of the linear back and forth movement of the movable clamping member (2).

4. The wafer vacuum coating fixture according to claim 3, characterized in that: The limiting member (4) includes a threaded screw part (41) and a limiting head (42) connected to one end of the screw part (41). The other end of the screw part (41) passes through the strip hole (22) and is threadedly connected to the mounting base (3). The limiting head (42) and the mounting base (3) are respectively located on opposite sides of the movable clamping member (2) to limit the movable clamping member (2).

5. The wafer vacuum coating fixture according to claim 3, characterized in that: The elastic mechanism includes one or more telescopic springs (5) disposed on the mounting base (3), the telescopic springs (5) being compressed between the movable clamp (2) and the mounting base (3).

6. The wafer vacuum coating fixture according to claim 5, characterized in that: The mounting base (3) is provided with a T-shaped groove, and the base plate (1) and the T-shaped groove together form the guide hole (31) and the receiving cavity (32) for accommodating the telescopic spring (5).

7. The wafer vacuum coating fixture according to claim 2, characterized in that: The mounting base (3) is detachably mounted on the base plate (1).

8. The wafer vacuum coating fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that: The movable clamp (2) is provided with a tool operating part, which is used to engage with a tool so that the movable clamp (2) can be driven by the tool to overcome the elastic force of the elastic mechanism and move the movable clamp (2) closer to the center of the wafer.

9. The wafer vacuum coating fixture according to claim 8, characterized in that: The tool operating part is a through hole (23) or a boss provided on the movable clamping member (2).

10. The wafer vacuum coating fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that: At least one of the two or more clamping assemblies is a fixed clamping assembly, and the fixed clamping assembly includes a fixed clamping member (6), which is fixedly installed on the base plate (1).

11. The wafer vacuum coating fixture according to claim 10, characterized in that: Both the movable clamping member (2) and the fixed clamping member (6) are provided with a limiting part (24), and a limiting groove (25) for inserting the wafer edge is formed between the limiting part (24) and the base plate (1).

12. The wafer vacuum coating fixture according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that: The base plate (1) is also provided with two limiting mechanisms. The two limiting mechanisms are used to limit the wafer from the opposite sides of the wafer placed on the base plate (1). All clamping components are located on the opposite sides of the line connecting the two limiting mechanisms.

13. The wafer vacuum coating fixture according to claim 12, characterized in that: The limiting mechanism is a limiting boss (7) that is detachably installed on the base plate (1) by screws.

14. A workpiece carrier, comprising a drum-shaped carrier body (100), characterized in that: The carrier body (100) is equipped with a wafer vacuum coating fixture as described in any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. The workpiece carrier according to claim 14, characterized in that: The carrier body (100) is provided with multiple carrier plates (101), which are arranged around the axis of the carrier body (100). At least one of the carrier plates (101) is provided with one or more of the wafer vacuum coating fixtures.

16. The workpiece carrier according to claim 15, characterized in that: The base plate (1) is provided with a plurality of mounting holes (11). The base plate (1) is fixed to the support plate (101) by screws that pass through the mounting holes (11) and are threadedly connected to the support plate (101). The mounting holes (11) include a small part (111) and a large part (112). The size of the small part (111) is smaller than the head size of the screw, and the size of the large part (112) is larger than the head size of the screw.

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