Wafer cleaning and drying module and method for transferring cleaned and dried wafer

Abstract

The invention discloses a wafer cleaning and drying module and a transfer method after wafer cleaning and drying. The wafer cleaning and drying module comprises a drying box body; a lifting mechanism; the turnover mechanism is provided with a supporting part and a clamping jaw and is used for realizing rotary switching of the wafer between a vertical state and a horizontal state; the clamping jaw is at least provided with a first working position capable of being matched with the lifting mechanism and a second working position capable of clamping the wafer to be rotationally switched between a vertical state and a horizontal state, the clamping jaw is located at the bottom of the supporting part at the first working position, and the clamping jaw is located at the top of the supporting part and clamps the wafer at the second working position; the first sensor is arranged at the bottom of the supporting part and used for detecting whether the clamping jaw is located at the first working position or not. The second sensor is arranged at the top of the supporting part and used for detecting whether the clamping jaw is located at the second working position; and the third sensor is used for detecting whether the turnover mechanism is in a horizontal state. According to the invention, the sensors are arranged at the first working position and the second working position, so that the wafers can be effectively overturned and transferred.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of semiconductor integrated circuit chip manufacturing technology, and in particular relates to a wafer cleaning and drying module and a method for transferring wafers after cleaning and drying. Background Technology

[0002] Chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) is a processing technique used in integrated circuit manufacturing. As technology advances, the requirements for processing techniques increase. Furthermore, CMP is a wet process in wafer fabrication, utilizing large amounts of polishing slurry and various chemical reagents. Therefore, at the end of the process, the wafer needs to be cleaned and dried to remove particles adhering to its surface, allowing it to proceed to the next processing step.

[0003] A novel drying method based on the Marangoni effect utilizes the surface tension gradient difference to remove water adhering to the wafer surface, effectively reducing the possibility of water stains and particulate matter adhering to the wafer surface.

[0004] This method requires a lifting mechanism to continuously and smoothly lift the wafer out of the liquid surface, supporting its bottom. The lifting mechanism is driven by a magnet that transmits the lifting force from the linear drive mechanism on the back of the housing to the wafer. Under the force of the magnet, the lifting mechanism base and the housing slide against each other. At this point, the wafer slides upwards under the combined support of the lifting mechanism and the wafer grippers, thus achieving wafer cleaning and drying.

[0005] Currently, the aforementioned institutions mainly face the following problems: 1) The existing wafer gripper does not take into account the detection of the low position. When the wafer gripper does not fall freely to the low position due to the friction of the guide rail, cable interference, etc., the wafer will not be supported by the wafer gripper during the rising process, resulting in the wafer falling off and being scrapped. 2) The existing solution does not take into account the high position detection of the wafer gripper. Generally, the wafer position is determined by the external motor encoder. Since the magnetic force between the lifting mechanism base and the housing is a non-rigid transmission, if the wafer falls or the external motor encoder has reached the target position but the actual wafer has not reached the target position, the wafer gripper will knock the wafer that has not reached the target position off when it picks up the wafer, resulting in the wafer falling off and being scrapped. 3) The existing solution does not take into account the horizontal position detection of the wafer gripper flipping device. Generally, the horizontal position of the wafer gripper flipping device is determined by the encoder position of the flipping motor. If the encoder position of the flipping motor is detected to be horizontal, but the actual gripper flipping device is not in position due to slippage, the wafer handling robot will fail to pick up the wafer.

[0006] Existing solutions generally use optical sensors to detect the presence or absence of wafers. However, optical sensors have two drawbacks: first, they cannot be used for wafer presence or absence detection in processes such as copper (Cu) due to light pollution issues; second, when the wafer detection surface is relatively rough, there is a risk of false detection in the presence or absence of wafers. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To overcome the shortcomings of the prior art, the present invention provides a wafer cleaning and drying module and a method for transferring wafers after cleaning and drying. Sensors are set at both the first working position and the second working position to ensure that the wafer is effectively flipped and effectively transferred.

[0008] The technical solution adopted by this invention to solve its technical problem is: a wafer cleaning and drying module, comprising: The drying chamber has a top opening and contains a cleaning solution. The lifting mechanism can be vertically raised and lowered within the drying chamber, and it includes at least a side lifting component and a middle lifting component. A flipping mechanism is located on the top of the drying chamber, and has a support part and a gripper movably located on the support part. The flipping mechanism is used to transfer the wafer on the lifting mechanism and realize the rotation switching of the wafer between the vertical and horizontal states. The gripper has at least a first working position that can cooperate with the lifting mechanism, and a second working position that can hold the wafer and rotate between a vertical and a horizontal state. In the first working position, the gripper is located at the bottom of the support portion, and in the second working position, the gripper is located at the top of the support portion and holds the wafer. The wafer cleaning and drying module also includes: The first sensor is located at the bottom of the support portion and is used to detect whether the gripper is in the first working position; The second sensor is located on the top of the support and is used to detect whether the gripper is in the second working position. The third sensor is used to detect whether the flipping mechanism is in a horizontal position.

[0009] Furthermore, the flipping mechanism includes a transfer element, and the grippers and the transfer element cooperate to clamp the wafer.

[0010] Furthermore, the transfer member has a clearance position and a transfer position. When the lifting mechanism drives the wafer and the gripper to move to the second working position of the gripper, the transfer member rotates from the clearance position to the transfer position to receive the wafer on the lifting mechanism.

[0011] Furthermore, a fourth sensor is included to detect whether the grippers of the flipping mechanism are holding a wafer when the mechanism is in a horizontal state.

[0012] Furthermore, the fourth sensor is located at the top of the support.

[0013] Furthermore, a horizontal receiving platform is provided near the top opening, and the fourth sensor is located on this horizontal receiving platform.

[0014] Furthermore, the third sensor is located on a horizontal receiving platform and is positioned near the support of the flipping mechanism.

[0015] Furthermore, the first sensor is a position sensor; and / or, the second sensor is a position sensor.

[0016] Furthermore, the position sensor is a proximity sensor or an optical sensor.

[0017] Furthermore, the position sensor is a proximity sensor, and the gripper is provided with a metal trigger for triggering the proximity sensor.

[0018] Furthermore, the fourth sensor is an ultrasonic sensor.

[0019] Furthermore, the fourth sensor is an ultrasonic ranging sensor, and there are at least two of them, for detecting whether the wafer is in a horizontal position.

[0020] This invention also discloses a method for transferring wafers after cleaning and drying, based on the aforementioned wafer cleaning and drying module, comprising the following steps: The flipping mechanism is in a vertical position, and its grippers slide freely to the first working position so that it is located at the bottom of the support. The first sensor detects that the gripper is in the first working position; The lifting mechanism lifts the wafer upwards, and the wafer presses against the gripper so that both rise synchronously under the drive of the lifting mechanism until the gripper enters the second working position, at which point the gripper is located at the top of the support. The second sensor detected that the gripper was in the second working position; The transfer component rotates from the clearance position to the transfer position so that the transfer component can cooperate with the grippers to hold the wafer; The flipping mechanism rotates the wafer from a vertical position to a horizontal position, and the third sensor detects that the flipping mechanism is in a horizontal position. The grippers switch to the open position, and the robotic arm removes the wafer.

[0021] Furthermore, before the robotic arm removes the wafer, the following step is included: a fourth sensor detects that the gripper is holding the wafer.

[0022] Furthermore, before the flipping mechanism rotates the wafer from a vertical position to a horizontal position, the first sensor does not detect that the gripper is in the first working position, and the second sensor detects that the gripper is in the second working position.

[0023] The beneficial effects of the present invention are: (1) A first sensor is set at the bottom of the support part, which can detect whether the gripper slides down the bottom of the support part, ensuring that the wafer is effectively clamped by the gripper and the intermediate lifting member, and avoiding the wafer falling off when the wafer is driven to the outside of the drying chamber by the lifting mechanism because the top of the wafer is not effectively clamped by the gripper; (2) A second sensor is set at the top of the support part, which can not only detect whether the gripper is correctly in the second working position, ensuring that the wafer is lifted to the highest position, but also send a signal to the transfer member, so that the transfer member replaces the intermediate lifting member to support the bottom of the wafer, realizing that the flipping mechanism independently clamps the wafer; (3) The setting of the third sensor can detect whether the flipping mechanism is in a horizontal state, and then detect whether the wafer is in a horizontal state, ensuring that the robot can effectively clamp the horizontal wafer; (4) The setting of the fourth sensor can detect whether the wafer is horizontally clamped, further ensuring that the robot can effectively transfer the wafer. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of the drying chamber and lifting mechanism, and the wafer, which are involved in this invention.

[0025] Figure 2 This is a perspective view of the drying chamber and lifting mechanism, and the wafer, as disclosed in this invention.

[0026] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Enlarged view of the structure at point A in the image.

[0027] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the cooperation structure between the lifting mechanism and the flipping mechanism of the present invention and the wafer. Figure 1 .

[0028] Figure 5 This is a simplified diagram illustrating the interaction between the gripper and the first sensor involved in this invention.

[0029] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the cooperation structure between the lifting mechanism and the flipping mechanism of the present invention and the wafer. Figure 2 .

[0030] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the cooperation structure between the flipping mechanism and the wafer involved in the present invention.

[0031] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the transfer component involved in the present invention.

[0032] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the cooperation structure between the flipping mechanism and the wafer and the horizontal receiving platform involved in this invention, with the wafer in a horizontal state at this time.

[0033] Figure 10This is a schematic diagram of the cooperation structure between the flipping mechanism and the wafer and horizontal receiving platform involved in this invention.

[0034] Among them, 1-drying chamber, 11-top opening, 2-lifting mechanism, 21-side lifting component, 22-middle lifting component, 3-flipping mechanism, 31-gripper, 311-gripper opening actuator cylinder, 312-metal trigger, 32-support part, 33-transfer part, 331-supporting part, 332-tilting part, 333-drive motor, 334-fulcrum, 4-wafer, 51-first sensor, 52-second sensor, 53-third sensor, 54-fourth sensor, 55-fifth sensor, 6-horizontal receiving platform, 61-wafer support rod. Detailed Implementation

[0035] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention, the technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0036] like Figures 1-9 As shown, a wafer cleaning and drying module includes a drying chamber 1 with a top opening 11, a lifting mechanism 2 that can be vertically raised and lowered within the drying chamber 1, and a flipping mechanism 3. The drying chamber 1 contains a cleaning solution. The lifting mechanism 2 includes at least a side lifting member 21 and a middle lifting member 22.

[0037] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, the drying chamber 1 is filled with a cleaning solution to achieve the Marangoni effect. After completing the previous process, wafer 4 is placed in the drying chamber 1. Initially, wafer 4 is completely immersed below the surface of the cleaning solution. At this time, the wafer is fixed by the side lifting components 21 to prevent it from tipping over and falling. The top of the middle lifting component 22 is located below wafer 4 and does not contact it. During the first half of the wafer 4's ascent, before the side lifting components 21 reach their upper limit (below the liquid surface), the wafer 4 is lifted by the two side lifting components 21, and the middle lifting component 22 also moves upwards simultaneously, or the middle lifting component 22 stops moving. During the second half of the wafer 4's ascent, the side lifting components 21 stop lifting after reaching their upper limit, and the middle lifting component 22 lifts wafer 4 upwards or continues upwards, as shown... Figure 3 As shown, wafer 4 is driven by the intermediate lifting member 22 until it completely exceeds the surface of the cleaning solution and reaches the set height. The above-described wafer 4 drying process is existing technology and will not be described in detail.

[0038] The top opening 11 of the drying chamber 1 is also equipped with a spray pipe (not shown in the figure), which is used to spray drying gas, such as vapor made of isopropanol and nitrogen, onto the surface of the cleaned wafer 4 to achieve the purpose of drying the surface of the wafer 4.

[0039] The flipping mechanism 3 is located on the top of the drying chamber 1. It has a support part 32 and a gripper 31 movably disposed on the support part 32. The flipping mechanism 3 is used to transfer the wafer 4 on the lifting mechanism 2. Specifically, it transfers the wafer 4 on the intermediate lifting member 22 of the lifting mechanism 2 and realizes the rotation switching of the wafer 4 between the vertical and horizontal states.

[0040] The gripper 31 can move freely along the support portion 32 and has at least a first working position and a second working position. The first working position is set as the position where the gripper 31 cooperates with the lifting mechanism 2. Specifically, it is the initial position where the wafer 4 on the lifting mechanism 2 contacts the gripper 31. In the first working position, the gripper 31 is located at the bottom of the support portion 32. Specifically, the gripper 31 falls freely to the bottom of the support portion 32. The second working position is set as the position where the gripper 31 rotates and switches between a vertical and horizontal state while holding the wafer 4. Specifically, it is the position where the intermediate lifting member 22 of the lifting mechanism 2 cooperates with the gripper 31 to hold the wafer 4, and the gripper 31 moves upward along the support portion 32 to the top. That is, in the second working position, the gripper 31 is located at the top of the support portion 32, so that the wafer 4 can rotate and switch between a vertical and horizontal state with the flipping mechanism 3. That is, in the second working position, the gripper 31 holds the wafer 4.

[0041] like Figures 4-6 , Figure 8 , Figure 9 As shown, the wafer cleaning and drying module also includes a first sensor 51, a second sensor 52, and a third sensor 53. The first sensor 51 is located at the bottom of the support portion 32, and it is used to detect whether the gripper 31 is in the first working position, that is, whether the gripper 31 is located at the bottom of the support portion 32. The second sensor 52 is located at the top of the support portion 32, and it is used to detect whether the gripper 31 is in the second working position, that is, whether the gripper 31 is located at the top of the support portion 32, and simultaneously detect whether the wafer 4 is being held. The third sensor 53 is used to detect whether the flipping mechanism 3 is in a horizontal state, that is, whether it has rotated from a vertical state to a completely horizontal state. In this embodiment, both the first sensor 51 and the second sensor 52 are position sensors. Specifically, the position sensors are proximity sensors or optical sensors. When it is a proximity sensor, it is triggered upon sensing the presence of the gripper 31. To facilitate the triggering of the first sensor 51 and the second sensor 52, as shown... Figure 4As shown, a metal trigger 312 is provided on the gripper 31, which can effectively trigger the proximity sensor. Specifically, as... Figure 5 As shown, the first sensor 51 is an inductive proximity sensor, which detects metal. When the metal trigger 312 on the gripper 31 is aligned with the detection point of the first sensor 51, it can trigger the first sensor 51 to send a signal outward. When it is an optical sensor, it is triggered when it senses that the gripper 31 is blocking the light.

[0042] like Figure 9 , Figure 10 As shown, a horizontal receiving platform 6 is provided near the top opening 11. After the flipping mechanism 3 rotates the wafer 4 from a vertical position to a horizontal position, the wafer 4 is placed on the horizontal receiving platform 6. A third sensor 53 is provided on the horizontal receiving platform 6, near the support part 32 of the flipping mechanism 3. It determines whether the wafer 4 on the flipping mechanism 3 has been rotated to a horizontal position by detecting whether the support part 32 is horizontal. Specifically, the third sensor 53 can be a position sensor, a proximity sensor, or an optical sensor.

[0043] The horizontal receiving platform 6 is also equipped with wafer support rods 61. When the wafer 4 is rotated to a horizontal state by the flipping mechanism 3, the two wafer support rods 61 just support the edge of the wafer 4, making it easy for the robot to pick up the wafer 4 and transfer it.

[0044] The flipping mechanism 3 includes a transfer member 33 and an intermediate lifting member 22 that drives the wafer 4 to move upward. After the wafer 4 contacts the gripper 31, the intermediate lifting member 22 continues to drive the wafer 4 and the gripper 31 to move upward together. At this time, the intermediate lifting member 22 and the gripper 31 cooperate to clamp the wafer 4. Once the intermediate lifting member 22 moves upward to its limit position, the gripper 31 moves to the top of the support part 32, and the flipping mechanism 3 independently clamps the wafer 4. Specifically, the transfer member 33 and the gripper 31 cooperate to clamp the wafer 4.

[0045] like Figure 6 , Figure 7 As shown, the transfer member 33 is rotatably connected to the bottom end of the support part 32. It has a clearance position and a transfer position. In the clearance position, the transfer member 33 will not obstruct the intermediate lifting member 22 from driving the wafer 4 and the gripper 31 to move upward. When the lifting mechanism 2 drives the wafer 4 and the gripper 31 to the second working position of the gripper 31, the transfer member 33 rotates from the clearance position to the transfer position. In the transfer position, the transfer member 33 can receive the wafer 4 on the lifting mechanism 2. At this time, the intermediate lifting member 22 can move downward and disengage from the wafer 4.

[0046] like Figure 8As shown, in this embodiment, the transfer member 33 includes a bottom support portion 331 and an inclined portion 332 forming an obtuse angle with the support portion 331. The inclined portion 332 is connected to a drive motor 333, which can pull or push the transfer member 33 to rotate around the fulcrum 334, thereby realizing the rotation switching between the avoidance position and the transfer position. Specifically, with Figure 8 Taking the direction shown as an example, when the drive motor 333 pulls the transfer member 33 to rotate counterclockwise around the fulcrum 334, the supporting part 331 extends outward and enters the transfer position; when the drive motor 333 pushes the transfer member 33 to rotate clockwise around the fulcrum 334 to reset, the supporting part 331 retracts inward and enters the avoidance position. Alternatively, the transfer member 33 can remain in the avoidance position in the initial state.

[0047] The timing for the transfer member 33 to rotate from the avoidance position to the transfer position can be achieved by the second sensor 52 located on the top of the support 32 sensing and detecting that the gripper 31 is in the second working position, and then sending a signal to the transfer member 33. This process is existing technology and will not be described in detail here.

[0048] The wafer cleaning and drying module also includes a fourth sensor 54, which is mounted on the horizontal receiving platform 6. This sensor detects whether the grippers 31 of the flipping mechanism 3 are holding the wafer 4 when the mechanism is horizontal. The fourth sensor 54 can be an ultrasonic sensor, specifically an ultrasonic ranging sensor. When the wafer 4 is present on the flipping mechanism 3 and is completely horizontal, the fourth sensor 54 detects a distance S between itself and the wafer 4. If the wafer 4 is absent, or if it is tilted and not completely horizontal, the distance detected by the fourth sensor 54 will change and will not be the value S. When the wafer 4 is absent, the value detected by the fourth sensor 54 is the extreme value of its range, indicating no wafer. When the wafer 4 is tilted, the value detected by the fourth sensor 54 deviates significantly from the value S. This deviation exceeds the tolerable tolerance range. Once the detected value exceeds the S ± tolerance range, it is considered abnormal.

[0049] Of course, the fourth sensor 54 can also be located at the top of the support 32, so that it moves together with the flipping mechanism 3. When the wafer 4 is driven to rise to the top of the support 32 by the lifting mechanism 2, the fourth sensor 54 can detect the presence or absence of the wafer 4, that is, detect whether the gripper 31 is holding the wafer 4. When the flipping mechanism 3 drives the wafer 4 to flip from a vertical state to a horizontal state, the fourth sensor 54 is an ultrasonic ranging sensor, which can detect the presence or absence of the wafer 4 and whether it is in a horizontal state.

[0050] Specifically, when the flipping mechanism 3 flips the wafer 4 to a horizontal state, the wafer 4 will not provide support for the gripper 31. The state of the gripper 31 is not necessarily related to the presence or absence of the wafer 4. At this time, the fourth sensor 54 is an ultrasonic ranging sensor, which detects the distance between the wafer 4 and the fourth sensor 54 through the ultrasonic ranging principle. By judging the distance range, it can determine whether the wafer 4 is present or not, or whether the wafer 4 is horizontal.

[0051] More specifically, when wafer 4 is present on the flipping mechanism 3 and wafer 4 is completely horizontal, the fourth sensor 54 detects a distance S between itself and wafer 4. If wafer 4 is not present, or wafer 4 is tilted and not completely horizontal, the distance between itself and wafer 4 detected by the fourth sensor 54 will change and will not be the value S. When wafer 4 is not present, the value detected by the fourth sensor 54 is the extreme value of its range, and it is judged that there is no wafer. When wafer 4 is tilted, the value detected by the fourth sensor 54 deviates significantly from the value S. This deviation is greater than the tolerable tolerance range. Once the detected value exceeds the S ± tolerance range, it is judged as abnormal.

[0052] The working process of the wafer cleaning and drying module is as follows: When the flipping mechanism 3 is in a vertical state, the gripper 31 naturally slides down to the bottom of the support part 32, that is, the gripper 31 is in the first working position. At this time, the first sensor 51 detects the gripper 31 and sends a signal to the lifting mechanism 2, allowing the lifting mechanism 2 to drive the wafer 4 to move upward; if the first sensor 51 does not detect that the gripper 31 is in the first working position, the lifting mechanism 2 will not drive the wafer 4 to move upward, so as to avoid the wafer 4 falling off and being scrapped; The wafer 4 is driven upward by the lifting mechanism 2. The spray pipe starts spraying dry gas onto the surface of the wafer 4 from the point where the wafer 4 just emerges from the top opening 11. As the wafer 4 gradually rises, the part of the wafer 4 that is exposed from the top opening 11 is continuously sprayed with dry gas until the wafer 4 is completely exposed from the top opening 11, and finally the wafer 4 is completely dry. In the latter half of the wafer 4 rising process, the side lifting member 21 stops rising after reaching the upper limit. The gripper 31 located in the first working position fixes both sides of the wafer 4 to prevent it from tipping over and falling off. The middle lifting member 22 drives the wafer 4 to continue rising until it completely exceeds the surface of the cleaning solution and reaches the set height. At this time, the gripper 31 slides upward along the support part 32 and moves upward synchronously with the middle lifting member 22 to hold the wafer 4. When the wafer 4 rises to the high position of the flipping mechanism 3, that is, when the gripper 31 slides to the top of the support part 32, the second sensor 52 sends a signal to the transfer member 33, causing the transfer member 33 to rotate from the avoidance position to the transfer position. Thus, the support part 331 of the transfer member 33 receives the wafer 4, and the intermediate lifting member 22 moves downward to reset. That is, the transfer member 33 replaces the intermediate lifting member 22 to support the bottom of the wafer 4. During this period, the second sensor 52 continuously detects that the gripper 31 is in the second working position. After detecting that the intermediate lifting component 22 has descended, the flipping mechanism 3 drives the wafer 4 to rotate from the vertical state to the horizontal state; if the second sensor 52 does not detect that the gripper 31 is in the second working position, the flipping mechanism 3 stops the flipping action and alarms to prevent the wafer 4 from falling off and being scrapped. When the flipping mechanism 3 rotates to a horizontal position, the third sensor 53 on the horizontal receiving platform 6 detects that the support part 32 is in a horizontal position, indicating that the flipping mechanism 3 and the wafer 4 are in a horizontal position, and the wafer support rod 61 just supports the edge of the wafer 4. The gripper opening execution cylinder 311 pushes the gripper 31 to the open position, and the fifth sensor 55 on the gripper 31 detects the action of the gripper opening execution cylinder 311, allowing the robot to take away the wafer 4. If the third sensor 53 does not detect that the support part 32 is in a horizontal position, or if the fifth sensor 55 does not detect the action of the gripper opening execution cylinder 311, the robot stops picking up the wafer and alarms to avoid the robot failing to pick up the wafer 4 or damaging the wafer 4.

[0053] In scenario one, the fourth sensor 54 is installed on the horizontal receiving platform 6. When the flipping mechanism 3 reaches the horizontal state, the fourth sensor 54 detects whether the wafer 4 has a displacement signal from the ultrasonic sensor and compares it with the set parameters to determine whether the flipping mechanism 3 has a wafer 4. If no wafer 4 is detected, the robot arm stops gripping the wafer 4 to avoid failure of the robot arm to grip the wafer 4 or damage to the wafer 4. In scenario two, the fourth sensor 54 is installed at the top of the support 32. When the flipping mechanism 3 reaches the horizontal state, the fourth sensor 54 detects whether the wafer 4 has a displacement signal from the ultrasonic sensor and compares it with the set parameter S to determine whether the flipping mechanism 3 has a wafer 4. If no wafer 4 is detected, the robot arm stops gripping the wafer 4 to avoid failure of the robot arm to grip the wafer 4 or damage to the wafer 4.

[0054] In addition, the fourth sensor 54 can also be used to detect the horizontal state of the wafer 4. At this time, the number of fourth sensors 54 is greater than or equal to one. When the flipping mechanism 3 reaches the horizontal position, the fourth sensor 54 detects whether there is a displacement signal from the ultrasonic sensor on the wafer 4 and compares it with the set parameters to determine whether the wafer 4 is horizontal. If the wafer 4 is not detected to be horizontal, the robot arm stops gripping the wafer 4 to avoid failure of the robot arm to grip the wafer 4 or damage to the wafer 4.

[0055] This invention also discloses a wafer cleaning and drying transfer method, which is based on the above-mentioned wafer cleaning and drying module and includes the following steps: After completing the flipping and transfer of the previous wafer 4, the flipping mechanism 3 flips back from the horizontal state to the vertical state, and its gripper 31 slides freely down the support part 32 to the first working position so that it is located at the bottom of the support part 32. The first sensor 51 detects that the gripper 31 is in the first working position, ensuring that after the wafer 4 rises to the first working position under the drive of the lifting mechanism 2, the wafer 4 continues to be effectively clamped with the cooperation of the gripper 31 and the intermediate lifting member 22; here, the wafer 4 is effectively clamped, which means that during the lifting process after the wafer 4 reaches the first working position, the wafer 4 and the plane where the support part 32 is located are always in a parallel state, and at this time the wafer 4 is correctly clamped and does not fall off. The lifting mechanism 2 lifts the wafer 4 upwards, and the wafer 4 presses against the gripper 31 so that the two rise synchronously under the drive of the lifting mechanism 2 until the gripper 31 enters the second working position. At this time, the gripper 31 is located at the top of the support part 32, which ensures that the wafer 4 is lifted to the highest position. The second sensor 52 detects that the gripper 31 is in the second working position; The transfer member 33 rotates from the clearance position to the transfer position so that the transfer member 33 replaces the intermediate lifting member 22 to support the bottom of the wafer 4, so that the transfer member 33 cooperates with the gripper 31 to clamp the wafer 4, and realizes that the flipping mechanism 3 independently clamps the wafer 4. The flipping mechanism 3 is only allowed to perform a flipping action after the first sensor 51 does not detect that the gripper 31 is in the first working position and the second sensor 52 detects that the gripper 31 is in the second working position. The flipping mechanism 3 rotates the wafer 4 from a vertical position to a horizontal position, and the third sensor 53 detects that the flipping mechanism 3 is in a horizontal position. The fourth sensor 54 detects that the gripper 31 is holding the wafer 4 and that the wafer 4 is in a horizontal position; The gripper 31 switches to the open position, and the fifth sensor 55 on the gripper 31 detects the action of the gripper opening execution cylinder 311, allowing the robot to take away the wafer 4.

[0056] During the above process, the status of the first sensor 51 is continuously monitored. If the first sensor 51 detects that the gripper 31 is in the first working position, it means that the gripper 31 slides freely down the support part 32 to its bottom, indicating that the wafer 4 has fallen, terminating the subsequent actions and reporting an error.

[0057] The above specific embodiments are used to explain and illustrate the present invention, but not to limit the present invention. Any modifications and changes made to the present invention within the spirit and scope of the claims shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A wafer cleaning and drying module, comprising: The drying chamber (1) has a top opening (11) and contains a cleaning solution; The lifting mechanism (2) can be vertically lifted and lowered inside the drying chamber (1), and it includes at least a side lifting member (21) and a middle lifting member (22). A flipping mechanism (3) is located on the top of the drying chamber (1), and has a support part (32) and a gripper (31) movably located on the support part (32). The flipping mechanism (3) is used to transfer the wafer (4) on the lifting mechanism (2) and realize the rotation switching of the wafer (4) between the vertical and horizontal states; characterized in that: The gripper (31) has at least a first working position that can cooperate with the lifting mechanism (2) and a second working position that can hold the wafer (4) and rotate between a vertical state and a horizontal state. In the first working position, the gripper (31) is located at the bottom of the support (32). In the second working position, the gripper (31) is located at the top of the support (32) and holds the wafer (4). The wafer cleaning and drying module also includes: The first sensor (51) is located at the bottom of the support (32) and is used to detect whether the gripper (31) is in the first working position; The second sensor (52) is located on the top of the support (32) and is used to detect whether the gripper (31) is in the second working position; The third sensor (53) is used to detect whether the flipping mechanism (3) is in a horizontal state.

2. The wafer cleaning and drying module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flipping mechanism (3) includes a transfer member (33), and the gripper (31) and the transfer member (33) cooperate to clamp the wafer (4).

3. The wafer cleaning and drying module according to claim 2, characterized in that: The transfer member (33) has a clearance position and a transfer position. When the lifting mechanism (2) drives the wafer (4) and the gripper (31) to move to the second working position of the gripper (31), the transfer member (33) rotates from the clearance position to the transfer position to receive the wafer (4) on the lifting mechanism (2).

4. The wafer cleaning and drying module according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a fourth sensor (54) for detecting whether the gripper (31) of the flipping mechanism (3) is holding the wafer (4) when the flipping mechanism (3) is in a horizontal state.

5. The wafer cleaning and drying module according to claim 4, characterized in that: The fourth sensor (54) is located at the top of the support (32).

6. The wafer cleaning and drying module according to claim 4, characterized in that: A horizontal support platform (6) is provided near the top opening (11), and the fourth sensor (54) is located on the horizontal support platform (6).

7. The wafer cleaning and drying module according to claim 6, characterized in that: The third sensor (53) is located on the horizontal support platform (6) and is positioned near the support part (32) of the flipping mechanism (3).

8. The wafer cleaning and drying module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first sensor is a position sensor; and / or, the second sensor is a position sensor.

9. The wafer cleaning and drying module according to claim 8, characterized in that: The position sensor is a proximity sensor or an optical sensor.

10. The wafer cleaning and drying module according to claim 9, characterized in that: The position sensor is a proximity sensor, and the gripper is provided with a metal trigger for triggering the proximity sensor.

11. The wafer cleaning and drying module according to claim 4, characterized in that: The fourth sensor is an ultrasonic sensor.

12. The wafer cleaning and drying module according to claim 11, characterized in that: The fourth sensor is an ultrasonic ranging sensor, and there are at least two of them, used to detect whether the wafer is in a horizontal position.

13. A method for transferring wafers after cleaning and drying, based on the wafer cleaning and drying module according to any one of claims 2-12, characterized in that: Includes the following steps, The flipping mechanism (3) is in a vertical position, and its gripper (31) slides freely to the first working position so that it is located at the bottom of the support (32); The first sensor (51) detects that the gripper (31) is in the first working position; The lifting mechanism (2) lifts the wafer (4) upward, and the wafer (4) abuts against the gripper (31) so that the two rise synchronously under the drive of the lifting mechanism (2) until the gripper (31) enters the second working position, at which time the gripper (31) is located at the top of the support (32); The second sensor (52) detects that the gripper (31) is in the second working position; The transfer member (33) rotates from the clearance position to the transfer position so that the transfer member (33) and the gripper (31) cooperate to clamp the wafer (4). The flipping mechanism (3) rotates the wafer (4) from a vertical state to a horizontal state, and the third sensor (53) detects that the flipping mechanism (3) is in a horizontal state; The gripper (31) switches to the open position, and the robotic arm takes away the wafer (4).

14. The wafer cleaning and drying transfer method according to claim 13, characterized in that: Before the robotic arm removes the wafer (4) step, Including the following steps, the fourth sensor (54) detects that the gripper (31) is holding the wafer (4).

15. The wafer cleaning and drying transfer method according to claim 13, characterized in that: Before the flipping mechanism (3) rotates the wafer (4) from the vertical state to the horizontal state, the first sensor (51) does not detect that the gripper (31) is in the first working position, and the second sensor (52) detects that the gripper (31) is in the second working position.

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