Automatic wafer loading and unloading equipment and method for wafer plating pot

Abstract

The invention discloses automatic wafer loading and unloading equipment and method for a wafer plating pot. The method comprises the following steps: loading a plating pot to a positioning mechanism; the at least two wafers are transferred from the clamping plug to the transfer mechanism for temporary storage in parallel through the first carrying mechanism; a plurality of wafers are exchanged and circulated in parallel through the second carrying mechanism, and the wafers are alternately taken and placed between the transfer mechanism and the plating pot, so that batch replacement of the transferred wafers is realized; the first carrying mechanism recycles the processed wafers in batches to a clamping plug and supplements new wafers; and repeating until all wafers of the plating pot are replaced. The equipment comprises a clamping plug positioning mechanism, a gantry carrying mechanism, a transfer transverse moving mechanism, a four-axis carrying mechanism, a plating pot positioning mechanism, a spring opening mechanism and the like. Through a gantry-transfer-four-axis cooperation and multi-piece parallel closed-loop circulation path, the production efficiency is greatly improved; the adopted radial opening and closing type spring mechanism is simple and reliable in structure and high in adaptability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of wafer plating pan loading and unloading technology, and in particular to an automatic wafer plating pan loading and unloading device and method. Background Technology

[0002] In semiconductor wafer manufacturing processes such as electroplating, wafers need to be placed in a specialized plating bath for processing. Traditionally, loading and unloading wafers (i.e., loading the wafers to be processed and removing the processed wafers) in the plating bath mainly relied on manual operation. Manual operation has problems such as low efficiency, high labor intensity, poor consistency, and is also very easy to cause scratches on the wafer surface due to improper operation, affecting product yield.

[0003] To address these issues, the industry has begun developing automated wafer loading and unloading equipment. Existing automation solutions typically employ a single robotic arm for unidirectional, single-wafer transport between the wafer rack and the plating pan. While this approach achieves automation, it suffers from slow production cycles and limited throughput, making it difficult to meet the demands of large-scale, high-efficiency production. Furthermore, the existing wafer securing and releasing mechanisms within the plating pan are generally complex and costly, and may experience interference or reliability issues during continuous multi-pan operation. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide an automatic wafer loading and unloading method for wafer plating pans, which realizes efficient, parallel, and closed-loop automated wafer transfer, significantly improving production efficiency and reducing the risk of wafer damage.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the solution of the present invention is: an automatic wafer loading and unloading method for wafer plating pans. The equipment used includes: a stopper positioning mechanism, a first conveying mechanism, a transfer and lateral movement mechanism, a second conveying mechanism, a plating pot positioning mechanism, a spring opening mechanism, a plating pot, a plating pot hopper mechanism, a plating pot conveying mechanism, and a vision mechanism; The automatic wafer loading and unloading method for this wafer plating pan includes the following steps: S1. Plating pot loading: The plating pot on the plating pot hopper mechanism is moved to the plating pot positioning mechanism by the plating pot handling mechanism. S2. Wafer Pre-storage and Identification: At least two wafers to be processed are taken out from the cassette positioning mechanism by the first transport mechanism and temporarily stored on the transfer and traversing mechanism; the wafers to be processed are marked and identified by the vision mechanism. S3, Wafer Exchange Cycle: The second transport mechanism performs a wafer exchange cycle between the transfer traverse mechanism and the plating pot positioning mechanism, specifically as follows: The second transport mechanism performs one wafer pick-up and placement operation or pick-up and placement operation at the transfer traverse mechanism; then it moves to the plating pot positioning mechanism and performs another wafer pick-up and placement operation or pick-up and placement operation; finally, it moves to the central axis traverse mechanism. Specifically, the wafer pick-up operation performed by the second transport mechanism at the transfer traverse mechanism involves picking up a wafer to be processed, and the wafer placement operation involves placing a processed wafer; similarly, the wafer pick-up operation performed by the second transport mechanism at the plating pot positioning mechanism involves picking up a processed wafer, and the wafer placement operation involves placing a wafer to be processed. Since there are at least two second transport mechanisms, the second transport mechanism of this invention can complete the process simultaneously at one workstation.

[0006] In particular, each wafer pick-up and drop operation at the plating pot positioning mechanism is performed in conjunction with the plating pot positioning mechanism and the spring opening mechanism: the plating pot positioning mechanism adjusts the angle of the plating pot so that the target tray on it reaches the horizontal pick-up and drop position, and then the spring opening mechanism opens or closes the elastic locking device on the tray, and then the suction rod assembly lifts the processed wafer on the tray, or receives the wafer to be processed and drops it onto the tray. Once all the wafers to be processed on the transfer and transverse mechanism have been replaced with processed wafers, the first transport mechanism will transport the processed wafers to the cascade positioning mechanism and replenish the new wafers to be processed to the transfer and transverse mechanism. S4. Repeat steps S2-S3 above until all the processed wafers on the plating pot at the plating pot positioning mechanism are replaced with wafers to be processed. S5. Plating pot replacement: The plating pot fully loaded with wafers to be processed is transferred back to the plating pot material storage mechanism through the plating pot transport mechanism, and the next plating pot fully loaded with processed wafers is transported to the plating pot positioning mechanism. S6. Repeat steps S4-S5 above.

[0007] Furthermore, before loading the plating pan in step S1, the wafer number is scanned on the chuck positioning mechanism using a wafer detection mechanism, and the wafer placement is checked for abnormal protrusion.

[0008] Furthermore, the first conveying mechanism includes a first three-axis linear motion module, a first rotary module, and a first suction cup assembly; the first suction cup assembly is connected to the movable output end of the first three-axis linear motion module through the first rotary module, thereby enabling it to rotate in the horizontal plane; the first suction cup assembly consists of four Bernoulli suction cups arranged in a centrally symmetrical manner.

[0009] Furthermore, the transfer and traversing mechanism is equipped with two independent wafer carrying stations; The second handling mechanism is a four-axis handling mechanism, including a four-axis robotic arm, a second rotating module, a suction cup lifting module, and a second suction cup assembly. The second rotating module is located at the movable end of the four-axis robotic arm, and the second suction cup assembly consists of two Bernoulli suction cups, which are connected to both sides of the second rotating module through the suction cup lifting module, so that the mechanism can pick up two wafers at the same time and perform rotation and lifting actions.

[0010] Furthermore, the specific operation of wafer swapping in step S3 is as follows: The second transport mechanism takes the first processed wafer P1 from the plating pot positioning mechanism and moves it to the intermediate transfer mechanism. The second transport mechanism takes the first wafer W1 to be processed from the transfer and transverse mechanism, and after a rotation operation, places the processed wafer P1 on the transfer and transverse mechanism. The second handling mechanism transports the obtained wafer W1 to the plating pot positioning mechanism for placement; The plating pot positioning mechanism rotates to the next tray, and the second transport mechanism picks up the second processed wafer P2 from another tray; The second transport mechanism then moves to the transfer traverse mechanism, takes the second wafer W2 to be processed from the transfer traverse mechanism, and rotates and places the processed wafer P2; then the wafer W2 to be processed is transported to the plating pot positioning mechanism for placement.

[0011] Furthermore, the plating pot positioning mechanism drives the plating pot to pitch and swing using a first rotary motor, thereby adjusting the target tray to a horizontal state; then, it drives the plating pot to rotate horizontally around its central axis using a second rotary motor, thereby rotating the target tray to the working position directly opposite the spring mechanism and the second conveying mechanism.

[0012] Furthermore, the plating pot is provided with several carrier trays, each carrier tray has several clearance holes for the suction rod to pass through, and the outer periphery of the carrier tray is provided with a notch; each carrier tray is provided with an elastic locking member on the back, one end of the elastic locking member is fixed on the carrier tray, and the other end is a hook part that is movably engaged with the notch of the carrier tray, and the elastic locking member is also provided with a handle for driving the hook part.

[0013] Furthermore, the spring-opening mechanism includes a pushing component that can move horizontally and vertically, and a suction rod assembly that can move vertically. The specific operations for opening and closing the elastic locking component and loading / unloading are as follows: Open the spring: The entire mechanism rises, causing the pushing component to reach the handle of the elastic locking component; The pushing component moves horizontally to push the handle outward, causing the hook part to move outward and disengage from the notch on the carrier tray; Push up or put down the wafer: During unloading, the suction rod assembly rises, the suction rod passes through the clearance hole of the carrier tray to lift the wafer on the carrier tray, and then the second transport mechanism removes the wafer; during loading, the suction rod assembly rises, the suction rod passes through the clearance hole of the carrier tray, the second transport mechanism places the wafer onto the suction rod, and then the suction rod descends to place the wafer on the carrier tray. Closing spring: The pushing component retracts and disengages from the handle, and the hook is reset inward by the elastic restoring force, re-clamping the wafer on the carrier tray.

[0014] Furthermore, the spring-opening mechanism also drives the suction rod assembly to rotate around the vertical axis via a third rotary motor, thereby finely adjusting the angle of the suction rod so that the suction rod is aligned with the clearance hole on the carrier plate.

[0015] The present invention also provides an automatic wafer plating pan loading and unloading device for performing the above-described automatic wafer plating pan loading and unloading method, comprising: A stopper positioning mechanism is used to position and store stoppers. The first transport mechanism is used to transport wafers between the cassette positioning mechanism and the transfer traverse mechanism; The transfer and traversing mechanism has at least two wafer carrying stations for temporarily storing and transferring wafers; The second transport mechanism is configured to simultaneously carry at least two wafers and is used to transport wafers between the transfer and transverse mechanism and the plating pot positioning mechanism. The plating pot positioning mechanism is used to support the plating pot and adjust its angle so that any tray on it can reach the preset horizontal pick-and-place position. A plating pan with several trays on it, each tray having an elastic locking element for fixing the wafer; The spring mechanism is located on the lower side of the plating pot positioning mechanism and is used to open or close the elastic locking element on the plating pot carrier plate. The plating pot storage mechanism is used to store the plating pot; The plating pot handling mechanism is used to move the plating pot between the plating pot hopper mechanism and the plating pot positioning mechanism. Vision mechanism, used for wafer marking and placement guidance.

[0016] After adopting the above solution, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: 1. This invention achieves efficient batch, parallel, and closed-loop transfer of wafers between the cassette and the plating pan through the coordination of the first transport mechanism, the intermediate transverse transfer mechanism, and the second transport mechanism, as well as the multi-wafer parallel operation process, which significantly improves the equipment throughput and production cycle time. 2. The specific radial opening and closing spring structure and spring opening mechanism adopted are simple and reliable, with direct action and strong adaptability. They are especially suitable for continuous operation of multiple pallets, avoiding mechanism interference and improving system stability. 3. The overall automation level is high, effectively replacing manual operations, reducing the risk of wafer scratches, and improving product yield and production consistency. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the base structure of an automatic wafer loading and unloading device in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional view (a) of the internal mechanism of an automatic wafer loading and unloading device in a wafer plating pan according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a top view of the internal mechanism of an automatic wafer loading and unloading device in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional view (II) of the internal mechanism of the automatic wafer loading and unloading device in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 5 This is a rear view of the internal mechanism of an automatic wafer loading and unloading device in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a stopper positioning mechanism in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a Wafer detection mechanism in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the first transport mechanism in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 9 yes Figure 8 Enlarged view of a portion of point A in the middle.

[0026] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the transfer and transverse movement mechanism in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the second transport mechanism in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the plating pot positioning mechanism in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the front structure of the carrier disk in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the back structure of the carrier disk in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of the spring mechanism in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of the spring-opening mechanism in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram of the opening spring mechanism and the plating pot structure in one embodiment of the present invention (spring closed state).

[0034] Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram of the opening spring mechanism and the plating pot structure in one embodiment of the present invention (spring in the open state).

[0035] Figure 19 This is a schematic diagram of the plating pot material hopper mechanism in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 20 This is a schematic diagram of a plating pot transport mechanism in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 21 This is a schematic diagram of a vision mechanism in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] Label Explanation: 1. Base; 2. Plug positioning mechanism; 21. Plug; 3. Wafer detection mechanism; 4. First transport mechanism; 41. First three-axis linear motion module; 42. First rotary module; 421. Motor; 422. Drive gear; 423. Driven gear; 424. Belt; 43. First suction cup assembly; 5. Transfer and lateral movement mechanism; 51. X-axis linear module; 52. Sliding seat; 53. Clamping mechanism; 531. Wafer clamp; 532. Clamp drive component; 6. Second transport mechanism; 61. Four-axis robotic arm; 62. Second rotary module; 63. Suction cup lifting module; 64. Second suction cup assembly; 7. Plating pot positioning mechanism; 71. First seat; 72. First rotary motor; 73. Second seat; 74. Second rotary motor 8. Spring opening mechanism; 81. Z-axis main lifting module; 82. X-axis moving module; 83. Third rotary motor; 84. First Z-axis auxiliary lifting module; 85. Second Z-axis auxiliary lifting module; 86. Y-axis drive component; 87. Suction rod assembly; 88. Pushing component; 9. Plating pot; 91. Pot body; 911. Through hole; 92. Carrier tray; 921. Clearance hole; 922. Positioning block; 923. Notch; 93. Elastic locking component; 931. Fixing part; 932. Deformation part; 933. Hook part; 94. Handle; 10. Plating pot material hopper mechanism; 101. Plating pot placement rack; 102. Two-axis moving module; 11. Plating pot transport mechanism; 111. Second and third-axis linear moving module; 112. Plating pot gripper; 12. Vision mechanism. Detailed Implementation

[0039] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0040] This invention provides an automatic wafer loading and unloading device, such as... Figures 1 to 21 As shown, it includes a base 1 and a locking positioning mechanism 2, a wafer detection mechanism 3, a first transport mechanism 4, a transfer and lateral movement mechanism 5, a second transport mechanism 6, a plating pot positioning mechanism 7, a spring opening mechanism 8, a plating pot 9, a plating pot material hopper mechanism 10, a plating pot transport mechanism 11, and a vision mechanism 12, all mounted on the base 1.

[0041] Key references Figure 6 The cartridge positioning mechanism 2 is a shelf structure on which multiple cartridges can be arranged and placed, and it has a status indication function. The inside of the cartridge is used to stack multiple wafers.

[0042] Key references Figure 7 The wafer detection mechanism 3 (such as a laser sensor) is used to scan the number of wafers on the wafer positioning mechanism and to detect whether the wafer placement is abnormally protruding.

[0043] Key references Figure 8 The type of the first transport mechanism 4 includes, but is not limited to, the following: as long as it can transport wafers between the cascade positioning mechanism 2 and the transfer traverse mechanism 5, it falls within the scope of protection of this case. In this embodiment, the first transport mechanism 4 is a gantry-type transport mechanism, specifically including a first three-axis linear motion module 41, a first rotary module 42, and a first suction cup assembly 43. The first suction cup assembly 43 consists of four Bernoulli suction cups arranged in a centrally symmetrical manner, used to pick up wafers. The first suction cup assembly 43 is connected to the movable output end of the first three-axis linear motion module 41 through the first rotary module 42, thereby allowing it to rotate in the horizontal plane.

[0044] like Figure 9 As shown, the first rotating module 42 includes a motor 421, a drive gear 422, a driven gear 423, and a belt 424. The motor 421 is fixedly mounted on the housing of the first rotating module 42. The drive gear 422 is coaxially connected to the power output shaft of the motor 421. The driven gear 423 is fixedly connected to the center of the first suction cup assembly 43 via its central shaft. The belt 424 surrounds the outer periphery of the drive gear 422 and the driven gear 423, and its inner teeth mesh with the teeth of the drive gear 422 and the driven gear 423. When the motor 421 starts, power is transmitted sequentially through the drive gear 422 and the belt 424 to the driven gear 423, thereby driving the driven gear 423 and the connected first suction cup assembly 43 to rotate around the central axis, realizing the orientation adjustment of the wafer.

[0045] Key references Figure 10The transfer and traversing mechanism 5 has at least two wafer-bearing stations for temporarily storing and transferring wafers. Specifically, the transfer and traversing mechanism 5 includes an X-axis linear module 51, a sliding base 52, and two sets of clamping mechanisms 53 mounted on the sliding base 52. Each set of clamping mechanisms 53 includes a wafer clamping plate 531 and a clamping plate driving component 532 that drives the two wafer clamping plates 531 to move closer or further apart. The clamping plate driving component 532 can be a pneumatic component (cylinder) or an electric component (electric cylinder).

[0046] In this embodiment, the transfer and traversing mechanism 5 is equipped with two independent wafer-carrying stations, which can simultaneously carry two wafers and reciprocate between the gantry transport station and the four-axis transport station under the drive of the X-axis linear module 51. During the movement, the upper vision mechanism 12 identifies the wafers by marking them.

[0047] Key references Figure 11 The second transport mechanism 6 is configured to simultaneously carry at least two wafers for transporting wafers between the transfer traverse mechanism 5 and the plating pot positioning mechanism 7. Its type includes, but is not limited to, four-axis transport mechanisms and six-axis transport mechanisms. In this embodiment, the second transport mechanism 6 is a four-axis transport mechanism, specifically including a four-axis robotic arm 61, a second rotating module 62, a suction cup lifting module 63, and a second suction cup assembly 64. The second rotating module 62 is located at the movable end of the four-axis robotic arm 61. The second suction cup assembly 64 consists of two Bernoulli suction cups, respectively connected to both sides of the second rotating module 62 via the suction cup lifting module 63, enabling the mechanism to simultaneously pick up two wafers and perform twisting, rotating, and lifting actions. The second transport mechanism 6 is mainly responsible for transporting wafers between the transfer traverse mechanism 5 and the plating pot positioning mechanism 7.

[0048] Key references Figure 12 The plating pot positioning mechanism 7 is used to support the plating pot 9 and adjust its angle so that any pallet 92 on it can reach a preset horizontal pick-and-place position. The plating pot positioning mechanism 7 drives the plating pot to pitch and swing through the first rotary motor 72, so that the target pallet 92 is adjusted to a horizontal state; then, it drives the plating pot to rotate horizontally around its central axis through the second rotary motor 74, so that the target pallet 92 rotates to the working position facing the spring mechanism 8 and the second conveying mechanism 6.

[0049] Specifically, the plating pot positioning mechanism 7, through the coordinated movement of two orthogonal rotating axes, allows any tray on the plating pot 9 to be adjusted to a preset horizontal placement position. This mechanism specifically includes a first base 71, a first rotary motor 72, a second base 73, and a second rotary motor 74. The first base 71 is fixedly mounted on the equipment base 1. The body of the first rotary motor 72 is fixedly mounted on the first base 71, and its power output shaft is horizontally oriented. The second base 73 is rigidly connected to the end of the output shaft of the first rotary motor 72, allowing it to pitch and swing under the drive of the first rotary motor 72. The body of the second rotary motor 74 is fixedly mounted on the second base 73, and its power output shaft is perpendicular to the output shaft of the first rotary motor 72. The plating pot 9 to be positioned is connected to the output end of the second rotary motor 74 through a connecting part (such as a tooling component) at its bottom. It can accommodate plating pots 9 of different sizes.

[0050] The specific positioning adjustment method of the plating pot positioning mechanism 7 is as follows: Pitch adjustment (θ axis): The first rotary motor 72 (a DD motor can be used) drives the second seat 73 and the entire plating pot 9 to pitch around the horizontal axis (θ axis). By controlling this swing angle, the carrier plates with different annular distributions on the plating pot (such as inner ring, middle ring, and outer ring) can be adjusted to a horizontal state in sequence.

[0051] Rotational adjustment (φ axis): The second rotary motor 74 (which may be a DD motor) drives the plating pan 9 to rotate horizontally around its own central axis (φ axis, perpendicular to the horizontal plane). By controlling this rotation angle, a specific tray 92 on the target ring can be precisely rotated to the working position opposite the opening spring mechanism 8 and the second conveying mechanism 6.

[0052] Key references Figure 12 The plating pan 9 has several carrier trays 92, each carrier tray 92 having several clearance holes 921 for the suction rod to pass through, and a notch 923 on the outer periphery of the carrier tray 92. Each carrier tray 92 has an elastic locking member 93 on its back, one end of which is fixed to the carrier tray 92, and the other end is a hook portion 933 that movably engages with the notch 923 on the carrier tray. The elastic locking member 93 also has a handle 94 for driving the hook portion 933. Specifically, the plating pan 9 includes a pan body 91, several carrier trays 92, and elastic locking members 93 for fixing wafers onto the carrier trays 92. The pan body 91 has an umbrella-shaped structure, and its surface has several through holes 911 distributed in a ring. In this embodiment, the through holes 911 are distributed in three rings from the center outwards: an inner ring, a middle ring, and an outer ring. A carrier tray 92 is installed at each through hole 911.

[0053] like Figure 13As shown, the carrier disk 92 has a circular structure, and its front side is used to support the wafer. Four clearance holes 921 are provided on the carrier disk 92 for the suction rod assembly 87 of the spring mechanism 8 to pass through. Several positioning blocks 922 are provided on the outer periphery of the front side of the carrier disk 92 for circumferentially limiting the wafer. A notch 923 is provided on the periphery of the carrier disk 92 corresponding to the position of each positioning block 922.

[0054] like Figure 14 As shown, each carrier tray 92 has a corresponding elastic locking member 93 on its back side. The elastic locking member 93 includes a fixing part 931, a hook part 933, and a deformable part 932 connecting the two. The fixing part 931 is fixed to one side of the back side of the carrier tray 92. The hook part 933 extends toward the notch 923 of the carrier tray 92. In its natural state, the elastic force of the deformable part 932 causes the hook part 933 to engage with the notch 923 from bottom to top, thereby pressing the periphery of the wafer against the positioning block 922 to achieve fixation.

[0055] A handle 94 is provided at the connection between the deformation part 932 and the hook part 933. When it is necessary to pick up or put down the wafer, the pushing part 88 of the spring mechanism 8 moves horizontally. The pushing part 88 is designed to be L-shaped. Its vertical part pushes the handle 94, which drives the hook part 933 to move outward of the carrier 92, so that it is disengaged from the notch 923, thereby releasing the wafer.

[0056] Key references Figures 15 to 18 The spring-opening mechanism 8 is located to the side and below the plating pot positioning mechanism 7, and is used to open or close the elastic locking element on the plating pot carrier. The spring-opening mechanism 8 includes a Z-axis main lifting module 81, an X-axis moving module 82, a third rotary motor 83, a first Z-axis auxiliary lifting module 84, a second Z-axis auxiliary lifting module 85, a Y-axis drive component 86, a vertically movable suction rod assembly 87, and an L-shaped pushing component 88 that can move horizontally and vertically. The Y-axis drive component 86 can be a pneumatic component (cylinder) or an electric component (electric cylinder).

[0057] The third rotary motor 83 is mounted on the X-axis moving module 82. The first Z-axis auxiliary lifting module 84 and the second Z-axis auxiliary lifting module 85 are parallel to each other and are both mounted on the third rotary motor 83. The output end of the first Z-axis auxiliary lifting module 84 is connected to a Y-axis drive unit 86, and the output end of the Y-axis drive unit 86 is connected to an L-shaped pushing member 88, which has a horizontal part and a vertical part. The output end of the second Z-axis auxiliary lifting module 85 is connected to a suction rod assembly 87. The suction rod assembly 87 includes four suction rods arranged in an array.

[0058] The operating principle of the spring mechanism 8 is as follows: a. Opening the spring: The entire mechanism rises, causing the L-shaped pushing member 88 to reach the handle 94 of the elastic locking member 93; the L-shaped pushing member 88 moves horizontally to push the handle 94 outward, causing the hook part 933 to move outward and disengage from the notch 923 of the carrier plate 92.

[0059] Specifically, the Z-axis main lifting module 81 raises the entire mechanism, causing the horizontal part of the L-shaped pushing member 88 to contact the bottom of the carrier plate 92. The Y-axis drive member 86 extends, and the vertical part of the L-shaped pushing member 88 pushes the handle 94 horizontally outward. Through the deformation of the deformation part 932, the hook part 933 moves outward and disengages from the notch 923 of the carrier plate 92.

[0060] b. Lifting / lowering the wafer (e.g.) Figure 18 ): During unloading, the suction rod assembly 87 rises, and the suction rod passes through the clearance hole 921 of the carrier 92 to lift the wafer on the carrier 92. Then, the second transport mechanism 6 removes the wafer. During loading, the suction rod assembly 87 rises, and the suction rod passes through the clearance hole 921 of the carrier 92. The second transport mechanism 6 places the wafer onto the suction rod, and then the suction rod descends to place the wafer on the carrier 92.

[0061] Specifically, the second Z-axis auxiliary lifting module 85 is activated, driving the suction rod assembly 87 to rise, and the four suction rods pass through the clearance hole 921 of the carrier plate 92; During unloading: The suction rod uses vacuum to hold the wafer and pushes it away from the carrier 92, and the second conveying mechanism 6 takes the wafer away.

[0062] During loading, the suction rod rises, the second conveying mechanism 6 places the new wafer onto the suction rod, and then the suction rod descends to place the wafer onto the carrier tray 92; c. Closing spring: The L-shaped pusher 88 retracts and disengages from the handle 94, and the hook 933 is reset inward by the elastic restoring force, re-clamping the wafer on the carrier 92.

[0063] Specifically, the Y-axis drive 86 retracts, the L-shaped pusher 88 disengages from the handle 94, and the hook 933 resets inward under the elastic restoring force of the deformation part 932, re-clamping the wafer on the carrier 92.

[0064] In addition, to accommodate the angular deviations of different sized plating pans or carrier plates, the spring mechanism 8 drives the suction rod assembly 87 to rotate around the vertical axis via the third rotary motor 83, thereby fine-tuning the angle of the suction rod to ensure that the suction rod can be accurately aligned with the clearance hole on the carrier plate 92, thus ensuring the reliability of the lifting and placement actions.

[0065] Pressure sensors can also be installed at the carrier plate (92) and the elastic locking element (93) to detect in real time whether the spring force of the elastic locking element (93) has failed or decreased.

[0066] In this invention, the first rotary motor 72, the second rotary motor 74 of the plating pot positioning mechanism 7, and the third rotary motor 83 of the spring-opening mechanism 8 are all direct-drive motors, i.e., DD motors. DD motors use a direct-drive method, have no reduction gear, and are directly connected to the load through a flange. They feature zero backlash, low vibration, low speed and high torque, low noise, and high response speed, making them suitable for the precision angle adjustment and control in this solution.

[0067] Key references Figure 19 The plating pot storage mechanism 10 is used to store the plating pots 9, and includes a plating pot placement rack 101 and a two-axis moving module 102 that drives the plating pot placement rack 101 to move along the Y-axis and Z-axis. The plating pot placement rack 101 is provided with multiple placement platforms for supporting the plating pots 9. The two-axis moving module 102 is installed on the equipment base 1 and is used to drive the plating pot placement rack 101 to move, so as to move the placement platforms of different heights sequentially to the handover station corresponding to the plating pot handling mechanism 11, so as to realize the orderly storage and automatic supply of the plating pots 9 in the storage hopper.

[0068] Key references Figure 20 The plating pot transport mechanism 11 is used to transport the plating pot 9 between the plating pot hopper mechanism 10 and the plating pot positioning mechanism 7. The plating pot transport mechanism 11 includes a second three-axis linear motion module 111 and a plating pot gripper 112 mounted on the movable end of the second three-axis linear motion module 111. The second three-axis linear motion module 111 is mounted on the equipment base 1 and is used to drive the plating pot gripper 112 to move in three-dimensional space. The plating pot gripper 112 is used to hold the plating pot 9. Through the coordinated action of the second three-axis linear motion module 111 and the plating pot gripper 112, the plating pot 9 is automatically transported between the transfer station of the plating pot hopper mechanism 10 and the plating pot positioning mechanism 7.

[0069] Key references Figure 21 The vision mechanism 12 is used for wafer marking recognition, wafer guidance for placing wafers into the plating pan, and detection of whether the spring is in the correct position.

[0070] The automatic wafer loading and unloading method for wafer plating pans described in this invention comprises the following specific steps: S0. Initialization and loading: The manual operator places the cassette filled with wafers to be processed into the cassette positioning mechanism 2. The wafer detection mechanism 3 scans the number of chips in the cassette positioned by the cassette and detects any abnormal protrusions in the wafer placement. The manual operator then places the empty plating pan into the plating pan hopper mechanism 10.

[0071] S1. Plating pot loading: The plating pot 9 on the plating pot material storage mechanism 10 is moved to the plating pot positioning mechanism 7 by the plating pot transport mechanism 11. S2. Wafer Pre-storage and Identification: At least two wafers to be processed are taken out from the cassette positioning mechanism 2 by the first transport mechanism 4 and temporarily placed on the transfer and transverse mechanism 5; the wafers to be processed are marked and identified by the vision mechanism 12.

[0072] In this embodiment, the first transport mechanism 4 takes two wafers to be processed from the cassette of the cassette positioning mechanism 2 and places them on two workstations of the transfer and transverse mechanism 5 for temporary storage. Then, the vision mechanism 12 marks and identifies the two wafers to be processed.

[0073] S3, Wafer Exchange Cycle: This step involves a wafer exchange cycle performed by the second transport mechanism 6 between the transfer traverse mechanism 5 and the plating pot positioning mechanism 7, specifically as follows: The second transport mechanism 6 performs one wafer pick-up and placement operation at the transfer traverse mechanism 5; then moves to the plating pot positioning mechanism 7 and performs another wafer pick-up and placement operation; finally, it moves to the central axis traverse mechanism 5. Specifically, the wafer pick-up operation performed by the second transport mechanism 6 at the transfer traverse mechanism 5 involves picking up a wafer to be processed, and the wafer placement operation involves placing a processed wafer; similarly, the wafer pick-up operation performed by the second transport mechanism 6 at the plating pot positioning mechanism 7 involves picking up a processed wafer, and the wafer placement operation involves placing a wafer to be processed. Because the second transport mechanism 6 has at least two suction cup assemblies, it can simultaneously complete wafer pick-up and wafer placement operations at one station with the assistance of a rotating structure.

[0074] The second transport mechanism 6 performs each wafer pick-up and drop-off operation at the plating pot positioning mechanism 7 in coordination with the plating pot positioning mechanism 7 and the spring-opening mechanism 8: the plating pot positioning mechanism 7 adjusts the angle of the plating pot 9 so that the target tray 92 on it reaches the horizontal pick-up and drop-off position, and then the spring-opening mechanism 8 opens or closes the elastic locking member 93 on the tray 92. Then, the suction rod assembly 87 lifts the processed wafer on the tray 92, or receives the wafer to be processed and drops it onto the tray 92.

[0075] Once all the wafers to be processed on the transfer and transverse mechanism 5 have been replaced with processed wafers, the first transport mechanism 4 will transport the processed wafers to the cassette positioning mechanism 2 and replenish the new wafers to be processed to the transfer and transverse mechanism 5.

[0076] This embodiment is for a dual-chip parallel switching loop, and the specific operation is as follows: 3.1 The second transport mechanism 6 picks up the wafer from the plating pot positioning mechanism 7 (the spring opening and the push rod lifting the wafer need to be performed), and picks up the first processed wafer P1; 3.2 The second transport mechanism 6 carries the processed wafer P1 to the transfer traverse mechanism 5 and performs the exchange: it takes the wafer W1 to be processed from the transfer traverse mechanism 5, rotates it and puts the processed wafer P1 down. 3.3 The second transport mechanism 6 carries the wafer to be processed W1 back to the plating pot positioning mechanism 7, and together with the spring mechanism 8, places the wafer to be processed W1 onto the first target tray that has been emptied.

[0077] 3.4 The angle of the plating pot positioning mechanism 7 is adjusted so that the second target tray reaches the working position.

[0078] 3.5 Repeat steps similar to 3.1-3.3, using the second transport mechanism 6 to obtain W2 from the transfer mechanism 5, and exchange it with the processed wafer P2 on the second target tray on the plating pan.

[0079] At this point, a complete "dual-wafer cycle" is completed, and the two wafers on the transfer mechanism 5 have been replaced from W1 and W2 to P1 and P2.

[0080] The transfer mechanism 5 carries two processed wafers, P1 and P2, to the gantry transport station. The first transport mechanism 4 removes these two wafers at once, transports them, and places them back into the cassette 21 of the cassette positioning mechanism 2. Subsequently, the first transport mechanism 4 takes two new wafers to be processed from the cassette 21 and places them on the transfer mechanism 5.

[0081] In the above embodiment of the parallel exchange cycle for two wafers, the second transport mechanism 6 starts picking up wafers from the plating pot positioning mechanism 7. Alternatively, the second transport mechanism 6 can also start picking up wafers from the transfer lateral movement mechanism 5 and then execute the cycle steps.

[0082] S4. Repeat steps S2 and S3 until all processed wafers in the current plating pot 9 on the plating pot positioning mechanism 7 are replaced with wafers to be processed. S5. Plating pot replacement and circulation: The plating pot transport mechanism 11 transfers the plating pot 9, which is currently fully loaded with wafers to be processed, back to the plating pot storage mechanism 10, and transports the next plating pot 9, which is fully loaded with processed wafers, from the storage to the plating pot positioning mechanism 7.

[0083] S6. Repeat steps S4 to S5 to achieve continuous automated production.

[0084] To further illustrate the various embodiments, the present invention provides accompanying drawings. These drawings are part of the disclosure of the present invention, primarily used to illustrate the embodiments and to explain the operating principles of the embodiments in conjunction with the relevant descriptions in the specification. With reference to these drawings, those skilled in the art should be able to understand other possible implementations and the advantages of the present invention. Components in the drawings are not drawn to scale, and similar component symbols are generally used to represent similar components.

[0085] Furthermore, the directions such as front, back, left, and right mentioned in this embodiment are only for reference and do not represent the actual directions in use. In addition, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0086] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the design of this case. All equivalent changes made based on the key design features of this case shall fall within the protection scope of this case.

Claims

1. A wafer plating pot automatic wafer loading and unloading method, characterized by, The used equipment includes: cassette positioning mechanism (2), first carrying mechanism (4), transfer cross-moving mechanism (5), second carrying mechanism (6), plating pot positioning mechanism (7), spring opening mechanism (8), plating pot (9), plating pot stockhouse mechanism (10), plating pot carrying mechanism (11) and visual mechanism (12); The wafer plating pot automatic wafer loading and unloading method comprises the following steps: S1, plating pot loading: the plating pot (9) on the plating pot stockhouse mechanism (10) is carried to the plating pot positioning mechanism (7) by the plating pot carrying mechanism (11); S2, wafer pre-storage and identification: at least two wafers to be processed are taken out from the cassette positioning mechanism (2) by the first carrying mechanism (4) and placed on the transfer cross-moving mechanism (5) for temporary storage; the wafers to be processed are identified by the visual mechanism (12); S3, wafer exchange cycle: The second carrying mechanism (6) performs wafer exchange operation cycle between the transfer cross-moving mechanism (5) and the plating pot positioning mechanism (7), specifically as follows: The second carrying mechanism (6) performs a wafer taking, wafer placing or wafer taking and placing operation at the transfer cross-moving mechanism (5); then moves to the plating pot positioning mechanism (7) to perform a wafer taking, wafer placing or wafer taking and placing operation; then moves to the transfer cross-moving mechanism (5) again; wherein the wafer taking operation performed by the second carrying mechanism (6) at the transfer cross-moving mechanism (5) is to take one wafer to be processed, and the wafer placing operation is to place one wafer to be processed; the wafer taking operation performed by the second carrying mechanism (6) at the plating pot positioning mechanism (7) is to take one wafer to be processed, and the wafer placing operation is to place one wafer to be processed; The second carrying mechanism (6) performs a wafer taking, wafer placing or wafer taking and placing operation at the transfer cross-moving mechanism (5); then moves to the plating pot positioning mechanism (7) to perform a wafer taking, wafer placing or wafer taking and placing operation; then moves to the transfer cross-moving mechanism (5) again; wherein the wafer taking operation performed by the second carrying mechanism (6) at the transfer cross-moving mechanism (5) is to take one wafer to be processed, and the wafer placing operation is to place one wafer to be processed; the wafer taking operation performed by the second carrying mechanism (6) at the plating pot positioning mechanism (7) is to take one wafer to be processed, and the wafer placing operation is to place one wafer to be processed; The second carrying mechanism (6) performs a wafer taking, wafer placing or wafer taking and placing operation at the transfer cross-moving mechanism (5); then moves to the plating pot positioning mechanism (7) to perform a wafer taking, wafer placing or wafer taking and placing operation; then moves to the transfer cross-moving mechanism (5) again; wherein the wafer taking operation performed by the second carrying mechanism (6) at the transfer cross-moving mechanism (5) is to take one wafer to be processed, and the wafer placing operation is to place one wafer to be processed; the wafer taking operation performed by the second carrying mechanism (6) at the plating pot positioning mechanism (7) is to take one wafer to be processed, and the wafer placing operation is to place one wafer to be processed; S4, repeat the above steps S2-S3 until the wafers to be processed on the plating pot (9) at the plating pot positioning mechanism (7) are all replaced by the wafers to be processed; S5, plating pot replacement: the plating pot (9) full of wafers to be processed is transferred back to the plating pot stockhouse mechanism (10) by the plating pot carrying mechanism (11), and the next plating pot (9) full of wafers to be processed is carried to the plating pot positioning mechanism (7); S6, repeat the above steps S4-S5.

2. The wafer boat automatic wafer loading and unloading method of claim 1, wherein: Before the step S1 plating pot loading, it also includes scanning the number of wafers on the cassette (21) on the cassette positioning mechanism (2) by the Wafer detection mechanism (3), and detecting whether the wafer placement is abnormal.

3. The wafer boat automatic wafer loading and unloading method of claim 1, wherein: The first carrying mechanism (4) comprises a first three-axis linear movement module (41), a first rotating module (42) and a first suction disc assembly (43); the first suction disc assembly (43) is connected to the movable output end of the first three-axis linear movement module (41) through the first rotating module (42), so as to rotate in the horizontal plane; the first suction disc assembly (43) is composed of four Bernoulli suction discs which are centrally symmetrically distributed.

4. The wafer boat automatic wafer loading and unloading method of claim 1, wherein: The transfer horizontal moving mechanism (5) is provided with two independent wafer bearing stations; The second carrying mechanism (6) is a four-axis carrying mechanism, comprising a four-axis mechanical arm (61), a second rotating module (62), a suction disc lifting module (63) and a second suction disc assembly (64); the second rotating module (62) is located at the movable end of the four-axis mechanical arm (61); the second suction disc assembly (64) is composed of two Bernoulli suction discs, which are connected to the two sides of the second rotating module (62) through the suction disc lifting module (63), so that the mechanism can simultaneously suck two wafers and perform rotating and lifting actions.

5. The wafer boat automatic wafer loading and unloading method of claim 1, wherein: The specific operation of the step S3 wafer exchange is as follows: The second carrying mechanism (6) takes the first processed wafer P1 from the plating pot positioning mechanism (7) and moves to the transfer horizontal moving mechanism 5; The second carrying mechanism (6) takes the first wafer to be processed W1 from the transfer horizontal moving mechanism (5) and places the processed wafer P1 on the transfer horizontal moving mechanism (5) after rotating operation; The second carrying mechanism (6) carries the obtained wafer to be processed W1 to the plating pot positioning mechanism (7) for wafer placing; The plating pot positioning mechanism (7) rotates to the next carrier disc, and the second carrying mechanism (6) takes the second processed wafer P2 from another carrier disc; The second carrying mechanism (6) moves to the transfer horizontal moving mechanism (5) again, takes the second wafer to be processed W2 from the transfer horizontal moving mechanism (5), and places the processed wafer P2 after rotating; then the wafer to be processed W2 is carried to the plating pot positioning mechanism (7) for wafer placing.

6. The wafer boat automatic wafer loading and unloading method of claim 1, wherein: The plating pot positioning mechanism (7) drives the plating pot to pitch and swing through the first rotating motor (72), so that the target carrier disc (92) is adjusted to a horizontal state; then the plating pot is driven to rotate horizontally around the central shaft through the second rotating motor (74), so that the target carrier disc (92) is rotated to face the opening spring mechanism (8) and the operation station of the second carrying mechanism (6).

7. The wafer boat automatic wafer loading and unloading method of claim 1, wherein: The plating pot (9) is provided with a plurality of carrier discs (92), each of which is provided with a plurality of avoidance holes (921) for the suction rods to pass through, and the outer periphery of the carrier disc (92) is provided with a notch (923); the back of each carrier disc (92) is provided with an elastic locking piece (93), one end of which is fixed on the carrier disc (92), and the other end is a hook portion (933) movably connected with the carrier disc notch (923); the elastic locking piece (93) is further provided with a handle (94) for driving the hook portion (933).

8. The wafer boat automatic wafer loading and unloading method according to claim 7, wherein: The opening spring mechanism (8) comprises a push component (88) capable of moving horizontally and vertically, and a suction rod assembly (87) capable of moving vertically, and the specific operation of opening and closing the elastic locking piece (93) and feeding and discharging is as follows: Open the spring: The whole mechanism rises, and the pushing component (88) reaches the handle (94) of the elastic locking member (93); The pushing component (88) moves horizontally to push the handle (94) outward, and the hook part (933) moves outward to disengage from the notch (923) of the carrier disc (92); Lift or lower the wafer: When unloading, the suction rod assembly (87) rises, the suction rod passes through the avoidance hole (921) of the carrier disc (92) to lift the wafer on the carrier disc (92), and then the wafer is taken away by the second carrying mechanism (6); when loading, the suction rod assembly (87) rises, the suction rod passes through the avoidance hole (921) of the carrier disc (92), and the wafer is placed on the suction rod by the second carrying mechanism (6), then the suction rod is lowered, and the wafer is placed on the carrier disc (92); Close the spring: The pushing component (88) retracts to disengage from the handle (94), and the hook part (933) is reset inward under the action of the elastic restoring force, and the wafer on the carrier disc (92) is clamped again.

9. The wafer boat automatic wafer loading and unloading method of claim 8, wherein: The open spring mechanism (8) also drives the suction rod assembly (87) to rotate around the vertical shaft through the third rotary motor (83), so as to fine-tune the angle of the suction rod, and align the avoidance hole (921) on the carrier disc (92) with the suction rod.

10. A wafer boat automatic wafer loading and unloading apparatus for carrying out the wafer boat automatic wafer loading and unloading method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized by Comprising: The cassette positioning mechanism (2) is used for positioning the stored cassette; The first carrying mechanism (4) is used for carrying the wafer between the cassette positioning mechanism (2) and the transfer cross-moving mechanism (5); The transfer cross-moving mechanism (5) is provided with at least two wafer carrying stations, and is used for temporarily storing and transferring the wafer; The second carrying mechanism (6) is configured to be capable of carrying at least two wafers at the same time, and is used for carrying the wafer between the transfer cross-moving mechanism (5) and the plating pot positioning mechanism (7); The plating pot positioning mechanism (7) is used for carrying the plating pot and adjusting the angle of the plating pot, so that any carrier disc on the plating pot can reach the preset horizontal taking and placing station; The plating pot (9) is provided with a plurality of carrier discs (92), and each carrier disc (92) is provided with an elastic locking member (93) for fixing the wafer; The open spring mechanism (8) is arranged below the side of the plating pot positioning mechanism (7), and is used for opening or closing the elastic locking member (93) on the carrier disc (92) of the plating pot; The plating pot storage mechanism (10) is used for storing the plating pot; The plating pot carrying mechanism (11) is used for carrying the plating pot (9) between the plating pot storage mechanism (10) and the plating pot positioning mechanism (7); The vision mechanism (12) is used for wafer number identification and wafer placing guidance.

Images