Wafer loading device and CMP equipment
By using through-beam sensors in the wafer loading device to simplify the structure, the problems of complexity and high cost of traditional loading mechanisms are solved, and low-cost, high-efficiency wafer presence and absence detection is achieved.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- 吉姆西半导体科技(无锡)股份有限公司
- Filing Date
- 2025-12-30
- Publication Date
- 2026-04-10
AI Technical Summary
Traditional wafer loading mechanisms are complex in structure, resulting in high equipment costs. The use of pressure sensors to detect whether the wafer needs a dielectric source and piping further increases the complexity of the equipment.
A through-beam sensor is used, with the transmitter and receiver positioned on the upper and lower sides of the loading plate, respectively. The presence or absence of the wafer is determined by changes in signal strength, which simplifies the structure and eliminates the need for a dielectric source and piping.
It reduced equipment costs, simplified the structure of the wafer loading device, improved the accuracy and reliability of testing, and reduced hardware complexity.
Smart Images
Figure CN121843484A_ABST
Abstract
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of wafer production equipment, in particular to a wafer loading device and a CMP equipment. BACKGROUND
[0002] In semiconductor device manufacturing, a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process is a process for planarizing a wafer, such as pre-metal dielectric (PMD) or interlayer dielectric (ILD) polishing. In a CMP equipment, a loading mechanism is needed to load a wafer to be polished onto a polishing head or unload a polished wafer from the polishing head (i.e. cooperate with the polishing head to complete the action of taking and placing the wafer).
[0003] A conventional loading mechanism uses a pressure sensor to detect the presence or absence of a wafer. The pressure sensor is connected to a pipeline. When a wafer is present on the loading mechanism, the wafer can block the pipeline. When no wafer is present on the loading mechanism, the pipeline is not blocked. That is, when a wafer is present or absent on the loading mechanism, the pressure of the medium (such as water, air, etc.) in the pipeline detected by the pressure sensor is different. The presence or absence of the wafer is determined by converting the change in the pressure of the medium in the pipeline into an electrical signal.
[0004] However, the method of using a pressure sensor to detect the presence or absence of a wafer requires a medium source and a pipeline, resulting in a complex structure of the loading mechanism and a large equipment cost. SUMMARY
[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a wafer loading device and a CMP equipment capable of simplifying the structure and reducing the equipment cost in view of the above problems.
[0006] In one aspect, the present application provides a wafer loading device, comprising: a loading plate having an upper surface and a lower surface opposite to each other, the loading plate having a loading position for loading a wafer, the loading plate further having a hollow area penetrating through the upper surface and the lower surface, the hollow area being located within the range of the loading position so that the wafer loaded in the loading position covers the hollow area; and
[0007] A pair of sensors, including a transmitting end and a receiving end, one of the transmitting end and the receiving end is arranged on the upper side of the loading plate, and the other is arranged on the lower side of the loading plate, the receiving end receives the signal emitted by the transmitting end through the hollow area.
[0008] In some embodiments, a plurality of pairs of sensors are provided, so that whether the wafer is in a horizontal state can be determined according to the comparison result between the signals received by the receiving ends of at least two pairs of sensors.
[0009] In some embodiments, the transmitting end and the receiving end are arranged at a distance along a preset direction, and the preset direction is inclined relative to the direction perpendicular to the upper surface of the loading plate.
[0010] In some embodiments, the wafer loading apparatus further includes a mounting plate and an elastic component, the mounting plate being disposed below the loading plate, and the elastic component being connected between the mounting plate and the loading plate to provide an elastic force that causes the loading plate to have a tendency to move away from the mounting plate.
[0011] In some embodiments, the wafer loading apparatus further includes a first support, a second support, and a displacement sensor. The first support is mounted on the mounting plate, the second support is mounted on the loading plate, and the displacement sensor is disposed between the first support and the second support for detecting the amount of displacement between the first support and the second support.
[0012] In some embodiments, the wafer loading device further includes a guide rod, a guide hole is provided on the mounting plate, the guide rod passes through the guide hole, one end of the guide rod is fixedly connected to the loading plate, and the other end of the guide rod is fixedly connected to the second bracket.
[0013] In some embodiments, the displacement sensor is fixedly connected to the first bracket, and the detection end of the displacement sensor abuts against the second bracket, so that the compression of the displacement sensor changes in response to the displacement between the first bracket and the second bracket.
[0014] In some embodiments, the elastic component includes a first adjusting plate, a second adjusting plate, an elastic element, and a limiting element;
[0015] The first adjusting plate is fixedly connected to the mounting plate, the second adjusting plate is fixedly connected to the loading plate, the limiting member is movably connected between the first adjusting plate and the second adjusting plate, and the elastic member abuts between the first adjusting plate and the second adjusting plate to provide an elastic force that causes the first adjusting plate to have a tendency to move away from the second adjusting plate.
[0016] In some embodiments, the first adjusting plate has a first through hole, and the second adjusting plate has a second through hole;
[0017] The limiting member includes a rod, a first limiting part, and a second limiting part. The rod passes through the first through hole on the first adjusting plate and the second through hole on the second adjusting plate. The first limiting part is located on the side of the first adjusting plate opposite to the second adjusting plate and is connected to the rod. The second limiting part is located on the side of the second adjusting plate opposite to the first adjusting plate.
[0018] In some embodiments, the position of the first limiting portion on the rod portion is adjustable along the length direction of the rod portion; and / or
[0019] The position of the second limiting part on the rod is adjustable along the length direction of the rod.
[0020] In some embodiments, the first limiting portion is fixedly connected to the rod portion, and the second limiting portion is threadedly connected to the rod portion.
[0021] In some embodiments, the first adjusting plate has a first receiving hole on the side opposite to the second adjusting plate, the first receiving hole is connected to the first through hole, and the first limiting part is located in the first receiving hole;
[0022] The first receiving hole has a tapered inner wall, and the radial dimension of the tapered inner wall gradually decreases in the direction from the first adjusting plate to the second adjusting plate;
[0023] The first limiting part has a conical outer wall that can fit into the conical inner wall.
[0024] On the other hand, this application provides a CMP apparatus, including a polishing head, a polishing device, and a wafer loading device as described in any of the above embodiments, wherein the polishing head is used to transfer a wafer between the wafer loading device and the polishing device, and the polishing device is used to perform chemical mechanical polishing on the wafer on the polishing head.
[0025] Compared with the prior art, this application has the following beneficial effects:
[0026] In actual use, the aforementioned wafer loading apparatus and CMP equipment utilize a through-beam sensor. The transmitting end of the through-beam sensor emits a signal, which passes through a cutout area on the loading plate and is received by the receiving end of the through-beam sensor. When the intensity of the signal received by the through-beam sensor is equal to or within a preset intensity value range, it indicates that there is no wafer at the loading position on the loading plate. When the intensity of the signal received by the through-beam sensor is less than the preset intensity value or within a preset intensity value range, it indicates that a wafer is present at the loading position on the loading plate.
[0027] Compared with the existing technology that uses pressure sensors to detect the presence or absence of wafers, this application uses a through-beam sensor to detect the presence or absence of wafers at the loading position of the loading board. This eliminates the need for a dielectric source and pipelines, greatly simplifying the structure of the wafer loading device and reducing equipment costs. Attached Figure Description
[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a wafer loading device in one embodiment of this application;
[0029] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the through-beam sensor of the wafer loading device;
[0030] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the elastic component of the wafer loading device is shown.
[0031] Figure 4 for Figure 1 The diagram shows the assembly structure of the displacement sensor in the wafer loading device. Detailed Implementation
[0032] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of this application. However, this application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of this application. Therefore, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.
[0033] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.
[0034] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.
[0035] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.
[0036] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.
[0037] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.
[0038] This application provides a CMP apparatus, including a wafer loading device, a polishing head, and a polishing unit. The wafer loading device can dock with or detach from the polishing head. When the wafer loading device docks with the polishing head, the wafer can be transferred between the wafer loading device and the polishing head, thereby realizing wafer loading and unloading. The polishing head can also move to the polishing unit, which is used to perform chemical mechanical polishing on the wafer on the polishing head.
[0039] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2In an embodiment of this application, the wafer loading apparatus includes a loading plate 10 and a through-beam sensor 30. The loading plate 10 has an upper surface a1 and a lower surface a2 that are opposite to each other. The loading plate 10 has a loading position a3 for loading a wafer 100 (i.e., positioning and supporting the wafer 100). Optionally, the loading position a3 may be a positioning groove formed on the upper surface a1 of the loading plate 10. The loading plate 10 also has a cutout area (not shown) that penetrates the upper surface a1 and the lower surface a2, and the cutout area is located within the range of the loading position a3, so that the wafer 100 loaded at the loading position a3 can cover the cutout area.
[0040] The through-beam sensor 30 includes a transmitter 31 and a receiver 32. The transmitter 31 of the through-beam sensor 30 is arranged on the upper side of the mounting plate 10, and the receiver 32 of the through-beam sensor 30 is arranged on the lower side of the mounting plate 10. That is, the transmitter 31 of the through-beam sensor 30 is located above the mounting plate 10, and the receiver 32 of the through-beam sensor 30 is located below the mounting plate 10. The transmitter 31 of the through-beam sensor 30 is used to transmit signals (e.g., infrared, laser, or ultrasonic waves) toward the receiver 32. The signals emitted by the transmitter 31 of the through-beam sensor 30 pass through the cutout area on the mounting plate 10 and reach the receiver 32 of the through-beam sensor 30. The receiver 32 of the through-beam sensor 30 is used to receive the signals passing through the cutout area. Preferably, the through-beam sensor 30 can be a through-beam fiber optic sensor.
[0041] When there is no wafer 100 at loading position a3 on loading plate 10, the signal emitted by the transmitter 31 of through-beam sensor 30 passes directly through the cutout area and is received by receiver 32. At this time, since there is no wafer 100 to block the signal, the signal strength received by receiver 32 of through-beam sensor 30 is relatively strong.
[0042] When a wafer 100 is present at loading position a3 on the loading plate 10, the wafer 100 covers the cutout area. The signal emitted by the transmitter 31 of the through-beam sensor 30 needs to penetrate the wafer 100 before being received by the receiver 32, resulting in a significant reduction in the signal strength received by the receiver 32 of the through-beam sensor 30. Therefore, the signal strength received by the receiver 32 of the through-beam sensor 30 differs depending on whether a wafer 100 is placed on the loading plate 10. This change in signal strength allows for the determination of the presence or absence of a wafer 100 at loading position a3 on the loading plate 10.
[0043] In actual use, the above-described wafer loading apparatus uses a through-beam sensor 30. The transmitting end 31 of the through-beam sensor 30 emits a signal, which passes through the cutout area on the loading plate 10 and is received by the receiving end 32 of the through-beam sensor 30. When the intensity of the signal received by the through-beam sensor 30 is equal to or within a preset intensity value range, it indicates that there is no wafer 100 at loading position a3 of the loading plate 10. When the intensity of the signal received by the through-beam sensor 30 is less than or within a preset intensity value range, it indicates that there is a wafer 100 at loading position a3 of the loading plate 10.
[0044] Compared with the use of pressure sensors for wafer presence detection in the prior art, this application uses a through-beam sensor 30 to detect the presence of wafers at the loading position a3 of the loading board 10. This eliminates the need for a dielectric source and pipelines, greatly simplifying the structure of the wafer loading device and reducing equipment costs.
[0045] It should be noted that the arrangement is not limited to placing the transmitter 31 of the through-beam sensor 30 on the upper side of the loading plate 10 and the receiver 32 on the lower side of the loading plate 10. In other embodiments, the transmitter 31 of the through-beam sensor 30 may also be placed on the lower side of the loading plate 10 and the receiver 32 on the upper side of the loading plate 10, as long as it can achieve wafer presence / absence detection at loading position a3 of the loading plate 10. This is not a limitation. For ease of understanding, this article uses the example of the through-beam sensor 30 having its transmitter 31 on the upper side of the loading plate 10 and its receiver 32 on the lower side of the loading plate 10 for illustration.
[0046] Optionally, the transmitting end 31 and the receiving end 32 of the through-beam sensor 30 are arranged at a distance along a preset direction, and this preset direction is inclined relative to the vertical direction (i.e., the direction perpendicular to the upper surface a1 of the mounting plate 10). That is, the signal emitted from the transmitting end 31 of the through-beam sensor 30 passes through the wafer 100 and the cutout area along the preset direction and enters the receiving end 32. Thus, compared to the scheme where the signal passes vertically through the wafer 100, the scheme in this application where the signal passes obliquely through the wafer 100 along the preset direction results in a longer path for the signal within the wafer 100, making the influence of the wafer 100 on the signal more significant, which is beneficial for improving the accuracy of wafer presence / absence detection.
[0047] Specifically, in this embodiment, multiple through-beam sensors 30 are configured. Preferably, there are three through-beam sensors 30. The transmitting end 31 of each through-beam sensor 30 is arranged on the upper side of the loading plate 10, and the transmitting ends 31 of each through-beam sensor 30 are arranged at intervals around the loading position a3. Preferably, the transmitting ends 31 of each through-beam sensor 30 are arranged at equal intervals around the loading position a3. The receiving end 32 of each through-beam sensor 30 is arranged on the lower side of the loading plate 10, and the receiving end 32 of each through-beam sensor 30 is arranged corresponding to the transmitting end 31, ensuring that the receiving end 32 of each through-beam sensor 30 can receive the signal emitted by the transmitting end 31 and passing through the cutout area. In this way, using multiple through-beam sensors 30 to simultaneously detect the presence or absence of wafers at the loading position a3 is beneficial to improving the detection accuracy.
[0048] It should be noted that when the wafer 100 on loading position a3 of loading plate 10 is in a horizontal state, the signals emitted by the transmitters 31 of each through-beam sensor 30 penetrate the wafer at the same angle and are incident on the corresponding receivers 32. Therefore, the signal strength values received by the receivers 32 of each through-beam sensor 30 are equal or have small differences. Thus, the presence or absence of the wafer and whether the wafer is horizontal can be determined based on the signal strength values received by the receivers 32 of each through-beam sensor 30. In other words, it integrates two detection functions: detecting the presence or absence of the wafer and detecting whether the wafer is horizontal. There is no need to configure an additional mechanism for detecting whether the wafer is horizontal, which greatly simplifies the structure of the wafer loading device.
[0049] When the signal strength value received by the receiver 32 of each through-beam sensor 30 is equal to or within the preset strength value range, it indicates that there is no wafer 100 on the loading position a3 of the loading board 10 at this time.
[0050] When the signal strength values received by the receivers 32 of each through-beam sensor 30 are all less than the preset strength value or the preset strength value range, it indicates that there is a wafer 100 on the loading position a3 of the loading plate 10 at this time.
[0051] When the intensity values of the signals received by each through-beam sensor 30 are all less than the preset intensity value or the preset intensity value range, and the intensity values of the signals received by any two through-beam sensors 30 are equal or differ little, it indicates that the wafer 100 on the loading position a3 of the loading plate 10 is in a horizontal state, that is, the wafer 100 is in place.
[0052] When the intensity values of the signals received by each through-beam sensor 30 are all less than the preset intensity value or the preset intensity value range, and the intensity values of the signals received by at least two through-beam sensors 30 differ significantly, it indicates that the wafer 100 on the loading position a3 of the loading plate 10 is not in a horizontal state, that is, the wafer 100 is not placed in place.
[0053] In embodiments of this application, the wafer loading apparatus further includes a mounting plate 20 and an elastic component 40. The mounting plate 20 is disposed below the loading plate 10. The elastic component 40 is connected between the mounting plate 20 and the loading plate 10. The elastic component 40 is used to provide an elastic force that causes the loading plate 10 to have a tendency to move away from the mounting plate 20, so that the loading plate 10 can float up and down relative to the mounting plate 20 under the action of external force. That is, the elastic component 40 can play a buffering role to avoid hard impact between the polishing head and the loading plate 10, which could damage the equipment or the wafer 100.
[0054] In actual use, when the polishing head needs to place the wafer 100 onto the wafer loading device or pick up the wafer 100 from the wafer loading device, firstly, the polishing head is controlled to move above the loading plate 10 of the wafer loading device; then, the polishing head is controlled to descend, thereby contacting and pressing down on the loading plate 10, so that the loading plate 10 overcomes the elastic force of the elastic component 40 and moves towards the mounting plate 20 (i.e., moves downward) a certain distance; then, the polishing head picks up the wafer 100 from the loading position a3 of the loading plate 10, or releases the wafer 100 onto the loading position a3 of the loading plate 10; then, the polishing head is controlled to rise, so that the polishing head separates from the loading plate 10, at which point the loading plate 10 moves away from the mounting plate 20 (i.e. moves upward) under the action of the elastic force of the elastic component 40 and resets.
[0055] It should be noted that there can be multiple elastic components 40, that is, the loading plate 10 is supported on the mounting plate 20 by multiple elastic components 40, and the multiple elastic components 40 are arranged at equal intervals along the circumference of the loading plate 10, which makes the support of the loading plate 10 more stable and reliable, and greatly reduces the risk of the loading plate 10 becoming misaligned.
[0056] It should be noted that the transmitting end 31 of the through-beam sensor 30 can be mounted on the upper surface a1 of the loading plate 10 via a bracket, and the receiving end 32 of the through-beam sensor 30 can be mounted on the mounting plate 20. As long as the transmitting end 31 is located above the loading plate 10 and the receiving end 32 is located below the loading plate 10, no special limitation is made here.
[0057] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 3Specifically, in this embodiment, the elastic component 40 includes a first adjusting plate 41, a second adjusting plate 42, an elastic element 44, and a limiting element 43. The first adjusting plate 41 is fixedly connected to the mounting plate 20, the second adjusting plate 42 is fixedly connected to the loading plate 10, and the limiting element 43 is movably connected between the first adjusting plate 41 and the second adjusting plate 42, allowing the second adjusting plate 42 to move relative to the first adjusting plate 41. The elastic element 44 abuts against the first adjusting plate 41 and the second adjusting plate 42, providing an elastic force that causes the first adjusting plate 41 to have a tendency to move away from the second adjusting plate 42. Thus, when the loading plate 10 is not subjected to the downward pressure of the polishing head, the elastic element 44 supports the loading plate 10 on the mounting plate 20, and the limiting element 43 limits the loading plate 10, preventing the loading plate 10 from detaching from the mounting plate 20. When the loading plate 10 is subjected to the downward pressure of the polishing head, the loading plate 10 overcomes the elastic force provided by the elastic element 44 and moves a certain distance toward the mounting plate 20 (i.e., moves downward). During this process, the elastic element 44 acts as a buffer, thereby preventing hard impacts between the polishing head and the loading plate 10 that could damage the equipment or the wafer 100. Optionally, the elastic element 44 can be a spring.
[0058] Furthermore, the first adjusting plate 41 has a first through hole 411, and the second adjusting plate 42 has a second through hole 421. The limiting member 43 includes a rod portion 431, a first limiting portion 432, and a second limiting portion 433. The rod portion 431 passes through the first through hole 411 on the first adjusting plate 41 and the second through hole 421 on the second adjusting plate 42. The first limiting portion 432 is located on the side of the first adjusting plate 41 opposite to the second adjusting plate 42 and is connected to the rod portion 431. The second limiting portion 433 is located on the side of the second adjusting plate 42 opposite to the first adjusting plate 41 and is connected to the rod portion 431. Thus, the first adjusting plate 41 on the mounting plate 20 and the second adjusting plate 42 on the loading plate 10 are limited between the first limiting part 432 and the second limiting part 433, and the elastic member 44 abuts against the first adjusting plate 41 on the mounting plate 20 and the second adjusting plate 42 on the loading plate 10, so that when no external force is applied, the loading plate 10 is fixed relative to the mounting plate 20, and when subjected to downward pressure, the loading plate 10 can overcome the elastic force of the elastic member 44 and move downward toward the mounting plate 20.
[0059] Optionally, the first limiting part 432 is fixedly connected to the rod part 431, and the position of the second limiting part 433 on the rod part 431 is adjustable along the length direction of the rod part 431. In this way, the distance between the loading plate 10 and the mounting plate 20 can be adjusted by adjusting the position of the second limiting part 433 along the length direction of the rod part 431.
[0060] Furthermore, the second limiting part 433 is threadedly connected to the rod part 431. Specifically, the second limiting part 433 has a threaded hole and is sleeved on the rod part 431 through this threaded hole. The rod part 431 has an external thread, so that the internal thread on the inner wall of the threaded hole of the second limiting part 433 engages with the external thread on the rod part 431, thus realizing the threaded connection between the second limiting part 433 and the rod part 431. In this way, when the second limiting part 433 is screwed, it can be driven to move along the length direction of the rod part 431. Then, under the action of the elastic force of the elastic member 44, the second adjusting plate 42 and the loading plate 10 also move relative to the mounting plate 20 along the length direction of the rod part 431, thus realizing the adjustment of the distance between the loading plate 10 and the mounting plate 20.
[0061] Optionally, the limiting member 43 can be a bolt or a nut, with the first limiting part 432 being the head of the bolt, the shank 431 being the shank 431 of the bolt, and the second limiting part 433 being a nut.
[0062] It should be noted that the connection is not limited to the first limiting part 432 being fixedly connected to the rod part 431, and the second limiting part 433 being threadedly connected to the rod part 431. In other embodiments, the first limiting part 432 may also be threadedly connected to the rod part 431, and the second limiting part 433 may be fixedly connected to the rod part 431. Specifically, the limiting member 43 may be a bolt or a nut, the second limiting part 433 may be the head of the bolt, the rod part 431 may be the shank of the bolt, and the first limiting part 432 may be the nut. Anything that allows adjustment of the distance between the loading plate 10 and the mounting plate 20 is acceptable and is not limited here. For ease of understanding, the following description uses the example of the first limiting part 432 being fixedly connected to the rod part 431, and the second limiting part 433 being threadedly connected to the rod part 431.
[0063] Specifically, in this embodiment, the first adjusting plate 41 has a first receiving hole 413 on the side opposite to the second adjusting plate 42, and the first receiving hole 413 communicates with the first through hole 411. A first limiting part 432 is located within the first receiving hole 413. Further, the first receiving hole 413 has a tapered inner wall 417, and the radial dimension of the tapered inner wall 417 gradually decreases in the direction from the first adjusting plate 41 to the second adjusting plate 42 (i.e., from bottom to top). The first limiting part 432 has a tapered outer wall 4321 that can fit against the tapered inner wall 417. Thus, the tapered inner wall 417 and the tapered outer wall 4321 are used to position the first limiting part 432, preventing the limiting member 43 from deviating from its position.
[0064] In a specific embodiment, the second adjusting plate 42 has a second receiving hole 423 on the side opposite to the first adjusting plate 41, and the second receiving hole 423 communicates with the second through hole 421. The second limiting part 433 is located inside the second receiving hole 423, thereby preventing the second limiting part 433 from being exposed on the top of the second adjusting plate 42 and affecting the polishing head's handling of the wafer 100.
[0065] In a specific embodiment, the first adjusting plate 41 protrudes outward toward the second adjusting plate 42 to form a first positioning portion 415, and the aforementioned first through hole 411 is located in the first positioning portion 415. The second adjusting plate 42 protrudes outward toward the first adjusting plate 41 to form a second positioning portion 425, and the aforementioned second through hole 421 is located in the second positioning portion 425. The elastic member 44 abuts between the first adjusting plate 41 and the second adjusting plate 42, with one end of the elastic member 44 sleeved on the outside of the first positioning portion 415 and the other end of the elastic member 44 sleeved on the outside of the second positioning portion 425. Thus, the elastic member 44 is positioned using the first positioning portion 415 and the second positioning portion 425, which facilitates the assembly and disassembly of the elastic member 44 and prevents the elastic member 44 from becoming unstable when further compressed.
[0066] Furthermore, the elastic component 40 also includes a bellows 45, which is sleeved on the outside of the elastic member 44, thereby protecting the elastic member 44 using the bellows 45.
[0067] It should be noted that a retaining ring is installed on the polishing head. This retaining ring is a key component in the CMP process of semiconductor manufacturing, primarily used to fix the wafer and optimize the polishing effect. During polishing, the retaining ring firmly fixes the wafer inside the polishing head, preventing the wafer from shifting due to high-speed rotation and pressure, ensuring positional stability. The retaining ring also flattens the polishing pad at the wafer edge to the same height as the center area, effectively solving the problem of "over-polishing" at the wafer edge, improving polishing uniformity and wafer yield. Of course, the retaining ring has other functions, which will not be listed here. The specific structure of the retaining ring can adopt relatively mature existing technologies, and no special limitations are made here.
[0068] During use, retaining rings will wear down and need to be replaced periodically or irregularly. Therefore, it is necessary to detect the wear of the retaining ring to determine whether replacement is required. Existing technology uses acoustic sensors to detect the wear of the retaining ring in real time. However, acoustic sensors require high precision, leading to high equipment costs, and are also highly sensitive to the surface condition of the retaining ring; pits or polishing residue on the retaining ring surface can affect the accuracy of the detection results.
[0069] To reduce equipment costs and improve the accuracy of wear detection for retaining rings, please refer to the embodiments of this application. Figure 1 and Figure 4The wafer loading apparatus also includes a first support 50, a second support 60, and a displacement sensor 70. The first support 50 is mounted on the mounting plate 20, and the second support 60 is mounted on the loading plate 10, with the second support 60 located below the first support 50. When the loading plate 10 moves up and down relative to the mounting plate 20, it can cause the second support 60 to move up and down relative to the first support 50. The displacement sensor 70 is disposed between the first support 50 and the second support 60 to detect the amount of displacement between the first support 50 and the second support 60, thereby detecting changes in the downward pressure of the loading plate 10 relative to the mounting plate 20.
[0070] Optionally, the displacement sensor 70 is fixedly connected to the first bracket 50, and the detection end of the displacement sensor 70 abuts against the second bracket 60, thereby converting the downward pressure of the loading plate 10 relative to the mounting plate 20 into the compression of the displacement sensor 70. This results in a smaller abutment force received by the detection end of the displacement sensor 70, which is beneficial to improving the accuracy of detection. Of course, in other embodiments, the displacement sensor 70 may also be fixedly connected to the second bracket 60, and the detection end of the displacement sensor 70 abuts against the first bracket 50.
[0071] When the loading plate 10 is not pressed down by the polishing head, the displacement sensor 70 is compressed by the first support 50 and the second support 60 to maintain a preset compression amount. When the loading plate 10 is pressed down by the polishing head, the loading plate 10 drives the second support 60 to descend together, and the compression amount of the displacement sensor 70 decreases. This allows the displacement sensor 70 to detect its own compression amount at this time and compare it with the preset compression amount to obtain the actual descent distance of the loading plate 10. Optionally, the displacement sensor 70 can be a contact-type digital sensor.
[0072] Since the polishing head presses down to the designated height each time it picks up or places wafer 100, if the retaining ring is not worn, the actual descent distance of the loading plate 10 under the pressure of the polishing head is equal to the standard descent distance, i.e., it remains constant. However, due to wear on the retaining ring, the actual descent distance of the loading plate 10 will vary. Therefore, by comparing the actual descent distance of the loading plate 10 detected by the displacement sensor 70 with the standard descent distance, the difference between the two represents the wear amount of the retaining ring. This allows the displacement sensor 70 to detect the wear amount of the retaining ring in real time.
[0073] In actual use, when the displacement sensor 70 detects that the wear of the retaining ring is less than the preset value, it indicates that the wear of the retaining ring is small and does not need to be replaced. When the displacement sensor 70 detects that the wear of the retaining ring is greater than the preset value, it indicates that the wear of the retaining ring is large and needs to be replaced.
[0074] In a specific embodiment, the wafer loading device further includes a guide rod 80. A guide hole is provided on the mounting plate 20, and the guide rod 80 passes through the guide hole. The top end of the guide rod 80 is fixedly connected to the loading plate 10, and the bottom end of the guide rod 80 is fixedly connected to the second support 60. Thus, the guide rod 80 serves two purposes: firstly, it securely connects the second support 60 to the loading plate 10 via the guide rod 80, with the second support 60 located below the first support 50; secondly, the cooperation between the guide rod 80 and the guide hole guides the lifting and lowering movement of the loading plate 10 relative to the mounting plate 20.
[0075] In a specific embodiment, the wafer loading device further includes a lifting assembly 90. This lifting assembly 90 is driven by the mounting plate 20, enabling it to drive the mounting plate 20 to rise or fall. It should be noted that the lifting assembly 90 can be a linear drive module such as an electric cylinder, as long as it can drive the mounting plate 20 to rise or fall; no limitation is made here.
[0076] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.
[0077] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this patent application should be determined by the appended claims.
Claims
1. A wafer loading device, characterized in that, include: The loading plate (10) has an upper surface (a1) and a lower surface (a2) opposite to each other. The loading plate (10) has a loading position (a3) for loading a wafer (100) and a cutout area through the upper surface (a1) and the lower surface (a2), the cutout area being located within the range of the loading position (a3). and The through-beam sensor (30) includes a transmitter (31) and a receiver (32). One of the transmitter (31) and the receiver (32) is arranged on the upper side of the loading plate (10) and the other is arranged on the lower side of the loading plate (10). The receiver (32) receives the signal emitted by the transmitter (31) through the hollow area.
2. The wafer loading device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The through-beam sensors (30) are configured in multiple ways to determine whether the wafer (100) is in a horizontal state based on a comparison between signals received by the receivers (32) of at least two of the through-beam sensors (30).
3. A wafer loading device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transmitting end (31) and the receiving end (32) are arranged at intervals along a preset direction, which is inclined relative to the direction perpendicular to the upper surface (a1).
4. A wafer loading device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The wafer loading apparatus further includes a mounting plate (20) and an elastic component (40), the mounting plate (20) being disposed below the loading plate (10), and the elastic component (40) being connected between the mounting plate (20) and the loading plate (10) for providing an elastic force that causes the loading plate (10) to have a tendency to move away from the mounting plate (20).
5. A wafer loading device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The wafer loading device further includes a first support (50), a second support (60), and a displacement sensor (70). The first support (50) is mounted on the mounting plate (20), the second support (60) is mounted on the loading plate (10), and the displacement sensor (70) is disposed between the first support (50) and the second support (60) for detecting the amount of displacement between the first support (50) and the second support (60).
6. A wafer loading apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that, The wafer loading device also includes a guide rod (80), and a guide hole is provided on the mounting plate (20). The guide rod (80) passes through the guide hole. One end of the guide rod (80) is fixedly connected to the loading plate (10), and the other end of the guide rod (80) is fixedly connected to the second bracket (60).
7. A wafer loading device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The displacement sensor (70) is fixedly connected to one of the first bracket (50) and the second bracket (60), and the detection end of the displacement sensor (70) abuts against the other of the first bracket (50) and the second bracket (60), so that the compression of the displacement sensor (70) changes in response to the displacement between the first bracket (50) and the second bracket (60).
8. A wafer loading apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that, The elastic component (40) includes a first adjusting plate (41), a second adjusting plate (42), an elastic element (44), and a limiting element (43); The first adjusting plate (41) is fixedly connected to the mounting plate (20), the second adjusting plate (42) is fixedly connected to the loading plate (10), the limiting member (43) is movably connected between the first adjusting plate (41) and the second adjusting plate (42), and the elastic member (44) abuts between the first adjusting plate (41) and the second adjusting plate (42) to provide an elastic force that causes the first adjusting plate (41) to have a tendency to move away from the second adjusting plate (42).
9. A wafer loading apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that, The first adjusting plate (41) has a first through hole (411), and the second adjusting plate (42) has a second through hole (421); The limiting member (43) includes a rod (431), a first limiting part (432) and a second limiting part (433). The rod (431) passes through the first through hole (411) on the first adjusting plate (41) and the second through hole (421) on the second adjusting plate (42). The first limiting part (432) is located on the side of the first adjusting plate (41) away from the second adjusting plate (42) and is connected to the rod (431). The second limiting part (433) is located on the side of the second adjusting plate (42) away from the first adjusting plate (41).
10. A wafer loading apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that, The position of the first limiting part (432) on the rod part (431) is adjustable along the length direction of the rod part (431); and / or The position of the second limiting part (433) on the rod (431) is adjustable along the length direction of the rod (431).
11. A wafer loading apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that, The first limiting part (432) is fixedly connected to the rod part (431), and the second limiting part (433) is threadedly connected to the rod part (431).
12. A wafer loading apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that, The first adjusting plate (41) has a first receiving hole (413) on the side opposite to the second adjusting plate (42). The first receiving hole (413) communicates with the first through hole (411), and the first limiting part (432) is located inside the first receiving hole (413). The first receiving hole (413) has a tapered inner wall (417), and the radial dimension of the tapered inner wall (417) gradually decreases in the direction from the first adjusting plate (41) to the second adjusting plate (42); The first limiting part (432) has a tapered outer wall (4321) that can fit against the tapered inner wall (417).
13. A CMP device, characterized in that, The device includes a polishing head, a polishing apparatus, and a wafer loading apparatus as described in any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the polishing head is used to transfer a wafer (100) between the wafer loading apparatus and the polishing apparatus, and the polishing apparatus is used to perform chemical mechanical polishing on the wafer (100) on the polishing head.