Wafer processing table

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of wafer processing, specifically to a wafer processing support platform, comprising a mounting plate, and further comprising: an orientation adjustment mechanism, which is placed on the mounting plate and is used to adjust the orientation of the supported wafer for easy wafer transfer; a bracket, which is placed on top of the orientation adjustment mechanism and has several connecting grooves at the four corners of its bottom outer end; a flexible support mechanism, comprising: a connecting tube, which is slidably inserted into the connecting grooves and has a limit block at its bottom, the limit block being elastically connected to the connecting grooves via a connecting spring; a one-way valve, which is placed at the bottom of the connecting tube to enable one-way flow of the connecting tube; and a flexible protective sleeve, which is placed on top of the connecting tube and located on top of the bracket. This invention can effectively support, carry, and transfer wafers, thereby facilitating wafer processing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of wafer fabrication, specifically to a wafer fabrication support platform. Background Technology

[0002] As the core substrate in semiconductor manufacturing, the wafer's processing involves dozens of precision steps, including photolithography, etching, and thin film deposition. Between these steps, the wafer needs to be transported and positioned quickly, accurately, and without damage. Because wafers are inherently brittle, have sensitive surfaces, and are prone to edge damage, a wafer support is required for lifting and transporting them.

[0003] However, current wafer trays use rigid or semi-rigid grippers to hold the wafer from the edge, which causes stress concentration at the gripping point and makes it very easy for microcracks to occur at the wafer edge. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a wafer processing stage to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0006] A wafer processing stage includes a mounting plate and further includes: an orientation adjustment mechanism, which is placed on the mounting plate and is used to adjust the orientation of the supported wafer for easy wafer transfer; a bracket, which is placed on top of the orientation adjustment mechanism and has several connecting grooves at the four corners of its bottom; and a flexible support mechanism, which includes: a connecting tube, which is slidably inserted into the connecting grooves and has a limit block at its bottom, the limit block being elastically connected to the connecting groove via a connecting spring; and a one-way valve, which is placed at the bottom of the connecting tube to enable one-way flow of the connecting tube; and a flexible support mechanism. The device includes a protective sleeve, a flexible protective sleeve placed on top of a connecting tube and located on top of a bracket; a cavity is provided inside the flexible protective sleeve, the bottom of which is conductively connected to the connecting tube, and an suction nozzle is provided on the top of the cavity; an arc-shaped protective part is placed on the top of the outer end of the flexible protective sleeve; at least one arc-shaped clamping protrusion is placed on the outer end of the flexible protective sleeve and located at the bottom of the arc-shaped protective part; a bottom clamping groove is placed on the outer end of the flexible protective sleeve and located at the bottom of the arc-shaped clamping protrusion; and a bottom support is placed on the outer end of the flexible protective sleeve and located at the bottom of the bottom clamping groove.

[0007] Preferably, the mounting plate has a mounting groove at the top center, and a rack plate is provided inside the mounting groove; a plurality of mounting holes are provided on the mounting plate on both sides of the mounting groove; and guide grooves are provided on the side wall of the mounting plate.

[0008] Preferably, the orientation adjustment mechanism includes a movable frame, the bottom of which is inserted into a guide groove, and a control panel is installed on the outer wall of the movable frame; a first rotating assembly, which is placed inside the movable frame and meshes with a rack plate; a mounting frame, which is placed on top of the movable frame, and a rotating rod is rotatably mounted on the movable frame, with a support frame mounted on top of the rotating rod, and the four corners of the top of the support frame connected to a bracket via support rods; and a second rotating assembly, which is disposed on the mounting frame and is used to drive the rotating rod to rotate horizontally.

[0009] Preferably, the first rotating assembly includes a first motor, which is located outside the movable frame, and a rotating shaft is mounted on the motor shaft of the first motor, which is rotatably connected to the movable frame; a drive gear is mounted on the rotating shaft, and the bottom of the drive gear meshes with a rack plate.

[0010] Preferably, the second rotating assembly includes a second motor, which is placed on the outer wall of the mounting bracket, and a first bevel gear is mounted on the motor shaft of the second motor. A second bevel gear is meshed with the first bevel gear, and the second bevel gear is connected to the rotating rod.

[0011] Preferably, the bracket has an embedded groove at the center of its top, and a positioner for positioning the supported wafer is provided inside the embedded groove.

[0012] Preferably, the bracket has insertion grooves at its four corners, and a lifting assembly for lifting the wafer is installed on the bracket.

[0013] Preferably, the lifting assembly includes a telescopic rod, which is placed at the center of the bracket and fixedly connected to the bracket via a fixing frame; and a lifting frame, which is placed at the bottom of the telescopic rod, and lifting rods are provided at the four corners of the top of the lifting frame, with the top of the lifting rods passing through insertion grooves and connected to the lifting block.

[0014] Preferably, the flexible protective sleeve is made of silicone.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0016] This invention enables adaptive transport of wafers through an orientation adjustment component, facilitating wafer processing.

[0017] The present invention achieves flexible support for wafers by setting flexible support components at the four corner support frames of the support platform, thereby facilitating the protective lifting of wafers;

[0018] The flexible protective sleeve located at the inner end of the bracket is placed on top of the wafer. The weight of the wafer compresses the flexible protective sleeve, and the cavity is compressed. Air is discharged through the connecting pipe and one-way valve, reducing the pressure inside the cavity. The suction nozzle at the top of the cavity generates suction, thereby achieving adsorption of the bottom of the wafer. This enables stable lifting of the wafer. Furthermore, the connecting spring not only achieves adsorption but also allows the flexible protective sleeve to adaptively press down and reset when the wafer is placed, avoiding hard impacts.

[0019] The invention features an arc-shaped protective part located on the top of a flexible protective sleeve on the outer side of the bracket. This part contacts the wafer sidewall, and the wafer's gravity drives it to slide downwards and insert into the bottom clamping groove. Together with the bottom support, the bottom sidewall of the wafer is lifted, achieving flexible protection and lifting of the wafer, as well as flexible clamping of the wafer sidewall. This enables a systematic contouring design of the arc-shaped profile of the wafer edge, which can optimally disperse stress and facilitate wafer processing. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall three-dimensional structure of a wafer processing stage provided by the present invention.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a wafer processing tray where a guide groove is connected to a movable frame, as provided by the present invention.

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a mounting plate in a wafer processing stage provided by the present invention.

[0023] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the movable frame and the support frame in a wafer processing stage provided by the present invention.

[0024] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the support frame and the bracket in a wafer processing stage provided by the present invention.

[0025] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a support bracket in a wafer processing stage provided by the present invention.

[0026] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a pusher assembly in a wafer processing stage provided by the present invention.

[0027] Figure 8 This is a cross-sectional view of a tray in a wafer processing stage provided by the present invention.

[0028] Figure 9 for Figure 8 Enlarged structural diagram of the flexible protective sleeve at point A.

[0029] Figure 10 for Figure 8 An enlarged schematic diagram of the connection between the connecting pipe and the one-way valve at point B.

[0030] Figure label:

[0031] 1. Mounting plate;

[0032] 11. Mounting groove; 12. Toothed plate; 13. Mounting hole; 14. Guide groove;

[0033] 2. Orientation adjustment mechanism;

[0034] 21. Movable stand; 22. Control panel;

[0035] 23. First rotating assembly; 231. First motor; 232. Rotating shaft; 233. Drive gear;

[0036] 24. Mounting bracket; 25. Rotating rod;

[0037] 26. Second rotating assembly; 261. Second motor; 262. First bevel gear; 263. Second bevel gear;

[0038] 27. Support frame; 28. Support rod;

[0039] 3. Bracket;

[0040] 31. Embedded groove; 32. Positioner; 33. Insertion groove;

[0041] 34. Lifting assembly; 341. Telescopic bar; 342. Fixing frame; 343. Lifting frame; 344. Lifting rod; 345. Lifting block;

[0042] 35. Connecting groove;

[0043] 4. Flexible load-bearing mechanism;

[0044] 41. Connecting pipe; 42. Limiting block; 43. Connecting spring; 44. Check valve;

[0045] 45. Flexible protective sleeve; 451. Cavity; 452. Suction nozzle; 453. Arc-shaped protective part; 454. Arc-shaped clamping protrusion; 455. Bottom clamping groove; 456. Base support. Detailed Implementation

[0046] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in the present invention can be combined with each other.

[0047] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, those skilled in the art will understand that many technical details have been presented in the various embodiments of the present invention to facilitate a better understanding of this application. However, the technical solutions claimed in this application can be implemented even without these technical details and various changes and modifications based on the following embodiments.

[0048] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0049] See Figures 1-10 In this embodiment of the invention, a wafer processing stage includes a mounting plate 1, and further includes:

[0050] Orientation adjustment mechanism 2, which is placed on mounting plate 1, and is used to adjust the orientation of the supported wafer to facilitate wafer transfer.

[0051] The bracket 3 is placed on top of the orientation adjustment mechanism 2, and several connecting grooves 35 are provided at the four corners of the bottom outer end of the bracket 3;

[0052] Flexible load-bearing mechanism 4, the flexible load-bearing mechanism 4 includes:

[0053] A connecting tube 41 is slidably inserted into the connecting groove 35. A limiting block 42 is provided at the bottom of the connecting tube 41. The limiting block 42 is elastically connected to the connecting groove 35 through a connecting spring 43.

[0054] One-way valve 44, which is placed at the bottom of connecting pipe 41, enables one-way flow of connecting pipe 41;

[0055] A flexible protective sleeve 45 is placed on top of the connecting pipe 41 and located on top of the bracket 3.

[0056] The flexible protective sleeve 45 has a cavity 451 inside, the bottom of the cavity 451 is connected to the connecting pipe 41, and the top of the cavity 451 has an adsorption nozzle 452.

[0057] And an arc-shaped protective part 453, which is placed on the top of the outer end of the flexible protective sleeve 45;

[0058] At least one arc-shaped clamping protrusion 454 is located at the outer end of the flexible protective sleeve 45 and at the bottom of the arc-shaped protective part 453;

[0059] Bottom clamping groove 455 is placed at the outer end of the flexible protective sleeve 45 and is located at the bottom of the arc-shaped clamping protrusion 454;

[0060] The bottom support portion 456 is located at the outer end of the flexible protective sleeve 45 and at the bottom of the bottom clamping groove 455.

[0061] This invention places the wafer on top of the bracket 3, with a flexible protective sleeve 45 located at the inner end of the bracket 3 on top of the wafer. The weight of the wafer compresses the flexible protective sleeve 45, compressing the cavity 451. Air is discharged through the connecting pipe 41 and the one-way valve 44, reducing the pressure inside the cavity 451. The suction nozzle 452 at the top of the cavity 451 generates suction, thereby adsorbing the bottom of the wafer. This achieves stable support of the wafer. Meanwhile, the arc-shaped protective part 453 on the top of the flexible protective sleeve 45 located on the outer side of the bracket 3 contacts the side wall of the wafer. The weight of the wafer drives it to move downward and insert into the bottom clamping groove 455. Together with the bottom support part 456, it supports the bottom side wall of the wafer, achieving flexible protective support of the wafer and facilitating wafer processing.

[0062] See Figure 1 and Figure 3 In one embodiment of the present invention, a mounting groove 11 is provided at the top center of the mounting plate 1, and a rack plate 12 is provided inside the mounting groove 11, which is interconnected with the orientation adjustment mechanism 2.

[0063] A number of mounting holes 13 are provided on the mounting plate 1 located on both sides of the mounting groove 11. The mounting holes 13 are provided to realize the bolt installation of the mounting plate 1.

[0064] And a guide groove 14 is provided on the side wall of the mounting plate 1 for mutual sliding connection between the equipment.

[0065] See Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 In one embodiment of the present invention, the orientation adjustment mechanism 2 includes:

[0066] The movable frame 21 is inserted into the guide groove 14 at its bottom, and a control panel 22 is installed on the outer wall of the movable frame 21. The control panel 22 is used to control the entire platform to make adaptive orientation adjustments.

[0067] The first rotating component 23 is placed inside the movable frame 21 and is engaged with the rack plate 12, which enables the orientation adjustment component to move horizontally on the engaged rack plate 12.

[0068] Mounting frame 24 is placed on top of movable frame 21, and a rotating rod 25 is rotatably mounted on movable frame 21. A bearing frame 27 is mounted on top of rotating rod 25, and the four corners of the top of bearing frame 27 are connected to bracket 3 through support rods 28.

[0069] The second rotating assembly 26 is mounted on the mounting bracket 24 and is used to drive the rotating rod 25 to rotate horizontally.

[0070] See Figure 4 In one embodiment of the present invention, the first rotating component 23 includes a first motor 231, the first motor 231 is placed outside the movable frame 21, and a rotating shaft 232 is mounted on the motor shaft of the first motor 231, the rotating shaft 232 being rotatably connected to the movable frame 21.

[0071] A drive gear 233 is mounted on the rotating shaft 232, and the bottom of the drive gear 233 is meshed with the rack plate 12.

[0072] The first motor 231 operates, driving the rotating shaft 232 to drive the drive gear 233 to mesh on the rack plate 12 at the bottom, thereby driving the moving frame 21 to move horizontally for transportation.

[0073] See Figure 4 In one embodiment of the present invention, the second rotating assembly 26 includes a second motor 261, which is placed on the outer wall of the mounting bracket 24. A first bevel gear 262 is mounted on the motor shaft of the second motor 261, and a second bevel gear 263 is meshed with the first bevel gear 262. The second bevel gear 263 is connected to the rotating rod 25. When the second motor 261 works, it drives the first bevel gear 262 to rotate, and the first bevel gear 262 drives the meshed second bevel gear 263 to rotate. The second bevel gear 263 drives the rotating rod 25 to rotate horizontally.

[0074] See Figure 6 In one embodiment of the present invention, an embedding groove 31 is provided at the center of the top of the bracket 3, and a locator 32 for positioning the supported wafer is provided inside the embedding groove 31.

[0075] See Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 In one embodiment of the present invention, the bracket 3 has insertion grooves 33 at its four corners, and the bracket 3 is equipped with a lifting component 34 for lifting the wafer.

[0076] See Figure 7In one embodiment of the present invention, the lifting assembly 34 includes a telescopic rod 341, which is placed at the center of the bracket 3 and is fixedly connected to the bracket 3 by a fixing frame 342.

[0077] The lifting frame 343 is placed at the bottom of the telescopic rod 341, and the top four corners of the lifting frame 343 are provided with lifting rods 344, the top of the lifting rods 344 passing through the insertion groove 33 and connecting to the lifting block 345.

[0078] After the wafer is transferred to the designated position, the telescopic rod 341 drives the lifting frame 343 to move upward, and the lifting frame 343 drives the lifting block 345 to push the wafer upward through the lifting rod 344.

[0079] See Figure 8 and Figure 9 In one embodiment of the present invention, the flexible protective sleeve 45 is made of silicone. The flexible protective sleeve 45 made of silicone can effectively absorb and disperse the impact force generated by drops and collisions, and can well protect the processed wafers.

[0080] See Figure 1-10 The working principle of the wafer processing stage of this invention:

[0081] This invention places the wafer on a carrier 3 and positions it using a positioner 32. A flexible protective sleeve 45 located at the inner end of the carrier 3 is placed on top of the wafer. The weight of the wafer compresses the flexible protective sleeve 45, compressing the cavity 451. Air is discharged through the connecting pipe 41 and the one-way valve 44, reducing the pressure inside the cavity 451. The suction nozzle 452 at the top of the cavity 451 generates suction, thereby adsorbing the bottom of the wafer. This achieves stable support of the wafer. Meanwhile, the arc-shaped protective part 453 on the top of the flexible protective sleeve 45 located on the outer side of the carrier 3 contacts the side wall of the wafer. The weight of the wafer drives it to move downward and insert into the bottom clamping groove 455. Together with the bottom support part 456, it supports the bottom side wall of the wafer, achieving flexible protective support of the wafer.

[0082] The first motor 231 is driven to work by the control panel 22. The first motor 231 drives the rotating shaft 232 to rotate. The rotating shaft 232 controls the drive gear 233 to rotate on the rack plate 12, thereby driving the moving frame 21 to move linearly along the rack plate 12, so as to realize the horizontal movement and transfer of the moving frame 21.

[0083] The second motor 261 is driven to work by the control panel 22. The second motor 261 drives the first bevel gear 262 to rotate. The first bevel gear 262 drives the meshing second bevel gear 263 to rotate. The second bevel gear 263 drives the rotating rod 25 to adjust the horizontal rotation orientation.

[0084] The telescopic rod 341 is driven by the control panel 22. The telescopic rod 341 pushes the lifting block 345 upward through the lifting frame 343 and the lifting rod 344 to lift the wafer it carries, thereby facilitating the processing of the wafer.

[0085] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that the invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered in all respects as exemplary and non-limiting, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Thus, all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims are intended to be included within the present invention. No reference numerals in the claims should be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A wafer processing stage, comprising a mounting plate (1), characterized in that, Also includes: Orientation adjustment mechanism (2), the orientation adjustment mechanism (2) is placed on the mounting plate (1), and the orientation adjustment mechanism (2) is used to adjust the orientation of the supported wafer to facilitate the transfer of the wafer; The bracket (3) is placed on top of the orientation adjustment mechanism (2), and several connecting grooves (35) are provided at the four corners of the bottom outer end of the bracket (3). Flexible load-bearing mechanism (4), the flexible load-bearing mechanism (4) includes: A connecting tube (41) is slidably inserted into the connecting groove (35). A limit block (42) is provided at the bottom of the connecting tube (41). The limit block (42) is elastically connected to the connecting groove (35) through a connecting spring (43). One-way valve (44), the one-way valve (44) is placed at the bottom of the connecting pipe (41) so that the connecting pipe (41) can achieve one-way flow; A flexible protective sleeve (45) is placed on top of the connecting pipe (41) and located on top of the bracket (3); The flexible protective sleeve (45) has a cavity (451) inside, the bottom of the cavity (451) is connected to the connecting pipe (41), and the top of the cavity (451) has an adsorption nozzle (452). And an arc-shaped protective part (453), which is placed on the top of the outer end of the flexible protective sleeve (45); At least one arc-shaped clamping protrusion (454) is located at the outer end of the flexible protective sleeve (45) and at the bottom of the arc-shaped protective part (453); Bottom clamping groove (455) is located at the outer end of the flexible protective sleeve (45) and at the bottom of the arc-shaped clamping protrusion (454); The bottom support (456) is located at the outer end of the flexible protective sleeve (45) and at the bottom of the bottom clamping groove (455).

2. The wafer processing stage according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mounting plate (1) has a mounting groove (11) at the center of its top, and a rack plate (12) is provided inside the mounting groove (11). A number of mounting holes (13) are provided on the mounting plate (1) located on both sides of the mounting groove (11); And a guide groove (14) is provided on the side wall of the mounting plate (1).

3. The wafer processing stage according to claim 1, characterized in that, The orientation adjustment mechanism (2) includes: The movable frame (21) is inserted into the guide groove (14) at its bottom, and a control panel (22) is installed on the outer wall of the movable frame (21). The first rotating assembly (23) is placed inside the movable frame (21) and is engaged with the rack plate (12); Mounting bracket (24), the mounting bracket (24) is placed on top of the movable frame (21), and a rotating rod (25) is rotatably mounted on the movable frame (21). A bearing frame (27) is mounted on top of the rotating rod (25), and the four corners of the top of the bearing frame (27) are connected to the bracket (3) through support rods (28). The second rotating assembly (26) is mounted on the mounting bracket (24) and is used to drive the rotating rod (25) to rotate horizontally.

4. The wafer processing stage according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first rotating assembly (23) includes a first motor (231), which is located outside the movable frame (21), and a rotating shaft (232) is mounted on the motor shaft of the first motor (231), and the rotating shaft (232) is rotatably connected to the movable frame (21); A drive gear (233) is mounted on the rotating shaft (232), and the bottom of the drive gear (233) is meshed with the rack plate (12).

5. The wafer processing stage according to claim 3, characterized in that, The second rotating assembly (26) includes a second motor (261), which is placed on the outer wall of the mounting bracket (24). A first bevel gear (262) is mounted on the motor shaft of the second motor (261), and a second bevel gear (263) is meshed on the first bevel gear (262). The second bevel gear (263) is connected to the rotating rod (25).

6. The wafer processing stage according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bracket (3) has an embedded groove (31) at the center of its top, and a locator (32) for positioning the supported wafer is provided inside the embedded groove (31).

7. The wafer processing stage according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bracket (3) has insertion grooves (33) at its four corners, and a lifting assembly (34) for lifting the wafer is installed on the bracket (3).

8. The wafer processing stage according to claim 7, characterized in that, The lifting assembly (34) includes a telescopic rod (341), which is placed at the center of the bracket (3) and is fixedly connected to the bracket (3) by a fixing frame (342); The lifting frame (343) is placed at the bottom of the telescopic rod (341), and the top four corners of the lifting frame (343) are provided with lifting rods (344), the top of the lifting rods (344) passing through the insertion groove (33) and connecting to the lifting block (345).

9. The wafer processing stage according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flexible protective sleeve (45) is made of silicone.

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