High-temperature-resistant intelligent carrying robot

Abstract

This invention discloses a lightweight, high-temperature resistant wafer handling robot based on a laser optical path, belonging to the field of semiconductor wafer handling equipment technology. The robot includes a robot body, an ultra-thin, high-temperature resistant manipulator, a laser optical path module, a wafer mapping module, a real-time monitoring module for the manipulator gripper, a front anti-collision detection module, and a control unit. The ultra-thin, high-temperature resistant manipulator utilizes the principle of laser linear transmission and light reflection to construct its internal optical path, achieving a lightweight structure without electrical components, capable of withstanding high-temperature cavity environments and performing high-temperature wafer handling. The wafer mapping module uses the laser optical path to detect wafer position and shape. The real-time monitoring module for the manipulator gripper improves production safety. The front anti-collision detection module uses the front optical path to detect wafers accidentally dropped after mapping, achieving active obstacle avoidance and preventing impact damage. This invention combines lightweight design, high-temperature resistance, high-precision mapping, real-time monitoring, and anti-collision protection, making it suitable for automated handling scenarios in high-temperature semiconductor processes. The laser module is located at the base of the gripper; a water-cooling circulation system can be designed according to actual conditions to better control the temperature.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing equipment technology, specifically to a wafer handling robot for high-temperature cavity wafer transport, equipped with ultra-thin mechanical grippers, laser mapping, and real-time monitoring of gripper parallelism and anti-collision protection. Background Technology

[0002] In semiconductor wafer fabrication, wafer handling within the high-temperature process cavity is a critical step. Traditional wafer handling robots suffer from the following technical shortcomings: 1. Electronic sensors cannot grasp chips in high-temperature environments, and electronic components fail when the temperature exceeds 70 degrees Celsius.

[0003] 2. The installation of electronic sensors on the gripper makes it impossible to achieve a thin and light design; the thickness generally needs to be above 8mm. 3. Lacks mapping functionality, unable to accurately locate wafer positions; 4. Lack of status monitoring for the robotic gripper increases the risk of safety accidents such as impacts and fragmentation. 5. It is impossible to detect wafers that have fallen due to vibration after mapping is completed, which can easily cause damage to the equipment and wafers.

[0004] Currently, there is no integrated wafer handling robot that simultaneously meets the requirements of ultra-thin structure, high temperature resistance, laser mapping, real-time monitoring by the gripper, and active collision avoidance of falling wafers. Therefore, this invention has significant technological innovation and practicality. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Technical solution This invention discloses a thin and light wafer handling robot based on the principle of laser linearity and light reflection, including a robot body, an ultra-thin high-temperature resistant manipulator, a laser optical path system, a mapping detection module, a real-time monitoring unit for the gripper status, a wafer anti-collision detection unit, and a control system.

[0006] 1. Ultra-thin High-Temperature Resistant Robotic Arm: Made of zirconium oxide, the robotic arm boasts an overall thickness of no more than 2mm, achieving an ultra-thin design. Its surface is coated with a high-temperature resistant ceramic layer, capable of withstanding temperatures above 800℃, allowing direct entry into high-temperature chambers to perform wafer handling operations. See details. Figure 1 2. The laser reflection-type optical path system utilizes the high linearity and specular reflection principle of lasers. A closed optical path is arranged inside the front of the robotic arm. A stable detection optical path is formed through laser emission, reflection, and reception. High-precision detection can be achieved without large-volume sensors, ensuring the robotic arm's slim and lightweight characteristics. To avoid the drawback of electronic components being unable to withstand temperatures above 80 degrees Celsius, the laser head is mounted at the base of the gripper and equipped with insulated hot water cooling circulation protection devices to ensure the laser head's lifespan. See [link / details]. Figure 1 3. Wafer Mapping Function: The laser optical path system scans the wafer surface using a through-beam laser formed by reflected light. A wafer robot moves up and down along its axis; during this movement, the laser beam is cut off by the wafer. When the optical path is cut, the number of pulses detected by the encoder of the servo motor is counted to collect data. For example, after setting the wafer data, an algorithm is used to determine the number of pulses detected on a standard wafer. For instance, the pulse count for the standard wafer thickness is considered positive if it is between 100 and 10. 1) A pulse count higher than this indicates a stacked or misaligned wafer; 2) A pulse count lower than this indicates an alarm; 3) No pulses indicate no disk. This completes fully automated mapping, providing data support for precise pick-and-place. See [link to documentation]. Figure 3 Figure 4 4. Real-time monitoring of the robotic gripper: The gripper's levelness is determined in real-time using laser-reflected signals, enabling continuous status monitoring. Abnormalities trigger immediate alarms and shutdowns, improving production safety. (See...) Figure 3 Figure 4 5. Wafer Drop Collision Prevention Detection: When the robotic arm reaches into the wafer cassette to retrieve a wafer, the front optical path can be equipped with a real-time collision prevention function. If a wafer falls and tilts due to vibration after mapping, the front light source should not detect the foreign object when the gripper reaches in under normal circumstances. However, if the wafer falls and tilts, the front mapping detection optical path is immediately cut off. The program detects the abnormal event, immediately stops and retracts, and triggers an alarm, thereby preventing the robotic arm from colliding with the wafer and achieving active safety protection. See [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 3 Figure 4 II. Beneficial Effects of the Invention 1. Ultra-thin structure: Relying on laser optical path to replace traditional sensors, the robotic arm is made extremely thin and light, and can enter narrow high-temperature cavities and wafer cells.

[0007] 2. High temperature resistance: Made of high temperature resistant materials and coatings, it can directly grab wafers in high temperature chambers without the need for cooling.

[0008] 3. High-precision mapping: Based on the principle of laser reflection, it realizes full-area scanning of the wafer, with high positioning accuracy and improved process stability.

[0009] 4. Real-time monitoring of the gripper: Monitors the parallelism of the gripper throughout the process to prevent problems such as breakage, misalignment, and adsorption failure.

[0010] 5. Active collision avoidance: It can detect falling wafers in advance to avoid impact damage, greatly improving production safety and yield.

[0011] 6. Strong compatibility: Suitable for 8-inch and 12-inch wafers, and can be adapted to various process cavities such as high-temperature annealing, oxidation, and deposition. Detailed Implementation See Figure 5 1. The robot receives instructions from the host computer, moves above the wafer cassette, and begins scanning the coordinates of the wafers to determine if there are any wafers present, or if they are stacked or tilted. 2. The laser optical path system is activated to perform mapping scanning on the wafers inside the wafer cassette, generating position and topography data; 3. The control system adjusts the robot's posture based on the mapping data, preparing to grasp the wafer; 4. During the gripping process, the gripper's real-time monitoring unit continuously monitors the gripper's parallelism to ensure stability and reliability; 5. When the gripper moves forward to pick up the wafer, since it is inserted from the bottom of the wafer and then lifted to pick it up, there are no foreign objects in the area directly in front of the normal front mapping laser optical path synchronous detection. If a fallen oblique wafer is detected, an emergency stop is immediately triggered and the device retracts to avoid collision. 6. After the gripping is completed, the robotic arm enters the high-temperature chamber and transports the wafer to the target position, completing one work cycle. Figure 1 It is based on an invention of an intelligent wafer robot gripper. Figure 2 Wafer Robot Figure 3 Schematic diagram of a scanned wafer (mapping) Figure 4 Schematic diagram of a wafer tilting section Figure 5 The process of handling wafers by robots.

Claims

1. A lightweight, high-temperature resistant wafer handling robot based on a laser optical path, characterized in that, The system includes a robot body, an ultra-thin high-temperature resistant manipulator, a laser optical path module, a wafer mapping module, a real-time monitoring module for the manipulator, a front anti-collision detection module, and a control unit. The ultra-thin high-temperature resistant manipulator utilizes the linear transmission characteristics of laser light and the principle of light reflection to construct its internal optical path, achieving a lightweight structure and enabling the placement and removal of high-temperature wafers within a high-temperature cavity. The wafer mapping module is used for position and morphology detection of the wafer. The real-time monitoring module for the manipulator collects and monitors its working status in real time for safety. The front collision avoidance detection module detects wafers that are accidentally dropped after mapping via the front optical path and triggers obstacle avoidance protection to prevent impact.

2. The wafer handling robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ultra-thin, high-temperature resistant robotic arm is equipped with an optical path channel and a reflector group. The laser is directionally reflected and transmitted in a straight line through the reflector, so that the robotic arm has no traditional electrical wiring and its thickness is significantly reduced.

3. The wafer handling robot according to claim 2, characterized in that, The ultra-thin, high-temperature resistant robotic arm is made of high-temperature resistant material, and its claw hand has no electronic components and is designed with an all-optical path, which can withstand high-temperature environments above 200°C.

4. The wafer handling robot according to claim 3, characterized in that, The laser optical path module includes a laser emitter, several reflectors, and an optical path receiver, providing a unified optical signal source for mapping detection, claw detection, and impact detection.

5. The wafer handling robot according to claim 4, characterized in that, The front anti-collision detection module is located at the front end of the robot arm. It determines whether a wafer has fallen by emitting a detection laser and receiving reflected signals. The control unit controls the robot to perform deceleration, retraction, or stopping actions.

6. The wafer handling robot according to claim 5, characterized in that, The control unit is connected to the laser optical path module, the wafer mapping module, the robotic gripper real-time monitoring module, and the front anti-collision detection module, respectively, to coordinate optical path control and data processing.

Images