Wafer transfer and storage tooling and method of use

Abstract

A wafer conveying and storing tool and a method for using the same belong to the technical field of semiconductors, and the tool comprises stacked tray bodies, each of which is provided with a plurality of carrier placing grooves, and each of the carrier placing grooves is provided with a complete wafer carrier or an incomplete wafer carrier. The complete wafer carrier and the incomplete wafer carrier are both of a hinged opening and closing structure, the complete wafer carrier is used for storing a single complete wafer, and the incomplete wafer carrier is used for storing a plurality of broken wafers in independent partitions. The complete wafer carrier is provided with a first central hollow area and a second central hollow area on opposite surfaces, respectively, and the incomplete wafer carrier is provided with a third central hollow area on an upper surface. The complete wafer and the broken wafer are independently stored in the carriers, so as to avoid that the broken wafer scratches or bumps the complete wafer, to realize orderly storage of the broken wafer, to reduce resource waste, to facilitate failure analysis and data tracing, and to support direct front and back detection of the wafer in the tool.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of semiconductor technology, and in particular to a tooling for wafer transfer and storage, and a method of using the same. Background Technology

[0002] The integrated circuit industry is the core of modern information technology. As the fundamental carrier of integrated circuit manufacturing, the transmission, storage, and management of chips are crucial in all stages of production, testing, and packaging. With the rapid development of semiconductor technology, chip sizes are constantly increasing and manufacturing processes are becoming increasingly complex, placing higher demands on the precision handling and non-destructive processing of chips.

[0003] Currently, in the wafer manufacturing and testing process, the transfer and storage of wafers mainly rely on wafer cassettes or wafer racks, which primarily consider the batch processing of complete wafers. They typically adopt standard sizes and structures to accommodate automated equipment for wafer picking and placement.

[0004] Existing tooling is typically bulky, hindering flexible and rapid wafer turnover in small-batch, multi-variety R&D or rework scenarios. Furthermore, during wafer transfer, especially between different process stations or from the production line to testing and packaging stages, wafers need to be frequently moved from one tooling to another or flipped, posing risks such as edge damage and surface scratches. This is particularly true for thin or large wafers, which have relatively lower mechanical strength and are more susceptible to damage during transfer. Additionally, existing tooling designs are usually geared towards standard-sized, complete wafers, which are inadequate for "cracked" or "fragmented" wafers generated during production or testing. Existing tooling cannot provide effective storage for these cleavages, which may be caused by process defects, mechanical stress, or accidental drops. Although they are no longer suitable for continuing the complete manufacturing process, they may still contain valuable test data, failure analysis samples, or some usable chip areas. Due to the irregular shape and sharp edges of the cleavages, storing them together with complete wafers increases the risk of damage to the complete wafers and cannot ensure the stable storage and safe protection of the cleavages themselves. Currently, cleavages are often simply discarded or temporarily placed in unprofessional containers, which not only wastes resources but also brings great inconvenience to subsequent failure analysis and data traceability. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention aims to address the shortcomings of existing wafer transfer and storage fixtures in wafer transfer, flipping, quality inspection, and diced wafer storage. It provides a wafer transfer and storage fixture that enables operators to more conveniently perform wafer transfer, flipping, and quality inspection operations, effectively improving production efficiency. At the same time, it can properly store and manage diced wafers, thereby increasing wafer utilization and reducing production costs.

[0006] The technical solution of this invention is as follows: This invention provides a wafer transfer and storage fixture, comprising stacked tray bodies, each tray body having several carrier placement slots, each carrier placement slot holding a complete wafer carrier or a non-complete wafer carrier; both the complete wafer carrier and the non-complete wafer carrier are hinged opening and closing structures, the complete wafer carrier is used for storing a single complete wafer, and the non-complete wafer carrier is used for independently partitioned storage of several wafers, the complete wafer carrier has a first central cutout area and a second central cutout area on its front and back sides respectively, and the non-complete wafer carrier has a third central cutout area on its upper surface. Adopting a combination of trays and modular racks, the overall size is compact, facilitating flexible and rapid turnover in small-batch, multi-variety R&D and rework scenarios, eliminating the need for frequent tooling changes. Complete wafers and diced wafers are stored independently on separate racks, preventing scratches and collisions between irregularly shaped diced wafers and complete wafers. At the same time, diced wafers are stored in an orderly manner, reducing resource waste and facilitating failure analysis and data traceability. The hinged opening and closing structure can achieve in-situ clamping protection of wafers, eliminating the need for frequent removal or flipping during transportation, significantly reducing the risk of edge bumps and surface scratches on thin and large wafers. The front and back cutout structure allows wafers to be directly inspected on both sides within the tooling, eliminating repeated handling and improving turnover and inspection efficiency.

[0007] Preferably, the complete wafer carrier includes a first upper clamping plate and a first lower clamping plate hinged by a first hinge, with a first central cutout area located at the center of the first upper clamping plate and a second central cutout area located at the center of the first lower clamping plate; the incomplete wafer carrier includes a second upper clamping plate and a second lower clamping plate hinged by a second hinge, with a third central cutout area located at the center of the second upper clamping plate. The hinged structure of the upper and lower clamping plates allows for convenient opening and closing, stable clamping, and rapid wafer packaging and removal; the through-hole central cutout area does not obstruct the effective area of ​​the wafer, supporting direct microscopic observation and process inspection without opening the carrier, simplifying the operation process and improving throughput efficiency.

[0008] Preferably, a limiting boss is fixedly provided on the inner surface of the first upper clamping plate, and an edge boss is fixedly provided on the side wall of the second central hollow area. Both the limiting boss and the edge boss are annular structures. The edge boss is used to support the complete wafer, and the limiting boss is used to restrict the axial movement of the complete wafer. The annular edge boss supports the wafer along the periphery, avoiding the central effective process area and reducing surface contact damage. After closing, the annular limiting boss provides gentle axial constraint on the wafer to prevent the wafer from shifting or slipping during transportation, thus balancing fixation reliability and surface protection.

[0009] Preferably, two limiting posts are fixed on the side wall of the second central hollow area. The limiting posts are located above the edge protrusion and are used to abut against the cleaved edge of the complete wafer. The limiting posts cooperate with the cleaved edge of the wafer for positioning, restricting the circumferential rotation of the wafer, and ensuring the stability of the wafer's posture in the carrier. This is especially suitable for the storage and transportation of wafers with orientation requirements, and the positioning is reliable without damaging the wafer edge.

[0010] Preferably, the first lower clamping plate is provided with a wafer picking notch, which penetrates the first lower clamping plate and is connected to the second central hollow area. The wafer picking notch provides operating space for tweezers or a suction pen, making it easy to safely and smoothly pick up or remove the complete wafer when needed, avoiding direct pressure on the wafer surface by the tool and reducing the risk of damage during picking and placing.

[0011] Preferably, the second lower clamping plate is provided with a chip placement slot, and several vertical isolation slots are evenly spaced within the chip placement slot. These vertical isolation slots are used to insert partitions to divide the internal space of the chip placement slot into multiple independent spaces. The partitions can be flexibly inserted and removed to adjust the size of the partitions, accommodating chip storage of different sizes and shapes, enabling independent storage of individual chips, preventing friction, collision, and scratches between chips, and facilitating classification, labeling, and traceability.

[0012] Preferably, the bottom surface of the wafer placement groove gradually sinks from the edge to the center, forming a smooth concave surface. The lowest point is located at the geometric center of the wafer placement groove. The concave bottom surface can adaptively support irregularly shaped wafers, so that the wafers are naturally placed in the center and the force is evenly distributed. This ensures that the bottom of any shaped wafer only contacts the bottom surface at both ends, avoiding scratches on the N-side of the wafer. At the same time, it is convenient for operators to insert the tip of tweezers or the suction nozzle of a suction pen under the wafer to achieve non-destructive wafer removal.

[0013] Preferably, the outer surface of the first upper clamping plate is provided with a first identification area, and the outer surface of the second upper clamping plate is provided with a second identification area. The identification areas can directly mark information such as wafer model, process batch, status, and failure type, so as to realize one code per wafer and classified management, which facilitates rapid identification, traceability and ledger organization, and is especially suitable for R&D and failure analysis scenarios.

[0014] Preferably, the upper surface of the tray body is fixedly provided with a positioning boss, and the lower surface of the tray body is provided with a positioning groove. The upper and lower positioning structure enables the trays to be stacked stably without shifting or squeezing between layers, which is suitable for batch storage and transportation. The carrier placement slot is set in the area enclosed by the positioning boss. The shape and size of the carrier placement slot match the complete wafer carrier and the incomplete wafer carrier, which improves the versatility of the tooling. There is a pick-and-place recess between adjacent carrier placement slots. The pick-and-place recess is connected to the adjacent carrier placement slot. The pick-and-place recess makes it easy for fingers or tools to reach in and pick up the carrier, which is convenient for operation. The carrier placement slot has an asymmetrical chamfer to prevent the carrier from being placed in the wrong direction, which improves the assembly consistency and safety of use.

[0015] A method of using a wafer transfer and storage fixture, characterized in that it includes: Open the first upper clamping plate, place the complete wafer on the edge protrusion, use the limiting post to abut against the wafer cleavage edge for radial limiting, fasten the first upper clamping plate, and achieve axial clamping through the limiting protrusion; according to the size of the wafer, insert the partition plate into the vertical isolation groove at the corresponding position, then place the wafer flat in the corresponding space divided in the wafer placement groove, and fasten the second upper clamping plate. Place the loaded complete or incomplete wafer carrier into the designated carrier placement slot; The tray body is placed directly under a microscope, and the process quality of the front side of the complete wafer is inspected through the first central cutout area; If it is necessary to inspect the back of the complete wafer, the operator will rotate the complete wafer carrier 180° in the slot and complete the visual or instrumental inspection of the back of the complete wafer through the second central cutout area. When failure analysis of the crack is required, the tray body is placed directly under a microscope, and the crack is inspected through the third central hollow area.

[0016] Complete wafers and diced wafers are held and stored separately using dedicated carriers, eliminating the need to remove wafers during transport and significantly reducing the risk of breakage. The carriers can be flipped in situ within the tray for front and back inspection, making the process simple and efficient. Diced wafers are stored independently in partitions, protecting complete wafers while retaining high-value failed samples for easy subsequent analysis and traceability. The overall tooling is adaptable to small batches and flexible turnover in various scenarios, combining multiple functions such as transmission, storage, and inspection, with a clear workflow and strong versatility.

[0017] As can be seen from the above technical solutions, the advantages of the present invention are: 1. The design adopts a combination of trays and modular racks, resulting in a compact overall size that facilitates flexible and rapid turnover in small-batch, multi-variety R&D and rework scenarios, eliminating the need for frequent tooling changes. Complete wafers and diced wafers are stored independently in separate racks, preventing scratches and collisions between irregularly shaped diced wafers and complete wafers. At the same time, it enables orderly storage of diced wafers, reducing resource waste and facilitating failure analysis and data traceability. The hinged opening and closing structure enables in-situ clamping and protection of wafers, eliminating the need for frequent removal or flipping during transportation, significantly reducing the risk of edge collisions and surface scratches on thin and large-sized wafers. The front and back cutout structure allows for direct front and back inspection of wafers within the tooling, eliminating repeated handling and improving turnover and inspection efficiency.

[0018] 2. The bowl-shaped sink structure for placing the shards is used in conjunction with partitions. The partitions can be flexibly inserted and removed to adjust the size of the compartments, adapting to the storage of shards of different sizes and shapes. This allows for the independent storage of individual shards, preventing friction, collision, and scratches between shards, while also facilitating classification, labeling, and traceability. Attached Figure Description

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the wafer transfer and storage fixture according to one or more embodiments of the present invention. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the tray body according to one or more embodiments of the present invention. Figure 1 ; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the tray body according to one or more embodiments of the present invention. Figure 2 ; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the complete wafer carrier structure according to one or more embodiments of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the engagement of a complete wafer carrier and a complete wafer according to one or more embodiments of the present invention. Figure 1 ; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the engagement of a complete wafer carrier and a complete wafer according to one or more embodiments of the present invention. Figure 2 ; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a non-complete wafer carrier according to one or more embodiments of the present invention; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the fit between a non-complete wafer carrier and a diced wafer according to one or more embodiments of the present invention. Figure 1 ; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the fit between a non-complete wafer carrier and a diced wafer according to one or more embodiments of the present invention. Figure 2 ; The components represented by the various reference numerals in the diagram are: 1. Tray body; 11. Positioning boss; 12. Positioning groove; 13. Carrier placement slot; 14. Pick-up and drop recess; 15. Handhold; 2. Complete wafer carrier; 21. First upper clamping plate; 211. First central cutout area; 212. First marking area; 213. Limiting boss; 22. First lower clamping plate; 221. Second central cutout area; 222. Edge boss; 223. Limiting post; 224. Wafer pick-up notch; 23. First hinge; 3. Incomplete wafer carrier; 31. Second upper clamping plate; 311. Third central cutout area; 312. Second marking area; 32. Second lower clamping plate; 321. Die placement slot; 322. Vertical isolation slot; 33. Second hinge; 34. Partition; 4. Complete wafer; 5. Die. Detailed Implementation

[0021] To make the objectives, features, and advantages of this invention more apparent and understandable, the technical solutions of this invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the specific embodiments. Obviously, the embodiments described below are only some embodiments of this invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this patent, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this patent.

[0022] Example 1 In a typical embodiment of the present invention, such as Figures 1-9 As shown, a wafer transfer and storage fixture is proposed, comprising: at least one tray body 1, several complete wafer carriers 2, and several incomplete wafer carriers 3. The tray body 1 has several carrier placement slots 13 for placing the complete wafer carriers 2 and incomplete wafer carriers 3. Each carrier placement slot 13 corresponds to placing one complete wafer carrier 2 or one incomplete wafer carrier 3. The complete wafer carriers 2 are used to store single complete wafers 4. Operators can directly flip the complete wafer carriers 2 to flip the complete wafers 4 without removing the wafers. When transferring complete wafers 4, they can be transferred directly as a whole with the complete wafer carriers 2. Both the incomplete wafer carrier 3 and the non-incomplete wafer carrier 3 are hinged opening and closing structures. The incomplete wafer carrier 2 has a first central cutout area 211 and a second central cutout area 221 on its front and back sides, respectively. The first central cutout area 211 and the second central cutout area 221 are completely cut out, with only the outer supporting frame retained, so that the process quality of the incomplete wafer 4 can be directly inspected by microscope or visual inspection without opening the incomplete wafer carrier 2. The non-incomplete wafer carrier 3 is used to store the diced wafer 5. When transferring the incomplete wafer 4, it can be transferred directly with the non-incomplete wafer carrier 3 as a whole. The upper surface of the non-incomplete wafer carrier 3 has a third central cutout area 311 as an observation window.

[0023] In this embodiment, the tray body 1, the complete wafer carrier 2, and the incomplete wafer carrier 3 are all integrally molded from high-strength, lightweight, and anti-static materials, which not only meet the requirements of the semiconductor clean environment for dust prevention and anti-static properties, but also have excellent mechanical strength and durability.

[0024] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, a positioning boss 11 is fixedly provided on the upper surface of the tray body 1, and the lower surface of the tray body 1 is recessed inward to form a positioning groove 12. The outer contour of the positioning boss 11 matches the positioning groove 12. The positioning boss 11 is used to insert into the positioning groove 12, thereby enabling multiple tooling to be stably stacked in the vertical direction, greatly saving the space occupied by the clean room or temporary operating table, and facilitating the centralized management and turnover of batch wafers. The carrier placement slot 13 is set in the area enclosed by the positioning boss 11. The depth of the carrier placement slot 13 matches the thickness of the complete wafer carrier 2 and the incomplete wafer carrier 3, and the cross-sectional shape of the carrier placement slot 13 matches the cross-sectional shape of the complete wafer carrier 2 and the incomplete wafer carrier 3. Adjacent carrier placement slots 13 are isolated to prevent collision interference between adjacent carriers.

[0025] In this embodiment, the pallet body 1 is provided with six rack placement slots 13, arranged in a matrix of two rows and three columns. The shape of each placement slot matches the shape of the corresponding rack. The edge of the rack placement slot 13 adopts a semi-open design, that is, there is a pick-and-place recess 14 between four adjacent rack placement slots 13. The pick-and-place recess 14 is connected to the adjacent rack placement slot 13, which makes it easy for operators to pick up and place the corresponding rack in the rack placement slot 13 with their fingers or tools without applying extra force or tilting tools. Hand-held parts 15 are also fixed at both ends of the pallet body 1 to facilitate the picking up, placing and transferring of the pallet body 1.

[0026] The carrier placement slot 13 is equipped with a foolproof positioning structure, namely an asymmetrical chamfer. The asymmetrical chamfer is that the size, angle or shape of the chamfer on the two sides or four corners is different, and only one direction can be aligned. For example, two large chamfers on opposite corners and a small chamfer on the corner opposite to the pick-up and put-out recess 14, thereby ensuring that the carrier can only be inserted in the correct direction and avoiding misoperation.

[0027] To address the operational pain points in the wafer flipping and quality inspection process, this embodiment utilizes a semi-open carrier placement slot 13 layout. Operators can directly flip the complete wafer carrier 2 to flip the wafer without removing it. Specifically, operators can flip the wafer carrier 180 degrees using only their fingers to achieve wafer flipping, eliminating the traditional process of using tweezers and suction pens to remove, flip, and put back the wafer. This fundamentally eliminates the risks of edge bumps, surface scratches, and particle contamination caused by using tweezers and suction pens, and is especially suitable for fragile wafers with low mechanical strength, such as semiconductor wafers. The complete wafer carrier 2 has a first central cutout area 211 and a second central cutout area 221 on both sides. The first central cutout area 211 and the second central cutout area 221 are completely cut out, with only the outer support frame remaining, so that the process quality of the complete wafer 4 can be directly inspected by microscope or visual inspection without opening the complete wafer carrier 2.

[0028] In this embodiment, the complete wafer carrier 2 and the incomplete wafer carrier 3 have the same shape and size, and can be interchanged in any carrier placement slot 13 of the tray body 1. This greatly enhances the versatility and adaptability of the tooling. The tray body 1 can be stacked to save space. The overall structure is simple, the materials are universal, the manufacturing cost is low, and it is suitable for multiple scenarios such as R&D, rework, and small batch production.

[0029] The complete wafer carrier has a hinged opening and closing structure, such as Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the complete wafer carrier 2 includes a first upper clamping plate 21, a first lower clamping plate 22, and a first hinge 23. One side of the first upper clamping plate 21 is hinged to the first lower clamping plate 22 via the first hinge 23. A first central cutout area 211 is provided at the middle position of the first upper clamping plate 21, and a second central cutout area 221 is provided at the middle position of the first lower clamping plate 22, so as to achieve complete cutout of the central area, leaving only the outer support frame, so that the process quality of the front and back sides of the complete wafer 4 can be directly inspected by microscope or visual inspection without opening the complete wafer carrier 2.

[0030] A limiting boss 213 is fixedly provided on the inner surface of the first upper clamping plate 21. The limiting boss 213 is arranged along the circumference of the first central hollow area 211, and the outer diameter of the limiting boss 213 is the same as the inner diameter of the first central hollow area 211. The limiting boss 213 extends towards the first lower clamping plate 22. An edge boss 222 is fixedly provided on the inner edge of the first lower clamping plate 22 along the circumference. That is, the edge boss 222 is fixedly provided on the second central hollow area 211 of the first lower clamping plate 22. On the side wall of 21, the edge protrusion 222 is a ring structure. The edge protrusion 222 extends toward the center of the first lower clamping plate 22 (i.e. the center of the second central hollow area 221). The edge of the complete wafer 4 rests smoothly on the edge protrusion 222. The contact surface is mirror polished, and the coefficient of friction is extremely low, so as to avoid scratching the back of the complete wafer 4. When the first upper clamping plate 21 is fastened, the clamping and limiting of the complete wafer 4 can be achieved by the cooperation of the limiting protrusion 213 and the edge protrusion 222.

[0031] Two limiting posts 223 are also fixedly provided on the inner edge of the first lower clamping plate 22 (i.e., on the side wall of the second central hollow area 221). The limiting posts 223 are located above the edge protrusion 222. The limiting posts 223 are used to abut against the cleaved edge of the complete wafer 4. Together with the second central hollow area 221 on the first lower clamping plate 22, the inner wall of the second central hollow area 221 on the first lower clamping plate 22 can hold the outer periphery of the complete wafer 4, preventing the complete wafer 4 from rotating radially or shifting horizontally within the complete wafer carrier 2.

[0032] The first lower clamping plate 22 is also provided with a wafer removal notch 224, which passes through the first lower clamping plate 22. The wafer removal notch 224 is located on one side of the second central hollow area 221 and is connected to the second central hollow area 221. The operator can insert the tip of tweezers or the suction nozzle of a suction pen into the bottom of the wafer removal notch 224 and gently lift the intact wafer 4 from the back, thereby achieving non-destructive wafer removal.

[0033] To address the unavoidable defects such as cracked wafers, fragments, or irregularly shaped wafers during the production process, this embodiment also includes a non-incomplete wafer carrier 3, such as... Figure 7 , Figure 8 and Figure 9As shown, the incomplete wafer carrier 3 includes a second upper clamping plate 31, a second lower clamping plate 32, a second hinge 33, and a partition 34. One side of the second upper clamping plate 31 is hinged to the second lower clamping plate 32 via the second hinge 33. A third central hollow area 311 is provided in the middle of the second upper clamping plate 31 to achieve complete hollowing of the central area, which can serve as an observation window. The second lower clamping plate 32 is provided with a wafer placement groove 321, and several vertical isolation grooves 322 are equally spaced in the wafer placement groove 321. The groove width of the vertical isolation grooves 322 is 20mm, which is used for the insertion of the partition 34. Thus, the partition 34 divides the interior of the wafer placement groove 321 into multiple independent placement spaces, so as to independently place multiple wafers 5 and avoid mutual scratching between adjacent wafers 5.

[0034] In this embodiment, the second upper clamping plate 31 and the second lower clamping plate 32 are both integrally formed from high-strength, lightweight, and anti-static materials, which not only meet the requirements of the semiconductor clean environment for dust prevention and anti-static, but also have excellent mechanical strength and durability. The partition plate 34 is made of flexible polypropylene or polytetrafluoroethylene sheet, and its thickness matches the gap of the vertical isolation groove 322. The operator can flexibly adjust the insertion position and number of the partition plate 34 according to the actual size and quantity of the wafer 5, dividing the internal space of the wafer placement groove 321 into multiple independent small sections, ensuring that wafers from different sources and batches are stored in an orderly manner without interference, avoiding secondary damage, and enabling the wafer 5 to be used efficiently for failure analysis and local recycling, greatly improving the overall utilization rate of the wafer.

[0035] The wafer placement groove 321 has a bowl-shaped sink structure, meaning that the bottom surface of the wafer placement groove 321 gradually sinks from the edge to the center, forming a smooth concave surface. The lowest point is located at the geometric center of the wafer placement groove 321. The bowl-shaped sink structure ensures that the bottom of the wafer 5 of any shape only contacts the bottom surface at both ends, avoiding scratches on the N-side of the wafer. At the same time, it makes it easy for operators to insert the tip of tweezers or the suction nozzle of a suction pen under the wafer 5 to achieve non-destructive wafer removal.

[0036] To facilitate traceability, the outer surface of the first upper clamping plate 21 is provided with a first identification area 212, and the outer surface of the second upper clamping plate 31 is provided with a second identification area 312. The first identification area 212 and the second identification area 312 are integrated with a transparent card sleeve or a magnetic label adsorption area for inserting a record card or attaching an electronic traceability label. The recorded content can cover key information such as wafer batch number, wafer origin process, failure analysis number, storage date, and responsible person, realizing information management and rapid retrieval of the entire wafer life cycle, and significantly improving the efficiency and accuracy of failure analysis work.

[0037] The tooling in this embodiment not only optimizes the traditional operation mode of manual wafer transfer, flipping, and quality inspection from the operational level, achieving high operational safety and convenience with extremely low manufacturing cost, but also provides a practical solution for the standardized storage and management of wafers, realizing the effective preservation and reuse of wafers and maximizing the potential value of the wafers. Example 2 In another typical embodiment of the present invention, a method for using a wafer transfer and storage fixture is provided, comprising: S1. Wafer sorting, loading, and initial positioning For the complete wafer 4, open the first upper clamping plate 21 of the complete wafer carrier 2, place the complete wafer 4 on the edge protrusion 222 of the first lower clamping plate 22, use the limiting post 223 to abut against the wafer cleaving edge for radial limiting, and then fasten the first upper clamping plate 21, and achieve axial clamping through the limiting protrusion 213. For the wafer 5, according to the size of the wafer 5, a partition 34 is inserted into the vertical isolation groove 322 at the corresponding position of the incomplete wafer carrier 3 to divide the internal space of the wafer placement groove 321 into multiple independent spaces. Then, the wafer 5 is placed flat in the corresponding space divided in the wafer placement groove 321, and then the second upper clamping plate 31 is fastened.

[0038] S2, Carrier placement and error-proofing verification The operator holds the loaded complete wafer carrier 2 or incomplete wafer carrier 3 and places it into the carrier placement slot 13 on the tray body 1; The asymmetric chamfered structure at the edge of the carrier placement slot 13 is used for error prevention verification. If the carrier is oriented incorrectly, it cannot be fully embedded in the bottom of the slot, forcing the operator to insert it in the only correct direction to ensure the consistency of subsequent automated reading or manual quality inspection.

[0039] S3, Non-contact double-sided quality inspection and flipping operation When inspecting the front of the complete wafer 4, the tray body 1 is placed directly under a microscope, and the front process quality of the complete wafer 4 is inspected through the first central cutout area 211 of the first upper clamping plate 21. If it is necessary to inspect the back of the complete wafer 4, the operator can move the complete wafer carrier 2 through the pick-and-place recess 14 to directly flip it 180° in the slot. Since the complete wafer 4 is pre-clamped, the shaking and displacement of the complete wafer 4 are avoided during the flipping process, which effectively avoids secondary contamination and scratches. After flipping, the back of the complete wafer 4 can be visually or instrumentally inspected through the second central cutout area 221 of the first lower clamping plate 22. When failure analysis of the fragment 5 is required, the tray body 1 is placed directly under a microscope, and the fragment 5 is inspected through the third central hollow area 311 of the second upper clamping plate 31.

[0040] When batch turnover is required, the positioning groove 12 at the bottom of the pallet body 1 is fastened to the positioning boss 11 of the lower pallet, so that multiple tooling can be stably stacked in the vertical direction. The operator can transfer the whole thing through the hand-held parts 15 at both ends of the pallet. The anti-static material protects the wafer from static damage by dissipating the charge.

[0041] When non-destructive wafer retrieval is required, the carrier is opened, and the operator inserts a tool into the lower edge of the wafer through the wafer retrieval notch 224 on the first lower clamping plate 22 or the bowl-shaped sink space of the incomplete wafer carrier 3 to lift it up, thus achieving non-destructive retrieval. Throughout the operation, the wafer's circulation status, failure analysis results, and batch information are recorded in real time by reading the label information in the first identification area 212 or the second identification area 312.

[0042] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to make or use the invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, the invention is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A tooling for transferring and storing wafers, comprising: The stacked tray body (1) is characterized in that each tray body (1) is provided with a plurality of carrier placement slots (13), and each carrier placement slot (13) contains a complete wafer carrier (2) or a non-complete wafer carrier (3). Both the complete wafer carrier (2) and the incomplete wafer carrier (3) are hinged opening and closing structures. The complete wafer carrier (2) is used to store a single complete wafer (4), and the incomplete wafer carrier (3) is used to store several diced wafers (5) in independent partitions. The complete wafer carrier (2) has a first central cutout area (211) and a second central cutout area (221) on its front and back sides, respectively, and the incomplete wafer carrier (3) has a third central cutout area (311) on its upper surface.

2. The wafer transfer and storage fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that, The complete wafer carrier (2) includes a first upper clamping plate (21) and a first lower clamping plate (22) hinged by a first hinge (23), a first central cutout area (211) is located at the middle position of the first upper clamping plate (21), and a second central cutout area (221) is located at the middle position of the first lower clamping plate (22); the incomplete wafer carrier (3) includes a second upper clamping plate (31) and a second lower clamping plate (32) hinged by a second hinge (33), and a third central cutout area (311) is located at the middle position of the second upper clamping plate (31).

3. The wafer transfer and storage fixture according to claim 2, characterized in that, A limiting boss (213) is fixedly provided on the inner surface of the first upper clamping plate (21), and an edge boss (222) is fixedly provided on the side wall of the second central hollow area (221). Both the limiting boss (213) and the edge boss (222) are annular structures. The edge boss (222) is used to support the complete wafer (4), and the limiting boss (213) is used to restrict the axial movement of the complete wafer (4).

4. The wafer transfer and storage fixture according to claim 3, characterized in that, Two limiting posts (223) are fixed on the side wall of the second central hollow area (221). The limiting posts (223) are located above the edge boss (222) and are used to abut against the cleavage edge of the complete wafer (4).

5. The wafer transfer and storage fixture according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first lower clamping plate (22) is provided with a piece-taking notch (224), which penetrates the first lower clamping plate (22) and is connected to the second central hollow area (221).

6. The wafer transfer and storage fixture according to claim 2, characterized in that, The second lower clamping plate (32) is provided with a chip placement groove (321), and a number of vertical isolation grooves (322) are equally spaced in the chip placement groove (321). The vertical isolation grooves (322) are used to insert partitions (34) to divide the internal space of the chip placement groove (321) into multiple independent spaces.

7. The wafer transfer and storage fixture according to claim 6, characterized in that, The bottom surface of the slot (321) gradually sinks from the edge to the center, forming a smooth concave surface, with the lowest point located at the geometric center of the slot (321).

8. The wafer transfer and storage fixture according to claim 2, characterized in that, The outer surface of the first upper clamping plate (21) is provided with a first marking area (212), and the outer surface of the second upper clamping plate (31) is provided with a second marking area (312).

9. The wafer transfer and storage fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper surface of the tray body (1) is fixedly provided with a positioning boss (11), and the lower surface of the tray body (1) is provided with a positioning groove (12). The carrier placement groove (13) is located in the area enclosed by the positioning boss (11). The shape and size of the carrier placement groove (13) match the complete wafer carrier (2) and the incomplete wafer carrier (3). There is a pick-and-place recess (14) between adjacent carrier placement grooves (13). The pick-and-place recess (14) is connected to the adjacent carrier placement groove (13). The carrier placement groove (13) is provided with an asymmetrical chamfer.

10. A method of using a wafer transfer and storage fixture as described in any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, include: Open the first upper clamping plate (21), place the complete wafer (4) on the edge protrusion (222), use the limiting post (223) to abut against the wafer cleavage edge for radial limiting, fasten the first upper clamping plate (21), and achieve axial clamping through the limiting protrusion (213); according to the size of the cleavage (5), insert the partition plate (34) into the vertical isolation groove (322) at the corresponding position, and then place the cleavage (5) flat in the corresponding space divided in the cleavage placement groove (321), and fasten the second upper clamping plate (31). Place the loaded complete wafer carrier (2) or incomplete wafer carrier (3) into the designated carrier placement slot (13); The tray body (1) is placed directly under a microscope, and the front process quality of the complete wafer (4) is inspected through the first central cutout area (211); If it is necessary to inspect the back of the complete wafer (4), the operator will rotate the complete wafer carrier (2) 180° in the slot and complete the visual or instrumental inspection of the back of the complete wafer (4) through the second central cutout area (221). When failure analysis of the crack (5) is required, the tray body (1) is placed directly under a microscope and the crack (5) is inspected through the third central hollow area (311).

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