A wafer preprocessing transfer method

Abstract

This application discloses a wafer preprocessing transfer method. The method is applied to a wafer preprocessing apparatus, wherein the wafer preprocessing apparatus includes a placement stage, a transport mechanism, and a preprocessing stage. The method includes: acquiring position information of a wafer on the placement stage to be transferred to the preprocessing stage; controlling the transport mechanism to transport the wafer based on the position information; and determining that when the center of the wafer coincides with the center of the preprocessing stage, the wafer is placed on the preprocessing stage. This application solves the problem of ensuring precise alignment between the center of the wafer and the center of the preprocessing stage.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of semiconductor equipment technology, and in particular to a wafer preprocessing transfer method. Background Technology

[0002] In semiconductor manufacturing equipment, the wafer preprocessing unit is a crucial basic functional module, and its performance directly affects the quality of subsequent processes. Taking thin film deposition equipment as an example, the preprocessing unit not only needs to complete basic processes such as wafer preheating, but more importantly, it establishes a precise positioning reference for the subsequent vacuum robot through the core component of the preprocessing stage. The preprocessing stage must ensure high-precision positioning of the wafer's center position, which is a key prerequisite for the robot to quickly and accurately pick up the wafer.

[0003] However, in actual operation, because the preprocessing stage needs to be in a vacuum environment for a long time and frequently perform lifting and lowering movements, its motion connection structure generally uses metal bellows. After repeated reciprocating movements, this flexible connection structure will inevitably undergo plastic deformation due to metal fatigue, which may result in a slight change in the center of the preprocessing stage each time. The change in the center of the preprocessing stage will cause the center of the placed wafer to exhibit uncontrollable random offset, which may cause the robot arm to fail to pick up the wafer or the wafer to break. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application aims to address at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, this application proposes a wafer preprocessing apparatus to solve the problem of how to ensure that the center of the wafer and the center of the preprocessing stage are precisely aligned.

[0005] In a first aspect, this application provides a wafer preprocessing transfer method applied to a wafer preprocessing apparatus, the wafer preprocessing apparatus including a placement stage, a transport mechanism, and a preprocessing stage, the method comprising: Obtain the position information of the wafer to be transferred to the preprocessing stage on the placement stage; Based on the location information, the transport mechanism is controlled to transport the wafer, and when the center of the wafer coincides with the center of the preprocessing stage, the wafer is placed on the preprocessing stage.

[0006] In one embodiment of the above-described wafer preprocessing transfer method, The conveying mechanism includes a drive assembly, a connecting arm, and a conveying component. One end of the connecting arm is mounted on the drive end of the drive assembly, and the other end is provided with the rotatable conveying component. The method includes: Based on the position information, the transport component is controlled to pick up the wafer located on the placement platform, and the drive component is controlled to drive the connecting arm to rotate and / or move in a straight line, so as to move the wafer on the transport component toward the pre-processing platform. When the center of the wafer coincides with the center of the preprocessing stage, the transporter is controlled to place the wafer onto the preprocessing stage.

[0007] In one embodiment of the above-described wafer preprocessing transfer method, The method includes: Obtain geometric information when the center of the transport component coincides with the center of the pre-processing platform; Drive the transport component to move it above the wafer on the placement platform and move the wafer. Rotate the transport component to align the center of the wafer with the axis of the connecting arm and set it as the first position. Obtain the geometric information of the connecting arm at the first position relative to the center of the wafer; Based on the geometric information of the center of the transport component coinciding with the center of the preprocessing stage, and the geometric information of the connecting arm at the first position coinciding with the center of the wafer, the second position of the connecting arm is calculated; wherein, at the second position, the center of the wafer coincides with the center of the preprocessing stage.

[0008] In one embodiment of the above-described wafer preprocessing transfer method, The drive assembly includes a translation drive and a rotating component, the rotating component is mounted on the translation drive, and the connecting arm rotates around the rotating component; The step of obtaining the geometric information when the center of the transported component coincides with the center of the preprocessing platform includes: Control the translation drive to drive the rotating component to move along a straight line and / or control the rotating component to drive the connecting arm to rotate so as to move the connecting arm to the initial position; Obtain the geometric information of the connecting arm, the translation drive, and the rotation component at the initial position.

[0009] In one embodiment of the above-described wafer preprocessing transfer method, The step of aligning the center of the wafer with the axis of the connecting arm in a straight line and defining this as the first position includes: Based on the wafer's position information, the translation drive is controlled to drive the rotating component to move along a straight line and / or the rotating component is controlled to drive the connecting arm to rotate so as to move the transport component to move the wafer located on the placement platform to a first position; wherein, at the first position, the center of the wafer and the axis of the connecting arm are on the same straight line.

[0010] In one embodiment of the above-described wafer preprocessing transfer method, The method includes: Based on the second position, the translation drive is controlled to drive the rotating component to move in a straight line and / or the rotating component is controlled to drive the connecting arm to rotate so that the center of the wafer on the transport component coincides with the center of the pretreatment stage.

[0011] In one embodiment of the above-described wafer preprocessing transfer method, The method includes: The axis of the linear movement direction of the translation drive is defined as the first axis, wherein the first axis passes through the rotation axis of the rotating component; The axis of the connecting arm in the length direction is defined as the second axis, wherein the first axis and the second axis are in the same plane and the intersection of the first axis and the second axis is on the rotation axis of the rotating component; A point on the second axis closer to one end of the transport component is designated as the first endpoint; The center of the transport component, the first end point on the connecting arm, and the center of the pretreatment platform are all aligned. When the center of the transport component coincides with the center of the pretreatment platform, the position of the connecting arm is the initial position.

[0012] In one embodiment of the above-described wafer preprocessing transfer method, The step of acquiring the geometric data of the connecting arm with the translational drive and the rotating component at the initial position includes: The intersection of the first axis and the second axis is determined as the second endpoint; The distance from the first endpoint to the second endpoint, the vertical distance from the first endpoint to the first axis, and the angle between the first axis and the second axis are obtained at the initial position of the connecting arm.

[0013] In one embodiment of the above-described wafer preprocessing transfer method, The method includes: The transporter is controlled to move above the wafer on the placement platform and move the wafer. The transporter is rotated so that the center of the wafer is aligned with the second axis. When the center of the wafer is collinear with the second axis, the position of the connecting arm is the first position. The step of obtaining the geometric information of the connecting arm at the first position relative to the center of the wafer includes: obtaining the distance from the center of the wafer to the first endpoint at the first position of the connecting arm.

[0014] In one embodiment of the above-described wafer preprocessing transfer method, The method includes: calculating a second position of the connecting arm based on the distance from the first endpoint to the second endpoint of the connecting arm at the initial position, the vertical distance from the first endpoint to the first axis, the angle between the first axis and the second axis, and the distance from the center of the wafer to the first endpoint of the connecting arm at the first position; wherein the calculation of the second position includes the distance offset from the initial position in the direction of the first axis extension and the angle between the first axis and the second axis.

[0015] In one embodiment of the above-described wafer preprocessing transfer method, The method includes: The first length is determined by the sum of the distance from the first endpoint to the second endpoint of the connecting arm at the initial position and the distance from the center of the wafer to the first endpoint of the connecting arm at the first position. Based on the arcsine of the ratio of the vertical distance from the first endpoint to the first axis to the first length of the connecting arm at the initial position, the angle between the first axis and the second axis of the connecting arm at the second position is obtained. The angle between the first axis and the second axis of the connecting arm at the initial position is determined as the first angle, and the product of the cosine of the first angle and the distance from the first endpoint to the second endpoint of the connecting arm at the initial position is the second length. The angle between the first axis and the second axis of the connecting arm at the second position is determined as the second angle, and the product of the cosine of the second angle and the first length is the third length. Based on the difference between the third length and the second length, the distance by which the connecting arm is offset in the direction of the first axis extension, starting from the initial position, is obtained.

[0016] In one embodiment of the above-described wafer preprocessing transfer method, The method also includes: establishing a coordinate system to determine the position information and geometric relationships of each point and component.

[0017] In one embodiment of the above-described wafer preprocessing transfer method, The method further includes: if the center position of the preprocessing platform changes, then re-acquiring the geometric information when the center of the transported component coincides with the center of the preprocessing platform.

[0018] In one embodiment of the above-described wafer preprocessing transfer method, The wafer preprocessing apparatus further includes at least one position acquisition device; The method further includes: acquiring the position information of the wafer and its components in the wafer preprocessing device through the position acquisition device.

[0019] In one embodiment of the above-described wafer preprocessing transfer method, The wafer preprocessing apparatus includes at least two placement stages and at least two preprocessing stages; The method further includes: controlling the transport mechanism to transport the wafer from any of the preprocessing stage or the placement stage to any of the placement stage or the preprocessing stage based on the acquired wafer position information.

[0020] In a second aspect, this application provides a wafer preprocessing apparatus, the apparatus comprising: A controller configured to perform the wafer preprocessing transfer method as described in any one of the first aspects.

[0021] The above-described one or more embodiments of this application have at least one or more of the following beneficial effects: In implementing the technical solution of this application, by acquiring the position information of the wafer on the placement platform, the transport mechanism of the wafer preprocessing device is precisely controlled to pick up the wafer and adjust its center alignment. When the center of the wafer coincides with the center of the preprocessing platform, the wafer is placed on the preprocessing platform, thus achieving precise positioning of the wafer center and ensuring the accuracy of the subsequent wafer picking by the vacuum robot on the preprocessing platform.

[0022] Additional aspects and advantages of this application will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0023] The disclosure of this application will become more readily understood with reference to the accompanying drawings. It will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that these drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Furthermore, similar numbers in the drawings are used to denote similar components, wherein: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a wafer preprocessing apparatus according to one embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a flowchart of the main steps of a wafer preprocessing and transfer method according to one embodiment of this application; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the specific structure of a wafer preprocessing apparatus according to one embodiment of this application; Figure 4 This is a flowchart of the main steps in controlling the handling of wafers in a wafer preprocessing and transfer method according to one embodiment of this application; Figure 5This is a flowchart of the main steps of wafer center positioning in a wafer preprocessing transfer method according to one embodiment of this application; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the connecting arm in its initial position according to one embodiment of this application; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the connecting arm in a first position according to one embodiment of this application; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure in one embodiment of this application, showing the wafer center coinciding with the preprocessing stage center; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a wafer processing apparatus according to one embodiment of this application.

[0024] Figures 1 to 9 The following reference numerals are included: 100. Place the platform; 200. Handling mechanism; 201. Drive assembly; 2013. Translation drive component; 2014. Rotating component; 202. First handling assembly; 2021. Connecting arm; 2022. Handling component; 203. First axis; 204. Second axis; 300. Pre-processing platform; 400. Position acquisition device; 500. Receiving mechanism; 501. Second handling assembly; 502. Wafer stage; 600. Processing device; 601. Third transport assembly; 602. Processing sub-chamber. Detailed Implementation

[0025] Some embodiments of this application are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art should understand that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the technical principles of this application and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application.

[0026] As described in the background section, in existing wafer preprocessing transfer processes, precise wafer positioning cannot be achieved using the preprocessing stage, leading to difficulties in subsequent processing steps when removing wafers from the preprocessing stage. Therefore, this application proposes a wafer preprocessing transfer method to achieve precise positioning between the wafer center and the preprocessing stage center.

[0027] See attached Figure 1 The diagram shows a schematic of a wafer preprocessing apparatus. The wafer preprocessing apparatus includes a placement stage 100, a transport mechanism 200, and a preprocessing stage 300. The transport mechanism 200 is used to transport wafers between the placement stage 100 and the preprocessing stage 300.

[0028] See appendix Figure 2 , Figure 2This is a schematic flowchart illustrating the main steps of a wafer preprocessing transfer method according to an embodiment of this application. The method mainly includes steps S10-S20: Step S10: Obtain the position information of the wafer to be transferred to the preprocessing stage 300 on the placement stage 100; Step S20: Based on the position information, control the handling mechanism 200 to handle the wafer, and determine when the center of the wafer coincides with the center of the preprocessing stage 300, place the wafer on the preprocessing stage 300.

[0029] Based on the above steps, by acquiring the position information of the wafer on the placement stage 100, the transport mechanism 200 of the wafer preprocessing device is precisely controlled to pick up the wafer and adjust its center alignment. When the center of the wafer coincides with the center of the preprocessing stage 300, the wafer is placed on the preprocessing stage 300, thus achieving precise positioning of the wafer center and ensuring the subsequent wafer picking accuracy of the vacuum robot on the preprocessing stage 300.

[0030] In one embodiment, reference Figure 1 and Figure 3 In the wafer preprocessing apparatus proposed in this application: The conveying mechanism 200 includes a drive assembly 201 and at least one set of first conveying assemblies 202; each set of first conveying assemblies 202 corresponds to a set of placement platforms 100 and pre-processing platforms 300. For any set of first transport assembly 202, the first transport assembly 202 includes a connecting arm 2021 and a transport component 2022; one end of the connecting arm 2021 is mounted on the driving end of the driving assembly 201, and the other end is provided with the transport component 2022, which is used to move or place the wafer on the corresponding placement stage 100 or preprocessing stage 300. In this application, the transport component 2022 is rotatably mounted on the connecting arm 2021, which can realize the movement of the wafer over a larger range and facilitate the adjustment of the wafer's position to achieve precise positioning of the wafer's center with the center of the preprocessing stage 300.

[0031] Based on the above wafer preprocessing apparatus, reference Figure 4 Step S20 specifically includes the following steps: S201: Based on the position information, control the transport component 2022 to move the wafer located on the placement stage 100, and control the drive component 201 to drive the connecting arm 2021 to rotate and / or move in a straight line, so as to move the wafer on the transport component 2022 toward the preprocessing stage 300. S202: When the center of the wafer coincides with the center of the preprocessing stage 300, the control transfer unit 2022 places the wafer onto the preprocessing stage 300.

[0032] Based on the above steps S201-S202, wafer handling can be achieved by controlling the lateral movement and rotation of the drive connecting arm 2021. This eliminates the need for a multi-segment robotic arm structure, simplifying the design, improving handling stability, and saving costs. In this embodiment, the straight line direction is consistent with the direction in which the wafer preprocessing device transports the wafer; this can be understood as the placement stage 100 facing the corresponding preprocessing stage 300, facilitating stable wafer handling. In practical use, the straight line direction can be set according to the wafer handling route.

[0033] The transport component 2022 can be a robotic arm that lifts and transports the wafer; or the transport component 2022 can be a vacuum chuck that picks up or places the wafer to transport it.

[0034] In one possible implementation, for determining how to ensure the center of the wafer coincides with the center of the preprocessing stage 300, refer to... Figure 5 Specifically, it includes the following steps: S301. Obtain geometric information when the center of the transport component 2022 coincides with the center of the preprocessing platform 300. S302, drive the transport component 2022 to move above the wafer on the placement stage 100 and move the wafer, rotate the transport component 2022 to align the center of the wafer with the axis of the connecting arm 2021 and set it as the first position. S303. Obtain the geometric information of the connecting arm 2021 relative to the center of the wafer at the first position; S304. Based on the geometric information of the center of the transport component 2022 coinciding with the center of the preprocessing stage 300 and the geometric information of the connecting arm 2021 and the center of the wafer at the first position, calculate the second position of the connecting arm 2021; wherein, at the second position, the center of the wafer coincides with the center of the preprocessing stage 300.

[0035] Based on the above steps S301-S304, by utilizing the geometric relationship between the center positions of the transport component 2022, the connecting arm 2021, and the preprocessing stage 300, it is possible to adjust the transport component 2022 so that the center of the wafer coincides with the center of the preprocessing stage 300 when transporting the wafer to the preprocessing stage 300, thus achieving precise positioning of the center. In one possible implementation, refer to... Figures 5-8In the wafer preprocessing apparatus of this application, the driving assembly 201 includes a translational driving member 2013 and a rotating member 2014. The rotating member 2014 is mounted on the driving end of the translational driving member 2013, and the translational driving member 2013 can drive the rotating member 2014 to move along a straight line (X direction in the figure). The connecting arm 2021 is disposed on the rotating member 2014 and rotates around the rotation axis of the rotating member 2014, and the rotation axis of the rotating member 2014 is perpendicular to the straight line direction.

[0036] Based on the specific structure of the aforementioned wafer preprocessing apparatus, the initial position, the first position, and the second position are confirmed.

[0037] First, identify the specific geometric lines and points of each component in the conveying mechanism 200: determine the first axis 203 on the translation drive 2013, wherein the first axis 203 is in the first direction and passes through the rotation axis of the rotating component 2014; determine the axis of the connecting arm 2021 in the length direction as the second axis 204, wherein the first axis 203 and the second axis 204 are in the same plane and the intersection of the first axis 203 and the second axis 204 is on the rotation axis of the rotating component 2014; determine a point on the second axis 204 near one end of the conveying component 2022 as the first endpoint A, and determine the intersection of the first axis 203 and the second axis 204 as the second endpoint B; Specifically, regarding the confirmation of the initial position: The translation drive 2013 drives the rotation drive 2014 to move in a straight line and / or controls the rotation drive 2014 to drive the connecting arm 2021 to rotate so that the first end point A on the connecting arm 2021 coincides with the center of the pre-processing stage 300, and controls the center of the transport component 2022 to coincide with the first end point A. When the first endpoint A coincides with the center of the preprocessing stage 300, the position of the connecting arm 2021 is the initial position, that is, the initial position is when the connecting arm 2021 is in... Figure 5 The location shown in the middle; Specifically, regarding the confirmation of the first position: Based on the wafer's position information, the translation drive 2013 drives the rotation drive 2014 to move in a straight line and / or controls the rotation drive 2014 to drive the connecting arm 2021 to rotate so as to move the transport drive 2022 to move the wafer located on the placement stage 100; when moving the wafer, the center of the transport drive 2022 does not necessarily coincide with the center of the wafer, it is only necessary to pick up the wafer; The control component 2022 is rotated to align the center of the wafer with the second axis 204. When the center of the wafer is aligned with the second axis 204, the connecting arm 2021 is positioned at the first position. That is, the first position is when the connecting arm 2021 is in... Figure 6 The location shown in the middle; Specifically, regarding the confirmation of the second position: When the transport component 2022 is in the initial position, the distance L from the first endpoint A to the second endpoint B of the connecting arm 2021, the vertical distance M from the first endpoint A to the first axis 203, and the angle α between the first axis and the second axis can be obtained at the initial position. When the transport component 2022 is in the first position, it can obtain the distance r from the center of the wafer to the first endpoint A at the first position of the connecting arm 2021; Based on the distance L from the first endpoint A to the second endpoint B of the connecting arm 2021 at its initial position, the perpendicular distance M from the first endpoint A to the first axis 203, the angle α between the first axis 203 and the second axis 204, and the distance r from the center of the wafer to the first endpoint A at the first position of the connecting arm 2021, the second position of the connecting arm 2021 is calculated; wherein, at the second position, the center of the wafer coincides with the center of the preprocessing stage 300, that is, the second position is the position of the connecting arm 2021 at... Figure 7 The location shown in the middle; The second position includes the distance x moved along the extension direction of the first axis from the initial position and the angle β between the first axis and the second axis. The specific calculation is as follows: With connecting arm 2021 in its initial position, we can obtain sinα = M / L; When the connecting arm 2021 is in the first position, since the distance L from the first endpoint A to the second endpoint B is a fixed length and remains constant, and the center of the wafer is on the same straight line as the second axis 204, the distance from the center of the wafer to the second endpoint B can be obtained as L+r. Therefore, based on geometric relationships, it can be calculated that in order for the center of the wafer to coincide with the center of the preprocessing stage 300, the connecting arm 2021 at the second position needs to satisfy: β=arcsin(M / (L+r)); x=(L+r)cosβ-Lcosα.

[0038] Based on the calculation results of the second position mentioned above, refer to Figure 7 In this process, it is only necessary to control the translation drive 2013 to drive the rotation drive 2014 to move a distance x in the first direction from the initial position (the dashed connecting arm 2021 is in the initial position, realizing the connecting arm 2021 in the second position). The rotation drive 2014 to drive the connecting arm 2021 to rotate so that the angle between the second axis 204 and the first axis 203 is β, so that the center of the wafer coincides with the center of the preprocessing stage 300.

[0039] Based on the confirmation of the initial position, the first position, and the second position, this method, during implementation, controls the translation drive 2013 to drive the rotating component 2014 to move in a straight line and controls the rotating component 2014 to drive the connecting arm 2021 to rotate, thereby determining and transporting the wafer at the initial position, the first position, and the second position. Furthermore, by using the geometric information obtained at the initial position and the first position, the position at which the center of the wafer coincides with the center of the preprocessing stage 300 when it is finally transported to the preprocessing stage 300 can be determined, thus achieving precise positioning.

[0040] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: if the center position of the preprocessing stage 300 changes, then the geometric information of the connecting arm 2021 at the initial position relative to the translation drive 2013 and the rotating member 2014 is re-acquired, that is, the α angle is redefined and calculated.

[0041] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: establishing a coordinate system to determine the position information and geometric relationships of each point and component. Specifically, establishing a coordinate system to determine the position coordinate information of each point, for example, in the initial position of the connecting arm 2021, the coordinates of the first endpoint A are determined to be (a0, b0); in the first position of the connecting arm 2021, the coordinates of the wafer center are determined to be (m, n). Based on the coordinates, the coordinates of the wafer center are transformed into (m1, n1) by rotating the transport component 2022. At this time, the wafer center (m1, n1) is on the same straight line as the second axis 204; in the second position, by controlling the connecting arm 2021 to move or rotate along the first direction, the coordinates of the wafer center in the second position coincide with (a0, b0), thus achieving the alignment of the wafer center with the center of the preprocessing stage 300. By establishing a coordinate system, it is convenient to control the movement of each component of the transport mechanism 200 to the corresponding position, and it is also convenient to confirm the position of each point and calculate the geometric relationships.

[0042] It's important to understand that for the established coordinate system, each platform can function as a separate coordinate system, which can then be stitched together during calculations. Alternatively, the entire preprocessing unit can be treated as a single coordinate system for comprehensive calculations. In practice, the installation method can be chosen based on specific requirements.

[0043] In one embodiment, reference Figure 3 The wafer preprocessing apparatus also includes at least one position acquisition device 400; the preprocessing transmission method further includes: acquiring the position information of the wafer and each component in the wafer preprocessing apparatus through the position acquisition device 400.

[0044] In one possible implementation, the position acquisition device 400 can be one or more. For example, each placement stage 100 and each preprocessing stage 300 may have one position acquisition device 400 on one side. Multiple position acquisition devices 400 can respectively acquire the position information of components or wafers on their respective stage. Since each stage is equipped with a position acquisition device 400, the acquired position information will be clearer. Alternatively, the entire wafer preprocessing unit may have only one position acquisition device 400 placed on top, allowing direct acquisition of global position information and facilitating direct calculation of position and geometric relationships. Specifically, the position acquisition device 400 can be an optical camera, used for real-time image recognition.

[0045] In one embodiment, reference Figure 3 The wafer preprocessing apparatus has at least two preprocessing stages 300, each capable of processing two wafers simultaneously. It is equipped with at least two placement stages 100 and at least two sets of first transport components 202, the same number as the preprocessing stages 300. Multiple preprocessing stages 300 and multiple placement stages 100 can also transfer wafers from any preprocessing stage 300 or placement stage 100 to any placement stage 100 or preprocessing stage 300 via a transport mechanism 200, saving transport time and improving wafer transport and preprocessing efficiency. It should be understood that the same drive component 201 can simultaneously drive multiple sets of first transport components 202, or multiple drive components 201 can be configured to each drive one set of first transport components 202, depending on the actual production structure requirements. This application does not limit the specific number of drive components.

[0046] It should be understood that the wafer preprocessing transfer method of this application also includes transferring the processed wafer from the preprocessing stage 300 back to the placement stage 100, and controlling the transport mechanism 200 to transport the wafer on the preprocessing stage 300 to the placement stage 100 for removal. The control process of the transport mechanism 200 is based on the actual position and target position of the wafer, and the specific repetitions will not be described again.

[0047] Furthermore, this application provides a wafer preprocessing apparatus, the apparatus comprising: The controller is configured to perform the wafer preprocessing transfer method as described above.

[0048] In one embodiment, the controller includes a memory, one or more processors, and one or more applications, wherein the one or more applications are stored in the memory and are configured to, when invoked by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method as described in any of the preceding technical solutions.

[0049] The memory can be configured to store a program for executing the methods of the above-described method embodiments, and the processor can be configured to execute the program in the memory, including but not limited to programs for executing the methods of the above-described method embodiments. For ease of explanation, only the parts related to the embodiments of this application are shown; for specific technical details not disclosed, please refer to the method section of the embodiments of this application.

[0050] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the processes in the method of the above-described embodiment can also be implemented by a computer program instructing related hardware. The computer program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, and when executed by a processor, it can implement the steps of the various method embodiments described above. The computer program includes computer program code, which can be in the form of source code, object code, executable file, or some intermediate form. The computer-readable storage medium can include any entity or device capable of carrying the computer program code, a medium, a USB flash drive, a portable hard drive, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a computer memory, a read-only memory, a random access memory, an electrical carrier signal, a telecommunication signal, and a software distribution medium, etc. It should be noted that the content included in the computer-readable storage medium can be appropriately added or removed according to the requirements of legislation and patent practice in the jurisdiction. For example, in some jurisdictions, according to legislation and patent practice, the computer-readable storage medium does not include electrical carrier signals and telecommunication signals.

[0051] Further, refer to Figure 8 This application provides a wafer processing apparatus, which includes a controller and the aforementioned wafer preprocessing device, and further includes: The receiving mechanism 500 is located on the side close to the placement stage 100. The receiving mechanism 500 includes a second handling component 501 and a plurality of wafer stages 502. The processing device 600 is located on the side near the pre-processing stage 300. The processing device 600 includes a third transport assembly 601 and several processing sub-chambers 602.

[0052] Based on the aforementioned wafer processing equipment, the controller controls the execution of the following methods: The second transport component 501 is controlled to transport the wafers on the wafer stage 502 to the placement stage 100; The control and transport mechanism 200 transports the wafer placed on the stage 100 to the preprocessing stage 300, and makes the center of the wafer coincide with the center of the preprocessing stage 300. The third transport component 601 is controlled to transport the wafers on the preprocessing stage 300 to each processing sub-chamber 602 for corresponding processing.

[0053] Control methods also include: The third transport component 601 is controlled to transport the processed wafers in each processing sub-chamber 602 to the pre-processing stage 300. The control and handling mechanism 200 transports the wafers on the pre-processing stage 300 to the placement stage 100; The second transport component 501 is controlled to transport the wafer placed on the stage 100 back to the wafer stage 502.

[0054] The second handling component 501 can be an atmospheric manipulator, and the third handling component 601 can be a dual-arm vacuum manipulator; both the second handling component 501 and the third handling component 601 can be one or more.

[0055] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0056] 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.

[0057] Although embodiments of this application have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting this application. Those skilled in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of this application.

Claims

1. A wafer preprocessing transfer method, applied to a wafer preprocessing apparatus, characterized in that, The wafer preprocessing apparatus includes a placement stage (100), a transport mechanism (200), and a preprocessing stage (300), and the method includes: Obtain the position information of the wafer to be transferred to the preprocessing stage (300) on the placement stage (100); Based on the location information, the transport mechanism (200) is controlled to transport the wafer, and when the center of the wafer coincides with the center of the preprocessing stage (300), the wafer is placed on the preprocessing stage (300).

2. The wafer preprocessing and transfer method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conveying mechanism (200) includes a drive assembly (201), a connecting arm (2021), and a conveying component (2022). One end of the connecting arm (2021) is mounted on the drive end of the drive assembly (201), and the other end is provided with the rotatable conveying component (2022). The method includes: Based on the location information, the transport component (2022) is controlled to move the wafer located on the placement stage (100), and the drive component (201) is controlled to drive the connecting arm (2021) to rotate and / or move in a straight line, so as to move the wafer on the transport component (2022) toward the preprocessing stage (300). When the center of the wafer coincides with the center of the preprocessing stage (300), the transporter (2022) is controlled to place the wafer onto the preprocessing stage (300).

3. The wafer preprocessing and transfer method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The method includes: Obtain geometric information when the center of the transport component (2022) coincides with the center of the preprocessing platform (300); Drive the transport component (2022) to move it above the wafer on the placement platform (100) and move the wafer. Rotate the transport component (2022) to align the center of the wafer with the axis of the connecting arm (2021) and set it as the first position. Obtain the geometric information of the connecting arm (2021) at the first position relative to the center of the wafer; Based on the geometric information of the center of the transport component (2022) coinciding with the center of the preprocessing stage (300) and the geometric information of the connecting arm (2021) at the first position and the center of the wafer, the second position of the connecting arm (2021) is calculated; wherein, at the second position, the center of the wafer coincides with the center of the preprocessing stage (300).

4. The wafer preprocessing and transfer method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The drive assembly (201) includes a translation drive (2013) and a rotating component (2014), the rotating component (2014) being mounted on the translation drive (2013), and the connecting arm (2021) rotating around the rotating component (2014); The step of obtaining the geometric information when the center of the transport component (2022) coincides with the center of the preprocessing platform (300) includes: The translation drive (2013) is controlled to drive the rotating component (2014) to move in a straight line, and / or the rotating component (2014) is controlled to drive the connecting arm (2021) to rotate so as to move the connecting arm (2021) to the initial position; Obtain the geometric information of the connecting arm (2021) with the translation drive (2013) and the rotating member (2014) at the initial position.

5. The wafer preprocessing and transfer method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The step of aligning the center of the wafer with the axis of the connecting arm (2021) in a straight line and defining it as the first position includes: Based on the wafer's position information, the translation drive (2013) is controlled to drive the rotation member (2014) to move in a straight line, and / or the rotation member (2014) is controlled to drive the connecting arm (2021) to rotate so that the transport member (2022) can move the wafer located on the placement stage (100) to a first position; wherein, at the first position, the center of the wafer is on the same straight line as the axis of the connecting arm (2021).

6. The wafer preprocessing and transfer method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The method includes: controlling the translation drive (2013) to drive the rotating component (2014) to move in a straight line based on the second position and / or controlling the rotating component (2014) to drive the connecting arm (2021) to rotate so that the center of the wafer on the transport component (2022) coincides with the center of the preprocessing stage (300).

7. The wafer preprocessing transfer method according to any one of claims 4-6, characterized in that, The method includes: The axis of the linear movement direction of the translation drive (2013) is defined as the first axis (203), wherein the first axis (203) passes through the rotation axis of the rotating component (2014); The axis of the connecting arm (2021) in the length direction is determined as the second axis (204), wherein the first axis (203) and the second axis (204) are in the same plane and the intersection of the first axis (203) and the second axis (204) is on the rotation axis of the rotating component (2014); A point on the second axis (204) near the end of the transport component (2022) is designated as the first endpoint; The center of the control component (2022), the first end point on the connecting arm (2021), and the center of the pretreatment platform (300) are all aligned; When the center of the transport component (2022) coincides with the center of the pretreatment platform (300), the position of the connecting arm (2021) is the initial position.

8. The wafer preprocessing and transfer method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The step of obtaining the geometric information of the connecting arm (2021) relative to the translation drive (2013) and the rotating member (2014) at the initial position includes: The intersection of the first axis (203) and the second axis (204) is determined as the second endpoint; Obtain the distance from the first endpoint to the second endpoint, the vertical distance from the first endpoint to the first axis (203), and the angle between the first axis (203) and the second axis (204) of the connecting arm (2021) at the initial position.

9. The wafer preprocessing and transfer method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The method includes: controlling the transport component (2022) to move above the wafer on the placement stage (100) and moving the wafer, and rotating the transport component (2022) to make the center of the wafer and the second axis (204) collinear; When the center of the wafer is determined to be on the same straight line as the second axis (204), the position of the connecting arm (2021) is the first position; The step of obtaining the geometric information of the connecting arm (2021) at the first position relative to the center of the wafer includes: obtaining the distance from the center of the wafer to the first endpoint at the first position of the connecting arm (2021).

10. The wafer preprocessing transfer method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The method includes: Based on the distance from the first endpoint to the second endpoint of the connecting arm (2021) at the initial position, the vertical distance from the first endpoint to the first axis (203), the angle between the first axis (203) and the second axis (204), and the distance from the center of the wafer to the first endpoint of the connecting arm (2021) at the first position, the second position of the connecting arm (2021) is calculated; wherein, the calculation of the second position includes the distance offset from the initial position in the extension direction of the first axis (203) and the angle between the first axis (203) and the second axis (204).

11. The wafer preprocessing transfer method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The method includes: The first length is determined by the sum of the distance from the first endpoint to the second endpoint of the connecting arm (2021) at the initial position and the distance from the center of the wafer to the first endpoint of the connecting arm (2021) at the first position. Based on the arcsine of the ratio of the vertical distance from the first endpoint of the connecting arm (2021) to the first axis (203) to the first length at the initial position, the angle between the first axis (203) and the second axis (204) of the connecting arm (2021) at the second position is obtained; The angle between the first axis (203) and the second axis (204) of the connecting arm (2021) at the initial position is determined as the first angle, and the product of the cosine value of the first angle and the distance from the first end point to the second end point of the connecting arm (2021) at the initial position is the second length. The angle between the first axis (203) and the second axis (204) of the connecting arm (2021) at the second position is determined as the second angle, and the product of the cosine of the second angle and the first length is the third length; Based on the difference between the third length and the second length, the distance by which the connecting arm (2021) is offset in the direction of the first axis (203) from the initial position is obtained.

12. The wafer preprocessing transfer method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The method further includes: if the center position of the preprocessing stage (300) changes, then re-acquire the geometric information when the center of the transport component (2022) coincides with the center of the preprocessing stage (300).

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