A handoff device

Abstract

The application provides a wafer handling device, and relates to the technical field of semiconductors, which comprises a driving mechanism and a wafer plate connected with the driving mechanism, a plurality of wafer rods are fixedly arranged on the wafer plate, the wafer rods are internally hollow and arranged for vacuumizing, and the end of the wafer rod away from the wafer plate is used for receiving a wafer, the wafer plate is driven to move in a first direction by the driving mechanism, so that the wafer rod receives the wafer; the device further comprises a measuring mechanism for measuring the position of the wafer plate. The wafer plate and the wafer rod are raised or lowered by the driving mechanism, the wafer is received by the wafer rod, the position of the wafer is measured by the measuring mechanism, position feedback is realized, and the position of the wafer plate can be readjusted according to the position feedback; the overall structure is compact, the movement is simple, the response is fast, and the control precision is high.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of semiconductor technology, and more specifically to a wafer transfer device. Background Technology

[0002] The fine stage in a lithography machine is one of the core subsystems for achieving nanometer-level lithography precision. It is primarily used for ultra-high precision six-degree-of-freedom dynamic adjustment of the silicon wafer during exposure, ensuring that each circuit pattern is precisely aligned with the previous layer. Its performance directly determines the overlay accuracy and resolution of the lithography machine, making it one of the most technically challenging components in high-end lithography equipment. The wafer transfer device, mounted on the fine stage, is used for receiving, transferring, and fixing the wafer during exposure. Current wafer transfer devices suffer from complex structures, slow response speeds, and low control precision, impacting the overall performance of lithography. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this application is to provide a transfer plate device that is compact, fast-responding, and has high control precision.

[0004] In one aspect of this application, a wafer transfer device is provided, comprising: a driving mechanism and a wafer receiving plate connected to the driving mechanism, wherein a plurality of wafer receiving rods are fixedly disposed on the wafer receiving plate, the wafer receiving rods are hollow inside for vacuuming, and the ends of the wafer receiving rods away from the wafer receiving plate are used to receive wafers, and the wafer receiving plate is driven to move along a first direction by the driving mechanism so that the wafer receiving rods receive the wafers; the device also includes a measuring mechanism for measuring the position of the wafer receiving plate.

[0005] Optionally, an air passage is formed on the receiving plate, and a connector for connecting an external air pump is also provided on the receiving plate. The connector, the air passage, and the receiving rod are connected in sequence.

[0006] Optionally, the plurality of connecting rods are evenly distributed on the same circumference, and the ends of the plurality of connecting rods away from the connecting plate are coplanar.

[0007] Optionally, it also includes a base plate, the fixed end of the drive mechanism is fixed on the base plate, and the drive end of the drive mechanism is connected to the receiving plate.

[0008] Optionally, the measuring mechanism includes a grating ruler disposed on the plate, the reading head of the grating ruler being vertically connected to the base plate along the first direction, and the grating ruler being used to measure the position of the plate relative to the base plate.

[0009] Optionally, it also includes a guiding mechanism, which includes a slide rail perpendicularly disposed on the base plate along the first direction and a slider disposed on the receiving plate. The receiving plate is guided to move by the cooperation between the slider and the slide rail.

[0010] Optionally, elastic tension members are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the drive mechanism, and the two ends of the elastic tension members are respectively connected to the connecting plate and the base plate.

[0011] Optionally, it may also include a soft limiting mechanism and a mechanical limiting mechanism to constrain the movement of the slider.

[0012] Optionally, the soft limiting mechanism includes two photoelectric switches and a light-blocking plate. The light-blocking plate is fixed on the slider. The two photoelectric switches are arranged opposite each other along the first direction and connected to the base plate through a mounting seat. By moving the slider, the light-blocking plate blocks the two photoelectric switches respectively, thereby limiting the movement of the slider to a first position and a second position.

[0013] Optionally, the mechanical limiting mechanism includes at least two blocks arranged opposite each other along the first direction, and when the slider moves along the slide rail in the first direction, the blocks block the movement of the slider.

[0014] The wafer transfer device provided in this application embodiment realizes the raising or lowering of the wafer transfer plate and the wafer transfer rod through the driving mechanism, realizes the receiving of the wafer through the wafer transfer rod, and also realizes the position of the wafer transfer plate through the measuring mechanism to realize position feedback, and can readjust the position of the wafer transfer plate according to the position feedback; the overall structure is compact, the movement is simple, the response is fast and the control precision is high. Attached Figure Description

[0015] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments of this application will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this application and should not be regarded as a limitation of the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0016] Figure 1 This is one of the structural schematic diagrams of the junction plate device provided in this embodiment; Figure 2 This is the second schematic diagram of the junction plate device provided in this embodiment; Figure 3 This is the third schematic diagram of the junction plate device provided in this embodiment; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the receiving plate structure of the transfer plate device provided in this embodiment; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the guide mechanism structure of the transfer piece device provided in this embodiment.

[0017] Icons: 10-Base plate; 11-Drive mechanism; 12-Connecting plate; 120-Air passage; 13-Connecting rod; 130-Suction cup; 140-Grating ruler; 141-Grating ruler fixing plate; 142-Reading head; 143-Reading head fixing component; 151-Support column; 152-Elastic tension component; 153-Connector; 154-Hanging part; 160-Slider mounting plate; 161-Slide rail; 162-Slider; 163-Slider mounting component; 170-Mounting base; 171-Photoelectric switch; 172-Light blocking plate; 173-Stop block; F1-First direction; F2-Second direction. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0019] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the terms "inner" and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly used when the product is in use. They are used only for the convenience of describing this application and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used only to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0020] It should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "setup" and "connection" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0021] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, this application embodiment provides a wafer transfer device, including: a driving mechanism 11 and a wafer receiving plate 12 connected to the driving mechanism 11. A plurality of wafer receiving rods 13 are fixedly passed through the wafer receiving plate 12. The wafer receiving rods 13 are hollow inside for vacuuming. The ends of the wafer receiving rods 13 away from the wafer receiving plate 12 are used to receive or support the wafers. The driving mechanism 11 drives the wafer receiving plate 12 to move along a first direction F1 so that the wafer receiving rods 13 receive or support the wafers. It also includes a measuring mechanism for measuring the position of the wafer receiving plate 12.

[0022] The drive mechanism 11 provides power for the movement of the wafer mount 12, driving the wafer mount 12 to move up and down along the first direction F1. Multiple wafer mount rods 13 are mounted on the wafer mount 12, and the wafer mount rods 13 are fixedly integrated with the wafer mount 12. When the drive mechanism 11 drives the wafer mount 12 to move, the wafer mount rods 13 synchronously move up and down along the first direction F1. A vacuum is drawn inside the wafer mount rods 13, allowing the upper end of the wafer mount rods away from the wafer mount 12 to receive or support the wafer.

[0023] When the device is not in operation, the receiving plate 12 is at the bottom; when in operation, the drive mechanism 11 will drive the receiving plate 12 to rise and stop when it reaches the set position.

[0024] When the wafer transfer device of this application is working, the wafer is transferred by an external robot arm to the top of the wafer receiving rod 13. The drive mechanism 11 drives the wafer receiving plate 12 to rise and stop at the set position. The wafer receiving rod 13 rises synchronously, adsorbs and lifts the wafer from the bottom and lifts it away from the robot arm. After the wafer is separated from the robot arm, the robot arm is withdrawn. Then the drive mechanism 11 drives the wafer receiving rod 13 to move downward. When the lower surface of the wafer contacts the upper surface of the suction cup of the wafer receiving rod 13, the wafer receiving rod 13 releases the vacuum adsorption of the wafer. At the same time, the suction cup receives the wafer, and the vacuum adsorption function on the suction cup is activated to adsorb and fix the wafer. The wafer receiving rod 13 continues to move up and down to the preset position and separates from the wafer, thus completing the task of receiving the wafer. After the wafer has been exposed on the chuck, the chuck releases its grip on the wafer, and the wafer receiving rod 13 lifts it from the bottom up to a preset height to separate it from the chuck. Once the wafer receiving rod 13 has been lifted to the preset height, the external robot arm receives the exposed wafer, and the wafer receiving rod 13 releases its grip on the wafer and moves downward to reset, or receives the next wafer.

[0025] It should be noted that the chuck of the wafer receiving rod 13 can be used to pick up the wafer. Its purpose is to ensure that the wafer does not shift or tilt during the lifting process. Since the wafer transferred by the external robotic arm has already undergone pre-alignment and alignment steps, its positional accuracy has been checked. After the wafer receiving rod 13 receives the wafer, it initiates vacuum adsorption to prevent wafer displacement. The upper surface of the wafer is coated with photoresist. The photoresist-coated upper surface of the wafer must not come into contact with any other components to avoid damaging the photolithography surface and affecting exposure. Therefore, the wafer is transported before exposure by supporting the lower surface of the wafer.

[0026] Both the measuring mechanism and the driving mechanism can be connected to the control component. The measuring mechanism measures the position of the contact plate 12 and feeds it back to the control component. The control component controls the driving mechanism according to the feedback position, thereby controlling the contact plate 12 to be driven to a new position, achieving the purpose of precise control.

[0027] Therefore, the wafer transfer device provided in this application embodiment realizes the raising or lowering of the wafer transfer plate 12 and the wafer transfer rod 13 through the driving mechanism 11, realizes the receiving and vacuum adsorption of the wafer through the wafer transfer rod 13, and also realizes the position of the wafer transfer plate 12 through the measuring mechanism to realize position feedback, and can readjust the position of the wafer transfer plate 12 according to the position feedback; the overall structure is compact, the movement is simple, the response is fast and the control precision is high.

[0028] An air passage 120 is formed on the receiving plate 12, and a connector 153 for connecting an external air pump is also provided on the receiving plate 12. The connector 153, the air passage 120 and the receiving rod 13 are connected in sequence.

[0029] For example, such as Figure 4 As shown, the receiving plate 12 has a triangular structure. The air passages 120 on the receiving plate 12 are Y-shaped air passages, forming three interconnected air passages 120. There are three corresponding receiving rods 13. The three receiving rods 13 are fixed within the three air passages 120 of the Y-shaped air passage. Two of the receiving rods 13 are located at the top of two air passages 120 of the Y-shaped air passage, and the other receiving rod 13 is located approximately in the middle of the remaining air passage 120.

[0030] The triangular bonding plate 12 and the resulting Y-shaped air passages allow the three bonding rods 13 to be positioned at the three vertices of the triangular bonding plate 12, forming an isosceles or equilateral triangle layout. The triangular geometric structure provides good stability and facilitates center of gravity balance. The three bonding rods 13 can be symmetrically subjected to forces, effectively resisting lateral forces and vibrations, preventing bending or instability, and facilitating manufacturing and control while simultaneously meeting the requirements of rigidity and space efficiency. A connector 153 is located on one side of one of the air passages 120 and communicates with that passage. The connector 153 is used to communicate with a vacuum pump. When the vacuum pump is activated to create a vacuum, the connector 153 and air passage 120 are used to create a vacuum inside the bonding rod 13, allowing the bonding rod 13 to hold the wafer.

[0031] Furthermore, for the connecting rod 13, multiple connecting rods 13 are evenly distributed on the same circumference, and the ends of multiple connecting rods 13 away from the connecting plate 12 are coplanar.

[0032] Multiple bonding rods 13 are evenly distributed on the same circumference to match the circular wafer, ensuring that all bonding rods 13 can contact the wafer and guaranteeing the reliability and stability of wafer adsorption. The coplanar top surfaces of the bonding rods 13 are also designed to keep the wafer horizontal during adsorption, preventing it from tilting and falling due to non-coplanar top surfaces of the bonding rods 13, further improving the reliability of wafer adsorption.

[0033] In addition, a suction cup 130 can be provided at the end of the bonding rod 13 away from the bonding plate 12. The material is PEEK or Teflon. When vacuuming, the vacuum suction cup 130 is formed to adsorb the wafer. The use of the vacuum suction cup 130 does not damage the wafer surface.

[0034] It also includes a base plate 10, the fixed end of the drive mechanism 11 is fixed on the base plate 10, and the drive end of the drive mechanism 11 is connected to the connector plate 12. For example, the drive mechanism 11 includes a voice coil motor, the magnet of the voice coil motor is mounted on the connector plate 12, and the coil of the voice coil motor is mounted on the base plate 10. The coil arrangement on the base plate 10 facilitates wiring.

[0035] A voice coil motor is a direct drive motor that directly converts electrical energy into linear or finite-angle mechanical motion. It features simple structure, fast response, high positioning accuracy, and large acceleration. Its working principle is based on the Ampere force principle: when a current-carrying coil is placed in a magnetic field, it experiences a force proportional to the current, thus producing linear or rotational motion. The direction of motion is determined by the direction of the current; controlling the magnitude and direction of the current allows for precise control of the output force and displacement.

[0036] The measuring mechanism includes a grating ruler 140 mounted on the receiving plate 12. The reading head 142 of the grating ruler 140 is vertically connected to the base plate 10 along the first direction F1. When the receiving plate 12 moves, the grating ruler 140 is used to measure the position of the receiving plate 12 relative to the base plate 10 and provide position feedback.

[0037] Specifically, the grating ruler 140 is connected to the receiving plate 12 through the grating ruler fixing plate 141, the reading head fixing member 143 is vertically fixed on the base plate 10, and the reading head 142 is fixed on the reading head fixing member 143.

[0038] To ensure the installation accuracy of the grating ruler 140, a precision shoulder (or shaft shoulder, which is a stepped surface formed by the dimensional change of the end of the grating ruler 12 at the position of the grating ruler 140) can be designed on the connecting plate 12. This can ensure that the grating ruler fixing plate 141 is close to the stepped surface of the connecting plate 12, thereby improving the installation accuracy and ensuring the installation accuracy of the grating ruler 140.

[0039] On the other hand, such as Figure 3 , Figure 5 As shown, the transfer plate device also includes a guiding mechanism. The guiding mechanism is located on one side of the base plate 10. The guiding mechanism, the driving mechanism 11 and the receiving plate 12 are arranged opposite to each other on the base plate 10. The guiding mechanism is also positioned at the center of one side of the receiving plate 12 to facilitate centering and guiding the receiving plate 12. The overall layout of the device has also been optimized to improve the overall performance and stability of the device.

[0040] The guiding mechanism includes a slide rail 161 vertically disposed on the base plate 10 along the first direction F1, and a slider 162 disposed on the receiving plate 12. The receiving plate 12 is guided to move by the cooperation between the slider 162 and the slide rail 161.

[0041] The slider 162 is mounted on the receiving plate 12 via the slider mounting plate 160, and the slide rail 161 is mounted on the base plate 10 via the slide rail mounting piece 163. The whole consisting of the slider 162 and the slider mounting plate 160 can move linearly on the slide rail 161. When the drive mechanism 11 drives the receiving plate 12 to move, the receiving plate 12 moves along the slide rail 161 via the slider 162, which plays a guiding role and prevents the receiving plate 12 from deviating from its position.

[0042] Elastic tension members 152 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the drive mechanism 11. The two ends of the elastic tension members 152 are respectively connected to the receiving plate 12 and the base plate 10. The elastic tension members 152 are close to the drive mechanism 11.

[0043] Specifically, the elastic tension member 152 can be a tension spring. Two tension springs are located on both sides of the voice coil motor and are symmetrically arranged, so that the connecting rod 13 can fall back to the lowest position under the action of gravity and spring tension. The tension spring connects the connecting plate 12 and the base plate 10 together through the support column 151. The lower end of the tension spring is hung on the support column 151 on the base plate 10, and the upper end of the tension spring is hung on the hanging part 154 on the connecting plate 12. The hanging part 154 is fixedly connected to the connecting plate 12.

[0044] The elastic tension member 152 is designed to prevent the wafer chuck 13 from being positioned above the chuck after an E-Pin power failure, which could damage other components of the machine. By providing two elastic tension members 152 on both sides of the drive mechanism 11, the wafer chuck 13 can fall back to its lowest position under the action of gravity and spring tension, thereby preventing the wafer chuck 13 from contacting other components.

[0045] In addition, the transfer piece device of this application also includes a soft limiting mechanism and / or a mechanical limiting mechanism to constrain the movement of the slider 162.

[0046] The soft limiting mechanism includes two photoelectric switches 171 and a light-blocking plate 172. The photoelectric switches 171 and the grating ruler 140 are located on both sides of the guide mechanism along the second direction F2 and are close to the guide mechanism. The light-blocking plate 172 is fixed on the slider 162. The two photoelectric switches 171 are arranged opposite each other along the first direction F1 and are perpendicularly connected to the base plate 10 through the mounting base 170. By moving the slider 162, the light-blocking plate 172 blocks the two photoelectric switches 171 respectively, thereby limiting the movement of the slider 162 to the first position and the second position.

[0047] The soft limit is triggered by the light-blocking plate 172 blocking the photoelectric switch 171, and is effective at the lower limit position (second position) and the upper limit position (first position) of the travel respectively. The photoelectric switch 171 is fixed to the mounting base 170 through the mounting hole, which can be an elongated hole, allowing for fine adjustment of the two photoelectric switches 171 up and down along the first direction F1. The mechanical limit mechanism includes at least two stops 173 arranged opposite each other along the first direction F1. When the slider 162 moves along the slide rail 161 along the first direction F1, the stops 173 block the movement of the slider 162.

[0048] The mechanical limiting mechanism of this application includes two sets of blocks 173 arranged opposite each other along the first direction F1. Each set of blocks 173 includes two blocks. The two blocks 173 are fixed on both sides of the slide rail 161 along the second direction F2. When the slider 162 moves on the slide rail 161 along the first direction F1, the movement of the slider 162 is blocked by the blocks 173. The second direction F2 is perpendicular to the first direction F1.

[0049] Mechanical limits the movement of slider 162 via stops 173. Two sets of stops 173 are arranged vertically along the first direction F1 on the slide rail mounting 163. Two stops 173 in the same set are distributed horizontally along the second direction F2 on both sides of the slide rail 161. When slider 162 moves vertically along the slide rail 161, it encounters a stop 173, preventing further movement. Stops 173 can be polyurethane stops. The mechanical limit stroke is slightly greater than the soft limit stroke, and the hard limit stroke is slightly greater than the functional stroke (the theoretically maximum movement limit of slider 162).

[0050] In actual operation, the system uses a soft-limit photoelectric switch 171 to limit the upper and lower limits of the travel. This position range is a preset travel range. Within this range, the voice coil motor drives the PIN (connector rod 13) to move up and down. If an unexpected situation occurs (such as a failure of the photoelectric switch 171) and causes the voice coil motor to move beyond the preset upper and lower limits of the travel, the hard-limit polyurethane stop 173 restricts the movement of the slider 162, thus providing a double safety function.

[0051] The above are merely embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A transfer piece device, characterized in that, include: The device includes a drive mechanism and a wafer receiving plate connected to the drive mechanism. A plurality of wafer receiving rods are fixedly inserted on the wafer receiving plate. The wafer receiving rods are hollow inside for vacuuming. The ends of the wafer receiving rods away from the wafer receiving plate are used to receive wafers. The drive mechanism drives the wafer receiving plate to move in a first direction so that the wafer receiving rods receive the wafers. The device also includes a measuring mechanism for measuring the position of the wafer receiving plate.

2. The transfer piece device according to claim 1, characterized in that, An air passage is formed on the receiving plate, and a connector for connecting an external air pump is also provided on the receiving plate. The connector, the air passage, and the receiving rod are connected in sequence.

3. The transfer piece device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The multiple connecting rods are evenly distributed on the same circumference, and the ends of the multiple connecting rods away from the connecting plate are coplanar.

4. The transfer piece device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, It also includes a base plate, the fixed end of the drive mechanism is fixed on the base plate, and the drive end of the drive mechanism is connected to the receiving plate.

5. The transfer piece device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The measuring mechanism includes a grating ruler disposed on the receiving plate, and the reading head of the grating ruler is perpendicularly connected to the base plate along the first direction. The grating ruler is used to measure the position of the receiving plate relative to the base plate.

6. The transfer piece device according to claim 4, characterized in that, It also includes a guiding mechanism, which includes a slide rail perpendicularly disposed on the base plate along the first direction and a slider disposed on the receiving plate. The receiving plate is guided to move by the cooperation between the slider and the slide rail.

7. The transfer piece device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The drive mechanism is also symmetrically provided with elastic tension members on both sides, and the two ends of the elastic tension members are respectively connected to the connecting plate and the base plate.

8. The transfer piece device according to claim 6, characterized in that, It also includes soft limiting mechanisms and mechanical limiting mechanisms to constrain the movement of the slider.

9. The transfer piece device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The soft limiting mechanism includes two photoelectric switches and a light-blocking plate. The light-blocking plate is fixed on the slider. The two photoelectric switches are arranged opposite each other along the first direction and connected to the base plate through a mounting seat. By moving the slider, the light-blocking plate blocks the two photoelectric switches respectively, thereby limiting the movement of the slider to a first position and a second position.

10. The transfer piece device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The mechanical limiting mechanism includes at least two blocks arranged opposite each other along the first direction. When the slider moves along the slide rail in the first direction, the blocks block the movement of the slider.

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