A wafer polishing chuck device and wafer polishing apparatus

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of semiconductor processing, and discloses a chuck table device for wafer polishing, which comprises a bearing assembly, a self-rotation driving assembly connected with the bearing assembly and used for driving the bearing assembly to rotate around a first axis, a transmission shaft connected with the bearing assembly, a central axis of the transmission shaft being a second axis, the first axis being parallel to the second axis, a linear driving assembly connected with the transmission shaft and used for driving the transmission shaft to axially linearly displace along the second axis, and a swing driving assembly connected with the transmission shaft and used for driving the transmission shaft to swing. The application aims to ensure that the geometric parameters such as the angle, depth and curvature of a Notch are highly consistent with the strict specification requirements of a semiconductor manufacturing process, and significantly improves the yield and consistency of wafer processing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of semiconductor processing technology, specifically to a wafer polishing tray apparatus and wafer polishing equipment. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of 3D IC fabrication, wafer edge morphology control is a key process to ensure chip manufacturing yield. To reduce the risk of microcracks or chipping in subsequent processing, the wafer edges are usually subjected to ultra-precision grinding to remove edge defects and form a specific step shape. This process is known as wafer edge trimming.

[0003] In existing technologies, high-speed rotating diamond grinding wheels are commonly used to grind the edges of wafers to achieve finishing. However, with the continuous iteration and upgrading of 3D IC manufacturing processes, the processing accuracy and surface quality of traditional contact grinding wheel methods have gradually become insufficient to meet the stringent requirements of advanced packaging processes. A new process has been introduced that uses a high-speed rotating polishing belt to polish the edges of wafers, thereby achieving higher processing accuracy.

[0004] The wafer edge features notch structures for precise positioning and stress relief. When processing these notches using a polishing belt, it is often difficult for the wafer to achieve high-precision fit and stable, all-around contact with the belt. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a wafer tray device specifically adapted to the notch polishing requirements to overcome the limitations of the polishing belt process in terms of fit and contact, and to further ensure the overall wafer processing yield. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to improve the precision of wafer polishing, and a wafer polishing platform device and wafer polishing equipment are proposed.

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present invention provide a wafer polishing platform apparatus, comprising: Carrier component; A rotation drive component, which is connected to the bearing component, is used to drive the bearing component to rotate around a first axis; A transmission shaft is connected to the load-bearing assembly, wherein the central axis of the transmission shaft is a second axis, and the first axis is parallel to the second axis. A linear drive assembly, which is connected to the drive shaft, is used to drive the drive shaft to perform axial linear displacement along the second axis direction; A swing drive assembly, which is connected to the drive shaft, is used to drive the drive shaft to swing.

[0007] In one embodiment, the transmission shaft includes a splined spindle and a splined sleeve that are adapted to each other, with the splined sleeve sleeved on the outside of the splined spindle; The spline spindle is connected to the moving end of the linear drive assembly, and the linear drive assembly is used to drive the spline spindle to move linearly along the second axis direction; The power output end of the swing drive assembly is connected to the spline sleeve, and the swing drive assembly is used to drive the spline spindle and the spline sleeve to swing synchronously.

[0008] In one embodiment, the load-bearing component includes a cantilever plate, which is fixedly connected to the spline spindle, and the cantilever plate is used to support the self-rotation drive component.

[0009] In one embodiment, the carrier component further includes: A rotary joint is fixedly mounted on the cantilever plate; An adsorption platform is positioned opposite to the cantilever plate; A vacuum tube, one end of which is connected to the rotary joint and the other end of which is connected to the adsorption platform.

[0010] In one embodiment, the spline spindle has an air pressure channel along its own axial direction, and a connecting air pipe is laid on the cantilever plate. The air pressure channel is connected to the rotary joint through the connecting air pipe.

[0011] In one embodiment, the self-rotation drive component includes: A connecting shaft is sleeved on the outside of the vacuum tube, and the connecting shaft is coaxially and fixedly connected to the adsorption platform. A first rotary drive source is disposed on the cantilever plate, and its output end is connected to the connecting shaft.

[0012] In one embodiment, the system further includes a fixed substrate and a fixing seat fixedly disposed on the fixed substrate, wherein the spline sleeve is rotatably disposed within the fixing seat.

[0013] In one embodiment, the linear drive assembly includes a linear drive component fixedly disposed on the fixed base plate, and the moving output end of the linear drive component is provided with a connecting portion, which is connected to the spline spindle.

[0014] In one embodiment, the swing drive assembly includes a second rotation drive source and a second transmission member disposed on the fixed base plate; The second transmission component is connected between the output shaft of the second rotary drive source and the outer wall of the spline sleeve.

[0015] Secondly, embodiments of the present invention provide a wafer polishing apparatus, comprising: Wafer polishing platform device; A polishing mechanism having a polishing belt; An edge detection component, wherein the detection end of the edge detection component faces the outer peripheral edge of the supporting component.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the technical solution of this application has the following beneficial technical effects: This invention provides stable support to the wafer through a support component and uses a rotation drive to make the wafer form a circumferentially consistent motion reference around a first axis, thereby making the polishing belt's effect on the notch repeatable in different orientations. By maintaining the central axis of the transmission shaft parallel to the rotation axis and adjusting the axial displacement of the transmission shaft along a second axis through a linear drive component, the relative contact depth and action position between the wafer and the polishing belt can be precisely set and maintained within the target processing range, avoiding insufficient action or localized over-removal of the notch sidewalls and bottom due to changes in relative height. Furthermore, by using a swing drive to induce a swing motion in the transmission shaft, the wafer undergoes periodic posture changes relative to the polishing belt during processing. This allows the polishing belt to cover a more sufficient contact angle area in the geometric regions such as the sidewalls and transition fillets of the notch, improving the uniformity of material removal in the notch area. This makes it easier to achieve a consistent geometric shape after notch processing and reduces edge shape deviations, surface roughness fluctuations, and uneven processing stress caused by local contact instability. As a result, the overall wafer processing yield is more effectively guaranteed, meeting the requirements of 3D IC and advanced packaging for precise edge morphology. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall connection structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the connection structure of some of the supporting components of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the carrier component and the edge detection component of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the transmission shaft and the swing drive assembly of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure during wafer oscillation according to the present invention.

[0018] In the diagram: 1. Bearing assembly; 11. Cantilever plate; 12. Rotary joint; 13. Adsorption platform; 14. Vacuum pipe; 2. Rotation drive assembly; 21. Connecting shaft; 22. First rotation drive source; 3. Transmission shaft; 31. Spline spindle; 32. Spline sleeve; 33. Fixed base plate; 34. Fixed seat; 4. Linear drive assembly; 41. Linear drive component; 42. Connecting part; 5. Swing drive assembly; 51. Second rotation drive source; 52. Second transmission component; 6. Air pressure channel; 7. Connecting air pipe; 8. Polishing mechanism; 81. Polishing belt; 9. Edge detection assembly. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0020] According to a first aspect of this application, this application provides a wafer polishing tray apparatus, such as... Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the platform device integrates multi-dimensional motion functions such as rotation, axial lifting and swinging, which can realize all-round posture adjustment of the wafer notch during the polishing process, thereby ensuring uniform polishing of the entire notch area.

[0021] Specifically, the wafer polishing platform includes: The support component 1 is used to support and fix the wafer to be processed. As an integrated support platform for various motion functions in the entire platform device, it plays a core intermediary role in transferring each degree of freedom of motion to the wafer.

[0022] The rotation drive component 2, connected to the carrier component 1, drives the carrier component 1 to rotate around a first axis. The first axis is the axis of rotation of the wafer carried on the carrier component 1. For example... Figure 3 As shown, the indicated line Y2 refers to the first axis. The self-rotation drive component 2 can drive the carrier component 1 and the wafer on it to rotate around the first axis. One of the main functions of this rotation is to achieve the initial angle alignment of the wafer notch port - that is, before polishing, the wafer notch port is rotated to a predetermined position aligned with the swing center by rotation, thereby ensuring that the center of the subsequent swing motion always coincides with the geometric center of the notch port.

[0023] Drive shaft 3, which is connected to bearing assembly 1, has its central axis as a second axis, wherein, for example... Figure 3As shown, the indicated line Y1 represents the second axis. The first axis is parallel to the second axis, and the distance between the first axis and the second axis is equal to the distance from the geometric center of the wafer to the notch at the edge of the wafer. The transmission shaft 3 serves as a key mechanical transmission component between the load-bearing component 1 and each drive component. One end of the shaft is fixedly connected to the load-bearing component 1, and the other end is kinematically coupled to the linear drive component 4 and the oscillating drive component 5, respectively.

[0024] The linear drive assembly 4, connected to the drive shaft 3, drives the drive shaft 3 to perform axial linear displacement along the second axis. The linear drive assembly 4 enables the drive shaft 3 to move up and down along the second axis, thereby driving the carrier assembly 1 and the wafer to achieve precise vertical displacement adjustment. This axial linear displacement function plays multiple important roles in the entire polishing process: firstly, during wafer clamping, the linear drive assembly 4 raises the carrier assembly 1 to the clamping height, facilitating wafer placement by operators or automated handling mechanisms; secondly, after the wafer is in place, the linear drive assembly 4 drives the carrier assembly 1 down to the processing height of the polishing belt, establishing precise contact between the wafer notch and the polishing belt.

[0025] The oscillating drive assembly 5, connected to the transmission shaft 3, drives the transmission shaft 3 to oscillate. The oscillating drive assembly 5 drives the transmission shaft 3 to reciprocate around a second axis, causing the carrier assembly 1 and the wafer connected to the transmission shaft 3 to oscillate periodically within a predetermined angle range. During the oscillation, the contact angle between the wafer notch and the polishing tape continuously changes, allowing the polishing tape to sequentially cover the entire inner wall of the notch, completely eliminating the unavoidable polishing blind spots inherent in traditional fixed-angle polishing methods. Figure 5 As shown, the swing angle range can be set to ±36°. Those skilled in the art can flexibly adjust the swing angle and swing frequency according to the geometry of the notch port of different wafer specifications. The swing frequency can be precisely controlled by setting the motor speed of the swing drive component 5. A higher swing frequency is beneficial to improving the uniformity of material removal, while a lower swing frequency is beneficial to increasing the single contact time to increase the single removal amount.

[0026] In some embodiments of this application, the transmission shaft 3 includes a splined spindle 31 and a splined sleeve 32 that are mutually adapted to each other, with the splined sleeve 32 sleeved on the outside of the splined spindle 31. For example... Figure 3As shown, the spline spindle 31 and the spline sleeve 32 constitute a spline pair transmission structure. The outer surface of the spline spindle 31 and the inner surface of the spline sleeve 32 are respectively provided with meshing spline teeth and spline grooves. The two form a strong torque transmission fit in the circumferential direction, while retaining sufficient relative sliding freedom in the axial direction. This structural feature enables the transmission shaft 3 to simultaneously achieve decoupled transmission of two independent motions: one is axial linear motion along the second axis, and the other is oscillating rotational motion around the second axis.

[0027] Specifically, the spline spindle 31 is connected to the moving end of the linear drive assembly 4, which drives the spline spindle 31 to move linearly along the second axis. When the linear drive assembly 4 applies axial thrust or tension, the spline spindle 31 slides freely axially within the spline sleeve 32, causing the bearing assembly 1 to achieve lifting and lowering displacement. During this process, the spline sleeve 32 does not need to generate axial movement and only serves as an axial guide support for the spline spindle 31.

[0028] Simultaneously, the power output end of the oscillating drive assembly 5 is connected to the spline sleeve 32. The oscillating drive assembly 5 is used to drive the spline spindle 31 and the spline sleeve 32 to oscillate synchronously. When the oscillating drive assembly 5 drives the spline sleeve 32 to rotate around the second axis, due to the circumferential meshing of the spline teeth and spline grooves, the rotational torque of the spline sleeve 32 is instantly transmitted to the spline spindle 31, causing the spline spindle 31 to oscillate synchronously around the second axis, thereby driving the carrier assembly 1 and the wafer to achieve oscillation. During the oscillation, if the linear drive assembly 4 simultaneously applies axial drive, the spline spindle 31 can slide axially within the spline sleeve 32. The two movements do not interfere with each other, achieving complete decoupling of lifting and oscillation.

[0029] In this embodiment, the spline spindle 31 and the spline sleeve 32 preferably adopt a ball spline pair structure, that is, balls are set between the spline spindle 31 and the spline sleeve 32 as rolling elements. The rolling contact of the balls in the spline groove replaces the sliding contact of the traditional spline pair, which greatly reduces the axial sliding friction and improves the smoothness and accuracy of motion transmission.

[0030] In some embodiments of this application, the support component 1 includes a cantilever plate 11, which is fixedly connected to the spline spindle 31 and is used to support the self-rotation drive component 2.

[0031] like Figure 1 and Figure 3As shown, the cantilever plate 11 serves as the main structural component of the load-bearing assembly 1. One end is fixedly connected to the end of the spline spindle 31, while the other end extends horizontally and cantilevered, supporting the self-rotating drive assembly 2 and the wafer adsorption and fixing structure in its cantilevered area. The design of the cantilever plate 11 creates a parallel and offset spatial relationship between the wafer rotation center (the first axis) supported on it and the central axis of the spline spindle 31 (the second axis). This offset layout is the key geometric basis for realizing the swing of the Notch port around the swing center—when the spline spindle 31 swings around the second axis, the cantilever plate 11, like a swing arm, drives the wafer to swing in an arc around the second axis. The movement trajectory of the wafer Notch port is an arc segment with the second axis as the center and the effective arm length of the cantilever plate 11 as the radius.

[0032] In some embodiments of this application, the support assembly 1 further includes: a rotary joint 12, fixedly mounted on the cantilever plate 11; an adsorption platform 13, disposed opposite to the cantilever plate 11; and a vacuum tube 14, one end of which is connected to the rotary joint 12 and the other end of which is connected to the adsorption platform 13.

[0033] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the adsorption stage 13 is a support and fixing component that directly contacts the wafer. Vacuum adsorption channels or adsorption grooves are formed on its support surface. When a vacuum negative pressure is transmitted to the adsorption channel of the adsorption stage 13 through the vacuum tube 14, a negative pressure area is formed within the adsorption channel, which flattens and firmly adsorbs and fixes the wafer onto the support surface of the adsorption stage 13. The adsorption stage 13 is positioned opposite the cantilever plate 11, that is, the adsorption stage 13 is located above the cantilever plate 11. The two are connected by a transmission component of the self-rotation drive assembly 2, allowing the adsorption stage 13 to rotate freely around a first axis under the drive of the self-rotation drive assembly 2.

[0034] The rotary joint 12 is fixedly mounted on the cantilever plate 11, and its function is to achieve a sealed transition of the vacuum pipeline between the rotating and non-rotating components. The rotary joint 12 has two ports: a rotating end and a fixed end. The rotating end is connected to the vacuum pipe 14 and can rotate together with the adsorption platform 13; the fixed end is connected to the external vacuum source pipeline and remains stationary.

[0035] Vacuum tube 14 serves as the vacuum transfer channel connecting rotary joint 12 and adsorption stage 13. Its material can be a flexible tube resistant to negative pressure, such as polyurethane or silicone tubing, or a rigid tube. Sealing joints should be used at the tube interfaces for reliable sealing to prevent air leakage and subsequent decrease in adsorption force. In actual operation, the vacuum negative pressure source can control the adsorption pressure within the range of -75 kPa to -90 kPa to ensure that the wafer maintains a stable adsorption state during multi-dimensional movements such as oscillation, lifting, and rotation, without displacement or detachment.

[0036] In some embodiments of this application, the spline spindle 31 has an air pressure channel 6 along its own axial direction, and a connecting air pipe 7 is laid on the cantilever plate 11. The air pressure channel 6 is connected to the rotary joint 12 through the connecting air pipe 7.

[0037] The air pressure channel 6 is installed through or partially through the spline spindle 31, and its lower port is connected to an external vacuum negative pressure source, such as... Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the upper port extends to the connection point between the spline spindle 31 and the cantilever plate 11, and connects with the connecting air pipe 7 laid on the cantilever plate 11. The connecting air pipe 7 extends along the surface or internal channel of the cantilever plate 11 to the fixed end of the rotary joint 12, thereby realizing a complete air passage from the external vacuum source to the rotary joint 12.

[0038] Compared to the approach of separately laying vacuum hoses outside the drive shaft 3, integrating the air pressure channel 6 inside the spline spindle 31 has several advantages: First, the built-in air path is not affected by the axial lifting and oscillating motion of the drive shaft 3, avoiding the risk of bending, wear, or fatigue breakage of the external hose during repeated movements; second, the built-in air path occupies less space, which helps maintain the compact structure of the entire platform device; third, the built-in air path has higher sealing reliability, which can effectively reduce the risk of vacuum leakage and ensure that the adsorption platform 13 obtains a stable vacuum negative pressure. Reliable sealing structures should be installed at the connection points of the air pressure channel 6 and the connecting air pipe 7, as well as at the connection points of the connecting air pipe 7 and the rotary joint 12, to ensure the airtightness of the overall air path.

[0039] In some embodiments of this application, the self-rotating drive assembly 2 includes: a connecting shaft 21, which is sleeved on the outside of the vacuum tube 14 and is coaxially and fixedly connected to the adsorption platform 13; and a first rotation drive source 22, which is disposed on the cantilever plate 11 and whose output end is connected to the connecting shaft 21.

[0040] Connecting shaft 21 is a hollow shaft structure, such as Figure 2 As shown, its inner cavity allows the vacuum tube 14 to pass through, while the outer wall surface serves as the force-bearing and transmission surface for rotational power. The upper end of the connecting shaft 21 is coaxially and fixedly connected to the adsorption platform 13, so that the rotation of the connecting shaft 21 can synchronously drive the adsorption platform 13 to rotate, and the two share the same rotation axis, namely the first axis. The lower end of the connecting shaft 21 is connected to the rotating end of the rotary joint 12, realizing free rotation relative to the cantilever plate 11. During the rotation of the connecting shaft 21, it can drive the vacuum tube 14 to rotate together.

[0041] The first rotary drive source 22 is mounted on the cantilever plate 11 and can be a servo motor, stepper motor, or other type of rotary power source. The output end of the first rotary drive source 22 and the connecting shaft 21 can be connected through various transmission methods, including but not limited to synchronous belt drive, gear drive, or direct coupling connection. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the first rotary drive source 22, i.e., the rotary drive motor, is fixedly mounted on the vertical plate of the cantilever plate 11. An active synchronous pulley is mounted on its output shaft, and a driven synchronous pulley is mounted on the connecting shaft 21. The active and driven synchronous pulleys are connected by a synchronous belt, forming a belt drive mechanism. When the first rotary drive source 22 is started, the rotary power is transmitted to the connecting shaft 21 via the synchronous belt drive, thereby driving the adsorption platform 13 and the wafers adsorbed and fixed on it to rotate around the first axis, achieving circumferential alignment of the wafer notch.

[0042] In other embodiments, the output end of the first rotary drive source 22 can also be connected to the connecting shaft 21 via a gear pair. Gear transmission has better adaptability under high torque transmission and high speed conditions. Alternatively, a direct drive motor solution can be adopted, in which the motor rotor is directly integrated with the connecting shaft 21, eliminating intermediate transmission links and further improving response speed and positioning accuracy.

[0043] Meanwhile, a sensing follower plate is fixedly installed on the connecting shaft 21, and a mounting base is sleeved on the connecting shaft 21. A photoelectric sensor adapted to the sensing follower plate is installed on the mounting base.

[0044] The first rotation drive source 22 drives the connecting shaft 21 to rotate. When the sensing follower rotates to the detection window of the photoelectric sensor, the photoelectric sensor outputs a trigger signal. The system control unit records and locks this angular position as the absolute zero point of the rotation direction, i.e., the angle origin. Using this zero point as a reference, the control system can accurately calculate the target rotation angle required for subsequent rotational motion, thereby precisely controlling the connecting shaft 21 to rotate through a specific angle, and thus rotating the wafer notch from its current arbitrary initial position to the polishing processing position coinciding with the oscillation center. Without this zero-point reference, the system cannot establish an absolute reference for the rotation angle. Even if the connecting shaft 21 performs a rotational action, it cannot calculate and control how much angle the wafer actually needs to rotate because there is no known angle starting point. This results in the notch not being accurately positioned at the processing position, compromising the alignment accuracy of subsequent polishing processes. In some embodiments of this application, the wafer polishing tray apparatus further includes a fixed substrate 33 and a fixing seat 34 fixedly disposed on the fixed substrate 33, such as Figure 1 As shown, the spline sleeve 32 is rotatably disposed within the fixed base 34 and rotatably engages with the fixed base 34.

[0045] The fixed base plate 33 serves as the mounting platform for the entire platform assembly. It is a rigid plate-like component used to support and secure the various functional components. The fixed base plate 33 can be set horizontally or its installation angle can be adjusted according to the overall layout of the equipment. The spline sleeve 32 is supported by bearings within the cavity of the fixed seat 34, allowing the spline sleeve 32 to rotate freely relative to the fixed seat 34 around the second axis, while being constrained axially and radially by the fixed seat 34. The rigid support of the fixed seat 34 provides a stable base for the spline sleeve 32 to rotate, ensuring the transmission accuracy and motion stability of the oscillating motion.

[0046] Furthermore, a telescopic bellows or a dustproof sealing structure can be provided at the location where the spline spindle 31 passes through the fixed substrate 33. In this embodiment, a telescopic bellows is also provided, which is sleeved on the outside of the spline spindle 31, with one end fixed to the fixed base 34 and the other end fixed to the cantilever plate 11. It can extend and retract with the raising and lowering of the spline spindle 31. The telescopic bellows can effectively prevent external dust, polishing fluid, and other contaminants from entering the spline pair transmission area, protecting the mating surfaces of the spline spindle 31 and the spline sleeve 32 from contamination and corrosion, extending the service life of the transmission components, and also helping to maintain the cleanliness requirements of the semiconductor processing environment.

[0047] In some embodiments of this application, the linear drive assembly 4 includes a linear drive component 41 fixedly disposed on the fixed base plate 33. The moving output end of the linear drive component 41 is provided with a connecting part 42, which is connected to the spline spindle 31.

[0048] The linear drive component 41 is an actuator that provides axial linear motion power to the spline spindle 31. It is fixedly mounted on the fixed base plate 33 and applies axial thrust or tension with the fixed base plate 33 as a mechanical reference. Figure 4 As shown, the linear drive component 41 can be selected from various types of linear drive elements such as cylinders, hydraulic cylinders, electric actuators, linear motors, or lead screw nut pairs. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the linear drive component 41 adopts a lifting cylinder, the cylinder body of which is fixed on the fixed base plate 33, and the piston rod moves telescopically along the second axis. The connecting part 42 is provided at the moving output end of the linear drive component 41, i.e., the piston rod end of the cylinder, and is connected to the spline spindle 31. The structural form of the connecting part 42 can be a flange, clamping block, connecting sleeve, or pin connector, etc., and its connection method should ensure that the spline spindle 31 does not restrict the degree of freedom of the spline spindle 31's swing motion around the second axis while receiving axial driving force. The connecting part 42 and the spline spindle 31 can be rotatedly decoupled through a bearing or rotary pair structure, so that the linear driving force can be transmitted axially while the swing torque will not be loaded in the opposite direction to the linear drive component 41, ensuring the independence and non-interference of the two movements between axial lifting and swing motion.

[0049] In some embodiments of this application, the swing drive assembly 5 includes a second rotation drive source 51 and a second transmission member 52 disposed on a fixed base plate 33; the second transmission member 52 is connected between the output shaft of the second rotation drive source 51 and the outer wall of the spline sleeve 32.

[0050] The second rotational drive source 51 is the original power source for the swinging motion, such as Figure 4 As shown, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the second rotary drive source 51 is a servo swing arm drive motor. The output of this motor can be reduced in speed and increased in torque by a reducer before being output. The reducer is located between the output of the servo motor and the second transmission component 52. By reducing the output speed, the output torque is increased, so that the swing drive component 5 can still maintain sufficient driving torque when facing loads such as the load-bearing component 1 and the wafer. The second transmission component 52 serves as a power transmission intermediate between the second rotary drive source 51 and the spline sleeve 32, transmitting the rotational motion output by the second rotary drive source 51 to the outer wall of the spline sleeve 32. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the second transmission component 52 adopts a synchronous belt drive structure, including a driving synchronous pulley mounted on the output shaft of the second rotary drive source 51 or the output shaft of the reducer, a driven synchronous pulley fixed on the outer wall of the spline sleeve 32, and a synchronous belt wound between the driving synchronous pulley and the driven synchronous pulley. When the second rotary drive source 51 is activated, the rotational power is reduced in speed by the reducer and then transmitted to the driven synchronous pulley via the active synchronous pulley and the synchronous belt, driving the spline sleeve 32 to reciprocate around the second axis. The zero-slip characteristic of the synchronous belt drive ensures precise control of the swing angle, making the swing range of the wafer notch port highly consistent with the set value.

[0051] In other embodiments, the second transmission component 52 may also take the form of gear pair transmission, chain transmission or linkage mechanism, as long as it can convert the rotational output of the second rotary drive source 51 into the oscillating motion of the spline sleeve 32 around the second axis. Its working principle is essentially the same as that of the synchronous belt transmission scheme.

[0052] With the aforementioned oscillation drive component 5, the wafer can perform precise and stable reciprocating oscillation motion within a set oscillation angle range, such as ±36°, during the polishing process. During oscillation, the center position of the wafer's notch remains at the geometric center of the oscillation motion, ensuring complete coverage of the entire inner wall area of ​​the notch by the polishing belt. The oscillation frequency can be flexibly set by adjusting the speed of the servo motor to adapt to different polishing process parameters.

[0053] According to a first aspect of this application, this application provides a wafer polishing apparatus, such as... Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, this equipment is based on the aforementioned wafer polishing tray device to construct a complete Notch port polishing system.

[0054] Specifically, the wafer polishing equipment includes: the aforementioned wafer polishing tray device; a polishing mechanism 8 having a polishing belt 81; and an edge detection component 9, the detection end of which faces the outer peripheral edge of the support component 1.

[0055] The polishing mechanism 8 is a functional module for material removal from the wafer notch area, with its core component being the polishing belt 81. The polishing belt 81 is a flexible abrasive material with abrasive grains of a certain size attached to its surface. When the polishing belt 81 moves along a specific direction under the drive of the drive rollers and comes into contact with the wafer notch area, the abrasive grains exert a micro-cutting effect on the surface material of the notch area, achieving precise material removal. The polishing mechanism 8 may also include multiple tension rollers and guide rollers to maintain the tension and running path of the polishing belt 81. The polishing belt 81 is radially driven by the rollers and contacts the wafer notch area for polishing. The process parameters such as the speed, tension, and replacement cycle of the polishing belt 81 can be adjusted according to the polishing quality requirements.

[0056] In the technical solution of this invention, the wafer is vacuum-adsorbed and fixed by the adsorption platform 13 of the platform device. After the Notch is aligned under the drive of the rotation drive component 2, it is driven by the linear drive component 4 to descend to the processing height of the polishing belt 81. Subsequently, the oscillation drive component 5 drives the wafer to reciprocate within a set angle range, so that the Notch contacts the running polishing belt 81 at a constantly changing contact angle, thereby achieving uniform polishing of the entire Notch area. This composite motion mode of "wafer oscillation + polishing belt operation" has significant advantages over the traditional fixed-angle layer-by-layer feed polishing, such as high processing efficiency, uniform material removal, no polishing blind spots, and small joint radius.

[0057] Edge detection component 9 is used to perform real-time detection of the wafer edge before polishing. The detection end of edge detection component 9 faces the outer peripheral edge of the supporting component 1. Edge detection component 9 can be implemented using a vision inspection system such as a CCD camera or CMOS camera in conjunction with a ring light source, or a non-contact sensor such as a laser displacement sensor or photoelectric sensor. Its main functions include: firstly, accurately detecting the circumferential position of the wafer notch port before polishing, providing a position feedback signal for the notch port alignment to the self-rotation drive component 2, ensuring that the notch port is accurately rotated to the target position coinciding with the swing center.

[0058] The complete process of the wafer polishing equipment of the present invention is described in detail: Step 1, Wafer Clamping: The linear drive assembly 4 actuates, driving the spline spindle 31 to move upward along the second axis, raising the cantilever plate 11 and the adsorption stage 13 to the clamping height. The operator or automated handling mechanism places the wafer to be processed onto the bearing surface of the adsorption stage 13.

[0059] Step 2, Adsorption and Fixation: Start the external vacuum negative pressure source. The negative pressure is transmitted to the adsorption channel of the adsorption platform 13 through the air pressure channel 6, the connecting air pipe 7, the rotary joint 12, and the vacuum air pipe 14. A negative pressure area is formed between the bearing surface of the adsorption platform 13 and the wafer, and the wafer is flatly adsorbed and fixed on the adsorption platform 13.

[0060] Step 3, Notch alignment: The first rotary drive source 22 is activated, driving the connecting shaft 21 to rotate via the transmission mechanism, causing the adsorption stage 13 and the wafer to rotate around the first axis. The edge detection component 9 detects the wafer edge contour in real time and identifies the circumferential position of the Notch. When the edge detection component 9 detects that the Notch has rotated to the target position aligned with the swing center, the first rotary drive source 22 stops rotating, completing the Notch alignment. During the alignment rotation, the rotation isolation function of the rotary joint 12 ensures that the vacuum tube does not become entangled.

[0061] Step 4, Lowering and Positioning: After the Notch port is aligned, the linear drive assembly 4 drives the spline spindle 31 to move downwards along the second axis, causing the cantilever plate 11 and the adsorption stage 13 to descend to the processing height of the polishing belt 81, establishing initial contact between the wafer Notch port and the polishing belt 81. During the lifting and lowering process, the telescopic bellows extends and retracts accordingly with the movement of the spline spindle 31.

[0062] Step 5, Polishing: The oscillating drive assembly 5 is activated. The second rotary drive source 51, after being reduced in speed by a reducer, drives the spline sleeve 32 to reciprocate around the second axis via the second transmission component 52. The spline sleeve 32, through spline gear engagement, drives the spline spindle 31 to oscillate synchronously, thereby driving the cantilever plate 11, the adsorption platform 13, and the wafer to perform periodic oscillating motion within a set angle range. Simultaneously, the polishing mechanism 8 is activated. The polishing belt 81, driven by the drive rollers, runs and contacts the wafer notch area for composite motion polishing. The oscillating motion causes the notch to contact the polishing belt 81 at a continuously changing contact angle, achieving uniform polishing across the entire area.

[0063] Step Six, Processing Completed: After the set processing time is reached or the edge detection component 9 detects that the Notch port geometry parameters meet the process requirements, the oscillating drive component 5 and the polishing mechanism 8 are turned off. The linear drive component 4 drives the adsorption stage 13 to rise to the unloading height, the vacuum negative pressure source is turned off to release the negative pressure, and the processed wafer is removed, completing the entire Notch port polishing process.

[0064] In summary, the wafer polishing equipment provided by this invention, through the multi-dimensional composite motion function of the platform device and the coordinated operation of the polishing mechanism 8, combined with the precise alignment function of the edge detection component 9, constructs a high-precision and high-efficiency wafer notch polishing system. This effectively solves the technical problems in the prior art, such as poor polishing uniformity, limited processing angle, low efficiency, and easy damage to the wafer. It ensures that the geometric parameters of the notch, such as angle, depth, and curvature, highly meet the strict specifications of semiconductor manufacturing processes, significantly improving the yield and consistency of wafer processing.

[0065] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0066] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A wafer polishing platform device, characterized in that, include: Carrier component (1); The rotation drive component (2) is connected to the bearing component (1) and is used to drive the bearing component (1) to rotate around the first axis; A transmission shaft (3) is connected to the bearing assembly (1), and the central axis of the transmission shaft (3) is a second axis, and the first axis is parallel to the second axis; A linear drive assembly (4) is connected to the transmission shaft (3) and is used to drive the transmission shaft (3) to make axial linear displacement along the second axis direction; The swing drive assembly (5) is connected to the transmission shaft (3) and is used to drive the transmission shaft (3) to swing.

2. The wafer polishing tray apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transmission shaft (3) includes a spline spindle (31) and a spline sleeve (32) that are adapted to each other, and the spline sleeve (32) is sleeved on the outside of the spline spindle (31); The spline spindle (31) is connected to the moving end of the linear drive assembly (4), and the linear drive assembly (4) is used to drive the spline spindle (31) to move linearly along the second axis direction; The power output end of the swing drive assembly (5) is connected to the spline sleeve (32), and the swing drive assembly (5) is used to drive the spline spindle (31) and the spline sleeve (32) to swing synchronously.

3. The wafer polishing tray apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The load-bearing component (1) includes a cantilever plate (11), which is fixedly connected to the spline spindle (31) and is used to support the self-rotation drive component (2).

4. The wafer polishing tray apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, The carrier component (1) further includes: A rotary joint (12) is fixedly mounted on the cantilever plate (11); An adsorption platform (13) is disposed opposite to the cantilever plate (11); A vacuum tube (14) is connected at one end to the rotary joint (12) and at the other end to the adsorption platform (13).

5. The wafer polishing tray apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that, The spline spindle (31) has an air pressure channel (6) along its own axial direction, and a connecting air pipe (7) is laid on the cantilever plate (11). The air pressure channel (6) is connected to the rotary joint (12) through the connecting air pipe (7).

6. The wafer polishing tray apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that, The self-rotation drive component (2) includes: A connecting shaft (21) is sleeved on the outside of the vacuum tube (14), and the connecting shaft (21) is coaxially and fixedly connected to the adsorption platform (13); The first rotary drive source (22) is disposed on the cantilever plate (11), and its output end is connected to the connecting shaft (21).

7. The wafer polishing tray apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, It also includes a fixed base plate (33) and a fixed seat (34) fixedly disposed on the fixed base plate (33), wherein the spline sleeve (32) is rotatably disposed in the fixed seat (34).

8. The wafer polishing tray apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that, The linear drive assembly (4) includes a linear drive component (41) fixedly mounted on the fixed base plate (33). The moving output end of the linear drive component (41) is provided with a connecting part (42), which is connected to the spline spindle (31).

9. The wafer polishing tray apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that, The swing drive assembly (5) includes a second rotation drive source (51) and a second transmission member (52) disposed on the fixed base plate (33). The second transmission component (52) is connected between the output shaft of the second rotary drive source (51) and the outer wall of the spline sleeve (32).

10. A wafer polishing device, characterized in that, include: Wafer polishing tray apparatus as described in any one of claims 1 to 9; Polishing mechanism (8), the polishing mechanism (8) having a polishing belt (81); An edge detection component (9) is provided, with its detection end facing the outer peripheral edge of the support component (1).

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