Vacuum suction end effector structure

Abstract

The present application relates to the field of semiconductor automatic manufacturing equipment, in particular to a vacuum adsorption end effector structure, the end effector structure comprises an effector body and a suction cup assembly arranged on the effector body, the suction cup assembly is made of hard material as a whole, an annular groove is arranged on the adsorption surface of the suction cup assembly, a negative pressure air hole is arranged in the center of the annular groove, and an annular protrusion is arranged on the outer periphery of the annular groove; the annular area between the outer ring of the negative pressure air hole and the inner ring of the annular protrusion is a local thinning area, which constitutes a micro-motion film layer, and is used for generating elastic deformation under the action of vacuum negative pressure to conform to the warped surface of a wafer; a connecting part is arranged at the bottom of the suction cup assembly, and the effector body is provided with a mounting part, the two are fixedly connected and the gas circuit is communicated. The micro-motion film layer is formed by local thinning of the hard material, the warped wafer is self-adaptively adsorbed while the rigidity and anti-sticking performance are guaranteed, and the advantages of good sealing, strong adsorption force, no sticking, high reliability and thin overall thickness are achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of semiconductor automated manufacturing equipment technology, and particularly to a vacuum adsorption end effector structure. This end effector structure is especially suitable for scenarios involving the automated transfer of semiconductor wafers between different process cavities. More specifically, this invention achieves stable, safe, and high-speed vacuum adsorption and release of wafers with large warpage through a localized micro-motion film layer design on a hard material. Background Technology

[0002] In the semiconductor chip manufacturing process, wafers are highly susceptible to irreversible macroscopic warping after undergoing processes such as high-temperature heat treatment and chemical vapor deposition. Traditional wafer robotic end effectors typically employ the following technical solutions, which have significant limitations: 1. Rigid suction cup failure: Existing technologies use rigid suction cups made of rigid engineering plastics such as polyetheretherketone (PEEK) and polyimide (PI). Due to their lack of deformation adaptability, when there are micron- or even millimeter-level warped wafers on the adsorption surface, the suction cup cannot fully adhere to the back of the wafer, leading to vacuum leakage and failure to achieve effective adsorption. Test data shows that when ordinary rigid suction cups adsorb normal, unwarped wafers, the pressure drop after 30 seconds of holding pressure is as high as 50 kPa, making it almost impossible to maintain a vacuum seal. The root cause of this phenomenon is that rigid materials have a high elastic modulus (PI materials are typically 3~5 GPa), and under normal adsorption force, they produce almost no perceptible deformation, while the surface undulations of warped wafers can reach the millimeter level, a difference of several orders of magnitude. Therefore, there must be a large gap between the rigid suction cup and the warped wafer, making it impossible to maintain a vacuum.

[0003] 2. Risks of "Adhesion" and "Bouncing" in Flexible Suction Cups: To accommodate warped wafers, current technology uses flexible rubber materials to make suction cups. However, in scenarios where the back of the wafer is coated with process adhesive or photoresist, flexible rubber is prone to physical adhesion to the adhesive surface. Test data shows that the adhesion force of a fluororubber suction cup under vacuum is 2.3N, exceeding the weight of a 12-inch wafer (approximately 1.3N). This causes the wafer to bounce violently upon release, which not only easily leads to wafer breakage or surface pattern damage but also seriously affects production yield. The essence of this problem is that rubber materials have high surface energy and viscoelasticity. When in contact with the back of a wafer with an adhesive layer and a certain pressure is applied, strong van der Waals forces and mechanical interlocking forces are generated at the interface. When the vacuum is released, this interface force still "sticks" the wafer until an external force overcomes the interface force, at which point the wafer suddenly bounces up.

[0004] 3. Potential Risks of Adhesive Detachment and Micro-contamination: Existing suction cups mostly use a simple dispensing process to fix them to the actuator body. Under the long-term high-speed, high-frequency alternating stress of vacuum adsorption, the adhesive is prone to aging and failure, causing the suction cup to suddenly detach during transmission and be drawn into the process cavity, resulting in serious equipment downtime and wafer scrapping. The drawback of this simple dispensing fixation is that the adhesive layer will develop fatigue cracks under alternating stress. These cracks gradually propagate and eventually lead to complete interface debonding, a process that is difficult to detect and prevent in time during high-speed operation.

[0005] 4. Interference limitations due to structural thickness: As wafer sizes increase (e.g., 12-inch wafers), the inter-die pitch within the foveation unit (FOUP) is typically only around 10mm. For wafers with common warpage ranging from -800μm to +1500μm, considering the sag and positioning accuracy during robotic arm movement, the overall thickness of the end effector must be strictly controlled below 4.5mm to avoid physical interference with adjacent wafers. Traditional integrated vacuum chuck structures are usually quite thick (over 5mm), making them unsuitable for handling thin, warped wafers. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a vacuum adsorption end effector structure to solve the problems in the prior art, such as rigid chucks being unable to adsorb warped wafers, flexible chucks being prone to sticking and bouncing, chucks being prone to falling off, and excessive overall thickness causing interference.

[0007] The technical solution of the present invention is: a vacuum adsorption end effector structure, including an actuator body and a suction cup assembly disposed on the actuator body. The suction cup assembly is made entirely of a rigid material. An annular groove is provided on the adsorption surface of the suction cup assembly. A negative pressure air hole is provided in the central area of ​​the annular groove. An annular protrusion for sealing against the wafer is provided on the outer periphery of the annular groove. The annular region between the outer ring of the negative pressure vent and the inner ring of the annular protrusion is a local thinning region. The thickness of the local thinning region is less than the thickness of other regions of the suction cup assembly, forming a micro-motion film layer. The micro-motion film layer is configured to generate elastic deformation under vacuum negative pressure to conform to the warped surface of the wafer. The suction cup assembly has a connecting part at its bottom and an mounting part on its actuator body. The connecting part is fixedly connected to the mounting part, and the mounting part has a through hole that communicates with the negative pressure air hole.

[0008] Preferably, the connecting part and the mounting part are connected by a threaded connection, and the mounting part is provided with an annular groove on its periphery. The annular groove is filled with adhesive. When the connecting part is connected to the mounting part, the lower end of the connecting part extends into the annular groove.

[0009] Preferably, the mounting part is disposed in the mounting groove of the actuator body; The outer edge of the annular protrusion extends to form an annular retaining ring, and the plane at the lower end of the retaining ring is not higher than the plane at the opening of the mounting groove.

[0010] Preferably, the thickness of the micro-motion membrane layer is 0.2 mm to 0.5 mm.

[0011] Preferably, at least one annular stress relief groove is formed on the micro-motion membrane layer, and the stress relief groove is disposed on the upper surface and / or lower surface of the micro-motion membrane layer.

[0012] Preferably, the cross-section of the stress relief groove is arc-shaped or concave.

[0013] Preferably, an annular stress relief groove is formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the micro-motion membrane layer, and the positions of the two stress relief grooves are corresponding to each other or staggered.

[0014] Preferably, the actuator body is provided with an air passage, which communicates with the through hole of the mounting part.

[0015] Preferably, the suction cup assembly has a rounded chamfered top surface, and / or the rigid material is an antistatic material.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the present invention are: (1) High versatility and multi-purpose: Through the adaptive properties of the micro-motion film, the structure can be seamlessly compatible with the stable adsorption and transport of standard flat wafers and wafers with large warpage (-800μm~+1500μm), which greatly improves the versatility of the robot in different process equipment.

[0017] (2) Completely solves the "die sticking" problem and improves yield: The rigid substrate combined with the micro-motion layer design effectively isolates the process adhesive on the back of the wafer, eliminating the bouncing and sticking during wafer release, and greatly improving the wafer transfer yield. Compared with the flexible chucks of the prior art, the present invention uses a rigid material as the whole, which has low surface energy and no viscoelasticity. Therefore, it will not generate any substantial interfacial adhesion force with the process adhesive layer on the back of the wafer after the vacuum is broken.

[0018] (3) High reliability and elimination of micro-contamination: The innovative groove injection and threaded composite fixing method completely eliminates the risk of the suction cup falling off during high-speed transmission and avoids fatal cross-contamination caused by the suction cup component falling into the process cavity. In the dual fixing method, the two complement each other. Even if one fixing method fails locally under extreme conditions, the other method can still maintain the connection of the suction cup assembly. Therefore, its reliability is far higher than any single fixing method.

[0019] (4) Thinner and lighter, reducing the impact of space constraints: The overall thickness can be less than 4.5mm, which can fit the compact space of a 12-inch wafer box and ensure that there will be no physical collision or interference when gripping and placing thin warped wafers. Attached Figure Description

[0020] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the vacuum adsorption end effector of the present invention, showing the overall appearance of the actuator body with a forked double arm arrangement and suction cup components distributed on each arm. Figure 2 for Figure 1 Enlarged structural diagram at point A; Figure 3 This is a top view of the vacuum adsorption end effector structure described in this invention. Figure 4 for Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure at point BB; Figure 5 for Figure 4 Enlarged structural diagram at point C; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure when the stress relief groove of the present invention is disposed on the upper surface; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure when the stress relief groove of the present invention is disposed on the lower surface; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure when the stress relief grooves of the present invention are simultaneously disposed on the upper and lower surfaces and correspond to each other; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure when the stress relief grooves of the present invention are simultaneously disposed on the upper and lower surfaces and staggered from each other; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure when the cross-sectional shape of the stress relief groove of the present invention is concave; Figure 11 This is a comparison chart of test data for the performance of different suction cup structures in this invention; Figure 12 This is a comparison diagram of the deformation and warpage adaptation capability under different micro-motion layer thicknesses in this invention. Figure 13 This is a comparison chart showing the stress and fatigue limit of the 0.3mm micro-movement layer suction cup in this invention.

[0021] The components are: 1. Actuator body; 11. Mounting part; 111. Through hole; 12. Mounting groove; 121. Annular groove; 13. Air passage; 131. Cover plate; 2. Suction cup assembly; 21. Annular groove; 22. Negative pressure air hole; 23. Annular protrusion; 24. Micro-movement diaphragm layer; 241. Stress relief groove; 25. Connecting part; 26. Retaining ring. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments: like Figure 1 As shown, a vacuum adsorption end effector structure includes an actuator body 1 and a suction cup assembly 2 disposed on the actuator body 1.

[0023] like Figures 2-4 As shown, the actuator body 1 has a mounting groove 12, within which a cylindrical mounting portion 11 protrudes upwards. The outer wall of the mounting portion 11 has external threads. The mounting portion 11 has a through hole 111, which extends axially along the mounting portion 11. The lower surface of the actuator body 1 has a slotted air groove, which, together with a cover plate 131 embedded in the actuator body, forms an air passage 13. The air passage 13 communicates with the through hole 111 of the mounting portion 11, for connecting a vacuum generator. This slotted and cover-plate air passage arrangement eliminates the need for complex drilling inside the actuator body, significantly reducing manufacturing costs and facilitating cleaning and maintenance of the air passage.

[0024] like Figure 2 and Figure 5 As shown, the suction cup assembly 2 is entirely made of a rigid material. An annular groove 21 is provided on the suction surface of the suction cup assembly 2 (i.e., the surface opposite the back of the wafer during use). A negative pressure vent 22 is provided in the central area of ​​the annular groove 21, and an annular protrusion 23 for sealing against the wafer is provided on the outer periphery of the annular groove 21. The annular region between the outer ring of the negative pressure vent 22 and the inner ring of the annular protrusion 23 is a locally thinned area, the thickness of which is less than the thickness of other areas of the suction cup assembly 2, forming a micro-motion film layer 24. The micro-motion film layer 24 is configured to undergo elastic deformation under vacuum negative pressure to conform to the warped surface of the wafer. The annular groove 21 is used as a negative pressure chamber during the suction process. When the wafer covers the suction surface, the annular protrusion 23 contacts the back of the wafer to form a seal, creating a sealed space within the annular groove 21. Vacuum negative pressure is transmitted to this sealed space through the negative pressure vent 22, thereby generating suction force. The local thinning area is located at the bottom of the annular groove 21. The vacuum negative pressure acts directly on the back side of this area, causing it to undergo a slight deformation toward the wafer direction, thereby achieving a tight seal with the local curved surface of the warped wafer.

[0025] like Figure 5As shown, the bottom of the suction cup assembly 2 has a downwardly protruding cylindrical connecting part 25, which is integrally formed with the suction cup assembly 2. The connecting part 25 is coaxially arranged with the negative pressure air hole 22, and the inner diameter of the connecting part 25 is larger than the diameter of the negative pressure air hole 22. The inner wall of the connecting part 25 is provided with an internal thread for engaging with the external thread of the mounting part 11. After the connecting part 25 and the mounting part 11 are threadedly connected, the through hole 111 of the mounting part 11 communicates with the negative pressure air hole 22 of the suction cup assembly 2, thus achieving air passage connection.

[0026] An annular groove 121 is provided at the bottom of the mounting groove 12 and on the outer ring of the mounting part 11. This annular groove 121 is filled with high-strength adhesive. When the connecting part 25 is threadedly connected to the mounting part 11, the lower end of the connecting part 25 extends into the annular groove, and a reliable bond is formed after the adhesive cures. Through the dual fixing method of threaded connection and groove injection, a firm connection between the suction cup assembly 2 and the actuator body 1 is achieved, effectively preventing the suction cup assembly 2 from falling off under long-term high-speed alternating stress, and also forming a further seal. In this dual fixing structure, the threaded connection is the main load-bearing structure, responsible for bearing most of the mechanical load; after the adhesive cures, it fills the gap between the lower outer wall of the connecting part and the inner wall of the annular groove, forming an auxiliary bond and seal. The adhesive also fills the tiny gaps in the threaded fit, eliminating potential vacuum micro-leakage channels, which significantly improves the airtightness between the suction cup assembly and the actuator body compared to a single fixing method.

[0027] The outer edge of the annular protrusion 23 extends downward to form an annular retaining ring 26. The plane at the lower end of the retaining ring 26 is not higher than the plane at the opening of the mounting groove 12. When the suction cup assembly 2 is installed on the actuator body 1, the retaining ring 26 at least partially covers the opening of the mounting groove 12, serving as a dustproof function and preventing particles from the environment from entering the gap between the bottom of the suction cup assembly 2 and the mounting groove 12. At the same time, since the retaining ring 26 is embedded in the space of the mounting groove 12, it helps to reduce the overall thickness of the end effector structure. In addition to its dustproof function, the retaining ring 26 also strengthens the structural strength of the suction cup assembly 2. The mechanism of this strengthening effect is that the retaining ring 26 is equivalent to setting an annular vertical wall perpendicular to the suction surface direction at the outer edge of the annular protrusion 23. This vertical wall structure increases the moment of inertia of the suction cup assembly section, thereby improving its resistance to bending deformation. At the same time, the retaining ring 26 forms a complete annular closed structure, which can evenly distribute local stress throughout the entire annular path, avoiding excessive stress concentration in the transition area between the suction cup assembly and the connecting part. Furthermore, when the retaining ring 26 is inserted into the mounting groove 12, its outer wall and the inner wall of the mounting groove 12 form a horizontal mating relationship, which provides additional support and restraint when the suction cup assembly is subjected to lateral force.

[0028] In one specific embodiment, the thickness of the micro-motion film layer 24 is 0.2 mm to 0.5 mm. Preferably, the thickness of the micro-motion film layer 24 is 0.3 mm. Under vacuum negative pressure (-75 kPa to -90 kPa), the 0.3 mm thick micro-motion film layer 24 can generate an elastic deformation of about 0.219 mm, which is sufficient to adapt to wafer warpage of -800 μm to +1500 μm. At the same time, the maximum principal stress of the 0.3 mm thick micro-motion film layer 24 under vacuum negative pressure is about 27 MPa, which is lower than the fatigue limit of PI material (tensile strength about 150 MPa) (about 20% of the tensile strength, i.e., 30 MPa). Therefore, in 10 7 Fatigue failure will not occur within the theoretical lifespan of the cycle, meeting the requirements for long-term stable use.

[0029] Based on the aforementioned preferred thickness of 0.3 mm, the thickness of the micro-movement film layer 24 is selected as follows: when the thickness is greater than 0.5 mm, the bending stiffness of the rigid material is still relatively high, and the deformation generated under a conventional vacuum negative pressure of -90 kPa is insufficient to conform to the surface undulations of a wafer with large warpage; when the thickness is less than 0.2 mm, although the deformation capacity is further improved, the structural strength of the locally thinned area decreases, and there is a risk of early fatigue failure under long-term alternating stress. Therefore, the range of 0.2 mm to 0.5 mm ensures sufficient deformation capacity while also taking into account structural strength and fatigue life, making it a reasonable choice that comprehensively considers deformation requirements and reliability requirements.

[0030] Based on the above structure, in order to further improve the deformation compliance of the micro-motion film layer 24 and reduce the stress concentration in the local thinning area, at least one annular groove is formed on the micro-motion film layer 24 to form a stress relief groove 241. The stress relief groove is formed on the upper surface (i.e., the bottom surface of the annular groove 21) and / or the lower surface of the micro-motion film layer 24.

[0031] In one embodiment, such as Figure 6 As shown, the stress relief groove 241 is disposed on the upper surface of the micro-motion film layer 24, that is, an annular groove is further formed at the bottom of the annular groove 21, so that the material thickness in this area is further reduced. When a vacuum negative pressure is applied to the annular groove 21, the area where the stress relief groove is located will produce greater bending deformation due to the further reduction in cross-sectional thickness, thereby improving the compliance of the micro-motion film layer 24 with the warped surface of the wafer.

[0032] In another embodiment, such as Figure 7 As shown, the stress relief groove is located on the lower surface of the micro-movement membrane layer 24. Compared to the upper surface, the stress relief groove on the lower surface does not change the surface morphology of the adsorption surface, which helps to maintain the flatness and cleanliness of the adsorption surface and reduces the risk of particulate matter accumulation.

[0033] In another embodiment, stress relief grooves are simultaneously formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the micro-motion membrane layer 24. For example... Figure 8 As shown, when the stress relief grooves on the upper and lower surfaces correspond to each other (i.e., the two grooves are located on the same annular diameter), the material thickness in this region is reduced to the maximum extent, resulting in the largest deformation amplitude; as Figure 9 As shown, when the two grooves are staggered (i.e., located on different annular diameters), stress distribution can be dispersed while ensuring a certain deformation capacity, avoiding excessive stress concentration in a single cross-section, which is beneficial to improving the fatigue resistance of the micro-moving membrane layer 24. In practical applications, the appropriate opening method and position configuration can be selected according to the specific working conditions (required deformation, vacuum negative pressure, material fatigue life requirements, etc.).

[0034] Preferably, the stress relief groove has an arc-shaped cross-section. Compared to a rectangular (concave) cross-section, the arc-shaped stress relief groove has a smoother transition surface, which can effectively reduce stress concentration points and lower the local maximum principal stress, thereby extending the fatigue life of the micro-moving film layer 24. Simultaneously, the residual stress at the arc-shaped bottom is smaller, which is beneficial for maintaining the structural integrity of the material. As an alternative, such as... Figure 10 As shown, the cross-section of the stress relief groove can also be concave (i.e., rectangular or trapezoidal), which is easier to process and lower in cost, making it suitable for applications with relatively low fatigue life requirements.

[0035] The suction cup assembly 2 features a rounded chamfered top surface to reduce contact stress concentration and minimize particle accumulation. The entire assembly is made of antistatic modified material, effectively preventing the accumulation of static charge due to friction, thus preventing the suction cup surface from adsorbing particulate impurities from the environment and ensuring ultra-high cleanliness during transport.

[0036] The overall thickness of the actuator body 1 is controlled to be less than 4.5mm, so that when picking up and placing wafers in a 12-inch wafer FOUP (wafer pitch of about 10mm), there will be no physical interference with adjacent wafers.

[0037] In a preferred embodiment, such as Figure 1 As shown, the actuator body 1 has at least two arms arranged in a forked configuration. One arm has a suction cup assembly 2, and the other arm has two suction cup assemblies 2. The three suction cup assemblies 2 are arranged in a triangular configuration to achieve stable support and adsorption of the wafer. This triangular arrangement of the three suction cup assemblies provides maximum support stability without increasing the number of suction cups, effectively preventing the wafer from tilting or shaking during adsorption. Furthermore, this layout is compatible with the mounting interfaces of most existing atmospheric robot end effectors, allowing for installation and use without modification to the robot body.

[0038] To verify the technical effect of the present invention, comparative tests were conducted on a conventional rigid suction cup (without a micro-motion layer), a fluororubber soft suction cup, and the rigid suction cup of the present invention with a micro-motion layer structure under the same test conditions. The test data are as follows: Figure 11 As shown. Test conditions: The same negative pressure air source is used; the test wafers are normal, without warping, and without process adhesive. Finger suction value refers to the negative pressure value when all suction cups are unobstructed; wafer adsorption air pressure value refers to the negative pressure value when the wafer is actually adsorbed. Pressure holding test method: Cover the suction cup with the wafer, wait for the air pressure to stabilize, then cut off the air tube and observe the pressure drop within 30 seconds. Adsorption force test method: Under adsorption conditions, push the wafer upwards from near the center point of the suction cup until it detaches. Adhesion force test method: Under vacuum conditions, push the wafer upwards from near the center point of the suction cup until it detaches. When a stress relief groove is provided, the minimum thickness at the stress relief groove is taken as the thickness of the micro-motion layer.

[0039] Data shows that ordinary rigid suction cups have a pressure drop of up to 50 kPa after 30 seconds of pressure holding, making it almost impossible to achieve an effective seal, with an adsorption force of only 3.6 N; fluororubber soft suction cups have good pressure holding performance, but the adhesion force reaches 2.3 N, exceeding the weight of a 12-inch wafer (approximately 1.3 N), resulting in a serious wafer sticking problem; the present invention has good pressure holding performance (6.8 kPa / 30s), an adsorption force of 10 N, and an adhesion force of only 1.4 N, achieving the technical effects of sealing, high adsorption force, and no wafer sticking at the same time.

[0040] Further analysis of the above data reveals that the adsorption force (10N) of this invention is approximately 178% higher than that of a conventional rigid chuck (3.6N) and approximately 35% higher than that of a fluororubber flexible chuck (7.4N). This indicates that the local deformation of the micro-movement film layer not only does not weaken the load-bearing capacity of the chuck, but also significantly increases the effective adsorption area by improving the sealing and adhesion, allowing the vacuum negative pressure to act more fully on the back side of the wafer. Simultaneously, the adhesion force of this invention (1.4N) is essentially equivalent to the weight of a 12-inch wafer (approximately 1.3N), indicating that after the vacuum is broken, the wafer only needs to overcome its own gravity to separate from the chuck, eliminating the "bounce" problem commonly seen with flexible chucks.

[0041] Furthermore, the thickness design of the micro-motion film layer in this invention has a decisive influence on the deformation amount. Theoretical calculations based on a vacuum negative pressure of -90 kPa and a suction cup cavity diameter of 14 mm show (e.g.) Figure 12 As shown in the figure, when the thickness of the micro-motion layer is gradually reduced from 1.4 mm to 0.3 mm, the deformation amount is significantly increased from 0.013 mm to 0.219 mm, which is sufficient to cover the wafer warpage range of -800 μm to +1500 μm, thereby effectively solving the problem of wafer adsorption.

[0042] Further analysis of the relationship between thickness and deformation reveals that when the thickness of the micro-motion layer decreases from 1.4 mm to 0.9 mm, the deformation only increases from 0.013 mm to 0.055 mm, a limited increase. However, when the thickness is further reduced to 0.4 mm, the deformation jumps to 0.160 mm; and when the thickness reaches 0.3 mm, the deformation reaches 0.219 mm. This indicates that there is an "inflection point" below 0.4 mm, where a small decrease in thickness can lead to a significant increase in deformation. This invention utilizes this principle, achieving an order-of-magnitude increase in deformation by reducing the thickness of the micro-motion layer to the range of 0.2 mm to 0.5 mm.

[0043] Furthermore, theoretical estimations based on finite element analysis show that when the thickness of the micro-motion film is 0.3 mm (e.g. Figure 13 As shown), its maximum principal stress is approximately 27 MPa, which is lower than the fatigue limit of PI material (approximately 30 MPa), and can meet the 10 7 The long-term use requirement of this cycle ensures the reliability of the transmission process.

[0044] Furthermore, in comparison Figure 12 and Figure 13 The data shows that at a thickness of 0.3 mm, the deformation (0.219 mm) completely covers the target warpage range (-800 μm to +1500 μm), while the maximum principal stress (27 MPa) remains below the fatigue limit (30 MPa). This means that 0.3 mm satisfies both the "deformation capacity requirement" and the "fatigue life requirement." This indicates that 0.3 mm is the optimal thickness value under the conditions of this specific embodiment.

[0045] The above comparative tests demonstrate that the present invention, through the structural design of forming a micro-moving membrane layer by locally thinning a rigid material, simultaneously achieves sealing performance at the level of a soft suction cup, adsorption strength exceeding that of a soft suction cup, and non-sticking characteristics of a rigid suction cup, thus achieving a comprehensive technical effect that cannot be achieved simultaneously by existing technologies.

[0046] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the technical concept and features of the present invention, intended to enable those skilled in the art to understand the content of the present invention and implement it accordingly, and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the above exemplary embodiments, and that the present invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered exemplary and non-limiting in all respects. The scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description, and thus all changes falling within the meaning and scope of the equivalents of the claims are intended to be included within the present invention.

Claims

1. A vacuum adsorption end effector structure, comprising an actuator body and a suction cup assembly disposed on the actuator body, characterized in that... : The suction cup assembly is made entirely of a rigid material. An annular groove is provided on the suction surface of the suction cup assembly. A negative pressure air hole is provided in the central area of ​​the annular groove. An annular protrusion for sealing against the wafer is provided on the outer periphery of the annular groove. The annular region between the outer ring of the negative pressure vent and the inner ring of the annular protrusion is a local thinning region. The thickness of the local thinning region is less than the thickness of other regions of the suction cup assembly, forming a micro-motion film layer. The micro-motion film layer is configured to generate elastic deformation under vacuum negative pressure to conform to the warped surface of the wafer. The suction cup assembly has a connecting part at its bottom and an mounting part on its actuator body. The connecting part is fixedly connected to the mounting part, and the mounting part has a through hole that communicates with the negative pressure air hole.

2. The vacuum adsorption end effector structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connecting part and the mounting part are connected by a threaded connection. The mounting part has an annular groove on its periphery, and the annular groove is filled with adhesive. When the connecting part is connected to the mounting part, the lower end of the connecting part extends into the annular groove.

3. The vacuum adsorption end effector structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mounting part is disposed in the mounting slot of the actuator body; The outer edge of the annular protrusion extends to form an annular retaining ring, and the plane at the lower end of the retaining ring is not higher than the plane at the opening of the mounting groove.

4. The vacuum adsorption end effector structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thickness of the micro-motion diaphragm is 0.2mm~0.5mm.

5. The structure of a vacuum adsorption end effector according to claim 1, characterized in that: At least one annular stress relief groove is formed on the micro-motion membrane layer, and the stress relief groove is disposed on the upper surface and / or lower surface of the micro-motion membrane layer.

6. The vacuum adsorption end effector structure according to claim 5, characterized in that: The stress relief groove has an arc-shaped or concave cross-section.

7. The vacuum adsorption end effector structure according to claim 5, characterized in that: The upper and lower surfaces of the micro-motion membrane layer each have an annular stress relief groove, and the positions of the two stress relief grooves are either corresponding to each other or staggered.

8. The structure of a vacuum adsorption end effector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The actuator body is provided with an air passage, which is connected to the through hole of the mounting part.

9. A vacuum adsorption end effector structure according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that: The suction cup assembly has a rounded chamfered top surface, and / or the rigid material is an antistatic material.

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