Semiconductor inspection apparatus

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of semiconductor detection, and particularly relates to a semiconductor detection device, which comprises a detection bin, two transmission mechanisms, the free ends of the transmission mechanisms are provided with carriers for carrying wafers, the transmission mechanisms are used to drive the corresponding carriers to rotate and thus realize the tilt adjustment of the carriers, and the transmission mechanisms also drive the corresponding carriers to move between the corresponding transfer stations and the detection stations in the detection bin, wherein one transmission mechanism drives the corresponding carrier to move to the detection station to perform optical topography detection of one wafer, while the other transmission mechanism drives the corresponding carrier to move to the corresponding transfer station to perform wafer replacement operation, and the two transmission mechanisms alternately drive the corresponding carriers to move to the detection station to perform optical topography detection of the corresponding wafers, and the carrier located in the detection station realizes tilt adjustment in the optical topography detection process through the corresponding transmission mechanism. The present application is at least beneficial to improving the detection efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of semiconductor testing technology, and in particular relates to a semiconductor testing device. Background Technology

[0002] When performing optical inspection on wafer morphology, it is necessary to avoid the influence of wafer morphology changes caused by the wafer's own gravity on the optical inspection. The conventional practice is to place the wafer on a wafer carrier, clamp and fix it, flip it to a vertical position, and then put it into the inspection chamber for optical morphology measurement.

[0003] Current optical topography measurement equipment uses a carrier to carry a wafer into the inspection chamber for optical topography inspection. The next wafer can only wait inside the EFEM (Equipment Front End Module) until the current wafer has finished inspection and returned to the positioning stage. Only after the carrier exchanges wafers can the next wafer be introduced into the inspection chamber for inspection. Furthermore, with the development of semiconductor structures, the warpage of wafers increases continuously after multiple processes, reaching a maximum warpage of 2mm. Limited by the high precision and low field of view of the dual-Fizeau interferometer, large-warpage wafers entering the inspection chamber can only produce local interferograms within the central field of view of the interferometer. Therefore, during wafer inspection, the wafer needs to be placed on a tilt adjustment mechanism located within the inspection chamber. This mechanism adjusts the wafer's tilt orientation within the inspection chamber, sequentially aligning each local area of ​​the wafer with the center of the interferometer's field of view. After each adjustment, an image is captured at the corresponding local position, thus completing the capture of all local interferograms of the wafer. Finally, algorithmic stitching technology is used to stitch together the entire warped surface. However, current optical topography measurement equipment requires that the tilt adjustment for the next local image be performed only after the previous set of local images has been captured and the surface shape has been calculated. This is because the tilt adjustment parameters for the next set of images need to be determined based on the surface shape calculated in the previous set.

[0004] In summary, the detection efficiency of current optical topography measurement equipment needs to be improved. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, the present invention aims to provide a semiconductor detection device that at least helps to improve detection efficiency.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution created by this invention is implemented as follows: This invention provides a semiconductor inspection device, comprising: an inspection chamber; two transfer mechanisms located on both sides of the inspection chamber, each transfer mechanism having a corresponding carrier for carrying a wafer at its free end; the transfer mechanisms are used to drive the corresponding carrier to rotate, thereby achieving tilt adjustment of the carrier; and the transfer mechanisms also drive the corresponding carrier to move between a corresponding transfer station and an inspection station within the inspection chamber; wherein, while one transfer mechanism drives the corresponding carrier to the inspection station to perform optical morphology inspection of a wafer, the other transfer mechanism drives the corresponding carrier to the corresponding transfer station to perform a wafer replacement operation, and the two transfer mechanisms alternately drive the corresponding carrier to the inspection station to perform optical morphology inspection of the corresponding wafer; the carrier located at the inspection station achieves tilt adjustment during the optical morphology inspection process through the corresponding transfer mechanism.

[0007] Furthermore, the semiconductor testing equipment also includes: a warpage pre-scan module, which is used to perform warpage pre-scan on the wafer located on the carrier at the handover station and generate warpage data; and a main control module, which is used to generate carrier tilt adjustment parameters based on the warpage data.

[0008] Furthermore, after the transmission mechanism moves the corresponding carrier to the corresponding handover station to complete the wafer replacement operation, the warpage pre-scan module detects the warpage of the replaced wafer and transmits the warpage data to the main control module. The main control module generates carrier tilt adjustment parameters adapted to the corresponding wafer optical morphology detection. When the transmission mechanism moves the wafer to the detection station to perform optical morphology detection, the transmission mechanism drives the carrier to achieve tilt adjustment during the optical morphology detection process according to the pre-generated carrier tilt adjustment parameters.

[0009] Furthermore, during wafer replacement and warpage pre-scanning, the carrier is placed horizontally. After the warpage pre-scanning is completed, the transmission mechanism drives the corresponding carrier to flip from horizontal to vertical. The carrier moves to the inspection station in a vertical position under the drive of the transmission mechanism and performs optical morphology inspection in a vertical position.

[0010] Furthermore, the warpage pre-scan module includes a laser, a micromirror array, a dichroic mirror, and a displacement sensor array. The laser emits a probe light, which is incident on the micromirror array. The micromirror array converts the probe light into a two-dimensional array light. The two-dimensional array light is transmitted through the dichroic mirror and incident on the wafer surface, forming array reflected light. The array reflected light is reflected by the dichroic mirror onto the displacement sensor array, forming multiple light spots. The displacement sensor array detects the position of the light spots and obtains the warpage of the wafer surface based on the position of the light spots.

[0011] Furthermore, the wafer surface is divided into multiple local regions, and the warpage of each local region is obtained based on the position of each spot corresponding to that local region. The warpage of the local region is obtained based on Formula 1, which is as follows: Warp=1 / r=(D1-D0) / (2h×D1); where Warp represents the warpage of the local region, r represents the curvature of the local region, D1 represents the average spacing between each spot corresponding to the local region when the curvature of the local region is 0, D0 represents the average spacing between each spot corresponding to the currently detected local region, and h is a calibration parameter.

[0012] Furthermore, the main control module determines the number N and image positions for the optical topography detection process based on the numerical aperture of the interferometer in the detection chamber. It also obtains N tilt adjustment parameters based on the image positions and the corresponding warpage, with each of the N tilt adjustment parameters corresponding to one of the N image positions. During optical topography detection, the corresponding image position of the wafer is adjusted to the interferometer's field of view based on one tilt adjustment parameter, completing one image. Then, the next image position of the wafer is adjusted to the interferometer's field of view based on the next tilt adjustment parameter, completing the next image, until all images are acquired.

[0013] Furthermore, the transmission mechanism includes a drive module, a connecting structure, and a flipping structure connected in sequence. The drive module is movable on a preset path to drive the corresponding carrier to move between the corresponding handover station and the inspection station. The flipping structure has a first axis extending in a first direction and is rotatable relative to the connecting structure about the first axis. The carrier has a second axis extending in a second direction and is rotatable relative to the flipping structure about the second axis.

[0014] Furthermore, the semiconductor testing equipment also includes a support and a guide rail. The guide rail is mounted on the support, which includes two extensions located on both sides of the testing chamber. Each extension corresponds to a transmission mechanism, and the drive module of the transmission mechanism is mounted on the guide rail corresponding to the respective extension.

[0015] Furthermore, the carrier includes: a support frame, multiple clamping structures, and multiple support bosses. The clamping structures and support bosses are all disposed on the support frame. The support frame has a first side and a second side arranged along the thickness direction. The support frame has a receiving hole that passes through the first side and the second side. The clamping structure has a clamping end that is movable relative to the support frame along the thickness direction of the support frame. When the carrier carries the wafer, the wafer is located in the receiving hole, and the support bosses cooperate with the clamping end to clamp and fix the edge of the wafer. When replacing the wafer, the carrier is placed horizontally, the support bosses are located below the clamping structures, and the clamping end moves away from the support frame to release the wafer and thus realize wafer replacement.

[0016] Furthermore, the testing chamber has a testing cavity and two openings located on both sides of the testing cavity. The testing station is located inside the testing cavity. The testing cavity is connected to one side outside the testing cavity through one opening and to the other side outside the testing cavity through the other opening. Two transmission mechanisms correspond one-to-one with the two openings. The transmission mechanisms move the corresponding carriers into or out of the testing cavity through the corresponding openings.

[0017] Furthermore, a dual Fizeau interferometer is installed in the inspection chamber. The dual Fizeau interferometer is used to perform optical morphology inspection on the front and back sides of the wafer located at the inspection station.

[0018] Furthermore, the area where the semiconductor testing equipment is located is divided into a loading area, a transfer area, and a testing area arranged in sequence. The semiconductor testing equipment also includes a loading mechanism and a transfer mechanism. The loading mechanism is located in the loading area, the transfer mechanism is located in the transfer area, and the testing bin and the transfer mechanism are both located in the testing area. The loading mechanism is used to carry the wafer cassette, and the transfer mechanism is used to transfer the wafers in the wafer cassette to an empty carrier located at the handover station, and to transfer the wafers on the carrier located at the handover station back to the wafer cassette.

[0019] Compared with existing technologies, the present invention achieves the following beneficial effects: The semiconductor inspection equipment provided by the present invention has a dual positioning stage (dual handover station) and a dual transmission mechanism. While one transmission mechanism drives the wafer to perform optical topography inspection in the inspection chamber, the other transmission mechanism completes the wafer exchange preparation at the handover station, i.e., completes wafer replacement. After the current wafer in the inspection chamber has completed inspection and exited the inspection cavity, another wafer can immediately enter the inspection chamber for inspection, reducing the waiting time for EFEM wafer exchange and wafer replacement by the transmission mechanism, which is beneficial to improving inspection efficiency. Furthermore, the semiconductor inspection equipment provided by the present invention adds a warp pre-scan module at the handover station, so that while one wafer is being inspected in the inspection chamber, the other wafer... The wafer exchange and warpage pre-scanning can be completed at the handover station. Based on the pre-obtained wafer warpage profile, the tilt adjustment parameters of the carrier can be automatically pre-planned. After the transport mechanism uses the carrier to drive the wafer into the inspection chamber, the tilt adjustment of the carrier can start directly after a partial image is taken. There is no need to calculate the warpage based on the previous partial image to predict the warpage of the next shooting area, nor is there a need to generate tilt adjustment parameters based on the predicted warpage of the next shooting area. This eliminates the steps of warpage calculation, warpage prediction, and control parameter generation between two images, significantly reducing the time interval between two images. It can also realize the parallel calculation of multiple sets of local surface profiles, thereby greatly improving the inspection efficiency.

[0020] Furthermore, the semiconductor inspection equipment provided by this invention not only allows the carrier to be flipped from a horizontal position to a vertical position via the transmission mechanism, but also allows the carrier to be tilted during the optical morphology inspection process. Therefore, the transmission mechanism does not need to detach the carrier from the inspection chamber and place the carrier inside the inspection chamber. Instead, the tilting adjustment during the optical morphology inspection process can be achieved directly through the transmission mechanism, saving the steps and time of placing the wafer into the inspection chamber and the transmission mechanism exiting the inspection chamber, which is beneficial to further improving the inspection efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0021] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this invention, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention. The illustrative embodiments and descriptions of the invention are used to explain the invention and do not constitute an undue limitation of the invention. In the drawings: Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the semiconductor testing device described in the embodiments of the present invention; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of the vehicle described in the embodiments of the present invention; Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the transmission mechanism, guide rail, and support described in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 Another structural schematic diagram of the transmission mechanism, guide rail, and bracket described in the embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the warp pre-scan module described in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0022] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the invention and do not constitute a limitation thereof.

[0023] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in the present invention can be combined with each other.

[0024] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," and "counterclockwise," etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing this invention and 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, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on this invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, features defined with "first," "second," etc., may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this invention, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0025] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" 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 mechanical connection or an electrical 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 will understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0026] The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0027] refer to Figures 1 to 5 This invention provides a semiconductor testing device, comprising: a testing chamber 14; two transmission mechanisms 10 located on both sides of the testing chamber 14, each transmission mechanism 10 having a corresponding carrier 9 for carrying a wafer 8 at its free end; the transmission mechanism 10 is used to drive the corresponding carrier 9 to rotate, thereby achieving tilt adjustment of the carrier 9, and the transmission mechanism 10 also drives the corresponding carrier 9 to move between a corresponding transfer station and a testing station within the testing chamber 14; wherein, while one transmission mechanism 10 drives the corresponding carrier 9 to the testing station to perform optical morphology testing of a wafer 8, the other transmission mechanism 10 drives the corresponding carrier 9 to the corresponding transfer station to perform a wafer replacement operation, and the two transmission mechanisms 10 alternately drive the corresponding carrier 9 to the testing station to perform optical morphology testing of the corresponding wafer 8, and the carrier 9 located at the testing station achieves tilt adjustment during the optical morphology testing process through the corresponding transmission mechanism 10.

[0028] In some embodiments, the two transmission mechanisms 10 are located on opposite sides of the detection chamber 14.

[0029] Furthermore, the semiconductor inspection equipment also includes: a warpage pre-scan module, which is used to perform warpage pre-scan on the wafer 8 located on the carrier 9 at the handover station and generate warpage data; and a main control module, which is used to generate carrier tilt adjustment parameters adapted to the corresponding wafer optical morphology inspection based on the warpage data.

[0030] In some embodiments, when the warp pre-scan module performs a warp pre-scan on wafer 8, the warp pre-scan module may be located above the handover station.

[0031] Furthermore, after the transmission mechanism 10 moves the corresponding carrier 9 to the corresponding handover station to complete the wafer replacement operation, the warpage pre-scan module detects the warpage of the replaced wafer 8 and transmits the warpage data to the main control module. The main control module generates carrier tilt adjustment parameters adapted to the corresponding wafer optical morphology detection. When the transmission mechanism 10 moves the wafer 8 to the detection station to perform optical morphology detection, the transmission mechanism 10 drives the carrier 9 to achieve tilt adjustment during the optical morphology detection process according to the pre-generated carrier tilt adjustment parameters.

[0032] Furthermore, during the wafer replacement and warpage pre-scanning process, the carrier 9 is placed horizontally. After the warpage pre-scanning is completed, the transmission mechanism 10 drives the corresponding carrier 9 to flip from horizontal to vertical placement. The carrier 9 moves to the detection station in a vertical position under the drive of the transmission mechanism 10, and performs optical morphology detection in a vertical position. It can be understood that when the carrier 9 is placed horizontally, the wafer 8 on the carrier is also placed horizontally, and when the carrier 9 is placed vertically, the wafer 8 on the carrier is also placed vertically.

[0033] Furthermore, the warpage pre-scan module includes a laser 101, a micro-mirror array 103, a dichroic mirror 105, and a displacement sensor array 108. The laser 101 emits probe light, which is incident on the micro-mirror array 103. The micro-mirror array 103 converts the probe light into a two-dimensional array light. The two-dimensional array light is transmitted through the dichroic mirror 105 and incident on the surface of the wafer 8, forming array reflected light. The array reflected light is reflected by the dichroic mirror 105 onto the displacement sensor array 108, forming multiple light spots. The displacement sensor array 108 detects the position of the light spots and obtains the warpage of the wafer 8 surface based on the position of the light spots.

[0034] In some embodiments, the warp pre-scan module further includes a first collimating mirror 102 and a second collimating mirror 104. The probe light emitted by the laser 101 is expanded into parallel light by the first collimating mirror 102 and then incident on the micro-reflecting mirror array 103. The micro-reflecting mirror array 103 converts the probe light into two-dimensional array light. The two-dimensional array light is collimated by the second collimating mirror 104 and then incident on the dichroic mirror 105.

[0035] In some embodiments, the warp pre-scan module may further include a reflector 106. The two-dimensional array light is transmitted through a dichroic mirror 105 and then reflected by the reflector 106 to be incident on the wafer surface and form an array reflected light. The array reflected light is reflected by the reflector 106 and the dichroic mirror 105 in sequence and then incident on the displacement sensor array 108.

[0036] Furthermore, the wafer surface is divided into multiple local regions, and the warpage of each local region is obtained based on the position of each spot corresponding to that local region. The warpage of the local region is obtained based on Formula 1, which is as follows: Warp=1 / r=(D1-D0) / (2h×D1); where Warp represents the warpage of the local region, r represents the curvature of the local region, D1 represents the average spacing between each spot corresponding to the local region when the curvature of the local region is 0, D0 represents the average spacing between each spot corresponding to the currently detected local region, and h is a calibration parameter. The warpage of the wafer is determined based on the warpage of multiple local regions.

[0037] It is understandable that the displacement sensor array 108 includes multiple displacement sensor units. For a local area, when each spot position is located at the center of the corresponding displacement sensor unit, the warp of the local area is 0. When not all spot positions are located at the center of the corresponding displacement sensor unit, the warp of the local area is not 0. If the calculated warp is negative, the local area is umbrella-shaped warped. If the calculated warp is positive, the local area is bowl-shaped warped.

[0038] Furthermore, the main control module determines the number N and image positions for the optical topography detection process based on the numerical aperture of the interferometer in the detection chamber 14. It then obtains N tilt adjustment parameters based on the image positions and the corresponding warpage. These N tilt adjustment parameters correspond one-to-one with the N image positions. In other words, the surface profile of the entire wafer is obtained by stitching together N sub-aperture images. N tilt adjustment parameters for the corresponding carrier 9 during the current wafer detection can be generated based on the position coordinates of each sub-aperture. During optical topography detection, the corresponding image position of wafer 8 is adjusted to the interferometer's field of view based on one tilt adjustment parameter, completing one image capture. Then, the next image position of wafer 8 is adjusted to the interferometer's field of view based on the next tilt adjustment parameter, completing the next image capture, until all images of the current wafer are acquired.

[0039] In some embodiments, the wafer surface is divided into N local regions, and one or more local regions serve as a single imaging location. It is understood that when multiple local regions serve as a single imaging location, the tilt adjustment parameters for that imaging location are determined based on the warp of the multiple local regions.

[0040] Furthermore, the transmission mechanism 10 includes a drive module 111, a connecting structure 112, and a flipping structure 113 connected sequentially from bottom to top. The carrier 9 is located on the side of the end of the flipping structure 113 away from the connecting structure 112. The drive module 111 is movable on a preset path to drive the corresponding carrier 9 to move between the corresponding handover station and the inspection station. The flipping structure 113 has a first axis A extending along a first direction X. In some examples, the first direction X is a vertical direction. The flipping structure 113 is rotatable relative to the connecting structure 112 about the first axis A. The carrier 9 has a second axis B extending along a second direction Y. In some examples, the second direction Y is a horizontal direction, and the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction. The carrier 9 is rotatable relative to the flipping structure 113 about the second axis B. Adjusting the angle of rotation of the carrier 9 relative to the flipping structure 113 and adjusting the angle of rotation of the flipping mechanism relative to the connecting structure 112 can achieve the tilt adjustment of the carrier 9.

[0041] It is understandable that adjusting the angle of rotation of the vehicle 9 relative to the flipping structure 113 can enable the transmission mechanism 10 to flip the corresponding vehicle 9 from a horizontal position to a vertical position, or enable the transmission mechanism 10 to flip the corresponding vehicle 9 from a vertical position to a horizontal position.

[0042] Furthermore, the semiconductor testing equipment also includes a support 13 and a guide rail 11. The guide rail 11 is mounted on the support 13. The support 13 includes two extensions located on both sides of the testing chamber 14. The extensions correspond one-to-one with the transmission mechanism 10. The drive module 111 of the transmission mechanism 10 is mounted on the guide rail 11 corresponding to the extension. The drive module 111 moves on the guide rail 11 on the top surface of the extension to drive the corresponding carrier 9 to move between the corresponding handover station and the testing station.

[0043] In some embodiments, reference Figure 3 The bracket 13 also includes an intermediate portion located between the two extension portions. The guide rail 11 is a single linear guide rail, which can be located on the top surface of the bracket 13. The detection chamber 14 is located above the portion of the guide rail 11 corresponding to the intermediate portion. The drive module 111 of the transmission mechanism 10 is disposed on the portion of the guide rail 11 corresponding to the respective extension portion. In other embodiments, refer to... Figure 4 The two extensions are disconnected from each other. The guide rail 11 includes two linear guide rails 21. Each extension has a corresponding linear guide rail 21 on its top surface. The drive module 111 of the transmission mechanism 10 is set on the corresponding linear guide rail 21 of the extension.

[0044] In some embodiments, the drive module 111 may be a linear motor.

[0045] Furthermore, the carrier 9 includes: a support frame 90, multiple clamping structures 17, and multiple support bosses 16. The clamping structures 17 and the support bosses 16 are all disposed on the support frame 90. The support frame 90 has a first side and a second side arranged along the thickness direction. The support frame 90 has a receiving hole that passes through the first side and the second side. The clamping structure 17 has a clamping end that is movable relative to the support frame 90 along the thickness direction of the support frame 90. When the carrier 9 carries the wafer 8, the wafer 8 is located in the receiving hole, and the support bosses 16 cooperate with the clamping end to clamp and fix the edge of the wafer 8. When replacing the wafer 8, the carrier 9 is placed horizontally, the support bosses 16 are located below the clamping structures 17, and the clamping end moves away from the support frame 90 to release the wafer 8 and thus realize wafer replacement.

[0046] It should be noted that multiple support bosses 16 are disposed on the first side and arranged at intervals along the edge of the receiving hole, and multiple clamping structures 17 are disposed on the second side and arranged at intervals along the edge of the receiving hole. Each support boss 16 extends toward the receiving hole, and the clamping end of each clamping structure 17 extends toward the receiving hole. When the carrier 9 carries the wafer 8, each support boss 16 is located on one side of the wafer 8 and contacts one side surface of the wafer 8, and each clamping structure 17 is located on the other side of the wafer 8, with the clamping end contacting the other side surface of the wafer 8.

[0047] In some embodiments, the carrier 9 includes a support frame 90, three clamping structures 17 and three support bosses 16, with the clamping structures 17 and support bosses 16 corresponding one-to-one, and the corresponding clamping structures 17 and support bosses 16 facing each other.

[0048] In some embodiments, the clamping structure 17 may include an actuator and a pressure plate. In some examples, the actuator may be a small motor or a cylinder. The pressure plate has wafer pressing points, which serve as clamping ends. The actuator is used to drive the pressure plate to move in the thickness direction of the support frame 90. The wafer pressing points are installed on the lower surface of the pressure plate to press the wafer 8. When the pressure plate is lifted upward, the clamping structure 17 opens, and the wafer 8 can be placed between the pressure plate and the support boss 16, or the wafer 8 can be moved out from between the pressure plate and the support boss 16. After the wafer 8 is placed between the pressure plate and the support boss 16, the actuator drives the pressure plate to move towards the support boss 16, and the pressure plate and the support boss 16 cooperate to clamp and fix the wafer 8.

[0049] In some embodiments, the end of the support boss 16 that carries the wafer 8 includes a limiting part and a supporting part connected to each other. The limiting part and the supporting part form a stepped structure. When the support boss 16 carries the wafer 8, the surface of the wafer 8 away from the clamping structure 17 contacts the supporting part. The limiting part is located on the outer side of the edge of the wafer 8 and is used to achieve radial limiting of the wafer 8 to ensure that the relative position of the wafer 8 and the carrier 9 is always fixed.

[0050] Furthermore, the testing chamber 14 has a testing cavity and two openings 4 located on opposite sides of the testing cavity. The testing station is located inside the testing cavity. The testing cavity is connected to one side outside the testing chamber 14 through one opening 4, and the testing cavity is connected to the other side outside the testing chamber 14 through the other opening 4. Two transmission mechanisms 10 correspond one-to-one with the two openings 4. The transmission mechanism 10 moves the corresponding carrier 9 into or out of the testing cavity through the corresponding opening 4.

[0051] Furthermore, a dual Fizeau interferometer is installed in the inspection chamber 14. The dual Fizeau interferometer is used to perform optical morphology inspection on the front and back sides of the wafer 8 located at the inspection station.

[0052] A dual Fizeau interferometer comprises two symmetrically arranged Fizeau interferometer systems. The Fizeau interferometer measures the wafer morphology as follows: an illumination beam emitted from a light source is reflected / transmitted sequentially by a beam splitter and a collimating mirror before being incident parallel to a reference mirror. The reference mirror reflects and transmits the incident beam to form a first reflected beam and a first transmitted beam. The first transmitted beam is then reflected by a surface on one side of the wafer to form a second reflected beam. The first and second reflected beams converge to form a combined beam, which is received by a detector to generate an interference fringe image. Therefore, the degree of wafer warpage affects the ability to form an image. Due to the limitations of the Fizeau interferometer's high precision and low field of view, wafer warpage must be detected first, and the wafer tilt adjusted to meet imaging requirements.

[0053] Furthermore, the area where the semiconductor testing equipment is located is divided into a loading area, a transfer area, and a testing area arranged in sequence. The semiconductor testing equipment also includes a loading mechanism 5 and a transfer mechanism 7. The loading mechanism 5 is located in the loading area, the transfer mechanism 7 is located in the transfer area, and the testing chamber 14 and the transfer mechanism 10 are both located in the testing area. The loading mechanism 5 is used to carry the wafer cassette, and the transfer mechanism 7 is used to transfer the wafers 8 in the wafer cassette to the empty carrier 9 located at the handover station, and to transfer the wafers 8 on the carrier 9 located at the handover station back to the wafer cassette.

[0054] It should be noted that when replacing wafer 8, the conveying mechanism 7 first conveys wafer 8 from the carrier 9 at the handover station back to the wafer cassette, and then conveys another wafer 8 from the wafer cassette to the carrier 9 at the handover station; during the process of the conveying mechanism 7 picking up and placing wafer 8 from the carrier 9, the clamping end moves away from the receiving hole and is in the state of releasing wafer 8.

[0055] In some embodiments, the transmission mechanism 7 may be an ATM (Atmosphere Transfer Module).

[0056] In some embodiments, the loading mechanism 5 includes two wafer tray placement stations 3, each capable of holding one wafer tray. The semiconductor testing equipment may include a transfer mechanism 7, and wafer replacement in both transfer mechanisms 10 can be achieved through a single transfer mechanism 7. The transfer mechanism 7 can alternately complete wafer replacement between the two carriers 9. In other embodiments, the semiconductor testing equipment may also include two transfer mechanisms 7.

[0057] In some embodiments, the semiconductor testing equipment may include a warp pre-scan module movable between two handover stations; in other embodiments, the semiconductor testing equipment may also include two warp pre-scan modules, with each handover station configured with a corresponding warp pre-scan module.

[0058] In some embodiments, the feeding mechanism 5 may be an EFEM.

[0059] It can be understood that when the semiconductor testing equipment starts working from the idle state, both transmission mechanisms 10 drive the corresponding carriers 9 to the handover station. The loading mechanism 5 carries the wafer cassette, and the conveying mechanism 7 takes out the wafer 8 from the cassette and conveys it to the carrier 9 located at the handover station. The carrier 9 that has completed the placement of the wafer 8 first can start the subsequent steps such as warpage pre-scan first. The wafer 8 that has completed the pre-scan first can enter the testing cavity first to perform optical morphology testing.

[0060] It should be noted that only after the previous wafer 8 has completed inspection and exited the inspection cavity can the next wafer 8, which is waiting in a vertical position, be moved into the inspection cavity to perform optical topography inspection. According to the pre-acquired tilt adjustment parameters, the corresponding carrier 9 is rotated to the first position to take a picture of the first sub-aperture. After the picture is taken, the surface shape calculation of the first sub-aperture and the adjustment of the second position are performed in parallel. There is no need to wait for the warp curvature to be obtained after the first surface shape calculation before the next tilt adjustment can begin. After all sub-apertures have been photographed, the transfer mechanism 10 drives the carrier 9 to exit the inspection cavity, and another transfer mechanism 10 then drives the corresponding carrier 9 carrying the next wafer 8 into the inspection cavity for inspection.

[0061] In some embodiments, the semiconductor testing equipment may further include an alignment module 6. After the transfer mechanism 7 takes the wafer out of the cassette, before transferring the wafer to the handover station, the transfer mechanism 7 first places the wafer on the alignment module 6 for position correction. Then, the transfer mechanism 7 transfers the position-corrected wafer to the carrier 9 located at the handover station.

[0062] It should be understood that the various forms of processes shown above can be used to reorder, add, or delete steps. For example, the steps described in this invention disclosure can be executed in parallel, sequentially, or in different orders, as long as the desired result of the technical solution disclosed in this invention can be achieved, and this is not limited herein.

[0063] The specific embodiments described above do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that various modifications, combinations, sub-combinations, and substitutions can be made according to design requirements and other factors. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of this invention should be included within the scope of protection of this invention.

Claims

1. A semiconductor testing device, characterized in that, include: Detection chamber (14); Two transmission mechanisms (10) are located on both sides of the inspection chamber (14). Each transmission mechanism (10) has a corresponding carrier (9) for carrying wafers at its free end. The transmission mechanism (10) is used to drive the corresponding carrier (9) to rotate, thereby realizing the tilt adjustment of the carrier (9). The transmission mechanism (10) also drives the corresponding carrier (9) to move between the corresponding handover station and the inspection station in the inspection chamber (14). In one process, a transmission mechanism (10) moves a corresponding carrier (9) to the inspection station to perform optical morphology inspection of a wafer, while another transmission mechanism (10) moves a corresponding carrier (9) to the corresponding handover station to perform wafer replacement operation. The two transmission mechanisms (10) alternately move the corresponding carrier (9) to the inspection station to perform optical morphology inspection of the corresponding wafer. The carrier (9) located at the inspection station achieves tilt adjustment during the optical morphology inspection process through the corresponding transmission mechanism (10).

2. The semiconductor testing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The semiconductor testing equipment also includes: Warpage pre-scan module, the warpage pre-scan module is used to perform warpage pre-scan on the wafer located on the carrier (9) at the handover station and generate warpage data; The main control module is used to generate vehicle tilt adjustment parameters based on the warp data.

3. The semiconductor testing equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, After the transmission mechanism (10) drives the corresponding carrier (9) to move to the corresponding handover station to complete the wafer replacement operation, the warpage pre-scan module detects the warpage of the replaced wafer. The warp pre-scan module transmits the warp data to the main control module. The main control module generates corresponding carrier tilt adjustment parameters. When the transmission mechanism (10) moves the wafer to the detection station to perform optical morphology detection, the transmission mechanism (10) drives the carrier (9) to achieve tilt adjustment during the optical morphology detection process according to the pre-generated carrier tilt adjustment parameters.

4. The semiconductor testing equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that, During wafer replacement and warpage pre-scanning, the carrier (9) is placed horizontally. After the warpage pre-scanning is completed, the transmission mechanism (10) drives the corresponding carrier (9) to flip from horizontal to vertical. The carrier (9) moves to the detection station in a vertical position under the drive of the transmission mechanism (10) and performs optical morphology detection in a vertical position.

5. The semiconductor testing equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The warping pre-scan module includes a laser (101), a micro-mirror array (103), a dichroic mirror (105), and a displacement sensor array (108). The laser (101) is used to emit a probe light, which is incident on the micro-mirror array (103). The micro-mirror array (103) converts the probe light into a two-dimensional array light. The two-dimensional array light is transmitted through the dichroic mirror (105) and incident on the wafer surface to form an array reflected light. The array reflected light is reflected by the dichroic mirror (105) to the displacement sensor array (108) to form multiple light spots. The displacement sensor array (108) detects the position of the light spots and obtains the warpage of the wafer surface based on the position of the light spots.

6. The semiconductor testing equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that, The wafer surface is divided into multiple local regions, and the warpage of the local region is obtained based on the position of each spot corresponding to the local region. The warpage of the local region is obtained based on Formula 1, which is as follows: Warp=1 / r=(D1-D0) / (2h×D1). Where Warp represents the warp of the local region, r represents the curvature of the local region, D1 represents the average spacing between the light spots corresponding to the local region when the curvature of the local region is 0, D0 represents the average spacing between the light spots corresponding to the currently detected local region, and h is the calibration parameter.

7. The semiconductor testing equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that, The main control module determines the number N and the position of the images in the optical morphology detection process based on the numerical aperture of the interferometer in the detection chamber (14), and obtains N tilt adjustment parameters based on the image position and the warp corresponding to the image position. The N tilt adjustment parameters correspond one-to-one with the N image positions. When performing optical topography inspection, the wafer's corresponding image position is adjusted to the interferometer's field of view based on a tilt adjustment parameter to complete one image. Then, the wafer's next image position is adjusted to the interferometer's field of view based on the next tilt adjustment parameter to complete the next image, until all images are acquired.

8. The semiconductor testing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transmission mechanism (10) includes a drive module (111), a connection structure (112), and a flipping structure (113) connected in sequence. The drive module (111) is movable on a preset path to drive the corresponding carrier (9) to move between the corresponding handover station and the inspection station. The flipping structure (113) has a first axis (A) extending along a first direction (X). The flipping structure (113) is rotatable relative to the connection structure (112) about the first axis (A). The carrier (9) has a second axis (B) extending along a second direction (Y). The carrier (9) is rotatable relative to the flipping structure (113) about the second axis (B).

9. The semiconductor testing equipment according to claim 8, characterized in that, The semiconductor testing equipment also includes a bracket (13) and a guide rail (11). The guide rail (11) is disposed on the bracket (13). The bracket (13) includes two extension portions located on both sides of the testing chamber (14). The extension portions correspond one-to-one with the transmission mechanism (10). The drive module (111) is disposed on the guide rail (11) corresponding to the extension portion.

10. The semiconductor testing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The carrier (9) includes: a support frame (90), a plurality of clamping structures (17) and a plurality of supporting bosses (16). The clamping structures (17) and the supporting bosses (16) are both disposed on the support frame (90). The support frame (90) has a first side and a second side arranged along the thickness direction. The support frame (90) has a receiving hole through the first side and the second side. The clamping structure (17) has a clamping end. The clamping end is movable relative to the support frame (90) along the thickness direction of the support frame (90). When the carrier (9) carries the wafer, the wafer is located in the receiving hole, and the support boss (16) cooperates with the clamping end to clamp and fix the edge of the wafer; When replacing the wafer, the carrier (9) is placed horizontally, the support boss (16) is located below the clamping structure (17), and the clamping end moves away from the support frame (90) to release the wafer and thus realize the wafer replacement.

11. The semiconductor testing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The detection chamber (14) has a detection cavity and two openings (4) located on both sides of the detection cavity. The detection station is located inside the detection cavity. The detection cavity is connected to one side outside the detection chamber (14) through one opening (4), and the detection cavity is connected to the other side outside the detection chamber (14) through the other opening (4). Two transmission mechanisms (10) correspond one-to-one with two openings (4). The transmission mechanisms (10) move the corresponding carriers (9) into or out of the detection cavity through the corresponding openings (4).

12. The semiconductor testing equipment according to claim 11, characterized in that, The inspection chamber (14) is equipped with a dual Friesian interferometer, which is used to perform optical morphology inspection on the front and back sides of the wafer located at the inspection station.

13. The semiconductor testing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The area where the semiconductor testing equipment is located is divided into a feeding area, a transmission area and a testing area arranged in sequence. The semiconductor testing equipment also includes a feeding mechanism (5) and a transmission mechanism (7). The feeding mechanism (5) is located in the feeding area, the transmission mechanism (7) is located in the transmission area, and the testing chamber (14) and the transmission mechanism (10) are both located in the testing area. The loading mechanism (5) is used to carry the wafer cassette, and the conveying mechanism (7) is used to convey the wafers in the wafer cassette to the empty carrier (9) located at the handover station, and to transfer the wafers on the carrier (9) located at the handover station back to the wafer cassette.

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