Wafer conveying device

Abstract

The utility model provides a wafer conveying device, which is used for conveying a wafer in a vacuum environment, and comprises a bearing member, the bearing member comprises a bearing part and a handle part which are integrally connected, the bearing part is used for bearing the wafer, and the bearing part is provided with a plurality of connecting holes; the handle part is used for being connected with a power device; the supporting piece is detachably connected with the bearing part, the first end of the supporting piece is inserted into the connecting hole, and the end face of the second end of the supporting piece is configured to be in contact with the wafer. When the contact area of the wafer conveying device and the wafer is abraded, the contact area can be updated in a quick replacement mode, and the wafer conveying device does not need to be calibrated.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, and in particular to a wafer conveying device. Background Art

[0002] In the semiconductor manufacturing process, a robotic arm is required to accurately transfer wafers. However, as the number of uses increases, the surface where the robotic arm contacts the wafer will wear out, affecting the accuracy of the wafer's placement in the reaction chamber, thereby reducing the wafer's etching uniformity and yield.

[0003] Usually, when the mechanical arm of the equipment is worn and affects the accuracy of the wafer placement position, the entire mechanical arm will be replaced, reducing the utilization rate of the equipment. In addition, replacing the mechanical arm also requires recalibration of the wafer placement position, which not only affects the process progress, but also faces the risk of poor calibration. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of the present application is to provide a wafer conveying device, which can be updated by quick replacement when the area where the wafer conveying device contacts the wafer is worn, and there is no need to calibrate the wafer conveying device.

[0005] An embodiment of the present application provides a wafer conveying device for conveying wafers in a vacuum environment, comprising: a supporting member, the supporting member comprising a bearing portion and a handle portion that are integrally connected, the bearing portion being used to bear the wafer, and the bearing portion being provided with a plurality of connecting holes, the handle portion being used to connect to a power device; and a supporting member, detachably connected to the bearing portion, the first end of the supporting member being inserted into the connecting hole, and the end face of the second end of the supporting member being configured to contact the wafer.

[0006] In some embodiments, the support member includes a supporting portion and a connecting portion, the supporting portion is integrally connected to the connecting portion, and a cross-sectional area of ​​the supporting portion is greater than a cross-sectional area of ​​the connecting portion.

[0007] In some embodiments, the end surface of the second end of the support member is provided with regularly distributed anti-slip bumps.

[0008] In some embodiments, the material of the support member includes rubber or resin.

[0009] In some embodiments, the support member is provided with a first through hole penetrating the support member along a central axis of the support member.

[0010] In some embodiments, a slot is formed on the top surface of the support member.

[0011] In some embodiments, the connection holes are evenly distributed on the bearing portion.

[0012] In some embodiments, the shape of the bearing portion includes "U" shape, circle, square, and "V" shape.

[0013] In some embodiments, the first end of the handle is connected to the load-bearing portion, and the second end of the handle is provided with a second through hole penetrating the handle.

[0014] In some embodiments, the supporting member is made of metal or ceramic.

[0015] The wafer conveying device provided in the present application includes a supporting member and a supporting member, the supporting member includes a bearing portion and a handle portion that are integrally connected, the bearing portion is used to bear the wafer, and the handle portion is used to connect to a power device, the supporting member is detachably connected to the bearing member, and the supporting member is configured to contact the wafer.

[0016] The wafer conveying device provided in the present application is designed with a support member that is detachably connected to the bearing part of the supporting member. The support member can be easily replaced after the support member is worn out due to long-term use. Compared with the prior art in which the support member is in direct contact with the wafer and the entire support member is replaced when the support member is worn, it not only reduces material costs, but also saves the calibration process, thereby avoiding deviations in wafer transfer caused by inaccurate calibration. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The following figures describe in detail the exemplary embodiments disclosed in this application. The same reference numerals represent similar structures in several views of the drawings. Those skilled in the art will understand that these embodiments are non-limiting, exemplary embodiments, and the drawings are only for the purpose of illustration and description, and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. Other embodiments may also accomplish the inventive intent in this application. It should be understood that the drawings are not drawn to scale.

[0018] in:

[0019] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of a wafer conveying device according to some embodiments of the present application;

[0020] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A partial cross-sectional view along the AA direction; and

[0021] Figure 3 It is a top view of a support member according to some embodiments of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The following description provides specific application scenarios and requirements of the present application, with the purpose of enabling those skilled in the art to make and use the content in the present application. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various local modifications to the disclosed embodiments are apparent, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Therefore, the present application is not limited to the embodiments shown, but to the widest scope consistent with the claims.

[0023] The present application provides a wafer conveying device, including a supporting member, wherein the supporting member includes a bearing portion and a handle portion that are integrally connected, the bearing portion is used to bear the wafer, and the bearing portion is provided with a plurality of connecting holes, and the handle portion is used to connect to a power device; and a supporting member, which is detachably connected to the bearing portion, the first end of the supporting member is inserted into the connecting hole, and the end face of the second end of the supporting member is configured to contact the wafer.

[0024] The wafer conveying device provided in the present application is designed with a support member that is detachably connected to the bearing part of the supporting member. The support member can be easily replaced after the support member is worn out due to long-term use. Compared with the prior art in which the support member is in direct contact with the wafer and the entire support member is replaced when the support member is worn, it not only reduces material costs, but also saves the calibration process, thereby avoiding deviations in wafer transfer caused by inaccurate calibration.

[0025] The wafer conveying device provided in the present application will be described in detail below in combination with the embodiments and drawings.

[0026] refer to Figure 1 The present application provides a wafer transfer device, including a supporting member 100 and a supporting member 200, the supporting member 100 includes a bearing portion 101 and a handle portion 102 that are integrally connected, the bearing portion 101 is used to bear the wafer, and the handle portion 102 is used to connect to a power device, the supporting member 200 is detachably connected to the bearing portion 101, and the supporting member 100 is configured to contact the wafer.

[0027] In some embodiments, the material of the supporting member 100 includes metal material or ceramic material.

[0028] In some embodiments of the present application, the shape of the carrying portion 101 is "U"-shaped, circular, square or "V"-shaped. Figure 2 The case where the shape of the carrier 101 is "U"-shaped is used as an example for description. Those skilled in the art should be able to understand the structure when the carrier 101 is in other shapes in combination with the description of the present application.

[0029] In some embodiments, the bearing portion 101 is provided with a plurality of connection holes 101a for accommodating the support member 200. In some embodiments, the number of the connection holes 101a can be 2, 3 or 4.

[0030] In some embodiments, the connection holes 101 a are evenly distributed on the carrying portion 101 .

[0031] In some embodiments, the depth of the connection hole 101a is 2-4 mm. In some embodiments, the depth of the connection hole 101a is 2 mm, 3 mm or 4 mm.

[0032] In some embodiments, the diameter of the connecting hole 101a is 3-5 mm. Optionally, the diameter of the connecting hole 101a is 3 mm, 4 mm or 5 mm.

[0033] In some embodiments, the connecting hole 101a is provided with an internal thread.

[0034] In some embodiments, the end of the carrying portion 101 away from the handle portion 102 is a rounded chamfered structure to avoid scratching the wafer during the process of transferring the wafer.

[0035] In some embodiments of the present application, the handle 102 is rectangular, and a first end of the handle 102 is connected to the bearing portion 101 .

[0036] During operation, the second end of the handle 102 is connected to a power device (such as a robot arm, etc.). The robot arm connects and grabs the handle 102 to move the wafer conveyor. During operation, the robot arm moves the wafer conveyor to the bottom of the wafer, and uses the carrying part 101 to lift the wafer from bottom to top, thereby moving the wafer.

[0037] In some embodiments, the second end of the handle 102 is provided with a second through hole 102 a penetrating through the handle 102 , and a fixing member can pass through the second through hole 102 a to fix the handle 102 to the power device.

[0038] In some embodiments, the number of the second through holes 102a is multiple, and the multiple second through holes 102a are distributed in a matrix. In some embodiments, the number of the second through holes 102a is 4, distributed in a rectangular matrix to match most robot arms.

[0039] refer to Figure 2 In some embodiments, the first end of the support member 200 is inserted into the connection hole 101a, and the end surface of the second end of the support member 200 is configured to contact the wafer.

[0040] The end surface of the second end of the support member 200 is fixed relative to the wafer through friction force, thereby preventing the wafer from sliding off the surface of the support member 200 .

[0041] In some embodiments, the material of the support member 200 includes rubber or resin. On the one hand, rubber and resin are easy to process and shape, and on the other hand, rubber and resin can make the surface of the support member 200 have a higher friction, which is conducive to the fixation of the wafer.

[0042] In some embodiments, the end surface of the second end of the support member 200 is provided with regularly distributed anti-skid bumps, which may be stripe-shaped, dot-shaped, triangular-shaped or other irregular shapes to increase the friction of the end surface and further fix the wafer.

[0043] In some embodiments, the support member 200 is provided with a first through hole 203 that runs through the support member 200 along the central axis of the support member 200. Since the wafer needs to be transported in a vacuum environment, when the wafer conveying device is in a vacuum environment, if there is gas between the bottom of the support member 200 and the connecting hole 101a, the fixing member will loosen or fly out of the connecting hole 101a under the effect of the gas pressure difference, thereby causing the wafer to slide off the support member 200 and damage the wafer. Therefore, it is necessary to set the first through hole 203. When the environment in which the wafer conveying device is located is a vacuum environment, the gas between the bottom of the support member 200 and the connecting hole 101a can escape through the first through hole 203, thereby making the gas pressure at the top and bottom of the support member 200 consistent, and preventing the support member 200 from loosening.

[0044] In some embodiments, the diameter of the first through hole 203 is less than or equal to 1 mm.

[0045] In some embodiments, the support member 200 includes a support portion 201 and a connection portion 202 , the support portion 201 and the connection portion 202 are integrally connected, and a cross-sectional area of ​​the support portion 201 is greater than a cross-sectional area of ​​the connection portion 202 .

[0046] In some embodiments, the cross section of the support portion 201 perpendicular to the axis can be circular, square, regular hexagonal, irregular, etc. In some embodiments, the cross section of the support portion 201 perpendicular to the axis is circular, and the diameter of the support portion 201 is 5 to 10 mm, and optionally, the diameter of the support portion 201 is 5 mm, 7 mm, or 10 mm.

[0047] In some embodiments, the height of the support portion 201 is 1-4 mm. Optionally, the height of the support portion 201 is 1 mm, 3 mm, and 4 mm.

[0048] refer to Figure 2 and 3 In some embodiments, a slot 201 a is formed on the top surface of the support member 200. An external tightening tool can be inserted into the slot 201 a and screw the support member 200 to connect the support member 200 to the bearing portion 101.

[0049] In some embodiments, the cross section of the slot 201a perpendicular to the axis of the slot 201a is a regular hexagon to match the cross section of common tightening tools on the market.

[0050] In some embodiments, the side length of the regular hexagon is 0.5-1.5 mm. Optionally, the side length of the regular hexagon is 0.5 mm, 1 mm or 1.5 mm.

[0051] In some embodiments, the outer surface of the connecting portion 202 is provided with a thread matching the connecting hole 101 a , so that the supporting portion 201 is threadedly connected to the bearing portion 101 .

[0052] In some embodiments, the support member 200 and the connecting portion 202 are integrally formed. In some embodiments, the support member 200 and the connecting portion 202 are integrally formed by stamping. Specifically, the material used to prepare the support member 200 and the connecting portion 202 is heated to a molten state, poured into a base mold, and then a pressing mold is pressed and cut with the base mold, and the preparation is completed after the material cools.

[0053] When the support member 200 is worn due to long-term contact with the wafer during use, it is only necessary to reversely tighten the support member using a tightening tool to remove the worn support member 200 from the connecting hole and replace it with a new support member 200. This is simple and easy to operate, and there is no need to calibrate the supporting member 100 and the robotic arm.

[0054] The beneficial effects of the wafer conveying device provided by the embodiment of the present application include but are not limited to the following:

[0055] The wafer conveying device provided in the present application includes a supporting member and a supporting member, the supporting member includes a bearing portion and a handle portion that are integrally connected, the bearing portion is used to bear the wafer, and the handle portion is used to connect to a power device, the supporting member is detachably connected to the bearing portion, and the supporting member is configured to contact the wafer.

[0056] The wafer conveying device provided in the present application is designed with a support member that is detachably connected to the bearing part of the supporting member. The support member can be easily replaced after the support member is worn out due to long-term use. Compared with the prior art in which the support member is in direct contact with the wafer and the entire support member is replaced when the support member is worn, it not only reduces material costs, but also saves the calibration process, thereby avoiding deviations in wafer transfer caused by inaccurate calibration.

[0057] It should be noted that different embodiments may produce different beneficial effects. In different embodiments, the beneficial effects that may be produced may be any one or a combination of the above, or any other beneficial effects that may be obtained.

[0058] The basic concepts have been described above. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, the above detailed disclosure is only for example and does not constitute a limitation of this specification. Although not explicitly stated here, those skilled in the art may make various modifications, improvements and corrections to this application. Such modifications, improvements and corrections are suggested in this specification, so such modifications, improvements and corrections still belong to the spirit and scope of the exemplary embodiments of this application.

[0059] It should be noted that in the description of this application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "install", "connect", "connect", and "fix" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a rotating connection or a sliding connection; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood in combination with specific circumstances.

[0060] In addition, when terms such as "first", "second", and "third" are used in the specification of this application to describe various features, these terms are only used to distinguish these features and cannot be understood as indicating or implying the relationship between the features, the relative importance, or implicitly indicating the number of features indicated.

[0061] In addition, the present specification describes exemplary embodiments by reference to idealized exemplary cross-sectional views and / or plan views and / or stereograms. Therefore, differences from the illustrated shapes due to, for example, manufacturing techniques and / or tolerances are foreseeable. Therefore, the exemplary embodiments should not be interpreted as being limited to the shapes of the regions shown herein, but should include deviations in shapes caused by, for example, manufacturing. Therefore, the regions shown in the figures are schematic in nature, and their shapes are not intended to illustrate the actual shapes of the regions of the device nor to limit the scope of the exemplary embodiments.

[0062] At the same time, the present application uses specific words to describe the embodiments of this specification. For example, "one embodiment", "an embodiment", and / or "some embodiments" refer to a certain feature, structure or characteristic related to at least one embodiment of the present application. Therefore, it should be emphasized and noted that "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" or "an alternative embodiment" mentioned twice or more in different positions in the present application does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, some features, structures or characteristics in one or more embodiments of the present application can be appropriately combined.

[0063] Similarly, it should be noted that in order to simplify the description of the disclosure of this application and thus help understand one or more embodiments of the invention, in the above description of the embodiments of this application, multiple features are sometimes combined into one embodiment, figure or description thereof. However, this disclosure method does not mean that the features required by the object of this application are more than the features mentioned in the claims. In fact, the features of the embodiments are less than all the features of the single embodiment disclosed above.

[0064] Finally, it should be understood that the embodiments described in this application are only used to illustrate the principles of the embodiments of the present application. Other variations may also fall within the scope of the present application. Therefore, as an example and not a limitation, the alternative configurations of the embodiments of the present application may be considered to be consistent with the teachings of the present application. Accordingly, the embodiments of the present application are not limited to the embodiments explicitly introduced and described in the present application.

Claims

1. A wafer conveying device for conveying wafers in a vacuum environment, characterized in that: include: A supporting member, the supporting member comprising a bearing portion and a handle portion connected in one piece, the bearing portion being used to bear the wafer, and the bearing portion being provided with a plurality of connection holes, and the handle portion being used to connect to a power device; as well as A support member is detachably connected to the bearing portion, a first end of the support member is inserted into the connection hole, and an end surface of a second end of the support member is configured to contact the wafer.

2. The wafer conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support member includes a support portion and a connection portion, the support portion is integrally connected to the connection portion, and a cross-sectional area of ​​the support portion is larger than a cross-sectional area of ​​the connection portion.

3. The wafer conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The end surface of the second end of the support member is provided with regularly distributed anti-slip bumps.

4. The wafer conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material of the support member includes rubber or resin.

5. The wafer conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support member is provided with a first through hole penetrating the support member along the central axis of the support member.

6. The wafer conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A slot is formed on the top surface of the support member.

7. The wafer conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connection holes are evenly distributed on the bearing portion.

8. The wafer conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shape of the bearing portion is "U"-shaped, circular, square or "V"-shaped.

9. The wafer conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first end of the handle is connected to the bearing portion, and the second end of the handle is provided with a second through hole penetrating the handle.

10. The wafer conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material of the supporting member is metal material or ceramic material.

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