Transmission device for conductive wafer

Abstract

The utility model discloses a transmission device for a conductive wafer, which comprises a lifting arm, an arc-shaped notch part enclosed by the lifting arm, and an opening end positioned at the bottom of the arc-shaped notch part, the lifting arm is made of an insulating material and is provided with at least two conductive contacts, the transmission device further comprises a detection circuit connected with the conductive contacts, and the detection circuit is connected with the arc-shaped notch part. And when the conductive wafer is hung at the opening end, the conductive wafer is in contact with at least part of the conductive contacts, and the detection circuit, the conductive contacts and the conductive wafer are electrically conducted. According to the utility model, the defects of the traditional pneumatic clamping jaw are overcome, the transportation and existence detection of the wafer are realized at the same time on the premise of not adding extra moving parts, the detection method is simple in logic and quick in response, and complicated detection equipment is not needed; in the clamping process of the conductive wafer, only depending on the movement of the lifting arm, new moving parts and actions are not brought in, so that unstable factors caused by mechanical movement are reduced, and the clamping of the conductive wafer is more reliable and simpler.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model belongs to the technical field of semiconductor integrated circuit chip manufacturing, and in particular relates to a transmission device for conductive wafers. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous development of semiconductor production and processing technology, the importance of ultra-clean processing has become increasingly prominent. For chemical mechanical planarization equipment (CMP equipment), the requirements for cleanliness and drying are also constantly improving. CMP equipment usually includes a semiconductor equipment front-end module (EFEM), a polishing unit, and a cleaning unit. In the cleaning unit, the wafer will be cleaned in different chemical chambers according to process requirements. During the operation of the cleaning unit, the wafer transfer arm is responsible for picking up and placing the wafer and moving the wafer between various cleaning modules. Therefore, how to ensure the stability and cleanliness of the wafer during the transmission process is the key point of the wafer transfer arm design.

[0003] In most CMP equipment, the wafer transfer hand adopts the form of cylinder-controlled clamping. The operating principle of this method is to use the cylinder and transmission mechanism (connecting rod, cam mechanism, etc.) to drive two or more pairs of clamps to move relative to each other to achieve the clamping of the wafer. In addition to the stability of the clamping action itself, the key to ensuring the stable transmission of the wafer is to have a correct judgment on whether the clamping is successful or not to ensure the normal operation of the cleaning unit. Therefore, in terms of wafer presence detection, pneumatic clamps can adopt two schemes: one is to use a pressure sensor to detect the change in pressure in the air pipe when the cylinder clamps the wafer to determine whether the wafer is present; the other is to use the magnetic switch of the cylinder to detect whether the piston movement stroke of the cylinder reaches the station for clamping the wafer, so as to determine whether the wafer is present. Although this wafer transfer hand scheme based on cylinder clamps is simple, it also means that a single wafer transfer robot must be equipped with an additional cylinder and a set of transmission devices. As a result, the machine control logic is more complicated and the movement steps are more complicated; the fixed order of the transfer hand being in place first and the cylinder moving again delays the transmission time. In addition, pneumatic grippers will increase the number of maintenance parts of the entire machine, increase operating costs, and reduce movement stability. Utility Model Content

[0004] In order to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art, the utility model provides a transmission device for a conductive wafer, which uses whether a detection circuit is powered on to determine whether the conductive wafer is clamped in place, and the determination method is simple and effective.

[0005] The technical solution adopted by the utility model to solve its technical problems is: a transmission device for conductive wafers, including a lifting arm, an arc-shaped notch formed by the lifting arm, and an open end located at the bottom of the arc-shaped notch, the lifting arm is made of insulating material and is provided with at least two conductive contacts, the transmission device also includes a detection circuit connected to the conductive contacts, when the conductive wafer is hung on the open end, the conductive wafer contacts at least part of the conductive contacts, and the detection circuit, the conductive contacts and the conductive wafer are electrically conductive.

[0006] Furthermore, the detection circuit includes a power supply for supplying power thereto, a protective resistor, and a sensor for monitoring changes in current, voltage, or resistance value. When the detection circuit, the conductive contacts, and the conductive wafer are electrically conductive, the sensor outputs a current, voltage, or resistance value change signal to detect that the conductive wafer is hung at the opening end.

[0007] Furthermore, the detection circuit also includes a control switch for controlling the opening and closing of the detection circuit.

[0008] Further, the conductive contacts include a first conductive contact pair arranged near the opening end; or, the conductive contacts include a first conductive contact pair arranged near the opening end, and a second conductive contact pair arranged near the top of the arc-shaped notch.

[0009] Furthermore, the sensor includes a first sensor for monitoring a power-on loop formed by a first pair of conductive contacts and a conductive wafer, and a second sensor for monitoring a power-on loop formed by a second pair of conductive contacts and a conductive wafer.

[0010] Furthermore, the first conductive contact pair is detachably connected to a position of the lifting arm near the opening end.

[0011] Furthermore, the lifting arm has a U-shaped or semi-V-shaped groove near the opening end, and the first conductive contact pair is arranged in the U-shaped or semi-V-shaped groove.

[0012] Furthermore, the first conductive contact pair is located in a conductive member, and the conductive member forms a U-shaped or semi-V-shaped groove, and the edge of the conductive wafer extends into the U-shaped or semi-V-shaped groove and contacts and conducts with the first conductive contact pair. The beneficial effects of the utility model are: 1) It overcomes the shortcomings of traditional pneumatic clamps, and realizes the transportation and presence detection of wafers without adding additional moving parts; 2) Based on Ohm's law, that is, resistance R=U / I, where U is voltage and I is current, when the clamping condition of the conductive wafer changes and causes the resistance value to change, according to Ohm's law, the ratio of voltage and current will also change. Therefore, the presence of the conductive wafer can be detected by detecting the changes in voltage and current. The detection method has simple logic and rapid response, and does not require complex detection equipment; 3) In the clamping process of the conductive wafer, it only relies on the movement of the lifting arm, without introducing new moving parts and actions, thereby reducing the unstable factors caused by mechanical movement. The clamping of the conductive wafer is more reliable and simple, which greatly enhances the stability of the machine operation; 4) The logic of detecting the presence of the conductive wafer is simple. It uses the difference between the conductivity of the wafer and the conductivity of the lifting arm. It only needs to detect the change in current, voltage or resistance value to determine the presence of the conductive wafer. No additional complex circuit or sensor is required. The structure is simple and the cost is low. It also increases the stability of the machine while improving the accuracy and stability of the detection; 5) More than one conductive contact pair is set to perform multi-station detection on the conductive wafer. A detection branch can be connected in parallel in the same detection circuit to share the protection resistor with the detection circuit for determining the presence of the conductive wafer, control the switch and the protection resistor, so as to simplify the circuit, save parts, reduce the risk of failure, and facilitate maintenance. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Figure 1 This is a front view of the transmission device provided by the utility model.

[0014] Figure 2 This is a front view of the transmission device provided by the utility model and the conductive wafer.

[0015] Figure 3 This is a simplified diagram of the detection circuit provided by the utility model and the conductive wafer forming a power-on loop, at which time the first conductive contact pair of the conductive wafer is in contact and conductive.

[0016] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the cooperation between the U-shaped trough body and the conductive wafer provided by the utility model.

[0017] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the cooperation between the V-shaped groove body and the conductive wafer provided by the utility model.

[0018] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the partial structure of the cooperation between the lifting arm and the wafer provided by the utility model.

[0019] Figure 7 This is a schematic structural diagram of the conductive member provided by the utility model.

[0020] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the partial structure of the lifting arm provided by the utility model.

[0021] Fig. 9 This is a schematic diagram of the cooperation between the transmission device provided by the utility model and the conductive wafer, and the conductive wafer is not hung at the open end at this time.

[0022] Fig.10 This is a schematic diagram of the cooperation between the transmission device provided by the utility model and the conductive wafer, and the conductive wafer is hung at the open end.

[0023] Fig.11 This is a simplified diagram of a detection circuit and a conductive wafer provided by the utility model forming a power-on loop, in which the detection circuit is connected in parallel with a detection branch.

[0024] Among them, 1-lifting arm, 11-card slot, 2-arc-shaped notch, 3-open end, 4-conductive contact, 41-first conductive contact pair, 42-second conductive contact pair, 43-slot body, 44-conductive part, 5-detection circuit, 51-power supply, 52-protection resistor, 53-sensor, 531-first sensor, 532-second sensor, 54-control switch, 55-wire, 6-conductive wafer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the solution of the utility model, the following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the utility model to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the utility model. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the utility model, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the utility model, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work should fall within the scope of protection of the utility model.

[0026] A transmission device for conductive wafers comprises a lifting arm 1, an arc-shaped notch 2 formed by the lifting arm 1, and an open end 3 located at the bottom of the arc-shaped notch 2. Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, there are two lifting arms 1, both of which are made of insulating material. The lifting arm 1 is provided with at least two conductive contacts 4, and the transmission device further includes a detection circuit 5 connected to the conductive contacts 4. When the conductive wafer 6 is hung at the opening end 3, the conductive wafer 6 contacts at least part of the conductive contacts 4, so that the detection circuit 5, the conductive contacts 4 and the conductive wafer 6 form a power-on loop and are electrically conductive. At this time, the detection circuit 5 can detect the change of current or voltage or resistance value, and then complete the in-situ detection of whether the conductive wafer 6 is accurately clamped by the lifting arm 1.

[0027] like Figure 3 As shown, the detection circuit 5 includes a power supply 51 for supplying power to the detection circuit 5, a protective resistor 52, and a sensor 53 for monitoring changes in current, voltage or resistance value. When the conductive wafer 6 is not in contact with the conductive contact 4, the detection circuit 5 is open circuit, and the sensor 53 cannot monitor changes in current, voltage or resistance value. When the detection circuit 5, the conductive contact 4 and the conductive wafer 6 form a conductive loop and are electrically conductive, the sensor 53 can output a current, voltage or resistance value change signal, thereby detecting that the conductive wafer 6 is hung on the opening end 3, indicating that the conductive wafer 6 is firmly clamped by the lifting arm 1.

[0028] Of course, the detection circuit 5 can also include a control switch 54 for controlling the opening and closing of the detection circuit 5. In other words, whether the detection circuit 5 is opened can be independently selected according to the usage scenario, so that the transmission device is closed only when the conductive wafer 6 is detected in situ at a specific workstation, thereby avoiding the formation of a passage when the transmission device is immersed in a chemical cleaning tank, thereby affecting the chemical stability of the solution.

[0029] The conductive contact 4 is made of conductive polyetheretherketone (conductive PEEK). PEEK, as the material of the lifting arm 1, has excellent mechanical properties, chemical stability and heat resistance. PEEK itself is an insulating material. Conductive PEEK improves the conductivity of PEEK by adding conductive fillers, such as carbon fiber, to the PEEK base material, thereby becoming an excellent electrode material (such as PEEK CA30). Using conductive PEEK as the conductive contact 4 will not introduce the risk of metal ion contamination, and can be used in various chemical media without affecting the process.

[0030] In the above structure, the number of the conductive contacts 4 is a pair, which is a first conductive contact pair 41 disposed close to the opening end 3 .

[0031] The first conductive contact pair 41 is detachably connected to the lifting arm 1 near the opening end 3. Specifically, Figure 8As shown, the lifting arm 1 has a U-shaped or semi-V-shaped groove 11 near the open end 3, and the first conductive contact pair 41 is arranged in the U-shaped or semi-V-shaped groove 11, and the edge of the conductive wafer 6 extends into the U-shaped or semi-V-shaped groove 11 and contacts and conducts with the first conductive contact pair 41. Of course, the first conductive contact pair 41 can also be arranged on a conductive member 44, and the conductive member 44 forms a U-shaped or semi-V-shaped groove body 43, and the edge of the conductive wafer 6 extends into the U-shaped or semi-V-shaped groove body 43 and contacts and conducts with the first conductive contact pair 41. In other words, the conductive member 44 can be used as the first conductive contact pair 41 as a whole. In other words, the first conductive contact pair 41 is not necessarily a single-point structure, and it can be a line structure or a surface structure composed of multiple conductive contacts, or even a three-dimensional structure. As long as the circuit can be turned on, the specific structure is not limited.

[0032] The width of the U-shaped or semi-V-shaped groove 43 (or the U-shaped or semi-V-shaped groove 11 ) is generally greater than the thickness of the conductive wafer 6 , and exceeds the thickness of the conductive wafer 6 by about 0.1 mm. Figure 4 and Figure 5 Two forms of the trough body 43 are shown: U-shaped and semi-V-shaped. Figure 4 The U-shaped groove 43 shown is flat on both sides. After clamping the conductive wafer 6, the upper and lower surfaces of the conductive wafer 6 are in surface contact with the U-shaped groove 43 during the process of driving the conductive wafer 6 to move. If a semi-V-shaped groove is used, the lower surface of the conductive wafer 6 is in surface contact with the semi-V-shaped groove 43, while the upper surface is in line contact with the semi-V-shaped groove 43. This design of the semi-V-shaped groove 43 can effectively avoid particles or scratches on the upper surface of the conductive wafer 6 caused by friction during transportation, thereby further improving the cleanliness of the transmission device during normal operation.

[0033] like Figure 2 As shown, the bottom width L of the U-shaped or semi-V-shaped groove 43 (or the U-shaped or semi-V-shaped groove 11) is smaller than the diameter of the conductive wafer 6. At the same time, a first conductive contact pair 41 for connecting a wire 55 is fixed at the bottom of the groove 43 on both sides to ensure that after the conductive wafer 6 enters the groove 43, the conductive wafer 6 contacts the two first conductive contacts to form a path. The first sensor 531 detects the change of microcurrent, thereby determining whether the conductive wafer 6 exists. The lifting arm 1 is made of insulating plastic, generally polyetheretherketone (PEEK). The conductivity of PEEK material is very low, usually around 10 -8 S / m or less. This means that PEEK will not conduct electricity even under high voltage and high current. At the same time, PEEK has high wear resistance, high corrosion resistance and high temperature resistance, making it suitable as a jaw material for clamping wafers.

[0034] The conductive member 44 with one or more first conductive contact pairs 41 is fixedly connected to the lifting arm 1 by screws, and the groove surface of the card slot 11 cooperates with the plane of the conductive member 44 to ensure the positioning and installation accuracy. Figure 6 , Figure 7 As shown. This installation method is simple in implementation and has good installation accuracy, and is also easy to replace and maintain. The screws are PEEK countersunk screws, which do not increase the length or thickness of the lifting arm 1. Under the action of gravity, the conductive wafer 6 contacts the two conductive members 44, that is, contacts the first conductive contact pairs 41 on the two conductive members 44 to form a connected loop. The sensor 53 detects the change in current, voltage or resistance value, and determines that the lifting arm 1 has completed the clamping of the conductive wafer 6.

[0035] When the conductive wafer 6 is in the cleaning chamber, the transmission device does not clamp the conductive wafer 6. By adjusting the horizontal linear motor and the vertical linear motor movement station, the center of the conductive wafer 6 and the center of the arc-shaped notch 2 are located on the same vertical line, and the conductive wafer 6 can enter the U-shaped or semi-V-shaped groove 11 or the groove body 43 of the opening end 3 through the chamfer structure on the lifting arm 1. Since the width L of the U-shaped or semi-V-shaped groove 11 or the groove body 43 is smaller than the diameter of the conductive wafer 6, the conductive wafer 6 can be clamped and fixed inside the U-shaped or semi-V-shaped groove 11 or the groove body 43, as shown in FIG. Figure 2 At this time, the conductive wafer 6 is in electrical contact with the two conductive contacts 55. The two conductive contacts of the first conductive contact pair 41 are respectively connected to the two wires 55 embedded in the lifting arm 1. The detection circuit 5 senses the change of current or voltage or resistance value, and determines that the conductive wafer 6 has been clamped. The machine performs the next step and transfers the conductive wafer 6 to the next cleaning chamber.

[0036] In other embodiments, at least two pairs of conductive contacts may be provided, such as the conductive contacts 4 including a first conductive contact pair 41 provided near the opening end 3, and a second conductive contact pair 42 provided near the top of the arc-shaped notch 2. The mounting structure of the second conductive contact pair 42 is similar to that of the first conductive contact pair 41, and is connected to the lifting arm 1 by countersunk screws. Similarly, a card slot is provided on the lifting arm 1 to facilitate disassembly without affecting the overall size of the lifting arm 1.

[0037] The process of the lifting arm 1 clamping the conductive wafer 6 can be divided into two steps. The first step is to move the lifting arm 1 horizontally toward the conductive wafer 6 so that the conductive wafer 6 is aligned with the arc-shaped notch 2 of the lifting arm 1. Fig. 9 After ensuring alignment, the lifting arm 1 moves vertically from bottom to top, and the conductive wafer 6 slides into the open end 3 at the bottom of the arc-shaped notch 2 and completes the clamping, as shown. Fig.10Therefore, if after the first step of clamping of the lifting arm 1 is completed, a pair of second conductive contact pairs 42 is added at the top of the arc-shaped notch 2, specifically, the second conductive contact pair 42 is fixedly connected to the lifting arm 1 and partially extends into the arc-shaped notch 2, it can be determined whether the conductive wafer 6 is in place, so as to continue the next step of vertical lifting and clamping action.

[0038] By disposing a plurality of first conductive contact pairs 41 and second conductive contact pairs 42, in-situ judgment of different conductive wafer stations can be implemented on one transmission device, thereby enhancing the stability and functionality of the machine during conductive wafer transmission.

[0039] like Fig.11 As shown, at this time, a detection branch is connected in parallel in the detection circuit 5, and shares the protection resistor 52 and the control switch 54 with the detection circuit for judging whether the conductive wafer 6 is accurately clamped by the lifting arm 1. At this time, the sensor 53 includes a first sensor 531 for monitoring the power-on circuit formed by the first conductive contact pair 41 and the conductive wafer 6, and a second sensor 532 for monitoring the power-on circuit formed by the second conductive contact pair 42 and the conductive wafer 6.

[0040] Of course, in other embodiments, the conductive contacts 4 may also be multiple pairs, which is not specifically limited.

[0041] The above specific implementation modes are used to explain the present invention rather than to limit the present invention. Any modification and change made to the present invention within the spirit of the present invention and the protection scope of the claims shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A transmission device for conductive wafers, comprising a lifting arm (1), an arc-shaped notch (2) formed by the lifting arm (1), and an open end (3) located at the bottom of the arc-shaped notch (2), characterized in that: The lifting arm (1) is made of an insulating material and is provided with at least two conductive contacts (4). The transmission device also includes a detection circuit (5) connected to the conductive contacts (4). When the conductive wafer (6) is hung on the open end (3), the conductive wafer (6) contacts at least part of the conductive contacts (4), and the detection circuit (5), the conductive contacts (4) and the conductive wafer (6) are electrically connected.

2. The transmission device for conductive wafers according to claim 1, characterized in that: The detection circuit (5) comprises a power supply (51) for supplying power thereto, a protective resistor (52), and a sensor (53) for monitoring changes in current, voltage or resistance value. When the detection circuit (5), the conductive contact (4) and the conductive wafer (6) are electrically connected, the sensor (53) outputs a current, voltage or resistance value change signal to detect that the conductive wafer (6) is hung on the opening end (3).

3. The transmission device for conductive wafers according to claim 2, characterized in that: The detection circuit (5) also includes a control switch (54) for controlling the opening and closing of the detection circuit (5).

4. The transmission device for conductive wafers according to claim 3, characterized in that: The conductive contacts (4) include a first conductive contact pair (41) arranged near the opening end (3); or, the conductive contacts (4) include a first conductive contact pair (41) arranged near the opening end (3), and a second conductive contact pair (42) arranged near the top of the arc-shaped notch portion (2).

5. The transmission device for conductive wafers according to claim 4, characterized in that: The sensor (53) comprises a first sensor (531) for monitoring an energized circuit formed by a first pair of conductive contacts (41) and a conductive wafer (6), and a second sensor (532) for monitoring an energized circuit formed by a second pair of conductive contacts (42) and a conductive wafer (6).

6. The transmission device for conductive wafers according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first conductive contact pair (41) is detachably connected to the lifting arm (1) near the opening end (3).

7. The transmission device for conductive wafers according to claim 6, characterized in that: The lifting arm (1) has a U-shaped or semi-V-shaped groove (11) near the opening end (3), and the first conductive contact pair (41) is arranged in the U-shaped or semi-V-shaped groove (11).

8. The transmission device for conductive wafers according to claim 6, characterized in that: The first conductive contact pair (41) is located on a conductive member (44), the conductive member (44) forms a U-shaped or semi-V-shaped groove (43), and the edge of the conductive wafer (6) extends into the U-shaped or semi-V-shaped groove (43) and contacts and conducts with the first conductive contact pair (41).

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