Bearing disc for wafer semiconductor carrying equipment

Abstract

The utility model provides a bearing disc for wafer semiconductor carrying equipment. The wafer bearing disc comprises a bearing disc body, bolt holes, a first bearing column, a second bearing column and limiting side plates, the first bearing surface is a placement position of a first size wafer on the first bearing column; the second bearing surface is a placement position of a second-size wafer on the second bearing column; the mechanical fork arm can pass through a gap between the first bearing column and the second bearing column from one side of the limiting side plate to pick and place wafers with different sizes; the utility model has the following advantages: the contact area between the bearing disc and the wafer is small, so that the possibility of scratching the wafer is reduced; the wafer is fixed through vacuum adsorption, so that mechanical or stress damage to the wafer caused by fixing modes such as a compression ring or a clamp can be effectively reduced; the wafer carrier has two bearing surfaces to adapt to functional characteristics of wafers of different sizes, can be used without being improved or replaced, and is simple in structure and low in failure rate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of semiconductor equipment, in particular to a carrier plate for wafer semiconductor transport equipment. Background Art

[0002] During the semiconductor production process, wafers need to be frequently transferred between different processes. The semiconductor industry uses silicon carbide coated wafers in the production process, and the requirements for the required carrier plate are getting higher and higher. In the prior art, the wafer as a whole is in direct contact with the surface of the wafer carrier plate. Affected by the shape and material of the wafer carrier plate, the wafer is very susceptible to collision and damage, and particles fall on the wafer carrier plate during the collision, causing subsequent processes to be contaminated and affecting the yield of chip products. At the same time, in order to improve production efficiency, some process lines of different wafer sizes coexist in the current semiconductor foundries, such as the coexistence of six-inch production lines and eight-inch production lines. There are some equipment on the production line that can be modified to share wafers of different sizes. In the modification of such equipment, it is often necessary to improve or replace the carrier plate that carries the wafers to make it suitable for loading wafers of different sizes.

[0003] A wafer carrier with a silicon carbide coating for use in the semiconductor industry disclosed in Chinese patent CN220856550U has a top surface fixedly connected to a plurality of support blocks, and a top surface of the chassis fixedly connected to a plurality of clamping bottom plates, which is driven to move the wafer clamping block by rotating the threaded rod, and the wafer clamping plate is moved to the top surface of the wafer, thereby fixing the wafer. The contact area between the device as a whole and the wafer is small, reducing the possibility of scratching the wafer. However, since the placed wafer is fixed to the carrier table by means of clamps, such a fixing method is prone to mechanical or stress damage, resulting in damage or even breakage of the edge of the wafer, and the use effect is not ideal. On the other hand, since the top support block is fixed and cannot be moved, it cannot be modified to accommodate the loading of wafers of different sizes. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of the utility model is to provide a carrier plate for semiconductor wafer transport equipment to solve the problems raised in the above-mentioned background technology.

[0005] In order to achieve the above purpose, the utility model provides the following technical solutions:

[0006] A carrier plate for semiconductor wafer handling equipment, comprising:

[0007] The bearing plate body, the bolt holes, the first bearing column, the second bearing column and the limiting side plate;

[0008] The side surface of the carrier plate body is provided with a first air passage and a second air passage, the first carrier column is provided with a first air hole, and the second carrier column is provided with a second air hole;

[0009] A first carrying surface, wherein the first carrying surface is a placement position of a wafer of a first size on the first carrying column;

[0010] a second carrying surface, wherein the second carrying surface is a placement position of a second-size wafer on the second carrying column;

[0011] A mechanical fork arm can pass through the gap between the first supporting column and the second supporting column from one side of the limiting side plate to pick up and place wafers of different sizes.

[0012] Preferably, the limiting side plate is arranged at the outermost periphery of the carrier plate body, the inner diameter of the second-size wafer accommodated by the second carrying surface is determined by the distance between the center point of the carrier plate body and the inner wall of the limiting side plate, and the inner diameter of the first-size wafer accommodated by the first carrying surface is determined by the distance between the center point of the carrier plate body and the inner wall of the second carrying column.

[0013] Preferably, a limiting side plate is arranged at the outermost part of the supporting plate body, a first supporting column is fixedly connected near the center point, a second supporting column is arranged around the first supporting column, and a bolt hole is arranged between the second supporting column and the edge of the supporting plate body.

[0014] Preferably, the first air hole is located within the range of the first bearing surface; and the second air hole is located within the range of the second bearing surface.

[0015] Preferably, one end of the first air passage is communicated with the first air hole, and the other end is arranged on the side of the carrier plate body; one end of the second air passage is communicated with the second air hole, and the other end is arranged on the side of the carrier plate body.

[0016] Preferably, the first air passage and the second air passage are in an upper and lower position relationship and are not connected to each other.

[0017] Preferably, the overall outer shape of the supporting plate body has a cylindrical structure, and the overall outer shapes of the first supporting column and the second supporting column both have a cylindrical structure with a cavity inside.

[0018] Preferably, the height at which the upper surface of the second bearing column is located is between the heights at which the upper surface of the first bearing column and the upper surface of the limiting side plate are located.

[0019] Preferably, the mechanical fork arm includes an inner opening of the fork arm, a first fork arm groove and a second fork arm groove, wherein the bottom depth of the first fork arm groove is greater than the bottom depth of the second fork arm groove; when the mechanical fork arm is fully inserted into the supporting plate body, the contour of the first fork arm groove coincides with the contour of the first supporting surface, the contour of the second fork arm groove coincides with the contour of the second supporting surface, and the arc edge of the inner opening of the fork arm coincides with the outer arc edge of the limiting side plate.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the utility model has the following advantages:

[0021] 1. The wafer is supported by the upper surface of the supporting column, and the contact area with the wafer is small, which reduces the possibility of scratching the wafer. At the same time, the supporting column is symmetrically arranged, which improves the stability of wafer support.

[0022] 2. Due to the role of the air holes and air ducts on the supporting column, the use of vacuum adsorption to fix the wafer can effectively reduce the mechanical or stress damage to the wafer caused by fixing methods such as pressure rings or clamps.

[0023] 3. The utility model has two bearing surfaces to adapt to the functional characteristics of wafers of different sizes and can be used without modification or replacement. It has a simple structure and a low failure rate. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the overall structure of the utility model;

[0025] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the overall cross section of the utility model;

[0026] Figure 3 It is a plan view of the carrier plate body of the utility model;

[0027] Figure 4 It is the plane of the mechanical fork arm of the utility model;

[0028] Figure 5 It is a plan view of the cooperation between the support plate and the mechanical fork arm of the utility model.

[0029] In the figure: 1. bearing plate body; 2. bolt hole; 3. first bearing column; 31. first air hole; 4. second bearing column; 41. second air hole; 5. limiting side plate; 6. first air duct; 7. second air duct; 8. first bearing surface; 9. second bearing surface; 10. mechanical fork arm; 105; inner opening of fork arm; 108. first fork arm groove; 109. second fork arm groove. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] 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 in the utility model, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the utility model. Example

[0031] See also Figures 1 to 5 The utility model provides a technical solution for a carrier plate for semiconductor wafer handling equipment:

[0032] A carrier plate for semiconductor wafer handling equipment comprises a carrier plate body 1, bolt holes 2, a first carrier column 3, a second carrier column 4 and a limiting side plate 5; in this embodiment, a limiting side plate 5 is arranged at the outermost part of the carrier plate body 1, a first carrier column 3 is fixedly connected near the center point, a second carrier column 4 is arranged at the outer periphery of the first carrier column 3, a bolt hole 2 is arranged between the second carrier column 4 and the edge of the carrier plate body 1, wherein the first carrier column 3 and the second carrier column 4 are both four in number and are symmetrically arranged.

[0033] Specifically, the carrier plate body 1, the first carrier column 3, the second carrier column 4 and the limiting side plate 5 are an integrated structure to realize the function of the carrier plate, and are made of a mixture of a main material and a doping material. The hardness of the main material is greater than that of the doping material. The doping material is an alloy of conductive metals. The main material has the characteristics of high hardness and high temperature resistance to improve the overall hardness, avoid deformation due to the high temperature of the reaction chamber, and damage the wafer and the internal structure of the reaction chamber. The doping material is conductive and can therefore conduct away the static electricity generated by the wafer and the wafer carrier plate, avoiding static electricity from attracting surrounding particles, which then fall onto the wafer surface, causing particle contamination and a reduction in yield.

[0034] Specifically, in this embodiment, the distance between the center point of the carrier plate body 1 and the inner wall of the second carrier column 4 determines that the specific diameter of the first carrier surface 8 is six inches, and the first carrier surface 8 is the placement position of the six-inch wafer on the first carrier column 3; similarly, the distance between the center point of the carrier plate body 1 and the inner wall of the limiting side plate 5 determines that the specific diameter of the second carrier surface 9 is eight inches, and the second carrier surface 9 is the placement position of the eight-inch wafer on the second carrier column 3.

[0035] Specifically, the mechanical fork arm 10 includes a fork arm inner opening 105 , a first fork arm groove 108 and a second fork arm groove 109 , wherein a bottom depth of the first fork arm groove 108 is greater than a bottom depth of the second fork arm groove 109 .

[0036] Specifically, the table top of the carrier plate body 1, the upper surface of the first carrier column 3, the upper surface of the second carrier column 4 and the upper surface of the limiting side plate 5 are in a stepped height, and the space defined by the step forms a space for carrying wafers of two specifications; the relative position distance between the first carrier column 3 and the second carrier column 4 on the carrier plate body 1 is adapted to the entry and exit of the mechanical fork arm 10 matched with the carrier plate body 1 of this embodiment; the height of the table top of the first carrier column 3 is suitable for when a six-inch wafer is placed on the first bearing surface 8, the mechanical fork arm 10 can extend under the six-inch wafer, and during this process the mechanical fork arm 10 will not touch the wafer and the upper surface of the carrier plate body 1. Theoretically, the above effect can be achieved as long as the step height formed by the table top of the carrier plate body 1 and the upper surface of the first carrier column 3 is greater than the thickness of the mechanical fork arm 10. However, in actual design, it is still necessary to consider the position fluctuation of the mechanical fork arm 10 when it is raised and lowered, and a certain safety distance needs to be reserved.

[0037] Specifically, the limiting side plate 5 limits the penetration length of the mechanical fork arm 10. When the mechanical fork arm 10 is fully extended into the supporting plate body 1 from the side of the limiting side plate 5, the arc edge of the inner opening 105 of the fork arm will coincide with the outer arc edge of the limiting side plate 5. At the same time, the contour of the first fork arm groove 108 coincides with the contour of the first supporting surface 8, and the contour of the second fork arm groove 109 coincides with the contour of the second supporting surface 9. The above operations can enable the mechanical fork arm 10 to pick up and place wafers of different sizes.

[0038] Specifically, the first supporting column 3 is provided with a first air hole 31, the second supporting column 4 is provided with a second air hole 41, and the first air channel 6 and the second air channel 7 are provided inside the supporting plate body 1; in this embodiment, the air channel extends in a straight line, one end of the first air channel 6 is connected to the first air hole 31, and the other end is arranged on the side of the supporting plate body 1; one end of the second air channel 7 is connected to the second air hole 41, and the other end is arranged on the side of the supporting plate body 1; therefore, when a six-inch wafer is placed on the first supporting surface 8, the first air channel 6 is connected to a negative pressure pipeline, such as a negative pressure pipeline of a vacuum generator, and negative pressure is generated in the first air channel 6 and the first air hole 31, thereby keeping the six-inch wafer on the first wafer supporting surface 8 fixed to the first supporting column 3; wherein, the above-mentioned corresponding operations are similarly adopted for the eight-inch wafer.

[0039] Specifically, the first air passage 6 and the second air passage 7 are in an upper and lower position relationship and are not connected to each other.

[0040] Specifically, the overall appearance of the carrier plate body 1 has a cylindrical structure, and the overall appearance of the first carrier column 3 and the second carrier column 4 both have a cylindrical structure with a cavity inside.

[0041] Specifically, a plurality of bolt holes 2 are provided on the circumference of the edge of the carrier plate body 1 of the present embodiment, so as to fix the carrier plate body 1 on a corresponding equipment platform.

[0042] Since the specific operation process of the above embodiment has been described in sufficient detail, a complete operation process of picking and placing a six-inch wafer is briefly described below:

[0043] S1. Perform corresponding processing or testing operations in the machine. After the above operations are completed, turn off the vacuum adsorption to balance the air pressure inside and outside the first air duct 6. The mechanical fork arm 10 moves to a position at the same height as the space defined by the table top of the carrier plate body 1 and the upper surface of the first carrier column 3, and then moves horizontally to a position where the arc edge of the inner opening 105 of the fork arm coincides with the outer arc edge of the limiting side plate 5. Then, the mechanical fork arm 10 moves vertically to a height higher than the upper surface of the limiting side plate 5, thereby lifting the six-inch wafer and making it leave the first carrier surface 8, completing the six-inch wafer removal operation.

[0044] S2. After the mechanical fork arm 10 takes out the six-inch wafer, it moves in the vertical direction to a height position higher than the upper surface of the limiting side plate 5, and moves in the horizontal position to a position where the arc edge of the inner opening 105 of the fork arm vertically overlaps with the outer arc edge of the limiting side plate 5. Then the robot arm 200 moves in the vertical direction to the spatial height position defined by the table top of the carrier plate body 1 and the upper surface of the first carrier column 3, thereby placing the six-inch wafer on the first carrier surface 8, and moving the mechanical fork arm 10 horizontally away from the carrier plate body 1. Then, the vacuum generator is turned on to extract the air in the first air duct 6, so that the interior is in a negative pressure state. The six-inch wafer is fixed on the first carrier surface 8 by vacuum adsorption, and the six-inch wafer placement operation is completed.

[0045] The remaining undescribed parts of the present invention may be the same as the prior art, or are well-known technologies, or may be implemented by using the prior art, and will not be described in detail herein.

[0046] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations may be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, and that the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A carrier plate for semiconductor wafer transport equipment, characterized in that: include: A bearing plate body (1), a bolt hole (2), a first bearing column (3), a second bearing column (4) and a limiting side plate (5); A first air passage (6) and a second air passage (7) are provided on the side of the carrier plate body (1); the first carrier column (3) is provided with a first air hole (31); and the second carrier column (4) is provided with a second air hole (41); A first carrying surface (8), the first carrying surface (8) being a placement position for a wafer of a first size on the first carrying column (3); A second carrying surface (9), the second carrying surface (9) being a placement position for a second-size wafer on the second carrying column (4); A mechanical fork arm (10), wherein the mechanical fork arm (10) passes through the gap between the first bearing column (3) and the second bearing column (4) from one side of the limiting side plate (5) to pick up and place wafers of different sizes.

2. The carrier plate for semiconductor wafer transport equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The limiting side plate (5) is arranged at the outermost periphery of the carrier plate body (1); the inner diameter of the second-sized wafer accommodated by the second carrying surface (9) is the distance between the center point of the carrier plate body (1) and the inner wall of the limiting side plate (5); and the inner diameter of the first-sized wafer accommodated by the first carrying surface (8) is the distance between the center point of the carrier plate body (1) and the inner wall of the second carrying column (4).

3. The carrier plate for semiconductor wafer transport equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: A limiting side plate (5) is arranged at the outermost portion of the carrier plate body (1), and a first carrier column (3) is fixedly connected to the carrier plate body near the center point. A second carrier column (4) is arranged at the outer periphery of the first carrier column (3), and a bolt hole (2) is arranged between the second carrier column (4) and the edge of the carrier plate body (1).

4. The carrier plate for semiconductor wafer transport equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first air hole (31) is located within the range of the first bearing surface (8); and the second air hole (41) is located within the range of the second bearing surface (9).

5. The carrier plate for semiconductor wafer transport equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: One end of the first air passage (6) is in communication with the first air hole (31), and the other end is arranged on the side of the carrier plate body (1); one end of the second air passage (7) is in communication with the second air hole (41), and the other end is arranged on the side of the carrier plate body (1).

6. The carrier plate for semiconductor wafer transport equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first air passage (6) and the second air passage (7) are in an upper and lower position relationship and are not connected to each other.

7. The carrier plate for semiconductor wafer transport equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The overall appearance of the carrier plate body (1) has a cylindrical structure, and the overall appearance of the first carrier column (3) and the second carrier column (4) both have a cylindrical structure with a hollow interior.

8. The carrier plate for semiconductor wafer transport equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The height at which the upper surface of the second bearing column (4) is located is between the heights at which the upper surface of the first bearing column (3) and the upper surface of the limiting side plate (5) are located.

9. The carrier plate for semiconductor wafer transport equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mechanical fork arm (10) comprises a fork arm inner opening (105), a first fork arm groove (108) and a second fork arm groove (109), wherein the bottom surface depth of the first fork arm groove (108) is greater than the bottom surface depth of the second fork arm groove (109); when the mechanical fork arm (10) is fully inserted into the supporting plate body (1), the contour of the first fork arm groove (108) coincides with the contour of the first supporting surface (8), the contour of the second fork arm groove (109) coincides with the contour of the second supporting surface (9), and the arc edge of the fork arm inner opening (105) coincides with the outer arc edge of the limiting side plate (5).

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