Wafer carrying arm
By designing a wafer handling arm that uses a combination of microporous ceramic sheets and main arm plates, the problem of fragility and displacement of ultra-thin wafers during handling is solved, and the safe and precise handling of wafers is achieved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202421201739.4
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-05-29
- Publication Date
- 2025-03-14
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-05-29
AI Technical Summary
The prior art can easily lead to wafer fragmentation when handling ultra-thin wafers with 50μm thickness, and the non-contact handling arm has wafer shift problems, which affects precise positioning.
A wafer handling arm is designed, using a combination of the main arm plate and a microporous ceramic sheet. Microporous ceramic sheets are densely covered with 1-50μm micropores, and uniform and stable adsorption force is generated through the airflow channel communicating with the vacuum generator to achieve contact adsorption and precise positioning.
It effectively prevents the wafer from fragmenting during handling, ensures accurate positioning of the wafer, and avoids shifting problems.
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Figure CN222619714U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of wafer transport, in particular to a wafer transport arm. Background Art
[0002] Wafers are the core materials for semiconductor manufacturing and are mainly used to manufacture chips and various electronic components. In the wafer manufacturing process, wafers need to be transported and transferred between different process stations. For wafers with a thickness of about 400μm, a nozzle suction cup is generally used. With the development of semiconductor technology, the thickness of wafers is made thinner and thinner, and the thickness of wafers is even only 50μm. If a nozzle suction cup is used to suck a 50μm thick wafer, the wafer is prone to breakage. For ultra-thin wafers with a thickness of 50μm, a handling arm based on the Bernoulli principle is generally used. It is non-contact with the wafer and can prevent the wafer from breaking during transportation. However, the non-contact suction method will cause the wafer to shift on the arm, which is not conducive to the precise positioning of the wafer. Utility Model Content
[0003] In order to overcome the above-mentioned deficiencies in the prior art, the purpose of the utility model is to provide a wafer transport arm.
[0004] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the technical solution adopted by the utility model to solve its technical problems is: a wafer transport arm, including a main arm plate and a microporous ceramic sheet, the microporous ceramic sheet is attached to the main arm plate, and an air suction chamber is provided between the microporous ceramic sheet and the main arm plate, and the main arm plate is also provided with an air flow channel connected to the air suction chamber, and the microporous ceramic sheet is densely covered with micropores with a pore size of 1-50um.
[0005] When in use, the airflow channel of the transport arm is connected to the vacuum generating device, and with the help of the densely distributed microporous structure of the microporous ceramic sheet, a uniform and stable adsorption force is generated on the surface of the microporous ceramic sheet. When adsorbing the wafer, no strong local suction force is generated on the wafer, which can effectively prevent the wafer from breaking. When the transport arm of the utility model absorbs the wafer, the wafer is attached to the surface of the microporous ceramic sheet in a contact manner. During the transport and transfer process, the position of the wafer is stable and not easily shifted, ensuring the precise positioning of the wafer.
[0006] Furthermore, there are a plurality of microporous ceramic sheets, each of which is fan-shaped, and the plurality of microporous ceramic sheets are distributed in a circle, and an air suction chamber is provided between the back side of each microporous ceramic sheet and the main arm plate.
[0007] The above preferred solution uses a plurality of microporous ceramic sheets, each corresponding to an independent air suction chamber, which helps to generate a uniform and stable airflow.
[0008] Furthermore, the main arm plate is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced fan-shaped grooves, the fan-shaped grooves are provided with a circle of step surfaces, each fan-shaped groove is embedded with a microporous ceramic sheet, and the lower surface edge of the microporous ceramic sheet is in contact with the step surface.
[0009] The above preferred solution is adopted to facilitate the installation of the microporous ceramic sheet, generate a uniform air intake chamber space on the back of the microporous ceramic sheet, and improve the uniformity of the air intake airflow on the surface of the microporous ceramic sheet.
[0010] Furthermore, a back plate is provided on the surface of the main arm plate opposite to the surface where the microporous ceramic sheet is located, and the air flow channel is formed between the back plate and the main arm plate.
[0011] The above preferred solution is adopted to facilitate the processing and manufacturing of the air flow channel and save processing costs.
[0012] Furthermore, the main arm plate includes a disc portion and an arm body portion extending radially outward from one side of the disc portion, the air flow channel includes a main channel and multiple branch channels, the main channel radially extends from the air intake port at the end of the arm body portion to the center position of the disc portion, and each of the branch channels radially diffuses from the center position of the disc portion, and the end of each branch channel is connected to the air intake chamber on the back side of each microporous ceramic sheet through a through hole in the thickness direction.
[0013] The adoption of the above preferred solution helps to maintain a stable and consistent negative pressure in the suction chamber of each microporous ceramic sheet, thereby generating a uniform adsorption force on the wafer. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the utility model or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the utility model. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.
[0015] Figure 1 It is a front structural schematic diagram of an implementation manner of the utility model.
[0016] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the back structure in one embodiment of the utility model.
[0017] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the state of the transfer arm of the utility model adsorbing the wafer.
[0018] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a hidden microporous ceramic sheet in one embodiment of the utility model.
[0019] Figure 5 It is a structural schematic diagram of a hidden back plate in one embodiment of the utility model.
[0020] The numbers and letters in the figure represent the names of the corresponding parts:
[0021] 1-main arm plate; 11-fan-shaped groove; 12-step surface; 13-disc portion; 14-arm body portion; 2-microporous ceramic sheet; 3-air flow channel; 31-main channel; 32-branch channel; 33-intake port; 34-through hole; 4-back plate; 5-wafer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0022] 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 are within the scope of protection of the utility model.
[0023] like Figure 1-5 As shown, one embodiment of the utility model is: a wafer transport arm, including a main arm plate 1 and a microporous ceramic sheet 2, the microporous ceramic sheet 2 is attached to the main arm plate 1, and an air suction chamber is provided between the microporous ceramic sheet 2 and the main arm plate 1, and the main arm plate 1 is also provided with an air flow channel 3 connected to the air suction chamber, and the microporous ceramic sheet 2 is densely covered with micropores with a pore size of 1-50um.
[0024] When in use, the airflow channel of the transport arm is connected to the vacuum generating device, and with the help of the densely distributed microporous structure of the microporous ceramic sheet, a uniform and stable adsorption force is generated on the surface of the microporous ceramic sheet. When adsorbing the wafer, no strong local suction force is generated on the wafer, which can effectively prevent the wafer from breaking. When the transport arm of the utility model absorbs the wafer, the wafer is attached to the surface of the microporous ceramic sheet in a contact manner. During the transport and transfer process, the position of the wafer is stable and not easily shifted, ensuring the precise positioning of the wafer.
[0025] like Figure 1 As shown, in some other embodiments of the present invention, there are multiple microporous ceramic sheets 2, each microporous ceramic sheet 2 is fan-shaped, multiple microporous ceramic sheets 2 are distributed in a circle, and there is an air suction chamber between the back of each microporous ceramic sheet 2 and the main arm plate 1. The beneficial effect of adopting the above technical solution is: using multiple microporous ceramic sheets and each corresponding to an independent air suction chamber helps to generate uniform and stable airflow.
[0026] like Figure 4As shown, in other embodiments of the utility model, a plurality of sector-shaped grooves 11 are provided on the main arm plate 1 and are distributed at intervals in a circle. A circle of step surfaces 12 are provided in the sector-shaped grooves 11. A microporous ceramic sheet 2 is embedded in each sector-shaped groove, and the lower edge of the microporous ceramic sheet 2 is attached to the step surface 12. The beneficial effects of adopting the above technical solution are: facilitating the installation of the microporous ceramic sheet, generating a uniform and uniform air intake chamber space on the back of the microporous ceramic sheet, and improving the uniformity of the air intake airflow on the surface of the microporous ceramic sheet.
[0027] like Figure 2 As shown, in some other embodiments of the present invention, a back plate 4 is provided on the side of the main arm plate 1 opposite to the side where the microporous ceramic sheet is located, and an air flow channel 3 is formed between the back plate 4 and the main arm plate. The beneficial effect of adopting the above technical solution is: facilitating the processing and manufacturing of the air flow channel and saving processing costs.
[0028] like Figure 5 As shown, in other embodiments of the utility model, the main arm plate 1 includes a disc portion 13 and an arm body portion 14 extending radially outward from one side of the disc portion, and the air flow channel 3 includes a main channel 31 and a plurality of branch channels 32. The main channel 31 extends radially from the air inlet 33 at the end of the arm body portion 14 to the center of the disc portion 13, and each branch channel 32 diffuses radially from the center of the disc portion 13. The ends of each branch channel 32 are connected to the air inlet chamber on the back of each microporous ceramic sheet through a through hole 34 in the thickness direction. The beneficial effect of adopting the above technical solution is that it helps to maintain a stable and consistent negative pressure in the air inlet chamber of each microporous ceramic sheet, and produces a uniform adsorption force on the wafer.
[0029] The above embodiments are only for illustrating the technical concept and features of the utility model, and their purpose is to enable ordinary technicians in the field to understand the content of the utility model and implement it. They cannot be used to limit the protection scope of the utility model. All equivalent changes or modifications made according to the spirit of the utility model should be included in the protection scope of the utility model.
Claims
1. A wafer handling arm, characterized in that: It includes a main arm plate and a microporous ceramic sheet, wherein the microporous ceramic sheet is attached to the main arm plate, an air suction chamber is provided between the microporous ceramic sheet and the main arm plate, and an air flow channel communicating with the air suction chamber is also provided on the main arm plate, and the microporous ceramic sheet is densely covered with micropores with a pore size of 1-50um; There are multiple microporous ceramic sheets, each of which is fan-shaped, and multiple microporous ceramic sheets are distributed in a circle, and there is an air suction chamber between the back of each microporous ceramic sheet and the main arm plate; The main arm plate includes a disc portion and an arm body portion extending radially outward from one side of the disc portion, the air flow channel includes a main channel and multiple branch channels, the main channel extends radially from the air intake port at the end of the arm body portion to the center position of the disc portion, and each branch channel diffuses radially from the center position of the disc portion, and the end of each branch channel is connected to the air intake chamber on the back side of each microporous ceramic sheet through a through hole in the thickness direction.
2. The wafer transport arm according to claim 1, characterized in that: The main arm plate is provided with a plurality of sector-shaped grooves spaced apart in a circumference, the sector-shaped grooves are provided with a circle of step surfaces, each sector-shaped groove is embedded with a microporous ceramic sheet, and the lower surface edge of the microporous ceramic sheet is in contact with the step surface.
3. The wafer transport arm according to claim 1, characterized in that: A back plate is provided on the surface of the main arm plate opposite to the surface where the microporous ceramic sheet is located, and the air flow channel is formed between the back plate and the main arm plate.