Wafer cooling cavity
By designing a closed wafer cooling chamber and combining air-cooling and liquid-cooling technologies, the problems of low cooling efficiency and easy dissipation of air-cooling gases in the prior art are solved, and a more efficient and cleaner wafer cooling effect is achieved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202421351350.8
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-06-13
- Publication Date
- 2025-05-02
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-06-13
AI Technical Summary
In the existing wafer cooling technology, liquid cooling efficiency is low, and the gas-cooled cooling gas is easily dissipated and affects the operation of other equipment.
A closed wafer cooling chamber is designed, including a housing, a cooling device and a grabber, and is cooled by a combination of air cooling and liquid cooling. The cooling chamber is formed in a closed state through the cooperation of the sealing cover plate and the cooling seat.
It improves cooling efficiency, prevents cooling gas from dissipating, maintains cleanliness, and enhances the enclosure and efficiency of the wafer cooling process.
Smart Images

Figure CN222826364U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present application relates to the field of wafer processing technology, and in particular to a wafer cooling cavity. Background Art
[0002] In the field of wafer processing, various modular devices are generally used to process wafers. In the prior art, a wafer transfer platform is usually used to coordinate various process chambers and transfer wafers in various processing chambers to achieve modular processing of wafers.
[0003] After the wafer has completed some special processing, the temperature will rise and the next process cannot be carried out. Therefore, the wafer needs to be cooled. The invention patent with application number (CN202311365622.X) discloses a cooling chamber, including a first cavity and a second cavity connected to the first cavity, the liquid cooling plate is arranged in the first cavity, and the driving end of the cooling lifting drive member passes through the cavity wall of the second cavity and is placed in the second cavity; the cooling lifting member includes a lifting positioning plate, the lifting positioning plate is arranged in the second cavity, and one side of the lifting positioning plate is connected to the driving end of the cooling lifting drive member, and the other side of the lifting positioning plate is provided with a plurality of ejectors, and the ejectors can pass through the liquid cooling plate and are arranged higher than the liquid cooling plate.
[0004] However, in the above solution, only liquid cooling is used for cooling, and the cooling efficiency is low. If air cooling is used, the cooling gas will escape into the entire wafer transfer device, affecting the operation of other processing devices. Utility Model Content
[0005] The purpose of the present application is to provide a wafer cooling cavity, including a shell, in which a cooling device for cooling the wafer and a grasping device for grasping the wafer are arranged. The grasping device and the cooling device can form a closed cooling cavity when they cooperate, and the wafer can be cooled in the cooling cavity. Furthermore, since the cooling cavity is closed, air cooling can be used for cooling, and liquid cooling can be used simultaneously for better cooling effect. At the same time, the wafer placement process is also the process of forming the cooling cavity, and the wafer cooling cavity structure is simpler.
[0006] The present application provides a wafer cooling chamber, comprising a shell, and a cooling device and a gripping device disposed in the shell;
[0007] The cooling device comprises a cooling bin and a cooling assembly for cooling the cooling bin;
[0008] The cooling assembly includes a gas pipeline in communication with the cooling bin;
[0009] The cooling bin comprises a cooling seat and a sealing cover plate movably arranged relative to the cooling seat;
[0010] The sealing cover plate cooperates with the cooling seat to form the closed cooling chamber;
[0011] When the sealing cover of the cooling chamber is in an open state, the gripping device can take and place the wafer on the cooling seat.
[0012] By using the above technical solution, a closed cooling chamber is formed by the cooperation of the sealing cover plate and the cooling seat, so that the cooling device can cool the wafer by air cooling, and the cooling effect is better; the cooling chamber is sealed, and the cooling gas can enter the cooling chamber through the gas pipeline. After cooling is completed, the cooling gas is extracted through the gas pipeline to prevent the cooling gas from affecting other equipment, and the cleanliness is higher.
[0013] In some embodiments, the housing is provided with a wafer transfer port for transferring wafers and a sealing mechanism that can cover the wafer transfer port, and the sealing mechanism can seal or open the wafer transfer port;
[0014] The housing is connected to the wafer transmission device;
[0015] The wafer transmission device is provided with a transmission channel connected to the wafer transmission port and a transmission device for transmitting wafers. When the sealing mechanism is opened, the transmission device takes and places wafers in the wafer cooling cavity through the transmission channel.
[0016] The wafer transmission device is also connected to a wafer processing equipment, and the transmission device transmits the wafer to be cooled in the wafer processing equipment to the wafer cooling cavity through the transmission channel.
[0017] By adopting the above technical scheme, the shell is connected to the wafer transmission device, and other wafer processing equipment is also connected to the transmission device. After the sealing mechanism is opened, the wafer transmission device can quickly place the wafer that needs to be cooled into the wafer cooling device, and can also take the cooled wafer to other wafer processing cavities. The wafer transfer efficiency is high and the wafer processing speed can be improved. In addition, a sealing mechanism is provided on the shell, so that the wafer cooling cavity can be in a closed state, which is convenient for cooling the wafer and can also reduce the influence of other cavities on the wafer cooling process. The sealing of the shell is achieved by the sealing mechanism, and the second layer of sealing is achieved by the cooling chamber. The wafer is not easily contaminated during the cooling process and has a higher cleanliness.
[0018] In some embodiments, a first wafer transfer port and a second wafer transfer port are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the housing;
[0019] The first wafer transfer port is connected to the wafer transfer device;
[0020] The second wafer transfer port is connected to the wafer placement cavity, and when the sealing mechanism is opened, the wafer cooling cavity is connected to the wafer placement cavity;
[0021] A wafer box for storing wafers is arranged in the wafer placement cavity, and the transmission device can pass through the first wafer transmission port and the second wafer transmission port, and transmit the wafer between the wafer cooling cavity and the wafer box.
[0022] In the existing technology, cooling of the wafer is the last step in wafer processing. After the wafer is cooled, it can be stored in a wafer box. Using the above technical solution, symmetrical wafer transfer ports are set on both sides of the wafer processing cavity, one transfer port is connected to the wafer transfer device, and the other wafer transfer port is connected to the wafer placement cavity. The transfer device for transferring the wafer can pass through the wafer cooling cavity and place the cooled wafer in the wafer box, which has higher transfer efficiency.
[0023] In some embodiments, the cooling assembly includes an air cooling assembly and a water cooling assembly;
[0024] The air cooling component includes the gas pipeline connected to the cooling bin, which is used to cool the cooling bin;
[0025] The water cooling assembly comprises a water cooling cavity arranged inside the cooling seat and a liquid pipeline connected to the water cooling cavity, and is used for cooling the cooling seat.
[0026] A liquid cooling chamber is arranged in the cooling seat, which can perform water cooling and air cooling at the same time, with faster cooling speed and better cooling effect.
[0027] In some embodiments, the cooling seat is arranged on the inner wall of the bottom of the shell, and a pipeline outlet for passing the gas pipeline and the liquid pipeline is opened at a corresponding position of the shell;
[0028] A sealing ring is arranged on the outer periphery of the pipeline outlet, and the cooling seat presses against the sealing ring to achieve sealing of the shell at the pipeline outlet.
[0029] The above-mentioned technical scheme is adopted to facilitate the docking of cooling pipelines and to more easily achieve sealing at the pipelines. The gas pipeline and the liquid pipeline are both arranged at the bottom of the cooling seat. At the same time, the cooling seat is arranged on the inner wall of the bottom of the shell. The gas pipeline and the liquid pipeline are extended to the outside of the shell through the pipeline outlet. Therefore, it is only necessary to achieve the sealing at the pipeline outlet to achieve the sealing of the shell. The present application arranges a sealing ring on the outer peripheral edge of the pipeline outlet, and the fixing of the cooling seat can squeeze the sealing ring to achieve sealing at the pipeline outlet.
[0030] In some embodiments, the contact surface of the cooling seat that supports the wafer is provided with an air cooling pattern, and at least one end of the air cooling pattern passes through the cooling seat along its extension direction and is connected to the cooling chamber;
[0031] The air cooling pattern is formed by the cooling seat being recessed downward and distributed in a mesh shape;
[0032] The gas pipeline includes an air inlet and an air return port for conveying gas; the air inlet is arranged at the bottom of the cooling seat and is connected to the air cooling pattern.
[0033] By adopting the above technical solution, air cooling patterns are set on the contact surface of the cooling seat supporting the wafer, and the outlet of the cooling gas is connected to the air cooling patterns to increase the contact surface of the cooling gas and the wafer, thereby avoiding the situation where the cooling gas cannot enter the air cooling patterns with higher temperature, thereby achieving better cooling effect.
[0034] In some embodiments, the gripping device includes a wafer holding claw for holding the wafer;
[0035] The wafer supporting claws include a wafer support for supporting the edge of the wafer and a sealing cover plate arranged above the wafer support;
[0036] The wafer supporting claw is arranged above the cooling seat; and the wafer supporting claw is connected to a driving device for driving the wafer supporting claw to rise and fall;
[0037] The driving device drives the wafer supporting claw to descend, and enables the sealing cover plate to cooperate with the cooling seat to form a closed cooling chamber, and the wafer support and the wafer are located in the cooling chamber.
[0038] The wafer supporting claw further comprises a pressing piece arranged on the sealing cover plate, and the pressing piece is arranged corresponding to the outer periphery of the cooling chamber;
[0039] The sealing cover plate is connected to the driving device through the pressing member.
[0040] With the above technical solution, when the wafer claws place the wafer in the cooling chamber, the sealing cover also covers the cooling seat, squeezing the sealing ring to achieve the sealing of the cooling seat. The pressing piece is arranged corresponding to the outer periphery of the cooling chamber so that the driving device can press the sealing ring more evenly, the sealing ring is more evenly stressed, and the sealing effect is better.
[0041] In some embodiments, the wafer support is disposed on the lower bottom surface of the sealing cover plate, and includes a first wafer support and a second wafer support, wherein the first wafer support and the second wafer support are symmetrically disposed relative to the wafer, and respectively support the wafer from both sides of the wafer edge;
[0042] The cooling seat is provided with a receiving groove corresponding to the film holder, and the receiving groove is arranged in the cooling bin and accommodates the film holder.
[0043] The first wafer support includes a vertical portion connected to the sealing cover plate, the lower end of the vertical portion is provided with two supporting protrusions for placing the wafer, and the upper surface of the supporting protrusion is provided with a limiting groove adapted to the edge of the wafer.
[0044] By adopting the above technical solution, two wafer supports are set to support the wafer from both sides of the wafer, so that the wafer can be placed in from one direction of the two wafer supports and taken out from the other direction. At the same time, supporting the edge of the wafer can also avoid wearing the part of the center of the wafer used to manufacture chips.
[0045] In addition, two symmetrical wafer supports are provided to hold up the wafer from both sides. After holding up the wafer, the wafer transfer device can pass through the center of the two wafer supports into the wafer placement cavity and quickly place the wafer into the wafer box, thereby increasing the efficiency of wafer transfer.
[0046] Other features and corresponding beneficial effects of the present invention are described in the latter part of the specification, and it should be understood that at least part of the beneficial effects become obvious from the description in the specification of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0047] Figure 1 A three-dimensional image of a wafer cooling chamber from a first perspective provided in an embodiment of the present application;
[0048] Figure 2 A stereoscopic image of a wafer cooling chamber from a second viewing angle provided in an embodiment of the present application;
[0049] Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of a wafer cooling chamber provided in an embodiment of the present application at the lower half of the wafer supporting claws along the horizontal direction;
[0050] Figure 4 A three-dimensional diagram of a cooling seat of a wafer cooling cavity provided in an embodiment of the present application;
[0051] Figure 5 A vertical cross-sectional view of a wafer cooling chamber provided in an embodiment of the present application;
[0052] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the connection between a wafer cooling chamber and a wafer transfer device provided in an embodiment of the present application.
[0053] Description of reference numerals:
[0054] 1. Cooling seat;
[0055] 11. Cooling chamber; 12. Sealing ring; 13. Receiving groove; 14. Air cooling pattern;
[0056] 2. Cooling components
[0057] 21. Air cooling components;
[0058] 211, air inlet; 212, air return port;
[0059] 22. Water cooling components;
[0060] 221, water cooling chamber; 222, liquid pipeline;
[0061] 3. Wafer claws;
[0062] 31. Tablet support;
[0063] 311, vertical portion; 312, limiting groove;
[0064] 32. Sealing cover plate; 33. Pressing member;
[0065] 4. Driving device;
[0066] 41. driving chamber; 42. cylinder; 43. transmission rod; 44. bellows;
[0067] 5. Wafer transfer device; 6. Wafer cooling cavity; 7. Wafer placement cavity. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0068] The following specific embodiments illustrate the implementation of the present invention, and those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the contents disclosed in this specification. Although the description of the present invention will be introduced in conjunction with the preferred embodiment, this does not mean that the features of this invention are limited to this implementation. On the contrary, the purpose of introducing the invention in conjunction with the implementation is to cover other options or modifications that may extend based on the claims of the present invention. In order to provide a deep understanding of the present invention, the following description will include many specific details. The present invention can also be implemented without using these details. In addition, in order to avoid confusion or blurring the focus of the present invention, some specific details will be omitted in the description. It should be noted that the embodiments of the present invention and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other without conflict.
[0069] It should be noted that in this specification, similar reference numerals and letters denote similar items in the following drawings, and therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it does not need to be further defined and explained in the subsequent drawings.
[0070] The technical solution of the present invention will be described clearly and completely below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.
[0071] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "center", "up", "down", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inside", "outside", etc. indicate positions or positional relationships based on the positions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, which are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. In addition, the terms "first", "second", and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, features defined as "first", "second", etc. may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description created by the present application, unless otherwise specified, "multiple" means two or more.
[0072] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" 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 direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.
[0073] To make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more clear, the embodiments of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0074] See also Figure 1-6 , Figure 1 A three-dimensional image of a wafer cooling chamber from a first perspective provided in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 2 A stereoscopic image of a wafer cooling chamber from a second viewing angle provided in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of a wafer cooling chamber provided in an embodiment of the present application at the lower half of the wafer supporting claws along the horizontal direction; Figure 4 A three-dimensional diagram of a cooling seat of a wafer cooling cavity provided in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 5 A vertical cross-sectional view of a wafer cooling chamber provided in an embodiment of the present application; Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the connection between a wafer cooling chamber and a wafer transfer device provided in an embodiment of the present application.
[0075] like Figure 1-6 As described, an embodiment of the present application provides a wafer cooling chamber, comprising a shell, and a cooling device and a gripping device disposed in the shell;
[0076] The cooling device comprises a cooling bin 11 and a cooling assembly 2 for cooling the cooling bin 11;
[0077] The cooling assembly 2 includes a gas pipeline in communication with the cooling bin 11;
[0078] The cooling chamber 11 includes a cooling seat 1 and a sealing cover plate 32 movably arranged relative to the cooling seat 1;
[0079] The sealing cover plate 32 cooperates with the cooling seat 1 to form a closed cooling chamber 11;
[0080] When the sealing cover plate 32 of the cooling chamber 11 is in an open state, the gripping device can take and place the wafer on the cooling seat 1 .
[0081] Specifically, the cooling chamber 11 is set to be circular to match the shape of the wafer. The smaller volume of the cooling chamber 11 can improve the sealing effect. Through the sealing design of the cooling chamber 11, cooling gas can be introduced into the cooling chamber 11 through the gas pipeline to air-cool the wafer. At the same time, due to the closed shell and the closed cooling chamber 11, the cooling gas will not escape, and the sealing is better.
[0082] In the present application, the sealing cover plate 32 and the cooling seat 1 cooperate to form a closed cooling chamber 11, and the gripping device places the wafer in the sealed cooling chamber 11, which can automatically cool the wafer.
[0083] In some embodiments, the housing is provided with a wafer transfer port for transferring wafers and a sealing mechanism that can cover the wafer transfer port, and the sealing mechanism can seal or open the wafer transfer port;
[0084] The housing is connected to the wafer transfer device 5;
[0085] The wafer transfer device 5 is provided with a transfer channel connected to the wafer transfer port and a transfer structure for transferring the wafer. When the sealing mechanism is opened, the transfer structure takes and places the wafer in the wafer cooling cavity through the transfer channel.
[0086] The wafer transmission device 5 is also connected to a wafer processing device, and the transmission structure transmits the wafers to be cooled in the wafer processing device to the wafer cooling cavity through the transmission channel.
[0087] It can prevent the wafer from being contaminated during the cooling process and ensure higher cleanliness.
[0088] In some embodiments, a first wafer transfer port and a second wafer transfer port are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the housing;
[0089] The first wafer transfer port is connected to the wafer transfer device 5;
[0090] The second wafer transfer port is connected to the wafer placement cavity 7, and when the sealing mechanism is opened, the wafer cooling cavity is connected to the wafer placement cavity 7;
[0091] A wafer box for storing wafers is arranged in the wafer placement cavity 7, and the transmission device can pass through the first wafer transmission port and the second wafer transmission port, and transmit the wafer between the wafer cooling cavity 7 and the wafer box.
[0092] Specifically, the wafer transmission device 5 is provided with multiple transmission channels, and the multiple transmission channels are respectively connected to multiple wafer processing equipment, so as to facilitate the rapid transmission of wafers in different processing steps. Wafer cooling is also one of the wafer processing processes. The wafer cooling chamber 6 is connected to the wafer transmission device 5. The transmission structure in the wafer transmission device 5 can quickly take the wafer that needs to be cooled and place it in the wafer cooling chamber 6.
[0093] Generally, cooling of the wafer is the last step in wafer processing, and the cooled wafer needs to be placed in a wafer box for easy handling. When the wafer is cooled, the sealing mechanism is opened, and the wafer can be transferred between the wafer transfer device 5 and the wafer placement chamber 7.
[0094] The wafer box is arranged in the wafer placement cavity 7 , so the present application connects the wafer placement cavity 7 with the wafer cooling cavity 6 , utilizing the gap between the wafer claws 3 to facilitate the transmission structure to place the cooled wafer into the wafer placement cavity 7 .
[0095] In some embodiments, the cooling assembly 2 includes an air cooling assembly 21 and a water cooling assembly 22;
[0096] The air cooling component 21 includes a gas pipeline connected to the cooling bin 11, and is used to cool the cooling bin 11;
[0097] The water cooling assembly 22 includes a water cooling chamber 221 disposed inside the cooling seat 1 and a liquid pipeline 222 connected to the water cooling chamber 221 , and is used to cool the cooling seat 1 .
[0098] Specifically, the gas pipeline and the liquid pipeline 222 both penetrate the shell and are connected to external equipment, and provide cooling gas and cooling liquid to the wafer cooling cavity through the pipelines.
[0099] A water cooling component 22 is arranged on the cooling seat 1, and the wafer can be cooled by water cooling and air cooling at the same time, and the cooling effect is better. Compared with the technical solution of cooling the wafer by only using water cooling in the prior art, the cooling speed of the wafer can be controlled by controlling the temperature and flow rate of the cooling gas and the cooling liquid. In addition, other wafer processing components can be arranged in the sealed cooling chamber, and simple processing can be performed during the cooling process of the wafer, which has a higher degree of freedom.
[0100] The gripping device squeezes the cooling seat 1 and the sealing cover plate 32 , and a sealed cooling cavity is formed between the cooling seat 1 and the sealing cover plate 32 . Therefore, by setting a sealing ring 12 between the cooling seat 1 and the sealing cover plate 32 , the sealing effect can be easily achieved.
[0101] In some embodiments, the cooling seat 1 is disposed on the inner wall of the bottom of the shell, and a pipeline outlet for passing the gas pipeline and the liquid pipeline 222 is opened at a corresponding position of the shell;
[0102] A sealing ring 12 is arranged on the outer periphery of the pipeline outlet, and the cooling seat 1 presses against the sealing ring 12 to achieve sealing of the shell at the pipeline outlet.
[0103] The cooling seat 1 covers the pipeline outlet opened on the lower side of the shell. The gas pipeline and liquid pipeline 222 arranged on the cooling seat 1 extend out of the shell through the pipeline outlet. A sealing ring 12 is arranged on the outer periphery of the pipeline outlet. The cooling seat 1 is pressed against the sealing ring 12 to achieve sealing. External equipment can be directly connected to the gas pipeline and liquid pipeline 222 at the lower part of the cooling seat 1. Compared with the traditional method of passing each pipeline through the shell separately, or setting the interface between the external equipment and the gas pipeline and liquid pipeline 222 on the shell, the present application is easier to achieve sealing and has a simpler structure.
[0104] In some embodiments, the contact surface of the cooling seat 1 that supports the wafer is provided with an air cooling pattern 14, and at least one end of the air cooling pattern 14 passes through the cooling seat 1 along its extension direction and is connected to the cooling chamber 11;
[0105] The air cooling pattern 14 is formed by the cooling seat 1 being concave downwards and is distributed in a mesh shape;
[0106] The gas pipeline includes an air inlet 211 and an air return port 212 for conveying gas; the air inlet 211 is arranged at the bottom of the cooling seat 1 and is connected to the air cooling pattern 14 .
[0107] In one embodiment, the air inlet 211 is disposed at the center of the wafer, and the air cooling pattern 14 is distributed in a spider web shape with the air inlet 211 as the center, and is connected to the cooling cavity at multiple positions in the extension direction.
[0108] In one embodiment, the gripping device includes a wafer holding claw 3 for holding the wafer;
[0109] The wafer supporting claw 3 includes a wafer support 31 for supporting the edge of the wafer and a sealing cover plate 32 arranged above the wafer support 31;
[0110] The wafer claw 3 is disposed above the cooling seat 1; and the wafer claw 3 is connected to a driving device 4 for driving the wafer claw 3 to rise and fall;
[0111] The driving device 4 drives the wafer supporting claw 3 to descend, and makes the sealing cover plate 32 cooperate with the cooling seat 1 to form a closed cooling chamber 11 , and the wafer support 31 and the wafer are located in the cooling chamber 11 .
[0112] In some embodiments, the wafer support 31 is disposed on the lower bottom surface of the sealing cover plate 32, and includes a first wafer support 31 and a second wafer support 31, the first wafer support 31 and the second wafer support 31 are symmetrically disposed relative to the wafer, and respectively support the wafer from both sides of the wafer edge;
[0113] The cooling seat 1 is provided with a receiving groove 13 corresponding to the wafer holder 31 . The receiving groove 13 is arranged in the cooling chamber 11 and accommodates the wafer holder 31 .
[0114] The first wafer holder 31 includes a vertical portion 311 connected to the sealing cover plate 32 . The lower end of the vertical portion 311 is provided with two supporting protrusions for placing wafers. The upper surfaces of the supporting protrusions are provided with limiting grooves 312 adapted to the edges of the wafers.
[0115] The wafer support 31 is arranged above the cooling device, so the wafer can be stably lifted and lowered by simply lifting the wafer from both sides of the wafer. The use of two symmetrically arranged wafer supports 31 can reduce the volume of the wafer support 31 as much as possible while ensuring the stability of the wafer. Since the wafer support 31 extends into the cooling cavity, reducing the volume of the wafer support 31 is equivalent to increasing the volume of the cooling cavity, thereby improving the cooling effect. On the other hand, it can also reduce the weight of the structure and make the structure simpler.
[0116] The wafer is restrained from below. When the wafer is placed on the cooling seat 1, the wafer can automatically detach from the wafer holder 31 and contact with the cooling seat 1. When taking out the wafer, it is only necessary to drive the wafer holder 31 to rise, and the wafer holder 31 will lift the wafer.
[0117] The first wafer support 31 can be the same as the second wafer support 31. Using such a structure can further reduce the volume of the wafer support 31 without affecting the lifting of the wafer. When the wafer is lifted, the first wafer support 31 and the second wafer support 31 lift the wafer from both sides of the bottom of the wafer. Two supporting protrusions are provided on one of the wafer supports 31, so that the wafer and the wafer support 31 have at least three contact points. Furthermore, a limit groove 312 matching the edge of the wafer is provided, which can also play a role in clamping the wafer to prevent the wafer from moving left and right, and can more stably lift and place the wafer.
[0118] In one embodiment, the driving device 4 includes a closed driving cavity 41, a cylinder 42 disposed in the driving cavity 41, and a transmission rod 43 penetrating the driving cavity 41;
[0119] The cylinder 42 is fixed to the driving cavity 41 through a fixing plate, and drives the transmission rod 43 to move up and down;
[0120] The upper end of the transmission rod 43 is fixedly connected to the output end of the cylinder 42, and the lower end of the transmission rod 43 is fixedly connected to the wafer supporting claw 3;
[0121] A bellows 44 is sleeved on one side of the transmission rod 43 extending out of the driving cavity 41 , and the upper end of the bellows 44 is fixed to the outer surface of the driving cavity 41 through a flange seal, and the upper end of the bellows 44 is fixed to the wafer supporting claw 3 through a flange seal.
[0122] During operation, the cylinder 42 drives the transmission rod 43 to rise and fall, and the wafer is placed, and the sealing cover plate 32 is pressed by the pressing member 33. In some embodiments, a servo motor or other driving device 4 can also be used to drive the transmission rod 43.
[0123] In one embodiment, there are multiple cylinders 42, and they are arranged in the same direction on the mounting plate. The multiple cylinders 42 are symmetrically arranged around the transmission rod 43, and the output ends of the multiple cylinders 42 are connected to the transmission rod 43 through connecting parts. The multiple cylinders 42 jointly drive the transmission rod 43 to rise and fall through the connecting parts.
[0124] In one embodiment, two cylinders 42 are provided, both of which are mounted on a fixed plate, the output ends of the cylinders 42 are connected via a connecting plate, the center of the connecting plate is connected to the transmission member, and the two cylinders 42 jointly drive the transmission rod 43 to rise and fall via the connecting plate.
[0125] In some embodiments, it is characterized in that the wafer claw 3 further includes a pressing member 33 disposed on the sealing cover plate 32, and the pressing member 33 is disposed corresponding to the outer periphery of the cooling chamber 11;
[0126] The sealing cover plate 32 is connected to the driving device 4 via a pressing member 33 .
[0127] By driving the sealing cover plate 32 through the pressing member 33 , the fulcrum of the driving device 4 driving the sealing cover plate 32 to rise and fall can be located at the outer periphery of the cooling chamber, making it easier to seal the cooling chamber.
[0128] In some embodiments, the pressure member 33 includes a mounting plate fixedly connected to the output end of the driving device 4 and a plurality of pressure protrusions fixedly arranged under the mounting plate. The plurality of pressure protrusions are arranged at intervals around the outer periphery of the cooling chamber, thereby reducing the contact area between the pressure member 33 and the sealing cover plate 32, increasing the pressure, and further improving the sealing effect.
[0129] During operation, the wafer transfer device 5 transfers the wafer to be cooled to the wafer claw 3 provided on the gripping device. At this time, the sealing mechanism seals the wafer transfer port and forms a closed space in the shell. Then, the shell is vacuumed for the first time by the vacuum device on the cooling seat 1.
[0130] Then, the driving device 4 drives the wafer claw 3 to descend, so that the sealing cover plate 32 contacts the cooling seat 1, squeezes the sealing ring 12, and forms a closed cooling chamber 11. At this time, the wafer claw 3 and the wafer are located in the cooling chamber 11, and the wafer is placed on the cooling seat 1 and contacts the cooling seat 1; the cooling chamber 11 is evacuated for the second time by the vacuum pumping device on the cooling seat; after the second vacuum pumping is completed, the cooling gas is filled into the cooling chamber 11 through the air inlet 211, and the cooling liquid is introduced into the liquid cooling chamber through the liquid pipeline 222, and the flow rate of the cooling gas and the cooling liquid is controlled to control the cooling speed, and the wafer is cooled at the same time. When the wafer is cooled, the cooling gas is extracted through the return air port 212 to make the cooling chamber in a vacuum state, and then the wafer claw 3 is driven to rise, and the wafer is taken by the robotic arm to enter the next processing equipment.
[0131] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or replace some or all of the technical features therein by equivalents. However, these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.
Claims
1. A wafer cooling chamber, characterized in that: It comprises a shell, and a cooling device and a grasping device arranged in the shell; The cooling device comprises a cooling bin and a cooling assembly for cooling the cooling bin; The cooling assembly includes a gas pipeline in communication with the cooling bin; The cooling bin comprises a cooling seat and a sealing cover plate movably arranged relative to the cooling seat; The sealing cover plate cooperates with the cooling seat to form the closed cooling chamber; When the sealing cover of the cooling chamber is in an open state, the gripping device can take and place the wafer on the cooling seat.
2. A wafer cooling chamber as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The housing is provided with a wafer transfer port for transferring wafers and a sealing mechanism that can cover the wafer transfer port, and the sealing mechanism can seal or open the wafer transfer port; The housing is connected to the wafer transmission device; The wafer transmission device is provided with a transmission channel connected to the wafer transmission port and a transmission device for transmitting wafers. When the sealing mechanism is opened, the transmission device takes and places wafers in the wafer cooling cavity through the transmission channel. The wafer transmission device is also connected to a wafer processing equipment, and the transmission device transmits the wafer to be cooled in the wafer processing equipment to the wafer cooling cavity through the transmission channel.
3. A wafer cooling chamber as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that: The shell is symmetrically provided with a first wafer transfer port and a second wafer transfer port on both sides; The first wafer transfer port is connected to the wafer transfer device; The second wafer transfer port is connected to the wafer placement cavity, and when the sealing mechanism is opened, the wafer cooling cavity is connected to the wafer placement cavity; A wafer box for storing wafers is arranged in the wafer placement cavity, and the transmission device can pass through the first wafer transmission port and the second wafer transmission port, and transmit the wafer between the wafer cooling cavity and the wafer box.
4. A wafer cooling chamber as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The cooling assembly includes an air cooling assembly and a water cooling assembly; The air cooling component includes the gas pipeline connected to the cooling bin, which is used to cool the cooling bin; The water cooling assembly comprises a water cooling cavity arranged inside the cooling seat and a liquid pipeline connected to the water cooling cavity, and is used for cooling the cooling seat.
5. A wafer cooling chamber as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that: The cooling seat is arranged on the inner wall of the bottom of the shell, and a pipeline outlet for passing the gas pipeline and the liquid pipeline is opened at a corresponding position of the shell; A sealing ring is arranged on the outer periphery of the pipeline outlet, and the cooling seat presses against the sealing ring to achieve sealing of the shell at the pipeline outlet.
6. A wafer cooling chamber as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that: The contact surface of the cooling seat that supports the wafer is provided with an air cooling pattern, and at least one end of the air cooling pattern passes through the cooling seat along its extension direction and is connected with the cooling chamber; The air cooling pattern is formed by the cooling seat being recessed downward and distributed in a mesh shape; The gas pipeline includes an air inlet and an air return port for conveying gas; the air inlet is arranged at the bottom of the cooling seat and is connected to the air cooling pattern.
7. The wafer cooling chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that: The gripping device comprises a wafer holding claw for holding up the wafer; The wafer supporting claws include a wafer support for supporting the edge of the wafer and a sealing cover plate arranged above the wafer support; The wafer supporting claw is arranged above the cooling seat; and the wafer supporting claw is connected to a driving device for driving the wafer supporting claw to rise and fall; The driving device drives the wafer supporting claw to descend, and enables the sealing cover plate to cooperate with the cooling seat to form a closed cooling chamber, and the wafer support and the wafer are located in the cooling chamber.
8. A wafer cooling chamber as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that: The wafer supporting claw further comprises a pressing piece arranged on the sealing cover plate, and the pressing piece is arranged corresponding to the outer periphery of the cooling chamber; The sealing cover plate is connected to the driving device through the pressing member.
9. A wafer cooling chamber as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that: The wafer support is arranged on the lower bottom surface of the sealing cover plate, and comprises a first wafer support and a second wafer support, wherein the first wafer support and the second wafer support are symmetrically arranged relative to the wafer, and respectively support the wafer from both sides of the wafer edge; The cooling seat is provided with a receiving groove corresponding to the film holder, and the receiving groove is arranged in the cooling bin and accommodates the film holder.
10. A wafer cooling chamber as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that: The first wafer support includes a vertical portion connected to the sealing cover plate, and the lower end of the vertical portion is provided with two supporting protrusions for placing the wafer, and the upper surface of the supporting protrusion is provided with a limiting groove adapted to the edge of the wafer.
Citation Information
Cited By
Wafer cooling device
CN118610124A