Mechanical arm and wafer processing device
By designing a mechanical arm for semiconductor processing devices, the problem of small operating space and easy damage during the disassembly of the heat insulation sheet is solved, and mechanized disassembly and placement is realized, pollution and damage are reduced, and the safety of the production environment is improved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202421535467.1
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-07-01
- Publication Date
- 2025-06-03
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-07-01
AI Technical Summary
In the prior art, the disassembly of heat insulation sheets usually relies on manual operations, resulting in small operating space and easy to cause damage to the crystal boat hardware and particle contamination.
A robotic arm is designed, including a first clamping structure and a second clamping structure for mechanizing the removal or placing of wafers and heat insulation sheets. The control amplitude of the robot arm is more controllable and stable, avoiding excessive stress in contact between the heat insulation sheet and the crystal boat, and reducing pollution and damage.
Through the use of the robotic arm, the stress in contact between the heat insulation sheet and the crystal boat is prevented to the greatest extent, and the particle pollution and damage to the heat insulation sheet are reduced, ensuring the cleaning of the production environment and the safety of the equipment.
Smart Images
Figure CN222932811U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of semiconductor technology, and particularly to a robotic arm and a wafer processing apparatus. Background Art
[0002] Before cleaning a semiconductor working machine, it is necessary to move the susceptor located above the machine and remove the heat insulation sheet disposed on the susceptor.
[0003] Currently, the removal of the heat insulation sheet is usually manually operated by workers. However, since the heat insulation sheet is disposed on the carrier table on the susceptor column and the operating space is small, it is easy to damage the susceptor hardware when the worker removes the heat insulation sheet. In addition, once the operation is improper and the contact stress between the heat insulation sheet and the susceptor is too large, it will cause particle contamination of the production environment and even damage the heat insulation sheet. Summary of the Utility Model
[0004] Embodiments of this application provide a robotic arm and a wafer processing apparatus, aiming to mechanize the removal of the heat insulation sheet and minimize the pollution of the production environment and damage to devices during the removal or placement of the heat insulation sheet.
[0005] Embodiments of this application adopt the following technical solutions:
[0006] In a first aspect, a robotic arm is provided, including a connection structure, a first clamping structure, and a second clamping structure. The first clamping structure and the second clamping structure are sequentially disposed on the connection structure along a first direction. The first direction is perpendicular to the operating surface of the first clamping structure, and the operating surface of the first clamping structure is parallel to the operating surface of the second clamping structure. The first clamping structure is configured to clamp a wafer through the operating surface of the first clamping structure. The second clamping structure is configured to clamp a heat insulation sheet through the operating surface of the second clamping structure.
[0007] The robotic arm includes a first clamping structure and a second clamping structure. The operating surface of the first clamping structure is used to clamp the wafer, and the operating surface of the second clamping structure is used to clamp the heat insulation sheet. With the robotic arm provided by this application, mechanized removal or placement of the wafer and removal or placement of the heat insulation sheet can be achieved. Since the control range of the robotic arm is more controllable and stable than manual operation, it can prevent, to the greatest extent, the situation where the contact stress between the heat insulation sheet and the susceptor is too large, resulting in particle contamination of the production environment and even damage to the heat insulation sheet. In addition, since the first clamping structure and the second clamping structure are sequentially disposed on the connection structure along the first direction, the first clamping structure is higher than the second clamping structure, avoiding the situation where impurity particles generated during the removal or placement of the heat insulation sheet may fall onto the wafer and contaminate the product.
[0008] As a possible implementation, the first clamping structure and the second clamping structure are oppositely arranged on both sides of the connecting structure.
[0009] As a possible implementation, the bearing strength of the second clamping structure is greater than that of the first clamping structure.
[0010] As a possible implementation, the first clamping structure includes a plurality of first sub-clamping structures, and the second clamping structure includes a plurality of second sub-clamping structures. Along the first direction, the connection positions of the plurality of first sub-clamping structures on the surface of the connecting structure are higher than the connection positions of the plurality of second sub-clamping structures.
[0011] As a possible implementation, the operating surface of the first clamping structure is U-shaped, and the operating surface of the second clamping structure is U-shaped.
[0012] In a second aspect, the present application further provides a wafer processing device, which includes: a machine table, a susceptor, a plurality of support columns, and a robotic arm as mentioned in the first aspect and its possible embodiments. The susceptor includes a top plate and a bottom plate arranged in sequence along the first direction, and the top plate and the bottom plate are connected by a plurality of columns. The bottom plate is provided with a plurality of slots corresponding to the plurality of support columns one by one, for movably connecting with the plurality of support columns, so that the susceptor is erected on the machine table through the plurality of support columns. The size of the slot is larger than the diameter of the support column. At least one support column is provided with a positioning device, and position information between the support column and the slot is obtained based on the positioning device.
[0013] As a possible implementation, the positioning device includes a radiation signal transmitting and receiving device, and the distance between the support column and the edge of the slot is calculated based on the radiation signal.
[0014] As a possible implementation, the positioning device includes a positioning mark, a scanning sensor is arranged on the machine table, and the scanning sensor is configured to obtain the absolute position of the positioning mark and the central position of the gap between the support column and the edge position of the slot, and calculate the distance between the support column and the edge position of the slot based on the absolute position and the central position.
[0015] As a possible implementation, the wafer processing device further includes a processor and a transmission device. A plurality of bearing platforms are arranged on the columns along the first direction. The transmission device is connected to the connecting structure of the robotic arm, and the transmission device is also connected to the processor. The processor is configured to: control the transmission device according to the position information, adjust the movement of the robotic arm, so that the first clamping structure places the wafer on the bearing platform or unloads the wafer from the bearing platform, and the second clamping structure places the heat insulation sheet on the bearing platform or unloads the heat insulation sheet from the bearing platform.
[0016] As a possible implementation, each upright column includes a first region and a second region. The second region is located above the first region, and both the first region and the second region include a plurality of bearing platforms. The distance between adjacent bearing platforms arranged in the first region on the same upright column is equal to the distance between adjacent first sub-clamping structures in the first clamping structure. The distance between adjacent bearing platforms arranged in the second region on the same upright column is equal to the distance between adjacent second sub-clamping structures in the second clamping structure.
[0017] Among them, for the beneficial effects of the second aspect, reference can be made to the content in the first aspect and any possible implementation manner, which will not be elaborated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the present application, the drawings required to be used in some embodiments of the present application will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only the drawings of some embodiments of the present application. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can also be obtained according to these drawings. In addition, the drawings in the following description can be regarded as schematic diagrams, and are not limitations on the actual sizes of the products, the actual processes of the methods, the actual timings of the signals, etc. involved in the embodiments of the present application.
[0019] Figure 1 Structural schematic diagram of a robotic arm provided in some embodiments of the present application;
[0020] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of an operating surface of a robotic arm provided in some embodiments of the present application;
[0021] Figure 3 Working schematic diagram of a robotic arm provided in some embodiments of the present application;
[0022] Figure 4 Working schematic diagram of another robotic arm provided in some embodiments of the present application;
[0023] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of an operating surface of another robotic arm provided in some embodiments of the present application;
[0024] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of a susceptor provided in some embodiments of the present application;
[0025] Figure 7a Connection schematic diagram of a susceptor and a support column provided in some embodiments of the present application;
[0026] Figure 7b Schematic diagram of a positioning device detection provided in some embodiments of the present application;
[0027] Figure 8A top view of a wafer processing apparatus provided for some embodiments of the present application;
[0028] Figure 9 Another schematic diagram of the connection between a susceptor and a support post provided for some embodiments of the present application. Detailed implementation manners
[0029] Next, the technical solutions in some embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments provided by the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art shall fall within the protection scope of the present application.
[0030] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that unless otherwise required by the context, throughout the specification and claims, the term "comprising" is interpreted in an open, inclusive sense, that is, "including, but not limited to". In the description of the specification, the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "exemplary embodiments", "exemplarily" or "some examples" etc. are intended to indicate that specific features, structures, materials or characteristics related to the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. The schematic representations of the above terms are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment or example. In addition, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics may be included in any one or more embodiments or examples in any appropriate manner.
[0031] Hereinafter, the terms "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, the features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features. In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, unless otherwise stated, the meaning of "a plurality of" is two or more.
[0032] The use of "suitable for" or "configured to" herein means open and inclusive language, which does not exclude a device that is suitable for or configured to perform additional tasks or steps.
[0033] As used herein, "parallel", "perpendicular", and "equal" include the situations described and situations similar to the situations described, and the range of the similar situations is within the acceptable deviation range, wherein the acceptable deviation range is determined by a person of ordinary skill in the art taking into account the measurement in question and the errors associated with the measurement of a particular quantity (i.e., the limitations of the measurement system). For example, "parallel" includes absolute parallelism and approximate parallelism, wherein the acceptable deviation range of approximate parallelism may be, for example, a deviation within 5°; "perpendicular" includes absolute perpendicularity and approximate perpendicularity, wherein the acceptable deviation range of approximate perpendicularity may also be, for example, a deviation within 5°. "Equal" includes absolute equality and approximate equality, wherein the acceptable deviation range of approximate equality may be, for example, the difference between the two equalities is less than or equal to 5% of either one.
[0034] With the continuous development and progress of science and technology, semiconductor device technology has also developed rapidly. While the integration of integrated circuits is getting higher and higher, the size of chips is also decreasing. While chip performance is developing by leaps and bounds, the tolerance of chips for defects is also getting lower and lower. Therefore, for semiconductor manufacturing plants, how to reduce chip defects and improve product compliance rate has become a top priority.
[0035] Traditional furnace tube machines (hereinafter referred to as machines) can usually process 125 products at a time. They are widely used due to their large production capacity and low process cost. In order to ensure that the machine is always in an efficient working state, the machine needs to be regularly maintained and overhauled.
[0036] When the machine is in operation, it usually works with the wafer boat, which is set above the machine. Therefore, before performing regular maintenance and overhaul on the machine, the wafer boat needs to be moved. The wafer boat includes multiple columns, on which multiple load platforms are set, and the load platforms are used to carry wafers and heat insulation sheets. The heat insulation sheets placed on the load platforms keep the wafers warm. Since the wafers are placed on the load platforms of the wafer boat only when they need to be processed, that is, when the machine is working, the heat insulation sheets on the wafer boat also need to be removed when the wafer boat is moved.
[0037] At present, the removal and installation of the heat shield is usually done manually, with the staff inserting their hands into the carrier platform inside the wafer boat to remove and place the heat shield. However, due to the small operating space inside the wafer boat, and the fact that both the heat shield and the wafer boat are relatively precise structures, if the staff is not careful in the operation, the heat shield will be worn or foreign particles will be generated to interfere with the production environment, increasing the probability of defects.
[0038] In view of this, the present application provides a robotic arm, exemplarily, as Figure 1 SeeFigure 1 , the robotic arm 100 includes a connection structure 1, a first clamping structure 2, and a second clamping structure 3. The first clamping structure 2 and the second clamping structure 3 are sequentially arranged on the connection structure 1 along a first direction. The first direction is perpendicular to the operating surface 21 of the first clamping structure 2, and the operating surface 21 of the first clamping structure 2 is parallel to the operating surface 31 of the second clamping structure 3. The first clamping structure 2 is configured to clamp a wafer through the operating surface 21 of the first clamping structure 2. The second clamping structure 3 is configured to clamp a heat insulation sheet through the operating surface 31 of the second clamping structure 3.
[0039] The operating surface of the first clamping structure is the main body for removing or placing the wafer from the carrier on the susceptor. The operating surface of the second clamping structure is the main body for removing or placing the heat insulation sheet from the carrier on the susceptor. As a possible implementation, as Figure 2 shown, the operating surface of the first clamping structure is U-shaped, and the operating surface of the second clamping structure is U-shaped.
[0040] Referring to Figure 3 and Figure 4 , when the machine needs maintenance and repair, the robotic arm will be lowered to a position parallel to the target carrier 431 on the column 43 of the susceptor. At this time, the target carrier is the carrier for the heat insulation sheet to be removed, and the target carrier 431 carries the heat insulation sheet 20 to be removed. The size of the carrier 431 is smaller than the diameter of the heat insulation sheet 20, so at least a part of the area of the heat insulation sheet 20 is in a suspended state. The robotic arm moves horizontally, and the distance between the second clamping structure 3 and the target carrier gradually shortens until finally the U-shaped operating surface on the second clamping structure is directly below the heat insulation sheet 20. The robotic arm moves slightly upward, and the U-shaped operating surface supports the suspended area of the heat insulation sheet 20. At this time, the transfer of the heat insulation sheet 20 from the carrier to the second clamping mechanism 3 is completed, and the removal of the heat insulation sheet 20 is realized. The robotic arm moves back in the opposite direction of the original path and moves the heat insulation sheet 20 to the area for storing the heat insulation sheet.
[0041] When the machine completes the maintenance and repair, the second clamping mechanism of the robotic arm carries the heat insulation sheet and moves to a position parallel to the target carrier. At this time, the target carrier is the carrier for the heat insulation sheet to be placed. The robotic arm moves horizontally, and the distance between the second clamping structure and the target carrier gradually shortens until finally the U-shaped operating surface on the second clamping structure is directly above the heat insulation sheet. The robotic arm moves slightly downward, and the carrier supports the heat insulation sheet. At this time, the transfer of the heat insulation sheet from the second clamping mechanism to the carrier is completed, and the placement of the heat insulation sheet is realized. The robotic arm moves back in the opposite direction of the original path.
[0042] Since the control range of the robotic arm is more controllable and stable than manual operation, it can prevent, to the greatest extent, the situation where excessive contact stress between the heat shield and the susceptor generates particulate contamination of the production environment and even causes damage to the heat shield. In addition, since the first clamping structure and the second clamping structure are sequentially arranged on the connecting structure along the first direction, the first clamping structure is higher than the second clamping structure, avoiding the situation where impurity particles that may be generated when the robotic arm disassembles or places the heat shield fall onto the wafer and thus contaminating the product.
[0043] In some embodiments, the first clamping structure and the second clamping structure are oppositely arranged on both sides of the connecting structure, as Figure 2 shown. In other embodiments, the first clamping structure and the second clamping structure are arranged on the same side of the connecting structure, as Figure 5 shown. It should be noted that whether the first clamping structure and the second clamping mechanism are arranged on the same side or opposite sides of the connecting structure, the connection position of the first clamping structure on the surface of the connecting structure is higher than the connection position of the second clamping structure on the surface of the connecting structure, effectively avoiding the situation where impurity particles that may be generated when the robotic arm disassembles or places the heat shield fall onto the wafer, and ensuring the working environment for wafer processing.
[0044] It should be understood that since the weight of the heat shield is generally greater than the weight of the wafer, the first clamping structure is used to clamp the wafer, and the second clamping structure is used to clamp the heat shield, so the load-bearing strength of the second clamping structure should be greater than that of the first clamping structure, thereby ensuring the supporting ability of the operating surface of the second clamping structure for the heat shield and avoiding the situation where the heat shield falls and is damaged due to insufficient supporting ability of the operating surface of the second clamping structure for the heat shield.
[0045] In some embodiments, the first clamping structure includes a plurality of first sub-clamping structures, and the second clamping structure includes a plurality of second sub-clamping structures. Along the first direction, the connection positions of the plurality of first sub-clamping structures on the surface of the connecting structure are higher than the connection positions of the plurality of second sub-clamping structures.
[0046] Exemplarily, as Figure 1 shown, the first clamping structure 2 includes 5 first sub-clamping structures 40, and the second clamping structure 3 includes 5 second sub-clamping structures 30. Along the first direction, the connection position of the last first sub-clamping structure 40 among the sequentially arranged plurality of first sub-clamping structures 40 on the surface of the connecting structure 1 is higher than the connection position of the first second sub-clamping structure 30 among the sequentially arranged plurality of second sub-clamping structures 30 on the surface of the connecting structure 1.
[0047] The position where the last first sub-clamping structure 40 among a plurality of first sub-clamping structures 40 arranged in sequence in the first direction is connected to the surface of the connection structure 1 (the connection position of the last first sub-clamping structure 40 on the surface of the connection structure 1) is Figure 1 position a in. The position where the first second sub-clamping structure 30 among a plurality of second sub-clamping structures 30 arranged in sequence in the first direction is connected to the surface of the connection structure 1 (that is, the connection position of the first second sub-clamping structure 30 on the surface of the connection structure 1) is position b. The fact that position a is higher than position b guarantees the working environment for wafer processing, effectively avoiding the situation that impurity particles that may be generated when the robotic arm disassembles or places the heat insulation sheet fall onto the wafer.
[0048] And because the robotic arm is provided with a plurality of first sub-clamping structures and a plurality of second sub-clamping structures, it can simultaneously disassemble a plurality of heat insulation sheets from a plurality of carrier platforms to the operation surfaces of a plurality of second clamping structures, and can also simultaneously place a plurality of heat insulation sheets onto a plurality of carrier platforms through a plurality of second clamping structures. Similarly, because the robotic arm is provided with a plurality of first sub-clamping structures and a plurality of second sub-clamping structures, it can simultaneously disassemble a plurality of wafers from a plurality of carrier platforms to the operation surfaces of a plurality of second sub-clamping structures, and can also simultaneously place a plurality of wafers onto a plurality of carrier platforms through a plurality of second sub-clamping structures.
[0049] The present application also provides a wafer processing device, which includes: a machine table, a susceptor, a plurality of support columns, and the robotic arm as described above. Among them, the schematic diagram of the susceptor is as Figure 6 shown. The susceptor 4 includes a top plate 41 and a bottom plate 42 arranged in sequence in the first direction, and the top plate 41 and the bottom plate 42 are connected by a plurality of columns 43.
[0050] The susceptor is arranged on the machine table through a plurality of support columns. Exemplarily, as Figure 7a shown. The bottom plate 42 is provided with a plurality of slots 421 corresponding to the plurality of support columns 5 one by one, for movably connecting with the plurality of support columns 5, so that the susceptor is erected on the machine table through the plurality of support columns 5. The size l1 of the slot 421 is greater than the diameter l2 of the support column 5. At least one support column 5 is provided with a positioning device 51, and the positioning device 51 is configured to: obtain the position information between the support column 5 and the slot 421.
[0051] The robotic arm can move between the inside and the outside of the susceptor through the hollow on the top plate, and can also move from the area outside the column 43 to the inside of the susceptor. Exemplarily, as Figure 8 shown, Figure 8 is a top view of the wafer processing device. Referring to Figure 8 it can be seen that at this time, the first clamping structure 2 of the robotic arm moves to the inside of the susceptor 4. Figure 8The susceptor 4 in it is mounted on the machine table through three support columns, which are respectively denoted as the first support column 511, the second support column 512, and the third support column 513. The first support column 511, the second support column 512, and the third support column 513 are arranged at fixed positions on the machine table.
[0052] Grooves corresponding to the number of support columns are usually provided on the bottom plate of the susceptor. Figure 8 Taking it as an example, the first groove, the second groove, and the third groove are provided on the bottom plate of the susceptor. The first groove corresponds to the first support column, the second groove corresponds to the second support column, and the third groove corresponds to the third support column, and the size of the groove is larger than the diameter of the corresponding support column. When the machine table needs to move the susceptor for maintenance or repair, only the susceptor needs to be moved upward as a whole so that the whole susceptor is separated from the surfaces of the first support column, the second support column, and the third support column. When the susceptor needs to be installed on the machine table, only the grooves on the bottom plate of the susceptor need to be aligned with the support columns and placed so that the surfaces of the grooves on the bottom plate of the susceptor are attached to the surfaces of the corresponding support columns.
[0053] Since the size of the current groove is larger than the diameter of the corresponding support column, it is very difficult for the staff to fix the relative position between the groove on the bottom plate of the susceptor and the support column when the susceptor is mounted on the machine table through multiple support columns. It is inevitable that the situation shown in Figure 9 will occur when the staff aligns and places the groove on the bottom plate of the susceptor with the support column according to experience.
[0054] In the process of aligning and placing the groove on the bottom plate of the susceptor with the support column, there is theoretically an optimal position. Figure 9 Taking it as an example, if Figure 9 (A) in it is the theoretically optimal position in the process of aligning and placing the groove on the bottom plate of the susceptor with the support column, then in the actual operation process, the situation shown in Figure 9 (B) in it may occur. Figure 9 (A) in it shows that the support column is located at the center of the groove on the bottom plate of the susceptor, while Figure 9 (B) in it shows that the support column is at a position to the left of the center of the groove on the bottom plate of the susceptor. Since the arrangement positions of the columns on the bottom plate of the susceptor are not uniform, when the actual relative position between the support column and the groove on the bottom plate of the susceptor deviates greatly from the theoretical optimal position, it may lead to a decrease in the heat insulation performance of the heat insulation sheet and a change in the uniformity of the wafer.
[0055] Therefore, after the machine maintenance and repair are completed and the heat insulation sheet is re-placed on the carrier table, it is necessary to experimentally verify whether the heat insulation effect of the heat insulation sheet at this time can ensure the uniformity of the wafer during the processing on the carrier table. When the verification result shows that the heat insulation effect of the heat insulation sheet can ensure the uniformity of the wafer during the processing on the carrier table, the robotic arm will place the wafer on the carrier table, and the machine will process the wafer. When the verification result shows that the heat insulation effect of the heat insulation sheet is insufficient to ensure the uniformity of the wafer during the processing on the carrier table, it is necessary to use the robotic arm to disassemble the heat insulation sheet, adjust the position of the susceptor, and re-place the susceptor on the machine through the support posts. Since the time required for this experiment is relatively long, in the case of a high machine maintenance frequency, it will lead to a significant decrease in production capacity.
[0056] Therefore, in the embodiment of the present application, a positioning device is added to at least one support post. Based on the positioning device, the position information between the support post and the slot can be obtained, so that the operator can more conveniently determine whether there is a large deviation between the actual relative position and the theoretical optimal position between the support post and the slot on the susceptor bottom plate, reducing the number of experiments for verifying the wafer uniformity and improving the processing efficiency of the wafer.
[0057] As a possible implementation, the positioning device includes a radiation signal transmitting and receiving device, and the distance between the support post and the edge of the slot is calculated based on the radiation signal. The position information between the support post and the slot can be obtained through the radiation signal transmitting device and the receiving device. The specific position information refers to the relative position of the surface of the support post on the surface of the slot in contact with the support post when the support post is movably connected to the slot.
[0058] In some embodiments, the positioning device is arranged at the central position of the support post. Taking itself as the origin, the positioning device radiates detection signals outward. When the detection signals touch the edge position of the slot, they will be reflected back to the positioning device. The positioning device can calculate the distance between the positioning device and the edge position of the slot according to the time difference between the emission and return of the detection signals and the propagation speed of the detection signals in the air, so as to accurately obtain the contact position of the support post on the slot.
[0059] Assume that the theoretically optimal position is that when the support column fits the slot on the susceptor bottom plate, the positioning device on the support column is 3 mm away from the left edge of the slot. And through a large number of experiments, it is known that when the support column fits the slot on the susceptor bottom plate, as long as the positioning device on the support column is between 2 mm and 4 mm away from the left edge of the slot, the uniformity of the wafer on the carrier during processing can be ensured. Then, as long as the positioning device detects that the distance from the left edge of the slot is greater than 4 mm, or the distance from the left edge of the slot is less than 2 mm, the heat shield at this time will not be able to ensure the uniformity of the wafer during processing on the carrier, and the position of the susceptor can be adjusted directly. Similarly, as long as the positioning device detects that the distance from the left edge of the slot is between 2 mm and 4 mm, the heat shield can ensure the uniformity of the wafer during processing on the carrier. There is no need to conduct experimental verification on each machine after maintenance and repair, saving a large amount of time cost, improving efficiency, and increasing production capacity.
[0060] As a possible implementation, the positioning device includes a positioning mark, and a scanning sensor is provided on the machine. The scanning sensor is configured to obtain the absolute position of the positioning mark and the central position of the gap between the support column and the slot edge, and calculate the distance of the support column relative to the slot edge position based on the absolute position and the central position.
[0061] Exemplarily, as Figure 7b shown, the positioning device includes a positioning mark 52, and the above-mentioned "absolute position" is the position of the positioning mark 52 on the support column 5. Synchronously rotate the support column 5 and the susceptor mounted on the support column 5 so that the scanning sensor 53 on the machine can scan Figure 7b the area shown by the dashed box in Figure 7b to obtain the central position of the gap between the support column and the slot edge, that is,
[0062] Since the position of the positioning mark 52 on the support post 5 is fixed, a rectangular coordinate system is established with the positioning mark 52 as the reference point. The coordinates of the center position of the gap between the support post and the edge of the slot can reflect the distance between the support post 5 and the edge of the slot. For example, the coordinates of point B are (3, 2), which means that the distance from the positioning mark 52 of the support post to point B (i.e., half of the distance from the positioning mark 52 of the support post to the position of the groove edge) is 3 mm. Through a large number of experiments, the distance range of half of the distance from the positioning mark 52 of the support post to the position of the groove edge can be obtained when ensuring the uniformity of the wafer during processing. For example, when the distance of half of the distance from the positioning mark 52 of the support post to the position of the groove edge is between 2.5 mm and 3.5 mm, the uniformity of the wafer during processing can be ensured. When the scanning sensor scans and obtains the coordinates of point B as (3, 2), the distance of half of the distance from the positioning mark 52 of the support post to the position of the groove edge (3 mm) is within the distance range (2.5 mm - 3.5 mm) that ensures uniformity, and there is no need to verify the uniformity of the wafer through experiments, saving a large amount of time cost, improving efficiency, and increasing production capacity.
[0063] In some embodiments, the wafer processing apparatus further includes a processor and a transmission device. The processor is connected to the positioning device, and the processor is configured to: collect the position information obtained by the positioning device, where the position information includes the relative position of the surface of the support post on the surface of the slot in contact with the support post when the support post is movably connected to the slot.
[0064] Referring to Figure 3 and Figure 6 , a plurality of carrier platforms 431 are provided on the column 43 in the first direction. The transmission device is connected to the connection structure of the robotic arm, and the transmission device is also connected to the processor. The processor is further configured to: send a control signal to the transmission device according to the position information and the preset position information. The transmission device is configured to: receive the control signal and adjust the movement of the robotic arm according to the control signal, so that the first clamping structure places the wafer on the carrier platform or unloads the wafer from the carrier platform, and the second clamping structure places the heat insulation sheet on the carrier platform or unloads the heat insulation sheet from the carrier platform.
[0065] In some embodiments, to ensure the accuracy and stability of the robotic arm during the processes of disassembling, placing the wafer and the heat insulation sheet, the robotic arm moves along a fixed trajectory. This fixed trajectory is determined based on the theoretically optimal position of the support column on the surface of the slot when the support column fits with the slot on the susceptor bottom plate. Still taking the above example for illustration, assume that the theoretically optimal position is that when the support column fits with the slot on the susceptor bottom plate, the positioning device on the support column is 3 mm away from the left edge of the slot. And through a large number of experiments, it is known that when the support column fits with the slot on the susceptor bottom plate, the uniformity of the wafer on the carrier during the processing can be ensured when the positioning device on the support column is between 2 mm and 4 mm away from the left edge of the slot. When the positioning device on the support column is 2.5 mm away from the left edge of the slot when the support column fits with the slot on the susceptor bottom plate, although the heat insulation sheet can ensure the uniformity of the wafer on the carrier during the processing at this time, since the movement trajectory of the robotic arm is set when the positioning device on the support column is 3 mm away from the left edge of the slot, if the robotic arm directly moves along the fixed trajectory, it may cause deviations in the positions of the heat insulation sheet and the wafer placed on the carrier, thus affecting the next step of wafer processing. And the processor in this application can send a control signal to the transmission device according to the position information and the preset position information. The transmission device controls the robotic arm to make corresponding position adjustments according to the control signal, ensuring the accuracy of the robotic arm during operation. The preset position information herein refers to the theoretically optimal position of the support column on the surface of the slot required for designing the movement trajectory of the robotic arm.
[0066] As a possible implementation manner, each column includes a first region and a second region. The second region is located above the first region, and both the first region and the second region include a plurality of carriers. The distance between adjacent carriers arranged in the first region on the same column is equal to the distance between adjacent first sub-clamping structures in the first clamping structure. The distance between adjacent carriers arranged in the second region on the same column is equal to the distance between adjacent second sub-clamping structures in the second clamping structure.
[0067] It should be understood that on the multiple bearing platforms of each column, the heat insulation sheets are usually placed at a lower position on the bearing platforms than the wafers. The first region is the region where the heat insulation sheets are placed, and the second region is the region where the wafers are placed. The distance between adjacent bearing platforms arranged in the first region on the same column is equal to the distance between adjacent first sub-clamping structures in the first clamping structure. The distance between adjacent bearing platforms arranged in the second region on the same column is equal to the distance between adjacent second sub-clamping structures in the second clamping structure. This ensures that when the robotic arm includes multiple first clamping structures and multiple second clamping structures, the robotic arm can remove multiple wafers or multiple heat insulation sheets from the bearing platforms at one time, or the robotic arm can place multiple wafers or multiple heat insulation sheets onto the bearing platforms at one time.
[0068] The above are only specific embodiments of the present invention, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily thought of by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed by the present invention should be covered by the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.
Claims
1. A robotic arm, characterized in that: include: A connecting structure, a first clamping structure, and a second clamping structure; The first clamping structure and the second clamping structure are sequentially arranged on the connecting structure along a first direction; The first direction is perpendicular to an operating surface of the first clamping structure, and the operating surface of the first clamping structure is parallel to an operating surface of the second clamping structure; The first clamping structure is configured to clamp the wafer through an operating surface of the first clamping structure; The second clamping structure is configured to clamp the heat insulation sheet through an operating surface of the second clamping structure.
2. The robotic arm according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first clamping structure and the second clamping structure are arranged opposite to each other on two sides of the connecting structure.
3. The robotic arm according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bearing strength of the second clamping structure is greater than that of the first clamping structure.
4. The robot arm according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The first clamping structure includes a plurality of first sub-clamping structures, and the second clamping structure includes a plurality of second sub-clamping structures; along the first direction, connection positions of the plurality of first sub-clamping structures on the surface of the connection structure are higher than connection positions of the plurality of second sub-clamping structures.
5. The robot arm according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The operating surface of the first clamping structure is U-shaped, and the operating surface of the second clamping structure is U-shaped.
6. A wafer processing device, characterized in that: The wafer processing device comprises: a platform, a wafer boat, a plurality of support columns and a robot arm as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5; The wafer boat comprises a top plate and a bottom plate arranged in sequence along a first direction, wherein the top plate and the bottom plate are connected by a plurality of columns; The bottom plate is provided with a plurality of slots corresponding to the plurality of support columns, and is used for being movably connected with the plurality of support columns, so that the wafer boat can be mounted on the machine table through the plurality of support columns; the size of the slots is larger than the diameter of the support columns; A positioning device is provided on at least one of the support columns, and position information between the support column and the slot is acquired based on the positioning device.
7. The wafer processing device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The positioning device includes a radiation signal transmitting and receiving device, and calculates the distance of the support column relative to the edge position of the slot based on the radiation signal.
8. The wafer processing device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The positioning device includes a positioning mark, and a scanning sensor is arranged on the machine platform. The scanning sensor is configured to obtain the absolute position of the positioning mark and the center position of the gap between the support column and the groove edge position, and calculate the distance of the support column relative to the groove edge position based on the absolute position and the center position.
9. The wafer processing device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The wafer processing device also includes a processor and a transmission device; The column is provided with a plurality of bearing platforms along the first direction; The transmission device is connected to the connection structure of the mechanical arm, and the transmission device is also connected to the processor; The processor is configured to: control the transmission device to adjust the movement of the robot arm according to the position information, so that the first clamping structure places the wafer on the carrier or removes the wafer from the carrier, and the second clamping structure places the thermal insulation sheet on the carrier or removes the thermal insulation sheet from the carrier.
10. The wafer processing device according to claim 9, characterized in that: Each of the columns includes a first area and a second area, the second area is located above the first area, and the first area and the second area each include a plurality of the bearing platforms; The distance between adjacent bearing platforms arranged in the first area on the same column is equal to the distance between adjacent first sub-clamping structures in the first clamping structure; The distance between adjacent bearing platforms arranged in the second area on the same column is equal to the distance between adjacent second sub-clamping structures in the second clamping structure.