Automatic optical inspection device for wafer
By designing an automatic optical inspection device for wafers including a robot arm movement mechanism and an automatic optical detection module, the problem of low detection efficiency in the prior art is solved, and efficient automatic detection and relocation of multiple wafers is achieved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202421401715.3
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-06-19
- Publication Date
- 2025-06-03
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-06-19
AI Technical Summary
The existing wafer optical inspection devices are inefficient in automated production lines, making it difficult to cooperate with fast production line speeds, which affects production capacity expansion.
An automatic optical inspection device for wafers is designed, including a placement table, a moving mechanism, a workbench, a moving stage and an optical detection module. The moving mechanism is a robot arm, which can move multiple wafers at the same time. The workbench is equipped with a preparatory area and a completion area. The optical detection module automatically detects the wafer when the mobile platform moves the wafer.
By batch processing of multiple wafers, automated optical detection and wafer relocation are achieved, which significantly improves detection efficiency and can better cooperate with fast production line speed.
Smart Images
Figure CN222939127U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The utility model relates to an optical inspection device, in particular to an automatic optical inspection device for wafers. Background Art
[0002] Wafer sheets are material substrates frequently used in the current semiconductor industry. Because the manufacturing process technologies at all stages have made great progress in recent years, with the trend of the manufacturing scale becoming smaller and smaller, the wafer sheets as basic raw materials naturally cannot have defects, otherwise it will affect the yield of subsequent processes. Regarding the defect inspection of wafer sheets, because it is necessary to consider both the inspection accuracy and efficiency at the same time, automatic optical inspection is usually adopted. However, currently, the devices that can meet the requirements of inspection accuracy usually still perform the steps of picking up wafer sheets, placing wafer sheets, inspecting wafer sheets, and moving wafer sheets one by one. Therefore, in the case that the speed of the back-end automatic production line is getting faster and there are quite high requirements for the output, the process of performing necessary optical inspection seems to be less efficient, difficult to match the process speed of the back-end production line, and even affect the expansion of production capacity. Summary of the Utility Model
[0003] The purpose of the utility model is to provide an automatic optical inspection device for wafers that can significantly improve the detection efficiency.
[0004] The automatic optical inspection device for wafers of the utility model is applicable to detecting multiple wafer sheets contained in at least one wafer cassette, and comprises a placement table applicable to place the at least one wafer cassette, a moving mechanism adjacent to and spaced from the placement table along a first axis and applicable to move multiple wafer sheets simultaneously, a workbench adjacent to and spaced from the moving mechanism along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, a moving carrier provided on the workbench, and an optical detection module provided on the workbench.
[0005] The workbench comprises a base, a loading rack provided on the base and defining a plurality of preparation areas applicable to respectively place multiple wafer sheets, and an unloading rack provided adjacent to and spaced from the loading rack on the base and defining a plurality of completion areas applicable to respectively place multiple wafer sheets BCPI - 240246 Page 2 / 5.
[0006] The moving carrier can move the wafer sheets from the preparation areas to the completion areas.
[0007] The optical detection module is located between the loading rack and the unloading rack, and is used to perform automatic optical inspection on the wafer sheets during the process of the moving carrier moving the wafer sheets.
[0008] In the automatic optical inspection device for wafers of the utility model, the moving mechanism is a robotic arm.
[0009] For the automatic optical inspection device for wafers according to the present utility model, the loading rack and the unloading rack of the workbench are spaced from each other in a direction parallel to the first axis.
[0010] For the automatic optical inspection device for wafers according to the present utility model, the loading rack of the workbench is closer to the placement table than the unloading rack.
[0011] For the automatic optical inspection device for wafers according to the present utility model, a chute for arranging the moving carrier is defined on the base of the workbench. The loading rack has a first supporting part extending upward from the base, and a first placing plate arranged on the first supporting part and located above the chute, and defining a preparation area communicating with the chute. The unloading rack of the workbench has a second supporting part extending upward from the base, and a second placing plate arranged on the second supporting part and located above the chute, and defining a completion area communicating with the chute.
[0012] For the automatic optical inspection device for wafers according to the present utility model, the moving carrier is adapted to carry the wafer from the preparation area and move the wafer to the completion area.
[0013] For the automatic optical inspection device for wafers according to the present utility model, the moving mechanism can move two wafers simultaneously, and two preparation areas and two completion areas are defined on the workbench.
[0014] The beneficial effect of the present utility model is that the loading rack and the unloading rack of the workbench can cooperate with the moving mechanism to simultaneously move multiple wafers, and perform various stages such as taking out the wafers from at least one wafer cassette, placing the wafers in the preparation area, and returning the inspected wafers from the completion area in batches. And while moving the wafers, in addition to batch-wise performing automatic optical inspection on multiple wafers, during the idle time when the optical detection module performs optical detection, the necessary movement for returning the inspected wafers has been completed simultaneously, so that the efficiency of performing optical inspection on the wafers can be significantly improved.
[0015] During the idle time when the detection module performs optical detection, the necessary movement for returning the inspected wafers has been completed simultaneously, so that the efficiency of performing optical inspection on the wafers can be significantly improved. Description of the Drawings
[0016] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the automatic optical inspection device for wafers according to the present utility model;
[0017] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing a workbench and a moving carrier of the embodiment;
[0018] Figure 3 and Figure 4 are both schematic diagrams showing a moving mechanism in the embodiment taking out two wafers from a wafer cassette and placing the wafers on a loading rack of the workbench;
[0019] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing the moving mechanism taking a wafer that has completed inspection from an unloading rack of the workbench;
[0020] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing the moving stage moving and cooperating with an optical detection module in the embodiment to perform optical inspection on the wafer;
[0021] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing the moving stage lifting the wafer that has completed inspection to two completion areas of the unloading rack; and
[0022] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing the moving stage moving back to the initial position to prepare for the next operation cycle. Detailed implementation manners
[0023] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.
[0024] Refer to Figure 1 , an embodiment of the automatic optical inspection device for wafers of the present invention, which is applicable to inspect multiple wafers W contained in a plurality of wafer cassettes 90, and includes a placement table 1 suitable for placing three of the wafer cassettes 90, a moving mechanism 2 adjacent to and spaced from the placement table 1 along a first axis L1 and suitable for simultaneously moving multiple wafers W, a workbench 3 adjacent to and spaced from the moving mechanism 2 along a second axis L2 perpendicular to the first axis L1, a moving stage 4 provided on the workbench 3, and an optical detection module 5 provided on the workbench 3. It should be noted first that this embodiment takes the case of simultaneously processing two wafers W as an example to present the technical concept that this embodiment can meet the optical inspection requirements of multiple wafers W, but in actual implementation, it is not limited to the use of two wafers W. BCPI - 240246 Page 4 / 5
[0025] for use only.
[0026] The three wafer boxes 90 on the placement table 1 are all in an open state facing the moving mechanism 2, so that the moving mechanism 2 can directly take or put back the wafer W. In addition to simply placing and positioning the wafer boxes 90, the placement table 1 can also be equipped with related equipment such as a box opening mechanism, a transportation mechanism, etc. if it is desired to further cooperate with the fully automated processing flow, thereby reducing the manpower requirement as much as possible.
[0027] The moving mechanism 2 is preferably a robot arm with a high degree of freedom of movement and has two bifurcated arms 21, so that two wafers W spaced apart in the longitudinal direction from the same wafer box 90 can be taken out through the bifurcated arms 21. In addition, the bifurcated arms 21 can also be separated from each other in the transverse direction to remove two wafers W spaced apart in the transverse direction. The number of the bifurcated arms 21 can be adjusted according to the needs in actual implementation.
[0028] See also Figure 2 The workbench 3 includes a base 31, a material placing rack 32 disposed on the base 31 and defining two preparation areas 320 for placing two wafers W, and an unloading rack 33 disposed on the base 31 adjacent to and spaced from the material placing rack 32 and defining two finishing areas 330 for placing two wafers W. The material placing rack 32 and the unloading rack 33 are spaced from each other along a direction parallel to the first axis L1, and the material placing rack 32 is closer to the placement table 1 than the unloading rack 33.
[0029] See also Figure 2 And cooperate Figure 1 The base 31 of the workbench 3 defines a slide 310 for the movable platform 4 to be set, and the unloading rack 32 has a first support portion 321 extending upward from the base 31, and a first material placement plate 322 mounted on the first support portion 321 and located above the slide 310 and defining the preparation area 320 connected to the slide 310. The unloading rack 33 has a second support portion 331 extending upward from the base 31, and a second material placement plate 332 mounted on the second support portion 331 and located above the slide 310 and defining the completion area 330 connected to the slide 310.
[0030] The optical detection module 5 is disposed between the loading rack 32 and the unloading rack 33, and is configured to perform an automatic optical inspection on the wafer W during the movement of the moving stage 4 for the wafer W. Specifically, the optical detection module 5 captures an image of the open space S between the loading rack 32 and the unloading rack 33. Thus, when the moving stage 4 picks up the wafer W from the loading rack 32 and moves towards the unloading rack 33 through the open space S, an optical inspection can be performed on the wafer W carried on the moving stage 4. BCPI - 240246 Page 5 / 5
[0031] Perform an optical inspection.
[0032] The following will gradually describe the detailed steps of synchronously processing two wafers W in each batch in this embodiment to present the required effect of improving the detection efficiency in this embodiment:
[0033] Refer to Figure 3 And Figure 4 , the diverging arms 21 of the moving mechanism 2 respectively pick up two wafers W from any one of the wafer cassettes 90, and place the wafers W on the preparation area 320 of the loading rack 32 respectively. At this time, the moving stage 4 is located below the preparation area 320.
[0034] Refer to Figure 5 , after the moving mechanism 2 places the wafers W on the preparation area 320, it then moves to the completion area 330 of the unloading rack 33, and picks up the wafer W' that has completed the optical inspection in the previous operation cycle to vacate the completion area 330 and wait for the wafer W that has not yet been subjected to the optical inspection in this operation cycle. Meanwhile, the wafer W placed on the preparation area 320 has also moved downward onto the moving stage 4.
[0035] Refer to Figure 6 , during the process of the moving mechanism 2 putting the wafer W' that has completed the inspection back into the wafer cassette 90, the moving stage 4 will move towards the position of the unloading rack 33. During the process of the moving stage 4 passing through the open space S (see Figure 2 ), the optical detection module 5 completes the capture of the wafer W during this process, achieving the purpose of performing an optical inspection on the wafer W.
[0036] Refer to Figure 7 And Figure 8, the wafer W that has completed the detection will be lifted from the moving stage 4 to the completion area 330. When the wafer W that has completed the detection is respectively positioned in the completion area 330, the moving stage 4 will move back to the position corresponding to the preparation area 320, and after the moving mechanism 2 returns to the initial position, as Figure 3 presented, prepare for the next new operation cycle.
Claims
1. An automatic optical inspection device for wafers, suitable for inspecting a plurality of wafers contained in at least one wafer box; characterized in that: The automatic optical inspection device for wafers comprises: a placement table, adapted to place the at least one wafer box; A moving mechanism, adjacently spaced from the placement table along the first axis and adapted to move a plurality of wafers simultaneously; A workbench is spaced adjacent to the moving mechanism along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, and includes a base, a material placing rack disposed on the base and defining a plurality of preparation areas suitable for placing a plurality of wafers, and a material discharging rack disposed on the base and spaced adjacent to the material placing rack and defining a plurality of finishing areas suitable for placing a plurality of wafers; A movable stage, which is arranged on the workbench and capable of moving the wafer from the preparation area to the finishing area; and The optical inspection module is arranged on the workbench and between the material placing rack and the material discharging rack, and is used for performing automatic optical inspection on the wafer when the movable stage moves the wafer.
2. The automatic optical inspection device for wafers according to claim 1, characterized in that: The moving mechanism is a mechanical arm.
3. The automatic optical inspection device for wafers according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material placing rack and the material discharging rack of the workbench are spaced apart from each other along a direction parallel to the first axis.
4. The automatic optical inspection device for wafers according to claim 3, characterized in that: The material placing rack of the workbench is closer to the placing table than the material discharging rack.
5. The automatic optical inspection device for wafers according to claim 1, characterized in that: The base of the workbench defines a slide groove for setting the movable platform, the unloading rack has a first supporting portion extending upward from the base, and a first loading plate mounted on the first supporting portion and located above the slide groove, and defining the preparation area connected to the slide groove; the unloading rack of the workbench has a second supporting portion extending upward from the base, and a second loading plate mounted on the second supporting portion and located above the slide groove, and defining the completion area connected to the slide groove.
6. The automatic optical inspection device for wafers according to claim 5, characterized in that: The movable stage is adapted to carry the wafer from the preparation area and move the wafer to the finishing area.
7. The automatic optical inspection device for wafers according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The moving mechanism can move two wafers at the same time, and the workbench defines two preparation areas and two finishing areas.