Wafer transmission equipment

Abstract

The utility model discloses wafer transmission equipment, which comprises a vacuum cavity and a linear actuating mechanism hermetically connected with the vacuum cavity, and a bearing seat and a first connecting rod rotationally connected with the bearing seat are arranged in the vacuum cavity. The linear executing mechanism comprises a driving mechanism, a jacking shaft connected with the driving mechanism and a roller installed at the end of the jacking shaft, a wear-resisting block is installed on the first connecting rod, the driving mechanism is used for driving the jacking shaft to do linear motion, and the roller at the end of the jacking shaft makes contact with the wear-resisting block. And the linear motion of the jacking shaft is converted into the rotary motion of the first connecting rod. The wafer transmission equipment effectively solves the problems that the air tightness is poor, the action efficiency is low, the speed is not easy to control, the positioning precision is low, the conversion from linear motion to rotary motion is not smooth enough, structural parts are seriously abraded, and tiny particles are easily generated to pollute the surfaces of wafers. And finally, accurate, efficient and stable transmission of the wafer in a high-vacuum environment is realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to a wafer transmission device, belonging to the technical field of semiconductor equipment. Background Art

[0002] As a key link in the semiconductor manufacturing process, wafer inspection needs to be carried out in a high vacuum environment to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the inspection results. The transmission action of the wafer in the high vacuum environment of the vacuum chamber is a key factor affecting wafer inspection. However, there are still many technical challenges in achieving accurate, efficient and stable transmission of wafers in the high vacuum environment of the vacuum chamber.

[0003] Specifically, traditional wafer transfer equipment has obvious limitations in high vacuum environments: on the one hand, due to the particularity of the vacuum environment, traditional gas sealing methods are difficult to remain effective for a long time, resulting in an increased risk of gas leakage, affecting the stability of the detection environment; on the other hand, when the wafer performs linear or rotational motion in the vacuum chamber, there are often problems such as low efficiency, difficult speed control, and insufficient positioning accuracy, which not only reduces the detection efficiency, but may also introduce detection errors due to positioning errors.

[0004] In addition, the conversion of linear motion into rotational motion in traditional wafer transfer equipment is not smooth enough, and impact and vibration are easily generated during the conversion process, which aggravates the wear of structural parts and increases maintenance costs. At the same time, the tiny particles generated by wear may also contaminate the surface of the wafer, posing a potential threat to the quality of the wafer. These problems seriously restrict the application effect of semiconductor testing equipment in a high vacuum environment. Therefore, an accurate, efficient and stable wafer transfer equipment is urgently needed to overcome the above shortcomings. Utility Model Content

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the utility model provides a wafer transmission device, which effectively solves the problems existing in the process of wafer transmission of traditional equipment under high vacuum environment: poor gas sealing due to structural fatigue caused by long-term reciprocating motion, low movement efficiency, difficult speed control and low positioning accuracy, the conversion of linear motion into rotational motion is not smooth enough, the structural parts are severely worn, and tiny particles are easily generated to contaminate the wafer surface. The device realizes accurate, efficient and stable transmission of wafers under high vacuum environment.

[0006] The technical solution adopted by the utility model to solve its technical problems is:

[0007] The utility model provides a wafer transfer device, which includes a vacuum chamber and a linear actuator hermetically connected thereto. A bearing seat is arranged inside the vacuum chamber, and a first connecting rod rotatably connected to the bearing seat is arranged inside the vacuum chamber. The linear actuator includes a driving mechanism, a lifting shaft connected to the driving mechanism, and a roller installed at the end of the lifting shaft. A wear-resistant block is installed on the first connecting rod. The driving mechanism is used to drive the lifting shaft to perform a linear motion. The roller at the end of the lifting shaft contacts the wear-resistant block, converting the linear motion of the lifting shaft into the rotational motion of the first connecting rod.

[0008] In an embodiment of the utility model, a chute is arranged on the first connecting rod. The first connecting rod is slidably connected to a second connecting rod through the chute. The second connecting rod is connected to a carrier plate for carrying wafers. A linear bearing is sleeved on the outer periphery of the second connecting rod.

[0009] In an embodiment of the utility model, a bearing is installed inside the bearing seat. The first connecting rod is rotatably connected to the bearing seat through the bearing.

[0010] In an embodiment of the utility model, the linear actuator includes a bellows, a first connector and a second connector respectively connected to both ends of the bellows. The second connector is connected to the lifting shaft.

[0011] In an embodiment of the utility model, the bellows, the second connector and the lifting shaft are located inside the vacuum chamber. The first connector is connected to the outer wall of the vacuum chamber. A groove is arranged on one surface of the first connector in contact with the outer wall of the vacuum chamber. A sealing member is arranged in the groove. The sealing member abuts between the outer wall of the vacuum chamber and the groove of the first connector.

[0012] In an embodiment of the utility model, the linear actuator further includes a ball spline shaft module. The ball spline shaft module includes a spline shaft and a sleeve sleeved outside the spline shaft. The sleeve is connected to the first connector through a third connector. The spline shaft is located inside the bellows, and one end of the spline shaft is fixedly connected to the second connector.

[0013] In an embodiment of the utility model, the other end of the spline shaft is connected to a floating joint. The floating joint is connected to the output end of the driving mechanism.

[0014] In an embodiment of the utility model, the driving mechanism is installed on a mounting plate. First side plates and second side plates are fixedly connected to both sides of the mounting plate. A sensor mounting plate is installed inside the first side plate. A plurality of photoelectric sensors are installed on the sensor mounting plate.

[0015] In an embodiment of the present utility model, a first tightening block, a second tightening block, and a third tightening block are installed inside the sensor mounting plate; the first tightening block is connected to a first sensor mounting plate, and a first photoelectric sensor is installed on the first sensor mounting plate; the second tightening block is connected to a second sensor mounting plate, and a second photoelectric sensor is installed on the second sensor mounting plate; the third tightening block is connected to a third sensor mounting plate, and a third photoelectric sensor is installed on the third sensor mounting plate.

[0016] In an embodiment of the present utility model, an induction baffle is installed between the output end of the driving mechanism and the floating joint through a nut, and the induction baffle corresponds to the first photoelectric sensor, the second photoelectric sensor, and the third photoelectric sensor.

[0017] The beneficial effects of the present utility model are as follows:

[0018] A wafer transfer device provided by the present utility model drives a lifting shaft to perform a linear motion through a driving mechanism of a linear actuator. A roller at the end of the lifting shaft pushes a wear-resistant block installed on a first connecting rod. The first connecting rod is rotatably connected to a bearing seat, and the bearing seat can be installed on other mechanisms inside the vacuum chamber, so that the linear motion of the lifting shaft can be converted into the rotational motion of the first connecting rod. When the roller pushes the wear-resistant block, the roller rolls, thereby changing the sliding friction that is likely to occur when converting the linear motion in traditional devices into rotational motion into rolling friction, reducing the wear of structural components, avoiding the contamination of the wafer surface by tiny particles generated due to structural wear, ensuring the quality of the wafer, and at the same time improving the smoothness when the device converts linear motion into rotational motion. Moreover, the device can achieve long-life stretching and compression reciprocating motions of the linear actuator in a high-vacuum environment through the provided bellows; and by placing the seal between the groove of the first connecting piece and the outer wall of the vacuum chamber, a high-vacuum seal of the vacuum chamber can be achieved, effectively solving the problem of poor gas tightness caused by structural fatigue that is likely to occur during long-term reciprocating motions in the operation of transferring wafers in a high-vacuum environment inside the vacuum chamber, enabling the gas seal to remain effective for a long time, avoiding the risk of gas leakage, and ensuring the stability of the detection environment. In addition, the driving mechanism of the device has a high-precision and stable linear motion, the ball spline shaft module has a precise linear motion guiding function, the floating joint can correct and absorb eccentricity and swing during the motion process, and the three photoelectric sensors and the induction baffle provided can achieve position limitation and origin determination of the linear motion. Through the above design, the wafer transfer device effectively solves the problems of low efficiency of linear motion or rotational motion, difficult speed control, and poor positioning accuracy. The wafer transfer device can ultimately achieve precise and reliable automated wafer transfer operations, improve the accuracy of wafer motion and the controllability of the motion, and ensure the stability of wafer transfer. Description of the Drawings

[0019] Figure 1 The structural schematic diagram of the wafer transfer device provided by the embodiment of the present utility model.

[0020] Figure 2 The perspective view of the linear actuator provided by the embodiment of the present utility model.

[0021] Figure 3 The perspective view of the linear actuator from another angle provided by the embodiment of the present utility model.

[0022] Figure 4 The exploded view of the linear actuator provided by the embodiment of the present utility model.

[0023] Figure 5 The front view of the linear actuator provided by the embodiment of the present utility model.

[0024] Figure 6 It is Figure 5 The sectional view taken along the line A-A in

[0025] In the figure: 1, vacuum chamber; 2, bearing seat; 3, bearing; 4, first connecting rod; 5, wear-resistant block; 6, linear actuator; 61, seal; 62, first connecting piece; 63, corrugated pipe; 64, second connecting piece; 65, third connecting piece; 66, ball spline shaft module; 67, sleeve; 68, spline shaft; 69, floating joint; 610, jacking shaft; 611, roller; 612, sensor mounting plate; 613, first tightening block; 614, second tightening block; 615, third tightening block; 616, first sensor mounting plate; 617, second sensor mounting plate; 618, third sensor mounting plate; 619, first photoelectric sensor; 620, second photoelectric sensor; 621, third photoelectric sensor; 622, first side plate; 623, driving mechanism; 624, mounting plate; 625, second side plate; 626, nut; 627, induction tab; 628, groove; 7, second connecting rod; 8, carrier plate; 9, linear bearing; 10, chute. Specific embodiments

[0026] The present utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It can be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present utility model, rather than limiting the present utility model. In addition, it should be noted that for the convenience of description, only parts related to the present utility model are shown in the drawings, rather than all structures.

[0027] In the present utility model, unless otherwise clearly defined and limited, the terms "connected", "connected to", and "fixed" shall be understood in a broad sense. For example, it may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or integrated; it may be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it may be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it may be the communication inside two components or the interaction relationship between two components. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present utility model can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0028] In the present utility model, unless otherwise clearly defined and limited, the first feature being "above" or "below" the second feature may include the direct contact between the first and second features, or may include the situation where the first and second features are not in direct contact but in contact through other features therebetween. Moreover, the first feature being "above", "over", and "on top of" the second feature includes that the first feature is directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or merely indicates that the horizontal height of the first feature is higher than that of the second feature. The first feature being "below", "beneath", and "underneath" the second feature includes that the first feature is directly below and obliquely below the second feature, or merely indicates that the horizontal height of the first feature is lower than that of the second feature.

[0029] Please refer to Figure 1 、 Figure 2 、 Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown in

[0030] In the wafer transfer device provided by this embodiment of the present application, the driving mechanism 623 of the linear actuator 6 drives the lifting shaft 610 to perform a linear motion. The roller 611 at the end of the lifting shaft 610 pushes the wear-resistant block 5 installed on the first connecting rod 4. The first connecting rod 4 is rotatably connected to the bearing seat 2, and the bearing seat 2 can be installed on other mechanisms in the vacuum chamber 1, so that the linear motion of the lifting shaft 610 can be converted into the rotational motion of the first connecting rod 4. When the roller 611 pushes the wear-resistant block 5, the roller 611 rolls, thereby changing the sliding friction that is likely to occur when converting the linear motion in traditional devices into rotational motion into rolling friction, reducing the wear of structural components, avoiding the contamination of the wafer surface by tiny particles generated due to structural wear, ensuring the quality of the wafer, and at the same time improving the smoothness of the device when converting linear motion into rotational motion.

[0031] Further, the first connecting rod 4 is provided with a chute 10. The first connecting rod 4 is slidably connected to the second connecting rod 7 through the chute 10. The second connecting rod 7 is connected to a carrier plate 8 for carrying the wafer, and a linear bearing 9 is sleeved on the outer periphery of the second connecting rod 7.

[0032] In this embodiment, the linear actuator 6 drives the first connecting rod 4 to perform a rotational motion. Since the second connecting rod 7 is slidably connected in the chute 10 of the first connecting rod 4 and the second connecting rod 7 is limited by the linear bearing 9, the rotational motion of the first connecting rod 4 is converted into the linear motion of the second connecting rod 7 and the carrier plate 8. Finally, the linear reciprocating motion of the second connecting rod 7 and the carrier plate 8 is realized through the linear actuator 6, thereby realizing the transfer operation of the wafer carried on the carrier plate 8.

[0033] Among them, there are two reasons why the lifting shaft 610 of the linear actuator 6 in the present application is not directly connected to the carrier plate 8: On the one hand, since other devices are placed in the vacuum chamber 1 below the carrier plate 8 for carrying the wafer and the second connecting rod 7, it is impossible to directly connect the center of the carrier plate 8 to the lifting shaft 610 of the linear actuator 6. That is, the carrier plate 8, the second connecting rod 7, and the lifting shaft 610 cannot be coaxial due to the limitation of other devices in the vacuum chamber 1. If the lifting shaft 610 is made into a bent structure and connected directly below the center of the carrier plate 8, there will be an eccentric situation, resulting in an uneven load during the up and down movement of the linear actuator 6 driving the carrier plate 8, which is likely to cause instability when the carrier plate 8 performs a linear motion and is prone to tilting, increasing the risk of the wafer on the carrier plate 8 falling; On the other hand, if the lifting shaft 610 of the linear actuator 6 is directly connected to the carrier plate 8, since the connection between the lifting shaft 610 and the carrier plate 8 is a rigid connection, the wear of structural components will inevitably occur during the operation of the device, and tiny particles will be generated to contaminate the wafer surface.

[0034] Optionally, a bearing 3 is installed inside the bearing housing 2, and the first connecting rod 4 is rotatably connected to the bearing housing 2 through the bearing 3. Exemplarily, the wear-resistant block 5 can be made of wear-resistant ceramics; the internal air pressure of the vacuum chamber 1 can be set to the order of 10^-7 Torr.

[0035] Please refer to Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown in

[0036] Further, the bellows 63, the second connecting member 64, and the lifting shaft 610 are located inside the vacuum chamber 1. The first connecting member 62 is connected to the outer wall of the vacuum chamber 1. A groove 628 is provided on the surface of the first connecting member 62 in contact with the outer wall of the vacuum chamber 1. A seal 61 is provided in the groove 628, and the seal 61 abuts between the outer wall of the vacuum chamber 1 and the groove 628 of the first connecting member 62.

[0037] In this embodiment, by providing the bellows 63, the linear actuator 6 can perform long-life stretching and compression reciprocating motions in a high-vacuum environment; and by cooperating with placing the seal 61 between the groove 628 of the first connecting member 62 and the outer wall of the vacuum chamber 1, a high-vacuum seal of the vacuum chamber 1 can be achieved, effectively solving the problem of poor gas tightness caused by structural fatigue that is prone to occur during the long-term reciprocating motion in the operation of transporting wafers in a high-vacuum environment inside the vacuum chamber, enabling the gas seal to remain effective for a long time, avoiding the risk of gas leakage, and ensuring the stability of the detection environment.

[0038] Optionally, the bellows 63 can be formed by stacking and welding several metal pads, or the entire bellows 63 can be integrally formed, and no specific limitation is made in this regard; the first connecting member 62 and the second connecting member 64 can be selected as flanges and welded to both ends of the bellows 63 respectively; the seal 61 can be selected as an O-ring vacuum seal.

[0039] In some embodiments, the linear actuator 6 further includes a ball spline shaft module 66. The ball spline shaft module 66 includes a spline shaft 68 and a sleeve 67 sleeved outside the spline shaft 68. The sleeve 67 is connected to the first connecting member 62 through a third connecting member 65; the spline shaft 68 is located inside the bellows 63, one end of which is fixedly connected to the second connecting member 64, and the other end is connected to a floating joint 69, and the floating joint 69 is connected to the output end of the driving mechanism 623.

[0040] In this embodiment, the ball spline shaft module 66 is used to ensure that the driving mechanism 623 drives the jacking shaft 610 to perform precise linear motion. Specifically, the spline shaft 68 is movably arranged in the sleeve 67. The output end of the driving mechanism 623 is connected to the jacking shaft 610 through the spline shaft 68. The sleeve 67 is fixedly connected to the third connecting member 65, the first connecting member 62, and the corrugated pipe 63, and plays a limiting role on the spline shaft 68, enabling the spline shaft 68 to perform precise linear motion, and further enabling the jacking shaft 610 to perform precise linear motion. Exemplarily, the spline shaft 68 is threadedly connected to the floating joint 69 and the second connecting member 64. Among them, the floating joint 69 is used to correct and absorb eccentricity and swing during the movement, making the linear motion more stable and smooth.

[0041] In some embodiments, the driving mechanism 623 is installed on the mounting plate 624. The first side plate 622 and the second side plate 625 are fixedly connected to both sides of the mounting plate 624. The sensor mounting plate 612 is installed inside the first side plate 622, and several photoelectric sensors are installed on the sensor mounting plate 612.

[0042] Specifically, a first tightening block 613, a second tightening block 614, and a third tightening block 615 are installed inside the sensor mounting plate 612. The first tightening block 613 is connected to a first sensor mounting plate 616, and a first photoelectric sensor 619 is installed on the first sensor mounting plate 616. The second tightening block 614 is connected to a second sensor mounting plate 617, and a second photoelectric sensor 620 is installed on the second sensor mounting plate 617. The third tightening block 615 is connected to a third sensor mounting plate 618, and a third photoelectric sensor 621 is installed on the third sensor mounting plate 618.

[0043] Further, an induction stop piece 627 is installed between the output end of the driving mechanism 623 and the floating joint 69 through a nut 626. The induction stop piece 627 corresponds to the first photoelectric sensor 619, the second photoelectric sensor 620, and the third photoelectric sensor 621. The induction stop piece 627 triggers the photoelectric sensor signal by blocking the light paths of the first photoelectric sensor 619, the second photoelectric sensor 620, and the third photoelectric sensor 621 respectively. Among them, when the first photoelectric sensor 619 is triggered, it is the triggered motion photoelectric lower limit position; when the second photoelectric sensor 620 is triggered, it is the triggered motion origin position; when the third photoelectric sensor 621 is triggered, it is the triggered motion photoelectric upper limit position, thereby realizing the position limit and origin determination of the linear motion.

[0044] Among them, the driving mechanism 623 can be a linear servo motor, which has high-precision and stable linear motion, can directly output linear motion with adjustable speed, high positioning accuracy and stable operation. Compared with the traditional rotary motor that realizes the conversion of rotary motion into linear motion through structures such as ball screws, this linear servo motor has the advantages of compact structure and higher stability. The driving mechanism 623 can also be a stepper motor or a combination of a stepper motor and an encoder, and then is converted through a ball screw or a trapezoidal screw to realize the linear reciprocating motion of its output end, and no specific limitation is made thereto.

[0045] For the wafer transportation device provided by the present application, the driving mechanism 623 has high-precision and stable linear motion, the ball spline shaft module 66 has a precise linear motion guiding function, the floating joint 69 can correct and absorb eccentricity and swing during the motion, and the three photoelectric sensors and the sensing piece 627 provided can realize the position limitation and origin determination of the linear motion. Through the above design, the wafer transportation device effectively solves the problems of low efficiency of linear motion or rotary motion, difficult speed control and poor positioning accuracy.

[0046] Specific embodiments are used in this article to elaborate on the principles and implementation manners of the present invention. The description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the method and its core idea of the present invention. It should be noted that for those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the principle of the present invention, several improvements and modifications can still be made to the present invention, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the protection scope of the claims of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the patent of the present invention should be subject to the appended claims.

Claims

1. A wafer transfer device, characterized in that: It includes a vacuum chamber and a linear actuator sealed therewith, wherein a bearing seat and a first connecting rod rotatably connected therewith are arranged in the vacuum chamber, wherein the linear actuator includes a driving mechanism, a lifting shaft connected to the driving mechanism, and a roller installed at the end of the lifting shaft, wherein the first connecting rod is installed with a wear-resistant block, and the driving mechanism is used to drive the lifting shaft to perform linear motion, wherein the roller at the end of the lifting shaft contacts the wear-resistant block, thereby converting the linear motion of the lifting shaft into the rotational motion of the first connecting rod.

2. The wafer transfer device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first connecting rod is provided with a slide groove, the first connecting rod is slidably connected to the second connecting rod through the slide groove, the second connecting rod is connected to a carrying plate for carrying wafers, and a linear bearing is sleeved on the outer periphery of the second connecting rod.

3. The wafer transfer device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A bearing is installed inside the bearing seat, and the first connecting rod is rotatably connected to the bearing seat through the bearing.

4. The wafer transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The linear actuator includes a bellows and a first connecting member and a second connecting member respectively connected to two ends of the bellows, and the second connecting member is connected to the lifting shaft.

5. The wafer transfer device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The bellows, the second connecting piece, and the lifting shaft are located in the vacuum chamber. The first connecting piece is connected to the outer wall of the vacuum chamber. A groove is provided on the side of the first connecting piece that contacts the outer wall of the vacuum chamber. A sealing piece is provided in the groove. The sealing piece abuts between the outer wall of the vacuum chamber and the groove of the first connecting piece.

6. The wafer transfer device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The linear actuator also includes a ball spline shaft module, which includes a spline shaft and a sleeve sleeved outside the spline shaft, and the sleeve is connected to the first connecting member through a third connecting member; the spline shaft is located in the bellows, and one end of the spline shaft is fixedly connected to the second connecting member.

7. The wafer transfer device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The other end of the spline shaft is connected with a floating joint, and the floating joint is connected to the output end of the driving mechanism.

8. The wafer transfer device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The driving mechanism is installed on a mounting plate, and a first side plate and a second side plate are fixedly connected to two sides of the mounting plate. A sensor mounting plate is installed on the inner side of the first side plate, and a plurality of photoelectric sensors are installed on the sensor mounting plate.

9. The wafer transfer device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The sensor mounting plate is installed with a first tightening block, a second tightening block and a third tightening block; the first tightening block is connected to the first sensor mounting plate, and the first sensor mounting plate is installed with a first photoelectric sensor; the second tightening block is connected to the second sensor mounting plate, and the second sensor mounting plate is installed with a second photoelectric sensor; the third tightening block is connected to the third sensor mounting plate, and the third sensor mounting plate is installed with a third photoelectric sensor.

10. The wafer transfer device according to claim 9, characterized in that: An inductive baffle is installed between the output end of the driving mechanism and the floating joint via a nut, and the inductive baffle corresponds to the first photoelectric sensor, the second photoelectric sensor, and the third photoelectric sensor.

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