Wafer pickup device

Abstract

The utility model provides a wafer pickup device, which is characterized by comprising tweezers and a positioning assembly, the tweezers comprise a vacuum tube, a flat tweezers head is arranged at one end of the vacuum tube, a plurality of air holes are formed in the tweezers head, and a gas control valve is further arranged on the vacuum tube. The positioning assembly comprises a fixed column and a movable assembly; the fixing columns comprise at least two fixing columns, first connecting parts detachably connected with the wafer basket are arranged on the fixing columns, and when the fixing columns are installed on the wafer basket through the first connecting parts, the extending direction of the fixing columns is the same as the extending direction of the wafer slots in the wafer basket; the movable assembly is arranged on the fixed column, a second connecting part is further arranged on the movable assembly, the second connecting part is connected with the tweezers, and the movable assembly is used for moving together with the tweezers in the extending direction of the fixed column. According to the invention, a plurality of fixed clamping positions are arranged, so that when an operator uses tweezers to pick up wafers, scratches caused by staggered teeth due to manual picking to the wafers are avoided, and the yield of the wafers is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of semiconductors, and more particularly, to a wafer picking device. Background Art

[0002] As an important basic material in the field of semiconductors, wafers play an important role in promoting technological progress and industrial development. In the precise process of wafer production, the steps of extracting sample wafers and accurately observing the wafer numbers are one of the key steps to ensure product quality and process control. Traditionally, this process relies on manual operation. For large silicon wafers with a size of 8 inches and above, vacuum tweezers are generally used for picking. The vacuum tweezers are connected to a special tweezer head through a vacuum suction pipe to form a stable adsorption force, ensuring that the silicon wafer is firm and does not fall off during the extraction process, which is both efficient and safe.

[0003] However, during the process of transferring the silicon wafer out of the circular wafer basket, since the silicon wafer is not completely released from the restraint of the wafer basket, its position is relatively stable. But as the lifting height increases, the silicon wafer gradually loses the support of the wafer basket edge, and its lower end is prone to tilt due to the lack of obstruction, which is extremely likely to cause the edge of the silicon wafer to come into contact with tiny particles or hard objects in the surrounding environment, resulting in scratches.

[0004] On the production line, the first and last wafers are frequently extracted as sample wafers for analysis and monitoring, and the risk of being scratched is significantly increased, which leads to a decrease in the yield rate of the first and last wafers. Summary of the Utility Model

[0005] In order to overcome the above deficiencies in the prior art, this application provides a wafer picking device, including tweezers and a positioning component.

[0006] The tweezers include a vacuum tube, one end of the vacuum tube is provided with a flat tweezer head, the tweezer head is provided with a plurality of air holes, and a gas control valve is also provided on the vacuum tube; the positioning component includes a fixed column and a movable component.

[0007] The fixed column includes at least two fixed columns, the fixed column is provided with a first connecting portion detachably connected to the wafer basket, when the fixed column is installed on the wafer basket through the first connecting portion, the extending direction of the fixed column is the same as the extending direction of the wafer slot in the wafer basket.

[0008] The movable component is arranged on the fixed column, a second connecting portion is further arranged on the movable component, the second connecting portion is connected to the tweezers, and the movable component is used to move along the extending direction of the fixed column together with the tweezers.

[0009] In a possible implementation, the positioning component further includes opposite first and second crossbeams, and the first and second crossbeams are integrally formed with the fixed column.

[0010] In a possible implementation, the movable component includes opposite third and fourth crossbeams, and the second connecting portion is disposed on the third and fourth crossbeams. The second connecting portion is connected to the tweezers and is used to keep the relative positions of the tweezers and the third and fourth crossbeams unchanged.

[0011] In a possible implementation, the movable component includes a slide rail, and a sliding connector is disposed on the slide rail. The third and fourth crossbeams are connected to the slide rail through the sliding connector, and the third and fourth crossbeams can slide along the extending direction of the fixed column through the sliding connector.

[0012] In a possible implementation, clamping components are disposed at both ends of the slide rail to prevent the third and fourth crossbeams from falling off.

[0013] In a possible implementation, the positioning component further includes a fifth crossbeam, and the fifth crossbeam is connected to the first and second crossbeams. A third connecting portion is disposed on the fifth crossbeam, and the third connecting portion is connected to the tweezers and is used to keep the moving direction of the tweezers always parallel to the extending direction of the fixed column.

[0014] In a possible implementation, the positioning component further includes a thin sheet with a through hole in the center. Both ends of the thin sheet are connected to the first and second crossbeams, and the vacuum tube passes through the through hole in the center of the thin sheet and is used to keep the moving direction of the tweezers always parallel to the extending direction of the fixed column.

[0015] In a possible implementation, the first connecting portion is fitted into the middle part between two adjacent basket teeth on the wafer basket.

[0016] In a possible implementation, the wafer picking device includes positioning components of multiple sizes, and the positioning components are integrally formed.

[0017] In a possible implementation, the material of the positioning component includes plastic.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the present application has the following beneficial effects:

[0019] A wafer picking device provided by the present application, by providing a plurality of fixed clamping positions, enables the operator to avoid scratches on the wafer caused by misaligned teeth during the process of picking up the wafer with tweezers, and improves the wafer yield. Description of the Drawings

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the accompanying drawings required for the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following accompanying drawings only show some embodiments of the present application and should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other related accompanying drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative efforts.

[0021] Figure 1 It is a top view of the wafer basket;

[0022] Figure 2 It is a side view of the wafer basket;

[0023] Figure 3 It is a front view of the tweezers provided in this embodiment;

[0024] Figure 4 It is one of the perspective views of the wafer pick-up device provided in this embodiment;

[0025] Figure 5 It is the second perspective view of the wafer pick-up device provided in this embodiment.

[0026] Reference numerals: 10 - wafer pick-up device; 100 - tweezers; 110 - vacuum tube; 120 - tweezer head; 130 - air hole; 140 - gas control valve; 210 - fixing column; 211 - first connection part; 221 - second connection part; 223 - third cross beam; 224 - fourth cross beam; 225 - slide rail; 226 - sliding connection member; 227 - clamping component; 231 - first cross beam; 232 - second cross beam; 233 - fifth cross beam; 234 - third connection part; 235 - thin sheet; 236 - through hole; 900 - wafer basket. Detailed implementation manners

[0027] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are some, but not all, of the embodiments of the present application. Usually, the components of the embodiments of the present application described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings here can be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0028] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present application provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed present application, but merely represents the selected embodiments of the present application. All other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present application without creative efforts fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0029] It should be noted that like reference numerals and letters denote like items in the following figures, and thus, once an item is defined in one figure, it need not be further defined or explained in subsequent figures.

[0030] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship in which the product of this application is customarily placed during use. It is only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and thus should not be construed as a limitation to the present application. In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are only used for distinguishing descriptions and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0031] In addition, terms such as "horizontal", "vertical", "overhanging", etc. do not mean that the components are required to be absolutely horizontal or overhanging, but may be slightly inclined. For example, "horizontal" only means that its direction is more horizontal relative to "vertical", and does not mean that the structure must be completely horizontal, but may be slightly inclined.

[0032] In the description of the present application, it should also be noted that unless otherwise clearly specified and defined, the terms "arranged", "installed", "connected", "coupled" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; 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 elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0033] The following will describe in detail the specific embodiments of the present application with reference to the drawings.

[0034] Please refer to Figure 1 , before the wafer pick-up device 10 picks up the wafer, the wafer is placed in the wafer basket 900. Please refer to Figure 2 , the bottom of the wafer basket 900 is semi-circular and can exactly place wafers of the same size. There are relatively parallel openings above. The inside of the wafer basket 900 includes a plurality of parallel basket teeth. The intervals between these basket teeth are equal, and the interval width is set according to the thickness of wafers of different sizes. The wafers are placed in the middle position between two adjacent basket teeth. The basket teeth can separate the wafers to prevent direct contact and friction between them, thereby avoiding scratches and damage.

[0035] The present application provides a wafer pick-up device 10, including tweezers 100 and a positioning component.

[0036] Please refer to Figure 3 , the tweezers 100 includes a vacuum tube 110, one end of the vacuum tube 110 is provided with a flat tweezers head 120, the tweezers head 120 is provided with a plurality of air holes 130, and a gas control valve 140 is also provided on the vacuum tube 110.

[0037] In this embodiment, the tweezers 100 uses vacuum tweezers, which pick up the wafer by negative pressure adsorption rather than direct contact, effectively avoiding damage to the wafer surface. At the same time, it increases the stability during the moving process and reduces the risk of slipping or deviation. The vacuum tweezers are made of anti-static materials, providing additional electrostatic protection for the wafer. This design also reduces the chance of direct human touch on the wafer, helps to maintain the cleanliness of the wafer, and avoids contamination.

[0038] Please refer to Figure 4 , the positioning component includes a fixing column 210 and a movable component. The fixing column 210 is used to fix the wafer pickup device 10 at a suitable position of the wafer basket 900. The movable component is used to move the tweezers 100 along the extending direction of the fixing column 210, and the extending direction of the fixing column 210 should be parallel to the plane where the wafer is located in the wafer basket 900.

[0039] The fixing column 210 includes at least two fixing columns 210. The fixing column 210 is provided with a first connecting portion 211 detachably connected to the wafer basket 900. When the fixing column 210 is installed on the wafer basket 900 through the first connecting portion 211, the extending direction of the fixing column 210 is the same as the extending direction of the wafer slot in the wafer basket 900.

[0040] The movable component is arranged on the fixing column 210. A second connecting portion 221 is also provided on the movable component. The second connecting portion 221 is connected to the tweezers 100, and the movable component is used to move along the extending direction of the fixing column 210 together with the tweezers 100.

[0041] For example, when an operator uses the wafer pickup device 10 provided in this embodiment to pick up a wafer, first fix the wafer basket 900, and at the same time connect and fix the wafer pickup device 10 to the wafer basket 900 via the first connecting portion 211. Then, the operator wears anti-static gloves, opens the gas control valve 140, and aligns the side with air holes 130 on the tweezers head 120 with the wafer to be picked up. Next, slowly and steadily lift the tweezers 100 together with the wafer from the wafer basket and move it to the designated position or container. Finally, close the gas control valve 140 and put the wafer pickup device 10 and the wafer basket 900 back to their original positions.

[0042] In a possible implementation manner, please refer to Figure 4, the positioning component further includes opposite first cross beam 231 and second cross beam 232, and the first cross beam 231 and the second cross beam 232 are integrally formed with the fixing column 210.

[0043] In this embodiment, in order to connect the fixing column 210, opposite first cross beam 231 and second cross beam 232 are further provided, and the first cross beam 231 and the second cross beam 232 are integrally formed with the fixing column 210. The extending directions of the first cross beam 231 and the second cross beam 232 are the same as the arranging direction of the basket teeth.

[0044] In a possible implementation manner, please refer to Figure 4 , the movable component includes opposite third cross beam 223 and fourth cross beam 224, the second connecting portion 221 is arranged on the third cross beam 223 and the fourth cross beam 224, and the second connecting portion 221 is connected to the tweezers 100 for keeping the relative positions of the tweezers 100 and the third cross beam 223 and the fourth cross beam 224 unchanged.

[0045] In this embodiment, the third cross beam 223 and the fourth cross beam 224 not only have the function of connecting the fixing column 210, but also have the function of fixing the tweezers 100 to make the tweezers 100 move up and down synchronously with the third cross beam 223 and the fourth cross beam 224. In actual operation, since the thickness of the wafer is small, the distance between the third cross beam 223 and the fourth cross beam 224 in the arranging direction of the basket teeth is small. Therefore, the second connecting portion 221 is arranged on the third cross beam 223 and the fourth cross beam 224 and connected to the tweezers 100.

[0046] In a possible implementation manner, please refer to Figure 4 , the movable component includes a slide rail 225, a sliding connecting member 226 is arranged on the slide rail 225, the third cross beam 223 and the fourth cross beam 224 are connected to the slide rail 225 through the sliding connecting member 226, and the third cross beam 223 and the fourth cross beam 224 can slide along the extending direction of the fixing column 210 through the sliding connecting member 226.

[0047] In this embodiment, in order to enable the movable component to slide up and down together with the tweezers 100, the slide rail 225 is arranged on the fixing column 210, and the third cross beam 223 and the fourth cross beam 224 can be connected to the slide rail 225 through the sliding connecting member 226 and move along the extending direction of the slide rail 225.

[0048] In a possible implementation manner, please refer to Figure 4 , clamping components 227 are arranged at both ends of the slide rail 225 for preventing the third cross beam 223 and the fourth cross beam 224 from falling off.

[0049] In this embodiment, in order to prevent the tweezers 100, the third cross beam 223 and the fourth cross beam 224 from slipping off the slide rail 225 and scratching the wafer, a clamping component 227 is provided at both ends of the slide rail 225.

[0050] In a possible implementation manner, please refer to Figure 4 , the positioning component further includes a fifth cross beam 233, the fifth cross beam 233 is connected to the first cross beam 231 and the second cross beam 232, a third connecting portion 234 is provided on the fifth cross beam 233, and the third connecting portion 234 is connected to the tweezers 100 for making the moving direction of the tweezers 100 always parallel to the extending direction of the fixed column 210.

[0051] In this embodiment, a fifth cross beam 233 is further provided, a third connecting portion 234 is provided on the fifth cross beam 233, and after the tweezers 100 are connected to the third connecting portion 234, the tweezers 100 can move freely in the extending direction of the fixed column 210; the third connecting portion 234 and the second connecting portion 221 act together to make the moving direction of the tweezers 100 always parallel to the extending direction of the fixed column 210.

[0052] For example, when an operator uses the wafer picking device 10 provided in this embodiment to pick up a wafer, first fix the wafer basket 900, and at the same time connect and fix the wafer picking device 10 to the wafer basket 900 via the first connecting portion 211, and then fix the tweezers 100 via the second connecting portion 221 and the third connecting portion 234; then, the operator wears an anti-static glove, opens the gas control valve 140, and aligns the side with the air holes 130 on the tweezer head 120 with the wafer to be picked up; next, the tweezers 100, together with the third cross beam 223 and the fourth cross beam 224, slowly and steadily lift the wafer from the wafer basket along the slide rail 225 on the fixed column 210 and move it to a specified position or container; finally, close the gas control valve 140 and put the wafer picking device 10 and the wafer basket 900 back to their original positions.

[0053] In a possible implementation manner, please refer to Figure 5 , the positioning component further includes a thin sheet 235 with a through hole 236 in the center, both ends of the thin sheet 235 are connected to the first cross beam 231 and the second cross beam 232, and the vacuum tube 110 passes through the through hole 236 in the center of the thin sheet 235 for making the moving direction of the tweezers 100 always parallel to the extending direction of the fixed column 210.

[0054] In this embodiment, a thin sheet 235 with a through hole 236 in the center is further provided, and the tweezers 100 can move freely after passing through the through hole 236; the through hole 236 and the second connecting portion 221 act together to make the moving direction of the tweezers 100 always parallel to the extending direction of the fixed column 210.

[0055] For example, when an operator uses the wafer pickup device 10 provided in this embodiment to pick up a wafer, first fix the wafer basket 900, and at the same time connect and fix the wafer pickup device 10 to the wafer basket 900 via the first connection portion 211, and then fix the tweezers 100 via the second connection portion 221 and the through hole 236; then, the operator wears an anti-static glove, opens the gas control valve 140, and aligns the side of the tweezers head 120 with air holes 130 with the wafer to be picked up; next, the tweezers 100, together with the third cross beam 223 and the fourth cross beam 224, slowly and steadily lift the wafer from the wafer basket along the slide rail 225 on the fixed column 210, and move it to a specified position or container; finally, close the gas control valve 140, and put the wafer pickup device 10 and the wafer basket 900 back to their original positions.

[0056] In a possible implementation manner, the first connection portion 211 is fitted into the middle portion between two adjacent basket teeth on the wafer basket 900.

[0057] For example, when using the wafer pickup device 10 provided in this embodiment to pick up an 8-inch wafer, since the tooth gap of the wafer basket 900 is a toothed structure with a maximum width of 3 mm, the corresponding first connection portion 211 uses a regular triangular pyramid structure with a bottom side length of 5 mm and is fitted into the wafer basket 900 with a gap.

[0058] For wafer baskets 900 of different sizes, first connection portions 211 of different sizes are used.

[0059] In a possible implementation manner, the wafer pickup device 10 includes positioning components of multiple sizes, and the positioning components are integrally formed.

[0060] Since the wafer baskets 900 used for wafers of different sizes have different sizes, this embodiment also provides positioning components of multiple sizes.

[0061] In a possible implementation manner, the material of the positioning component includes plastic.

[0062] In this embodiment, in order to reduce the damage to the wafer basket 900 caused by the friction between the positioning component and the wafer basket 900, the positioning component uses plastic with a relatively low hardness.

[0063] In summary, a wafer picking device 10 provided by the present application is characterized in that it includes tweezers 100 and a positioning component; the tweezers 100 include a vacuum tube 110, one end of the vacuum tube 110 is provided with a flat tweezers head 120, and a plurality of air holes 130 are provided on the tweezers head 120. A gas control valve 140 is also provided on the vacuum tube 110; the positioning component includes a fixed column 210 and a movable component; the fixed column 210 includes at least two fixed columns 210, and a first connecting portion 211 detachably connected to the wafer basket 900 is provided on the fixed column 210. When the fixed column 210 is installed in the wafer basket 900 through the first connecting portion 211, the extending direction of the fixed column 210 is the same as the extending direction of the wafer slot in the wafer basket 900; the movable component is arranged on the fixed column 210, and a second connecting portion 221 is also provided on the movable component. The second connecting portion 221 is connected to the tweezers 100, and the movable component is used to move along the extending direction of the fixed column 210 together with the tweezers 100. By providing a plurality of fixed positions in the present application, during the process of using the tweezers 100 to pick up wafers by an operator, scratches on the wafers caused by misaligned teeth due to manual picking are avoided, and the wafer yield is improved.

[0064] The foregoing is only a preferred embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. For those skilled in the art, the present application may have various modifications and changes. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present application shall be included within the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A wafer picking device, characterized in that: Includes tweezers and positioning assembly; The tweezers include a vacuum tube, one end of which is provided with a flat tweezer head, the tweezer head is provided with a plurality of air holes, and a gas control valve is also provided on the vacuum tube; The positioning assembly includes a fixed column and a movable assembly; The fixing column comprises at least two fixing columns, and a first connection portion detachably connected to the wafer basket is provided on the fixing column, and when the fixing column is installed on the wafer basket through the first connection portion, the extension direction of the fixing column is the same as the extension direction of the wafer slot in the wafer basket; The movable component is arranged on the fixed column, and a second connecting portion is also arranged on the movable component, and the second connecting portion is connected to the tweezers. The movable component is used to move together with the tweezers along the extension direction of the fixed column.

2. The wafer pickup device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The positioning assembly further includes a first beam and a second beam opposite to each other, wherein the first beam and the second beam are integrally formed with the fixing column.

3. The wafer pickup device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The movable component includes a third beam and a fourth beam relative to each other, the second connecting portion is arranged on the third beam and the fourth beam, and the second connecting portion is connected to the tweezers to prevent the relative position of the tweezers and the third beam and the fourth beam from changing.

4. The wafer pickup device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The movable component includes a slide rail, a sliding connection piece is arranged on the slide rail, the third cross beam and the fourth cross beam are connected to the slide rail through the sliding connection piece, and the third cross beam and the fourth cross beam can slide along the extension direction of the fixed column through the sliding connection piece.

5. The wafer pickup device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The two ends of the slide rail are provided with a locking assembly for preventing the third crossbeam and the fourth crossbeam from falling off.

6. The wafer pickup device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The positioning assembly also includes a fifth crossbeam, which is connected to the first crossbeam and the second crossbeam. A third connecting portion is provided on the fifth crossbeam, and the third connecting portion is connected to the tweezers to ensure that the moving direction of the tweezers is always parallel to the extension direction of the fixed column.

7. The wafer pickup device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The positioning assembly also includes a thin sheet with a through hole in the center, the two ends of the thin sheet are connected to the first beam and the second beam, and the vacuum tube passes through the through hole in the center of the thin sheet to ensure that the moving direction of the tweezers is always parallel to the extension direction of the fixed column.

8. The wafer pickup device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first connecting portion is engaged with a middle portion between two adjacent basket teeth on the wafer basket.

9. The wafer pickup device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The wafer picking device comprises positioning components of multiple sizes, and the positioning components are integrally formed.

10. The wafer pickup device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The positioning component material includes plastic.

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