Horizontal wafer spin-drying mechanism and wafer spin-drying machine

Abstract

The utility model provides a horizontal wafer spin-drying mechanism and a wafer spin-dryer, the horizontal wafer spin-drying mechanism comprises a first driving part, a bottom plate, a rotating shaft and a rotating mechanism, the first driving part is installed below the bottom plate, the rotating shaft centrally penetrates through the bottom plate, and the driving end of the first driving part is connected with the first end of the rotating shaft; the rotating mechanism is located above the bottom plate, the rotating mechanism comprises fixing plates, bearing boxes, an overturning assembly and two side plates arranged in parallel, the two side plates are vertically fixed between the two fixing plates which are horizontally arranged in parallel up and down, the second end of the rotating shaft is fixedly connected with the fixing plate below, n bearing boxes are arranged between the two side plates, n is an even number not smaller than 2, and n is a positive integer not smaller than 2. The bearing box is configured to bear a wafer, the overturning assembly is connected with the bearing box, the overturning assembly is located on the outer wall of the side plate, the overturning assembly is configured to overturn the bearing box, the rotating mechanism is horizontally arranged, the influence of gravity on the wafer is reduced, the spin-drying process is more uniform and effective, and the drying efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of wafer processing equipment, and particularly to a horizontal wafer drying mechanism and a wafer dryer. Background Art

[0002] A wafer refers to a silicon wafer used for fabricating silicon semiconductor integrated circuits. Since its shape is circular, it is called a wafer. Various circuit element structures can be fabricated on the silicon wafer to form electronic component products with specific electrical functions. As the size of integrated circuits on semiconductor wafers develops towards the micron level, the cleaning requirements during the fabrication of semiconductor wafers are getting higher and higher. Especially during the fabrication process of semiconductor wafers, if they are contaminated by dust particles or metals, it is very easy to cause damage to the internal circuit functions of the wafers, forming short circuits or open circuits, etc., thereby leading to the failure of integrated circuits and affecting the formation of geometric features. Therefore, during the fabrication process, in addition to excluding external pollution sources, cleaning work is also required to effectively remove impurities such as dust, metal ions, and organic substances remaining on the wafer without damaging the surface characteristics and electrical characteristics of the wafer by using chemical solutions or gases.

[0003] The wet cleaning process is a commonly used cleaning process for wafers. After this cleaning process is completed, the wafers need to be dried. A wafer dryer is used to dry the surface of the wet wafers through rotation and drying. However, most of the existing wafer drying mechanisms currently have the problems of uneven drying and low efficiency. Summary of the Utility Model

[0004] The purpose of this application is to provide a horizontal wafer drying mechanism to solve the problems of uneven drying and low efficiency in the prior art.

[0005] To achieve this purpose, the following technical solutions are adopted in this application:

[0006] This application proposes a horizontal wafer drying mechanism, which includes a first driving member, a bottom plate, a rotating shaft, and a rotating mechanism, where:

[0007] The first driving member is installed below the bottom plate. The rotating shaft passes through the bottom plate centrally. The driving end of the first driving member is connected to the first end of the rotating shaft. The first driving member is configured to drive the rotating shaft to rotate;

[0008] The rotating mechanism is located above the bottom plate. The rotating mechanism includes a fixing plate, a carrying box, a flipping assembly, and two side plates arranged in parallel. The two side plates are vertically fixed between two fixing plates arranged horizontally and parallel to each other up and down. The second end of the rotating shaft is fixedly connected to the lower fixing plate. The side plates are configured to carry the flipping assembly and the carrying box. There are n carrying boxes arranged between the two side plates, where n is an even number not less than 2. The carrying boxes are configured to carry wafers. The flipping assembly is connected to the carrying box. The flipping assembly is located on the outer wall of the side plate and is configured to flip the carrying box so that when the rotating mechanism rotates for spin-drying, the openings of the carrying boxes are arranged oppositely.

[0009] Optionally, the flipping assembly includes a gear, a rack, and a connecting shaft. The first end of the connecting shaft vertically passes through the two side plates respectively and is fixedly connected to the carrying box. The second end of the connecting shaft on one side passes through the center of the gear and is fixedly connected to the gear. The gear meshes with the rack. The rack is movably installed on the outer wall of the side plate in the vertical direction. A cylinder is arranged below the rack, and the driving end of the cylinder is connected to the lower end of the rack. The cylinder is configured to drive the rack to move upward.

[0010] Optionally, a clamping groove is arranged at the first end of the connecting shaft, and a support shaft is arranged on the side of the carrying box. The support shaft is detachably and tightly connected to the clamping groove.

[0011] Optionally, a first fixing shaft is fixedly arranged behind the gear. One end of the first fixing shaft is connected to one end of a spring, and the second end of the spring is connected to a second fixing shaft. The second fixing shaft is located obliquely below the gear and is fixedly connected to the outer side of the side plate.

[0012] Optionally, the rack is vertically arranged on a connecting piece. The connecting piece is fixed on the outer wall of the side plate. A smooth groove is arranged on the connecting piece in the vertical direction, and the rack can move up and down along the groove.

[0013] Optionally, the first driving member includes a motor, a driving wheel, a driven wheel, and a driven belt. The driving wheel is located at the driving end of the motor. The motor is configured to drive the driving wheel to rotate. The driving wheel and the driven wheel are arranged horizontally and parallel to each other. The first end of the rotating shaft passes through the driven wheel and is fixedly connected to the driven wheel. The driving wheel and the driven wheel are connected by the driven belt.

[0014] Optionally, a number of limiting blocks are arranged between the carrying box and the side plate. The limiting blocks are configured to limit the movement range of the wafer box.

[0015] Optionally, a number of support rods are vertically and evenly distributed around the two side plates in the same circumferential direction. The two ends of the support rods are respectively connected to the fixing plates. The support rods are configured to support the two fixing plates.

[0016] Optionally, a detecting member is arranged at the first end of the rotating shaft. The detecting member is configured to detect the rotating speed of the rotating shaft.

[0017] A wafer spin-dryer includes the horizontal wafer spin-drying mechanism as described in any one of the above.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, a horizontal wafer drying mechanism provided by the present application has the following advantages:

[0019] 1) By using a driven belt to connect the driving wheel and the driven wheel, on the one hand, it can provide a smooth and stable rotational motion, reducing vibration and noise. On the other hand, the driven belt has a certain elasticity, which can absorb the impact force generated during startup or shutdown, reducing the impact on the transmission system.

[0020] 2) By horizontally arranging the rotating mechanism, the influence of gravity on the wafer is reduced, making the drying process more uniform and effective, and improving the drying efficiency.

[0021] 3) Through the cooperation of the card slot and the support shaft, not only does the connecting shaft rotate synchronously to drive the carrier box to rotate, but also the support shaft is tightly connected to the card slot, facilitating the replacement of the carrier box and saving costs.

[0022] 4) Through the cooperation of the spring, the first fixed shaft and the second fixed shaft, the spring drives the gear to rotate back, not only realizing the automatic adjustment of the carrier box to the initial position, but also having a simple structure, no other power consumption, and saving costs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] In order to more clearly illustrate and understand the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for the background technology and the description of the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without creative efforts, other drawings can also be obtained based on the content of the embodiments of the present application and these drawings.

[0024] Figure 1 is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the horizontal wafer drying mechanism provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 2 is Figure 1 an enlarged schematic diagram of part A in

[0026] Figure 3 is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the connecting shaft and the support shaft of the horizontal wafer drying mechanism provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Figure 4 is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the rack and the connecting piece of the horizontal wafer drying mechanism provided by the embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0028] For ease of understanding the present application, the present application will be described more comprehensively below with reference to the relevant accompanying drawings. Preferred embodiments of the present application are shown in the drawings. However, the present application can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided to make the disclosure of the present application more thorough and comprehensive. It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "fixed to" another component, it can be directly on the other component or there can also be an intermediate component. When a component is considered to be "connected" to another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or there may be an intermediate component at the same time. The terms "vertical", "horizontal", "left", "right" and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only implementation. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the technical field to which the present application belongs. The terms used in the specification of the present application herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present application. The term "and / or" used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the related listed items.

[0029] Please refer to Figures 1 to 4 As shown, a horizontal wafer drying mechanism and a wafer dryer provided by an embodiment of the present application include a first driving member 10, a bottom plate 20, a rotating shaft 30, and a rotating mechanism 40, wherein:

[0030] The first driving member 10 is installed below the bottom plate 20. The rotating shaft 30 passes through the bottom plate 20 centrally. The driving end of the first driving member 10 is connected to the first end of the rotating shaft 30. The first driving member 10 is configured to drive the rotating shaft 30 to rotate;

[0031] The rotating mechanism 40 is located above the bottom plate 20. The rotating mechanism 40 includes a fixing plate 41, a carrier box 42, a flipping assembly 43, and two side plates 44 arranged in parallel. The two side plates 44 are vertically fixed between two fixing plates 41 arranged horizontally up and down. The second end of the rotating shaft 30 is fixedly connected to the lower fixing plate 41. The side plates 44 are configured to carry the flipping assembly 43 and the carrier box 42. There are n carrier boxes 42 arranged between the two side plates 44. n is an even number not less than 2. The carrier box 42 is configured to carry wafers. The flipping assembly 43 is connected to the carrier box 42. The flipping assembly 43 is located on the outer wall of the side plate 44. The flipping assembly 43 is configured to flip the carrier box 42 so that when the rotating mechanism 40 rotates and dries, the openings of the carrier boxes 42 are arranged oppositely.

[0032] Through the cooperation of the first driving member 10, the bottom plate 20, the rotating shaft 30, and the rotating mechanism 40, the liquid on the surface of the wafer is thrown out during high-speed rotation to achieve the purpose of drying; by arranging the rotating mechanism 40 horizontally, the influence of gravity on the wafer is reduced, making the drying process more uniform and effective, and improving the drying efficiency.

[0033] In one embodiment, the flipping component 43 includes a gear 430, a rack 431, and a connecting shaft 432. The first end of the connecting shaft 432 vertically passes through two side plates 44 respectively and is fixedly connected to the carrying box 42. The second end of the connecting shaft 432 on one side passes through the center of the gear 430 and is fixedly connected to the gear 430. The gear 430 meshes with the rack 431. The rack 431 is movably mounted on the outer wall of the side plate 44 in the vertical direction. A cylinder is arranged below the rack 431, and the driving end of the cylinder is connected to the lower end of the rack 431. The cylinder is configured to drive the rack 431 to move upward.

[0034] Through the cooperation of the gear 430, the rack 431, the cylinder, and the connecting shaft 432, the connecting shaft 432 rotates to synchronously drive the carrying box 42 to rotate, thereby adjusting the opening direction of the carrying box 42 to ensure that the wafer is not thrown out during the drying process.

[0035] In one embodiment, a clamping groove 433 is provided at the first end of the connecting shaft 432, and a support shaft 420 is fixedly provided on the side of the carrying box 42. The support shaft 420 is detachably and tightly connected to the clamping groove 433.

[0036] Through the cooperation of the clamping groove 433 and the support shaft 420, not only does the connecting shaft 432 rotate to synchronously drive the carrying box 42 to rotate, but also the support shaft 420 is tightly connected to the clamping groove, facilitating the replacement of the carrying box 42 and saving costs.

[0037] In one embodiment, a first fixed shaft is fixedly provided behind the gear 430. One end of a spring 50 is connected to the first fixed shaft, and the second end of the spring 50 is connected to a second fixed shaft 440. The second fixed shaft 440 is located diagonally below the gear 430, and the second fixed shaft 440 is fixedly connected to the outer side of the side plate 44.

[0038] Through the cooperation of the spring 50, the first fixed shaft, and the second fixed shaft 440, the spring 50 drives the gear 430 to rotate back. This not only automatically adjusts the carrying box 42 to the initial position, but also has a simple structure, no other power consumption, and saves costs.

[0039] In one embodiment, the rack 431 is vertically arranged on a connecting member 441. The connecting member 441 is fixed to the outer wall of the side plate 44. A smooth groove 442 is provided on the connecting member 441 in the vertical direction, and the rack 431 can move up and down along the groove 442.

[0040] By providing the connecting member 441 on the outer wall of the side plate 44, not only is support provided for the rack 431, but also the groove 442 of the connecting member 441 provides guidance for the movement of the rack 431, with a simple structure and convenient operation.

[0041] In one embodiment, the first driving member 10 includes a motor 11, a driving wheel 12, a driven wheel 13 and a driven belt 14. The driving wheel 12 is located at the driving end of the motor 11. The motor 11 is configured to drive the driving wheel 12 to rotate. The driving wheel 12 and the driven wheel 13 are arranged horizontally and parallel to each other. The first end of the rotating shaft 30 passes through the driven wheel 13 and is fixedly connected to the driven wheel 13. The driving wheel 12 and the driven wheel 13 are connected by the driven belt 14.

[0042] Through the cooperation of the motor 11, the driving wheel 12, the driven wheel 13 and the driven belt 14, the motor 11 is enabled to drive the rotating shaft 30 to rotate, and then drive the entire rotating mechanism 40 to rotate. By using the driven belt 14 to connect the driving wheel 12 and the driven wheel 13, on the one hand, it can provide a smooth and stable rotational motion, reduce vibration and noise. On the other hand, the driven belt 14 has a certain elasticity, which can absorb the impact force generated during startup or stop, and reduce the impact on the transmission system.

[0043] In one embodiment, a plurality of limiting blocks 442 are provided between the bearing box 42 and the side plate 44. The limiting blocks 442 are configured to limit the movement range of the bearing box 42.

[0044] By providing a plurality of limiting blocks 442 between the bearing box 42 and the side plate 44, it is ensured that the bearing box 42 will not collide with other components of the equipment during the drying process, avoiding damage to the wafer or the equipment.

[0045] In one embodiment, a plurality of support rods 21 are vertically and evenly distributed around the two side plates 44 in the same circumferential direction. Both ends of the support rods 21 are respectively connected to the fixing plates 41. The support rods 21 are configured to support the two fixing plates 41.

[0046] By providing a plurality of support rods 21 between the two fixing plates 41 to further support the two fixing plates 41, the overall structure is made more stable.

[0047] In one embodiment, a detection member 31 is provided at the first end of the rotating shaft 30. The detection member 31 is configured to detect the rotation speed of the rotating shaft 30.

[0048] Specifically, the detection member 31 is a photoelectric sensor.

[0049] By providing a photoelectric sensor at the bottom of the rotating shaft 30, it is convenient to monitor the rotation speed of the rotating shaft 30, so as to make timely adjustments, improving the safety and reliability of the mechanism operation.

[0050] A wafer drying machine includes the horizontal wafer drying mechanism as described in any one of the above.

[0051] The above embodiments only illustrate the basic principles and characteristics of the present application. The present application is not limited by the above examples. Without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application, there are various changes and modifications to the present application, and these changes and modifications all fall within the scope of the present application claimed. The scope of protection claimed by the present application is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A horizontal wafer drying mechanism, characterized in that: The horizontal wafer drying mechanism comprises a first driving member, a bottom plate, a rotating shaft and a rotating mechanism, wherein: The first driving member is installed below the bottom plate, the rotating shaft passes through the bottom plate in the middle, the driving end of the first driving member is connected to the first end of the rotating shaft, and the first driving member is configured to drive the rotating shaft to rotate; The rotating mechanism is located above the bottom plate, and the rotating mechanism includes a fixed plate, a carrying box, a flipping assembly and two parallel side plates, the two side plates are vertically fixed between two fixed plates horizontally arranged in parallel above and below, the second end of the rotating shaft is fixedly connected to the fixed plate below, the side plate is configured to carry the flipping assembly and the carrying box, n carrying boxes are arranged between the two side plates, n is an even number not less than 2, the carrying box is configured to carry wafers, the flipping assembly is connected to the carrying box, the flipping assembly is located on the outer wall of the side plate, and the flipping assembly is configured to flip the carrying box, so that when the rotating mechanism is rotating and drying, the openings of the carrying boxes are relatively arranged.

2. The horizontal wafer drying mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flip assembly includes a gear, a rack, a cylinder and a connecting shaft, the first ends of the connecting shaft vertically pass through the two side plates and are fixedly connected to the carrying box, the second end of the connecting shaft on one side passes through the gear and is fixedly connected to the gear, the gear and the rack are meshed with each other, the rack can be movably installed on the outer wall of the side plate in the vertical direction, a cylinder is arranged under the rack, the cylinder driving end is connected to the lower end of the rack, and the cylinder is configured to drive the rack to move upward.

3. The horizontal wafer drying mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: A clamping slot is disposed at the first end of the connecting shaft, and a supporting shaft is disposed at the side of the carrying box. The supporting shaft is tightly connected to the clamping slot in a detachable manner.

4. The horizontal wafer drying mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: A first fixed shaft is fixedly arranged behind the gear, the first fixed shaft is connected to one end of a spring, the second end of the spring is connected to a second fixed shaft, the second fixed shaft is located obliquely below the gear, and the second fixed shaft is fixedly connected to the outer side of the side plate.

5. The horizontal wafer drying mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: The rack is vertically arranged on the connecting member, the connecting member is fixed to the outer wall of the side plate, a smooth groove is arranged on the connecting member along the vertical direction, and the rack can move up and down along the groove.

6. The horizontal wafer drying mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first driving member includes a motor, a driving wheel, a driven wheel and a driven belt. The driving wheel is located at the driving end of the motor. The motor is configured to drive the driving wheel to rotate. The driving wheel and the driven wheel are arranged horizontally and parallel. The first end of the rotating shaft passes through the driven wheel and is fixedly connected to the driven wheel. The driving wheel and the driven wheel are connected by a driven belt.

7. The horizontal wafer drying mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: A plurality of limit blocks are arranged between the carrying box and the side plate, and the limit blocks are configured to limit the movable range of the wafer box.

8. The horizontal wafer drying mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: A plurality of support rods are evenly distributed vertically in the same circumferential direction around the two side plates, and both ends of the support rods are respectively connected to the fixing plates, and the support rods are configured to support the two fixing plates.

9. The horizontal wafer drying mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: A detection member is disposed at the first end of the rotating shaft, and the detection member is configured to detect the rotation speed of the rotating shaft.

10. A wafer drying machine, characterized in that: The wafer drying machine comprises a horizontal wafer drying mechanism as described in any one of claims 1-9.

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