Wafer transfer arm and wafer transfer system

Abstract

The utility model provides a wafer transfer arm. The wafer transfer arm comprises a tray and a connecting arm, the tray comprises a tray frame and a plurality of supporting parts which are connected around the tray frame. The upper surface of the supporting part is higher than the upper surface of the tray frame. During use, the circumferential edge part of the wafer is lapped on the upper surfaces of the plurality of supporting parts. One end of the connecting arm is fixedly connected with the tray, and the other end is connected with external equipment. According to the technical scheme, when the wafer is taken, placed and transported, only the edge part of the wafer is carried on the tray 1, and the center part of the wafer is in a suspended state, so that the effective part of the wafer can be protected from being damaged. Besides, the wafer transfer arm provided by the utility model is relatively simple in structure and does not need to be provided with an electric or pneumatic component, so that the manufacturing difficulty and cost can be reduced. Therefore, the wafer transfer arm provided by the utility model is helpful for conveniently and safely completing the taking, placing and transporting processes of the wafer at low cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of semiconductor processing, and more particularly, to a wafer transfer arm and a wafer transfer system. Background Art

[0002] In the process of semiconductor manufacturing, it is often necessary to use a wafer transfer arm to transfer wafers between different manufacturing processes. Usually, under the action of a control system and a drive system, the wafer transfer arm reaches the position where the wafer is located and picks up the wafer, and then delivers the wafer to the designated position and puts it down through a series of movement modes such as translation and rotation, thus completing the transfer of the wafer. The wafer transfer arm can improve production efficiency and help reduce errors and contamination that may be introduced by manual operations, thereby improving the quality of the final product.

[0003] In actual production, a common wafer transfer arm is a vacuum transfer arm, which adsorbs the wafer by pumping air on one side surface of the wafer to form a negative pressure area. The adsorption effect of this transfer arm is relatively firm, which can effectively prevent the wafer from falling during the transmission process. However, there are usually protruding parts on the surface of the suction cup of the vacuum transfer arm, such as multiple concentric circular protrusions. Therefore, when adsorbing the wafer, the suction cup will inevitably squeeze the wafer, leaving indentations (such as circular imprints) on the wafer surface or even causing damage to the inside of the wafer, thus affecting the final quality of the wafer. Summary of the Utility Model

[0004] The purpose of the embodiments of this application is to provide a wafer transfer arm and a wafer transfer system, which can conveniently and efficiently pick up, place and transfer wafers, and at the same time avoid the effective part of the wafer from being squeezed or collided, preventing damage to the wafer.

[0005] In a first aspect, this application provides a wafer transfer arm, including a tray and a connecting arm. Among them, the tray includes a tray frame and a plurality of support parts connected around the tray frame. The upper surface of the support part is higher than the upper surface of the tray frame. In use, the circumferential edge of the wafer is placed on the upper surfaces of the plurality of support parts. One end of the connecting arm is fixedly connected to the tray, and the other end is used to connect to external equipment.

[0006] In an implementable solution, a limiting part is provided at the edge of each support part away from the center of the tray, and the limiting part is higher than the upper surface of the support part. When the circumferential edge of the wafer is placed on the upper surfaces of the plurality of support parts, the edge of the wafer is inside the limiting part.

[0007] In an implementable solution, the limiting part is provided with an arc-shaped fitting surface on the side close to the center of the tray, and the fitting surface is matched with the shape of the wafer edge.

[0008] In an implementable solution, a first buffer layer for preventing collision is provided on the surface of the fitting surface.

[0009] In an implementable solution, a second buffer layer for preventing bumping and increasing friction is provided on the upper surface of the support part.

[0010] In an implementable solution, the wafer transfer arm includes an extension rod. In each support part, the support part is connected to one end of the extension rod, and the other end of the extension rod is rotatably connected to the circumferential center of the tray rack, and the rotation axis is perpendicular to the upper surface of the tray rack.

[0011] In an implementable solution, the support part is mounted on the tray rack in a form that can adjust its position along the radial direction of the tray rack where it is located.

[0012] In an implementable solution, a scale is provided on the support part for indicating the wafer size currently applicable to the wafer transfer arm.

[0013] In an implementable solution, the wafer transfer arm further includes a wafer in-position detection device, which is arranged on the upper surface of the support part and / or the tray rack for detecting whether a wafer is carried on the support part.

[0014] In a second aspect, the present application further provides a wafer transfer system, which includes a wafer transfer arm and further includes a motion device, and the motion device is connected to the connecting arm of the wafer transfer arm.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present application at least include:

[0016] The present application provides a wafer transfer arm. When using the wafer transfer arm to pick up, place and transport wafers, only the edge part of the wafer is carried on the tray 1, and the central part is in a suspended state, which helps to protect the effective part of the wafer from being damaged. In addition, the wafer transfer arm provided by the present application has a relatively simple structure and does not need to be provided with electric or pneumatic components by itself. Therefore, it helps to reduce the manufacturing difficulty and cost. Therefore, the wafer transfer arm provided by the present application helps to conveniently, safely and low-costly complete the process of picking up, placing and transporting wafers. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required to be used in the embodiments. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of the present application, and therefore should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative efforts.

[0018] Figure 1 FIG. is a top view of a wafer transfer arm shown according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0019] Figure 2 is Figure 1 a side view of the wafer transfer arm in

[0020] Figure 3 The top view of placing a wafer on a wafer transfer arm in Figure 1 ;

[0021] Figure 4 The side view of placing a wafer on a wafer transfer arm in Figure 1 ;

[0022] Figure 5 The top view of the second type of wafer transfer arm shown according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 6 The top view of the third type of wafer transfer arm shown according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 7 The top view of the fourth type of wafer transfer arm shown according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 8 The schematic diagram of a wafer transfer system shown according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0026] In the figure: 1, tray; 2, connecting arm; 3, moving device; 4, control device; 5, wafer; 101, supporting part; 102, tray rack; 103, wafer in-position detection device; 111, limiting part; 112, fitting surface. 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. Apparently, 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 shown herein 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 present application claimed, 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 shall fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0029] As Figure 1 - Figure 2 shown, the present application provides a wafer transfer arm, including a tray 1 and a connecting arm 2. Among them, the tray 1 includes a tray rack 102 and a plurality of supporting parts 101 connected and arranged around the tray rack 102 in a circle. The upper surface of the supporting part 101 is higher than the upper surface of the tray rack 102. When in use, the circumferential edge of the wafer is placed on the upper surfaces of the plurality of supporting parts 101. One end of the connecting arm 2 is fixedly connected to the tray 1, and the other end is used to connect to an external device.

[0030] During use, the wafer transfer arm approaches the wafer under the drive of an external machine tool, and places the peripheral edge of the wafer on the support portion 101. Then, the wafer is lifted upward and transportation begins. After reaching the target position, the wafer transfer arm lowers the wafer, and the support portion 101 disengages from the wafer surface, thus completing a complete wafer transportation process. As Figure 3 - Figure 4 shown, when lifting the wafer, since the upper surface of the support portion 101 is higher than the upper surface of the tray rack 102, the portion within the peripheral edge of the wafer (i.e., the effective portion of the wafer) is in a suspended state and does not come into contact with any object, thereby effectively avoiding extrusion of the effective portion of the wafer and preventing indentation marks on the back surface of the wafer.

[0031] As Figure 1 、 Figure 5 、 Figure 6 shown, the tray rack 102 can adopt an annular structure to minimize the material usage and reduce the processing difficulty. As Figure 7 shown, the tray rack 102 can also adopt a forked structure. In addition, methods such as finite element analysis can be used to optimize the structural design, or the tray rack 102 can be hollowed out. The specific design method is not limited here. Such design methods can, on the premise of ensuring the structural strength, simplify the structure to reduce the weight of the wafer transfer arm and make it easy to clean, reducing the occurrence of phenomena such as dust accumulation. The tray rack 102 can be made of lightweight and high-strength materials, such as aluminum alloy, magnesium alloy, or carbon fiber composite material, etc.

[0032] One end of the connecting arm 2 can be provided with an adapter, such as a threaded post, a snap fastener, or a transfer collar, etc. The connecting arm 2 can be mechanically connected to external equipment such as an external machine tool through the adapter, so as to perform various forms of movements such as translation and rotation under the drive of the external machine tool. In addition, an electrical interface can also be provided at the adapter end of the connecting arm 2 to achieve electrical connection with the external machine tool. Such a design can facilitate signal exchange between the external equipment and the electrical equipment inside the wafer transfer arm and provide necessary electrical energy for the latter. By setting a universal electrical interface, such as a USB interface, the connecting arm 2 can be applicable to a variety of different machine tools, thereby improving the versatility of the connecting arm 2 and reducing the production cost.

[0033] In summary, when picking up, placing, and transporting the wafer, only the edge portion of the wafer is placed on the tray 1, and the central portion is in a suspended state, which helps to protect the effective portion of the wafer from damage. In addition, the wafer transfer arm provided in this application has a relatively simple structure and does not require electric or pneumatic components by itself, so it helps to reduce the manufacturing difficulty and cost. Therefore, the wafer transfer arm provided in this application helps to conveniently, safely, and low-costly complete the process of picking up, placing, and transporting the wafer.

[0034] In one embodiment, as Figure 1 - Figure 2As shown, a limiting portion 111 is provided at the edge of each supporting portion 101 on the side away from the center of the tray 1, and the limiting portion 111 protrudes above the upper surface of the supporting portion 101. When the peripheral edge of the wafer is placed on the upper surfaces of a plurality of supporting portions 101, the edge of the wafer is located inside the limiting portion 111. During transportation, due to the existence of the limiting portion 111, the wafer can be relatively firmly restricted directly above the tray 1 and cannot displace in the horizontal plane. This design helps to reduce the probability of the wafer falling during transportation.

[0035] In one embodiment, as Figure 1 and Figure 5 - Figure 7 shown, the limiting portion 111 is provided with an arc-shaped fitting surface 112 on the side close to the center of the tray 1. The center of the arc of the fitting surface 112 coincides with the center of the tray 1, and the fitting surface 112 is in shape cooperation with the edge of the wafer. During use, the fitting surface 112 fits with the edge of the wafer to achieve the limitation of the wafer. The arc-shaped fitting surface 112 and the edge of the wafer can form a surface contact. Compared with the line contact formed by a flat fitting surface, its limiting effect is better, the probability of damaging the wafer is smaller, and the surface contact helps to increase the friction force between the fitting surface 112 and the edge of the wafer, so that the wafer can be more reliably restricted on the tray 1.

[0036] In addition, on the fitting surface 112, a first buffer layer for preventing bumps can be provided to avoid damage to the wafer edge caused by collision with the fitting surface 112 during transportation. The first buffer layer can be made of an elastic soft material to play a certain clamping role on the wafer edge and improve the limiting effect of the limiting portion 111 on the wafer. In addition, a second buffer layer for preventing bumps and increasing friction can be provided on the upper surface of the supporting portion 101 to reduce the probability of damage when the wafer is picked up and placed and reduce the possibility of the wafer moving during transportation.

[0037] For the wafer transfer arm, there are various ways to arrange the supporting portions 101. As Figure 1 shown, at least three small-sized supporting portions 101 can be provided, distributed on both sides of any straight line passing through the center of the tray 1. In this way, no matter what horizontal direction the wafer has a movement tendency towards, it will be blocked by at least one supporting portion 101. Therefore, it helps to ensure a good limiting effect on the wafer. Preferably, all the supporting portions 101 can be axially symmetrically distributed with respect to the center line of the connecting arm 2. This distribution method helps to make the weight distribution of the wafer transfer arm more uniform, thereby improving the stability and reliability of wafer transportation. In addition, as Figure 5 shown, two large-sized supporting portions 101 can also be provided, respectively arranged on the side close to the connecting arm 2 and the side away from the connecting arm 2. Preferably, all the supporting portions 101 can be axially symmetrically distributed with respect to the center line of the connecting arm 2. In addition, as Figure 6 - Figure 7As shown, a large-sized support portion 101 and multiple small-sized support portions 101 can also be provided, wherein the large-sized support portion 101 is disposed on the side close to the connecting arm 2. Preferably, all the support portions 101 are axially symmetrically distributed with respect to the center line of the connecting arm 2.

[0038] In one embodiment, the wafer transfer arm includes an extension rod. In each support portion 101, the support portion 101 is connected to one end of the extension rod, and the other end of the extension rod is rotatably connected to the circumferential center of the tray holder 102, and the rotation axis is perpendicular to the upper surface of the tray holder 102. An adjustable second fixing device (not shown in the figure) can be provided on the support portion 101. When it is necessary to adjust the angle of the support portion 101 relative to the circumferential center of the tray holder 102, the second fixing device can be operated to loosen the support portion 101. After the adjustment is completed, the second fixing device is operated again to fix the support portion 101 at its position.

[0039] In one embodiment, the support portion 101 is mounted on the tray holder 102 in a form that can adjust its position along the radial direction of the tray holder 102 where it is located. An adjustable first fixing device (not shown in the figure) can be provided on the support portion 101. When it is necessary to adjust the position of the support portion 101 along the radial direction of the tray holder 102, the first fixing device can be operated to loosen the support portion 101. When the support portion 101 moves to the designated position, the first fixing device is operated again to fix the support portion 101 at its position. The design of the movable support portion 101 helps the tray 1 to adapt to the loading requirements of wafers of different sizes, thereby improving the flexibility and versatility of the wafer transfer arm. At the same time, the number of times of replacing the wafer transfer arm can be reduced, which helps to improve production efficiency.

[0040] In one embodiment, a scale (not shown in the figure) is provided on the support portion 101 for indicating the wafer size currently applicable to the wafer transfer arm. The scale at the contact portion between the support portion 101 and the tray holder 102 can be marked with the numerical value of the wafer size currently applicable to the wafer transfer arm. During the adjustment of the support portion 101, as the support portion 101 extends or retracts radially at the position of the tray holder 102 where it is located, the scale moves accordingly, so as to ensure that the scale at the contact portion between the support portion 101 and the tray holder 102 always indicates the numerical value of the wafer size currently applicable to the wafer transfer arm, which is convenient for the operator to determine whether the adjustment is in place.

[0041] In one embodiment, as Figure 1 shown, the wafer transfer arm further includes a wafer in-position detection device 103, which is disposed on the upper surface of the support portion 101 and / or the tray holder 102 for detecting whether a wafer is mounted on the support portion 101.

[0042] It should be noted that multiple wafer in - position detection devices 103 can be arranged at different positions on the upper surface of the support part 101 and / or the tray rack 102 to increase redundancy and avoid affecting the entire wafer transfer process due to the damage of a single wafer in - position detection device 103. The wafer in - position detection device 103 is not higher than the upper surface of the support part 101 to prevent protrusions from occurring, which may cause uneven stress on the wafer edge and thus affect wafer transfer. One or more of a pressure sensor, a photoelectric sensor, or an infrared sensor can be selected as the wafer in - position detection device 103, and there is no limitation here. In addition, air holes can be arranged on the upper surface of the tray rack 102 and a differential pressure gauge can be provided for the wafer transfer arm. The differential pressure gauge can be connected to the air holes through a pipeline; during use, the differential pressure gauge evacuates the area above the tray rack 102 through the air holes. Therefore, whether there is a wafer above the tray rack 102 will affect the reading of the differential pressure gauge, and whether the wafer is in - position can be judged according to the change in the reading. The advantage of this design is that contactless wafer in - position detection can be achieved.

[0043] When the wafer in - position detection device 103 detects that there is a wafer on the wafer transfer arm, it indicates that the wafer has been picked up and can be transported at this time, or it indicates that the wafer placement has not been completed yet; when the wafer in - position detection device 103 detects that there is no wafer on the wafer transfer arm, it indicates that the wafer has not been picked up and a picking operation is required, or it indicates that the wafer placement has been completed and the wafer transfer process can be ended. During use, the wafer in - position detection device 103 can send signals to the external machine connected to the wafer transfer arm in real time, enabling the external machine to determine subsequent operations according to the wafer in - position situation and ensuring the smooth progress of the wafer transfer process.

[0044] This application also provides a wafer transfer system. As Figure 8 shown, the wafer transfer system includes the aforementioned wafer transfer arm and also includes a motion device 3. The motion device 3 is connected to the connecting arm 2 of the wafer transfer arm. During operation, the motion device 3 can drive the wafer transfer arm to perform motions such as translation or rotation, thereby realizing the picking, placing, and transfer of wafers. In addition, a control device 4 can be externally provided to establish electrical connections with the motion device 3 and the connecting arm 2 respectively, so as to realize the motion control of the wafer transfer arm. For example, the control device 4 can receive and analyze the signals collected by the wafer in - position detection device 103 and control the motion device 3 to drive the wafer transfer arm according to the analysis results.

[0045] The above - mentioned are only the preferred embodiments of this application and are not used to limit this application. For those skilled in the art, this application can have various changes and modifications. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of this application shall be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A wafer transfer arm, characterized in that, Comprising: A tray (1), including a tray frame (102) and a plurality of support portions (101) connected and arranged around the tray frame (102) in a circle. The upper surface of the support portion (101) is higher than the upper surface of the tray frame (102); during use, the circumferential edge of the wafer is placed on the upper surfaces of the plurality of support portions (101). A connecting arm (2), one end of which is fixedly connected to the tray (1), and the other end is used to connect to an external device.

2. The wafer transfer arm according to claim 1, characterized in that At the edge of each support portion (101) on the side away from the center of the tray (1), a limiting portion (111) is provided, and the limiting portion (111) protrudes above the upper surface of the support portion (101). When the circumferential edge of the wafer is placed on the upper surfaces of the plurality of support portions (101), the edge of the wafer is inside the limiting portion (111).

3. The wafer transfer arm according to claim 2, wherein, The limiting portion (111) is provided with an arc-shaped fitting surface (112) on the side close to the center of the tray (1), and the fitting surface (112) is in shape fit with the edge of the wafer.

4. The wafer transfer arm according to claim 3, wherein The surface of the fitting surface (112) is provided with a first buffer layer for preventing bumps.

5. The wafer transfer arm according to claim 3, wherein The upper surface of the support portion (101) is provided with a second buffer layer for preventing bumps and increasing friction.

6. The wafer transfer arm according to claim 1, wherein, Comprising an extension rod; in each support portion (101), the support portion (101) is connected to one end of the extension rod, and the other end of the extension rod is rotatably connected to the circumferential center of the tray frame (102), and the rotation axis is perpendicular to the upper surface of the tray frame (102).

7. The wafer transfer arm according to claim 1, wherein The support portion (101) is installed on the tray frame (102) in a form that can adjust its position along the radial direction of the tray frame (102) where it is located.

8. The wafer transfer arm according to claim 7, wherein, The support portion (101) is provided with a scale for indicating the wafer size currently applicable to the wafer transfer arm.

9. The wafer transfer arm according to claim 1, characterized in that, It further includes a wafer in-position detection device (103), which is arranged on the upper surface of the support portion (101) and / or the tray frame (102) for detecting whether a wafer is placed on the support portion (101).

10. A wafer transfer system, characterized in that, Comprising a wafer transfer arm as described in any one of claims 1-9, and further including a motion device (3), and the motion device (3) is connected to the connecting arm (2) of the wafer transfer arm.

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