Wafer carrier

Abstract

The utility model discloses a wafer carrier, and relates to the technical field of semiconductor preparation, the wafer carrier comprises a support frame and a support platform connected in the support frame, the support platform comprises at least two support members distributed on the same horizontal plane, the at least two support members are annularly distributed, and the support members are arranged on the support frame. The wafer is contained in the supporting frame and carried on the supporting platform, each supporting piece is provided with a supporting pad, and the supporting pads are elastic. According to the wafer carrier provided by the invention, the stability in the wafer transfer process can be improved, and pollution is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, and in particular, to a wafer carrier. Background Art

[0002] Wafer refers to the silicon chip used in the production of silicon semiconductor integrated circuits. Due to its round shape, it is called a wafer. It is a relatively high-cost product. Various circuit component structures can be processed on the silicon wafer to become electronic products with specific electrical functions. When processing wafer products in a semiconductor chip automation workshop, the processed wafers need to be transferred, and the commonly used tool is the wafer carrier. Among them, in order to avoid the contamination, scratches, and damage of the wafers caused by the stacking and transportation of multiple wafers, which affects the product quality, the wafer carrier includes a plurality of support platforms stacked at intervals. Specifically, the wafer carrier includes a support frame with an opening, and support members are arranged at intervals on the inner side wall of the support frame. The wafer enters the support frame through the opening, and the edge of the wafer is set on the support member to realize the placement of the wafer.

[0003] In the existing technology, in order to ensure the supporting force of the wafer carrier, the support frame and the support parts are usually made of materials with a certain strength. When the wafer is placed on the support platform, the wafer contacts the support parts. Since the wafer and the support parts are both made of hard materials, during transportation, after the wafer carrier is impacted, the wafer will move on the support parts, causing friction between the wafer and the support parts, resulting in particle contamination. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this application is to provide a wafer carrier that can improve the stability of wafers during transportation and reduce contamination.

[0005] On the one hand, an embodiment of the present application provides a wafer carrier, including a support frame and a support platform connected to the support frame, the support platform includes at least two support members distributed on the same horizontal plane, and the at least two support members are distributed in a ring shape. The wafer is accommodated in the support frame and mounted on the support platform. Each support member is provided with a support pad, and the support pad is elastic.

[0006] As an implementable manner, the support pad is a soft rubber support pad.

[0007] As an implementable manner, the support pad is a rubber support pad.

[0008] As an practicable manner, the wafer carrier includes a plurality of support platforms arranged along a vertical direction, each support platform includes at least three support members, and projections of the support members of each support platform in the vertical direction overlap correspondingly.

[0009] As an implementable manner, support members that overlap in vertical projection form a support group, and support pads on all support members of the support group are interconnected to form an integrated structure.

[0010] As an practicable manner, the support pad is wrapped around the outer surface of the support member.

[0011] As an implementable manner, the contact between the support pad and the wafer is surface contact.

[0012] As an practicable manner, the support frame includes two relatively fixed plates and at least two fixed rods, wherein the fixed rods are connected between the two fixed plates, and two adjacent fixed rods are arranged in parallel, and the support member is connected to the fixed rods.

[0013] As an implementable method, the fixed plate located above in the vertical direction is the top plate, and a handle is rotatably provided on the top plate. The handle is connected to the top plate through an elastic member, and the elastic member accumulates potential energy when the handle is perpendicular to the top plate.

[0014] As an implementable method, the support frame includes an opening for the wafer to enter and exit, and the inner side wall of the support frame near the opening is also slidably provided with a locking member, and a plurality of locking grooves are arranged at intervals on the locking member. During the sliding process, the locking member aligns or misaligns the locking grooves and the support platform.

[0015] The beneficial effects of the embodiments of the present application include:

[0016] The wafer carrier provided by the present application includes a support frame and a support platform connected to the support frame, wherein the support platform is used to place the wafer. Specifically, the support platform includes at least two support members distributed on the same horizontal plane, and the at least two support members are distributed in an annular shape. The wafer is accommodated in the support frame and carried on the support platform. Each support member is provided with a support pad, and the support pad is elastic. When the wafer is placed on the support platform, the wafer contacts the support pad on the support member. Since the support pad is elastic, it can buffer the impact on the wafer carrier, reduce the movement of the wafer on the support member, reduce the particles generated by the friction between the wafer and the support member, improve the stability of the wafer during transportation, and reduce pollution. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for use in the embodiments. It should be understood that the following drawings only show certain embodiments of the present application and therefore should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For ordinary technicians in this field, other relevant drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0018] Figure 1 This is one of the structural schematic diagrams of a wafer carrier provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a second structural diagram of a wafer carrier provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0020] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Enlarged view of point A in the middle;

[0021] Figure 4 A schematic structural diagram of a support pad provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0022] Icon: 100-wafer carrier; 110-support frame; 111-fixing plate; 112-fixing rod; 121-support member; 130-support pad; 200-wafer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present application more clear, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Generally, the components of the embodiments of the present application described and shown in the drawings herein can be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0024] 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 for protection, but merely represents selected embodiments of the present application. All other embodiments obtained by persons of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments in the present application without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0025] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the terms "center", "vertical", "horizontal", "inside", "outside" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientations or positional relationships in which the product of the application is usually placed when in use. These are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on this application. In addition, terms such as "horizontal" and "vertical" do not mean that the components are required to be absolutely horizontal or suspended, but rather that they can be slightly tilted. For example, "horizontal" only means that its direction is more horizontal than "vertical", and does not mean that the structure must be completely horizontal, but that it can be slightly tilted.

[0026] Wafer carriers are devices or containers used to load, transport, and store wafers during semiconductor manufacturing and processing. Wafer carriers are designed to ensure the safe transfer of wafers between process steps, preventing contamination and damage.

[0027] The embodiment of the present application provides a wafer carrier 100, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, it includes a support frame 110 and a support platform connected to the support frame 110. The support platform includes at least two support members 121 distributed on the same horizontal plane. The at least two support members 121 are distributed in a ring shape. The wafer 200 is accommodated in the support frame 110 and mounted on the support platform. A support pad 130 is provided on each support member 121, and the support pad 130 is elastic.

[0028] The wafer carrier 100 provided in an embodiment of the present application is used for loading, transporting and storing wafers 200. Specifically, it includes a support frame 110 as an external support for the wafer carrier 100. A support platform is provided within the support frame 110, and the support platform is used to place the wafer 200. Specifically, the support platform includes at least two support members 121 distributed on the same horizontal plane, and at least two support members 121 are distributed in a ring. When the wafer 200 is set on the wafer carrier 100, it is located on the support platform, and the edge of the wafer 200 contacts the multiple support members 121 distributed in a ring, that is, the multiple support members 121 located on the same horizontal plane support one wafer 200. In order to reduce the friction between the wafer 200 and the support member 121 during the transportation of the wafer carrier 100, the embodiment of the present application provides a support pad 130 on each support member 121, wherein the support pad 130 is elastic. When the wafer 200 is placed on the support platform, the wafer 200 contacts the support member 121 through the support pad 130. Since the support pad 130 is elastic, when the wafer carrier 100 is impacted during transportation, the support pad 130 can buffer the impact force and reduce the movement of the wafer 200 relative to the support pad 130. In addition, since the support pad 130 is elastic, fewer particles are generated by the friction between the wafer 200 and the support pad 130. Therefore, the wafer carrier 100 provided by the embodiment of the present application can improve the stability of the wafer 200 during transportation and reduce contamination.

[0029] The specific material of the support pad 130 is not limited in the embodiment of the present application, and those skilled in the art can make a specific selection based on actual conditions, as long as it has a certain elasticity and can buffer the friction between the wafer 200 and the support member 121.

[0030] It is understandable that the support frame 110 and the support member 121 should have a certain rigidity. The specific materials are not limited in the embodiment of this application, and those skilled in the art can make specific choices based on actual conditions.

[0031] The wafer carrier 100 provided in the present application is used to load the wafer 200. Specifically, the wafer 200 is placed on the support platform, and the wafer 200 contacts the support pad 130 on the support member 121. Since the support pad 130 is elastic, it can buffer the impact on the wafer carrier 100, reduce the particles generated by the friction between the wafer 200 and the support member 121, improve the stability of the wafer 200 during transportation, and reduce pollution.

[0032] Optionally, the support pad 130 is a soft rubber support pad.

[0033] The soft rubber support pad is used as the support pad 130 , so that the support pad 130 has a certain elasticity and the material is relatively soft, and is not easy to rub against the wafer 200 to generate particles, thereby reducing the generation of particles.

[0034] In one possible implementation of the embodiment of the present application, the support pad 130 is a rubber support pad.

[0035] Rubber has excellent elasticity, resilience and wear resistance, and can increase the service life of the support pad 130 .

[0036] Specifically, the support pad 130 may be made of fluororubber.

[0037] Optional, such as Figure 1 As shown, the wafer carrier 100 includes a plurality of support platforms arranged along the vertical direction, each support platform includes at least three support members 121 , and the projections of the support members 121 of each support platform in the vertical direction overlap correspondingly.

[0038] A plurality of supporting platforms are disposed in the wafer carrier 100 , and the plurality of supporting platforms are arranged in a vertical direction. Thus, one wafer carrier 100 can accommodate and carry a plurality of wafers 200 at the same time, thereby improving the working efficiency of the wafer carrier 100 .

[0039] It can be understood that in the embodiment of the present application, the distance between two adjacent support platforms is equal, and the distance between two adjacent support platforms is greater than or equal to the thickness of the wafer 200 to facilitate the placement of the wafer 200.

[0040] The projections of the support members 121 of each support platform in the vertical direction overlap, making the structure of the wafer carrier 100 more regular. When the support frame 110 includes a fixing plate 111 and a fixing rod 112, multiple support members 121 that overlap in the vertical direction can be set on the same fixing rod 112.

[0041] In one possible implementation of the embodiment of the present application, Figure 4 As shown, the support members 121 that overlap in vertical projection form a support group, and the support pads 130 on all the support members 121 of the support group are interconnected to form an integrated structure.

[0042] Due to the limited size of the wafer 200, the support member 121 is relatively small. Therefore, when the support pad 130 is installed on the support member 121, it is not very convenient to operate. In the embodiment of the present application, the support pads 130 on all the support members 121 in the support group are connected to each other into an integrated structure, so that multiple support pads 130 are connected as one, which is convenient for installation. In addition, when multiple support pads 130 are connected as one, the connection between two adjacent support pads 130 is bound to be located between the inner wall of the support frame 110 and the wafer 200. When the wafer carrier 100 is impacted, the connection can prevent the wafer 200 from contacting the inner wall of the support frame 110, thereby avoiding friction between the wafer 200 and the support frame 110, and further improving the stability of the wafer 200 during transportation.

[0043] Optional, such as Figure 3 As shown, the support pad 130 is wrapped around the outer surface of the support member 121.

[0044] The support pad 130 is wrapped around the outer surface of the support member 121 so that the wafers 200 on both sides of the support member 121 are in contact with the support pad 130, thereby avoiding collision between the wafer 200 and the adjacent upper support member 121, thereby further improving stability during transportation.

[0045] It should be noted that, in order to more clearly show the connection relationship between the support pad 130 and the support member 121, Figure 3 Only a portion of the support pad 130 is shown, so that the support member 121 is exposed.

[0046] In one possible implementation of the embodiment of the present application, Figure 3 As shown, the contact between the support pad 130 and the wafer 200 is surface contact.

[0047] The contact between the support pad 130 and the wafer 200 is surface contact, which can increase the contact area between the wafer 200 and the support pad 130 , thereby improving the contact stability between the wafer 200 and the support pad 130 and further improving the stability of the wafer carrier 100 during transportation.

[0048] Optional, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the support frame 110 includes two relatively fixed plates 111 and at least two fixed rods 112, wherein the fixed rods 112 are connected between the two fixed plates 111, and the two adjacent fixed rods 112 are arranged in parallel, and the support member 121 is connected to the fixed rods 112. In this way, the fixed rods 112 can be used to connect and fix the support member 121 so that the support member 121 is distributed in a ring shape on the same horizontal plane of the support frame 110, thereby facilitating the carrying of the wafer 200.

[0049] In order to save materials and facilitate installation, in this embodiment, the number of the above-mentioned fixing rods 112 is at least two. For example, the number of fixing rods 112 can be two, three, four, etc. Preferably, the number of fixing rods 112 is four, and the number of support members 121 of a support platform is also four. The support members 121 correspond one-to-one with the fixing rods 112. In this way, the wafer 200 can be mounted on the support platform composed of four support members 121, so that the stability of the support platform can be better. It should be understood that the fixing rods 112 should correspond one-to-one with the support members 121 of each support platform (that is, when there are three fixing rods 112, three support members 121 can be set accordingly, and the three support members 121 are located in the same horizontal plane. The three support members 121 together form a support platform for supporting the wafer 200). When there are multiple fixing rods 112, the multiple fixing rods 112 should be arranged around the edge of the fixing plate 111 to form a ring-shaped distribution of fixing rods 112. In this way, one end of the support member 121 is connected to the fixing rod 112 and the other end is extended toward the central axis of the support frame 110, so that the multiple support members 121 can be distributed in a ring shape.

[0050] It should be noted that, in order to facilitate the arrangement of other components and increase the contact area between the wafer 200 and the support platform, one or two fixing rods 112 can be set as a curved plate with a certain area, such as Figure 1 shown.

[0051] Among them, the fixing plate 111 is a circular plate or an annular plate, so that the two ends of the fixing rod 112 are respectively connected to the edges of the fixing plate 111, so that the fixing rod 112 forms a circular ring shape, and then the supporting platform composed of the support member 121 is also circular ring-shaped, which is convenient for carrying the wafer 200 and makes the force on the edge of the wafer 200 relatively balanced.

[0052] In one achievable method of the embodiment of the present application, the fixed plate 111 located above in the vertical direction is the top plate, and a handle is rotatably provided on the top plate. The handle is connected to the top plate through an elastic member, and the elastic member accumulates potential energy when the handle is perpendicular to the top plate.

[0053] A handle is provided on the top plate. During the transportation of the wafer 200, the operator can hold the handle to transfer the wafer carrier 100. In an embodiment of the present application, the handle is connected to the top plate through an elastic member, and the elastic member accumulates potential energy when the handle is perpendicular to the top plate. When the operator carries the wafer carrier 100, the handle is perpendicular to the top plate. At this time, the elastic member accumulates potential energy. When the operator lets go, due to the presence of elastic potential energy, the handle moves closer to the top plate until it is parallel to the top plate, so that the handle does not occupy additional distance in the vertical direction when not in use, thereby avoiding the wafer 200 from hitting the handle when placing or taking it out, causing the wafer carrier 100 to tilt or even flip.

[0054] Specifically, the specific form of the elastic member is not limited in the embodiment of the present application, and those skilled in the art can select it according to actual conditions. For example, it can be a torsion spring, and the two ends of the torsion spring are respectively connected to the top plate and the handle.

[0055] Optionally, the support frame 110 includes an opening for the wafer 200 to enter and exit, and a locking member is also slidably provided on the inner side wall of the support frame 110 near the opening, and a plurality of locking grooves are spaced apart on the locking member. During the sliding process, the locking member aligns or misaligns the locking grooves and the support platform.

[0056] In order to prevent the wafer 200 from sliding out of the opening and falling during the transportation of the wafer carrier 100, a locking member is also slidably provided on the inner side wall of the support frame 110 in the embodiment of the present application. Specifically, a locking groove corresponding to the number of support platforms is provided in the vertical direction on the locking member, wherein the distance between two adjacent locking grooves is equal to the distance between two adjacent support platforms, so that when the locking member is driven to move, the locking grooves and the support platforms are aligned one-to-one or misaligned. When the locking grooves and the support platforms are aligned one-to-one, the wafer 200 can enter or be taken out of the support frame 110 through the opening; when the locking grooves and the support platforms are misaligned, since the locking grooves and the support platforms are misaligned, and the locking grooves are provided on the inner side wall of the support frame 110 near the opening, the side walls of the locking grooves block the passage for the wafer 200 to enter or be taken out of the support platform. At this time, the wafer 200 cannot enter or be taken out of the support platform. The operator can drive the locking parts according to the status and position of the wafer carrier 100 so that the wafer 200 is not restricted when entering or taking out. During the transportation of the wafer carrier 100, the falling of the wafer 200 is restricted, thereby improving the stability of the wafer carrier 100 during transportation.

[0057] The specific locking method of the locking member is not limited in the embodiment of the present application, and those skilled in the art can set a switch or other component to control the state of the locking member according to actual conditions.

[0058] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. Various modifications and variations are possible for those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present application shall be included within the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A wafer carrier, characterized in that: It includes a support frame and a support platform connected to the support frame, the support platform includes at least two support members distributed on the same horizontal plane, and at least two of the support members are distributed in a ring shape. The wafer is accommodated in the support frame and mounted on the support platform. Each of the support members is provided with a support pad, and the support pad is elastic.

2. The wafer carrier according to claim 1, wherein: The support pad is a soft rubber support pad.

3. The wafer carrier according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The support pad is a rubber support pad.

4. The wafer carrier according to claim 1, wherein: It comprises a plurality of support platforms arranged along the vertical direction, each support platform comprises at least three support members, and the projections of the support members of each support platform in the vertical direction overlap correspondingly.

5. The wafer carrier according to claim 3, wherein: The support members that overlap in vertical projection form a support group, and the support pads on all the support members of the support group are connected to each other to form an integrated structure.

6. The wafer carrier according to claim 1, wherein: The support pad is wrapped around the outer surface of the support member.

7. The wafer carrier according to claim 6, wherein: The support pad is in surface contact with the wafer.

8. The wafer carrier according to claim 1, wherein: The support frame includes two relatively fixed plates and at least two fixed rods, wherein the fixed rods are connected between the two fixed plates, and two adjacent fixed rods are arranged in parallel, and the support member is connected to the fixed rods.

9. The wafer carrier according to claim 8, wherein: The fixed plate located above in the vertical direction is a top plate, on which a handle is rotatably provided. The handle is connected to the top plate through an elastic member, and the elastic member accumulates potential energy when the handle is perpendicular to the top plate.

10. The wafer carrier according to claim 1, wherein: The support frame includes an opening for wafers to enter and exit, and a locking member is slidably provided on the inner side wall of the support frame near the opening. A plurality of locking grooves are spaced apart on the locking member. During the sliding process, the locking member aligns or misaligns the locking grooves and the support platform.

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