EFEM wafer automatic feeding and discharging machine

Abstract

The utility model relates to an EFEM wafer automatic loading and unloading machine, which comprises a rack, an edge searching calibrator and a transshipment manipulator, a material placing area, a transshipment area and a calibration area which are communicated are formed on the rack, and a wafer carrier, the transshipment manipulator and the edge searching calibrator are correspondingly arranged in the material placing area, the transshipment area and the calibration area. The transshipment manipulator comprises a movable arm, a taking and placing finger and a negative pressure part; the movable arm is provided with a movable end part capable of moving among the material placing area, the transshipment area and the calibration area; and a leaning grid part matched with the edge contour of the wafer and a supporting part arranged opposite to the leaning grid part are formed on the taking and placing finger. According to the utility model, on one hand, based on the cooperation of the leaning grid part and the supporting part, through the negative pressure groove extending along the chord length direction of the wafer, the wafer can be rapidly adsorbed and positioned without external force clamping, and the probability that the edge of the wafer is damaged due to stress is greatly reduced; and on the other hand, operation is simple and convenient, and wafer taking and placing efficiency is high.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model belongs to the field of semiconductor equipment, and in particular relates to an EFEM wafer automatic loading and unloading machine. Background Art

[0002] As we all know, wafers refer to silicon chips used to make silicon semiconductor circuits. They are silicon wafers formed by grinding, polishing, and slicing silicon crystal rods. In fact, the wafers produced by enterprises are not purely round, but have uniform notches or edges to facilitate the positioning of the wafers by the equipment. Only in this way can the direction be better determined when the CPU core is produced and cut later.

[0003] Currently, in existing wafer transfer equipment (Equipment Front End Module, EFEM), wafers are mainly stored in carriers. When loading, wafers need to be removed one by one and placed on an edge finder calibrator for edge finder calibration. The calibrated wafers are then loaded for the next process, and finally the processed wafers are placed back on the carrier.

[0004] However, in the actual production process, wafers are generally clamped by a robot with claws to transfer them between the carrier and the edge finder and calibrator and to implement wafer loading and unloading. When clamping the wafer, the claws need to clamp it on the edge of the wafer. In this way, the edge of the wafer is subjected to force, especially at the notch position of the wafer edge, which is prone to deformation or damage. In addition, when the claws are used to take and place the wafer, they need to go through the process of aligning the claws with the wafer, retracting the claws, and opening the claws. The operation is cumbersome and the take and place efficiency is low. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by the utility model is to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art and provide an improved EFEM wafer automatic loading and unloading machine.

[0006] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0007] An EFEM wafer automatic loading and unloading machine includes a frame, an edge-finding calibrator and a transfer robot, wherein the frame is formed with a connected loading area, a transfer area and a calibration area, and the wafer carrier, the transfer robot and the edge-finding calibrator are correspondingly arranged in the loading area, the transfer area and the calibration area, and the transfer robot includes a movable arm, a pick-and-place finger and a negative pressure component, wherein the movable arm has a movable end that can move between the loading area, the transfer area and the calibration area; the pick-and-place finger is fixedly connected to the movable end, and the pick-and-place finger is formed with a grid portion matching the edge contour of the wafer and a support portion arranged opposite to the grid portion, wherein the support portion is recessed inward from the top surface and forms a negative pressure groove, which extends along any chord length direction of the wafer and is connected to the negative pressure component, so that the wafer can be leaned against the grid portion from the edge and synchronously adsorbed and supported on the support portion from the bottom surface. It should be noted that when the wafer rests against the gate, it can be quickly positioned in the radial direction of the wafer; at the same time, based on the negative pressure groove extending along the chord length direction of the wafer, the wafer is subjected to a downward adsorption force in the chord length direction, thereby effectively avoiding the deviation of the wafer caused by inertia during movement.

[0008] According to a specific implementation and preferred aspect of the present invention, the extension line of the negative pressure groove is arranged to intersect with the grid portion, thereby enhancing the coordination between the grid portion and the support portion and ensuring the position accuracy of the wafer during placement and handling.

[0009] Preferably, the negative pressure groove is communicated with the negative pressure component from one end close to the grid portion.

[0010] According to another specific implementation and preferred aspect of the present invention, there are at least two grid portions spaced apart along the radial direction of the wafer, wherein each grid portion corresponds to and matches wafers of different diameters, thereby flexibly adapting to the placement and loading of wafers of different diameters.

[0011] According to another specific embodiment and preferred aspect of the present invention, the pick-and-place finger includes a main body fixedly connected to the movable end portion, and two separate bodies extending outward from one end of the main body and spaced apart horizontally side by side. The grid portion is formed on the main body, and there are two supporting portions, one on each of the two separate bodies. This effectively improves the wafer's adsorption and support, preventing the wafer from accidentally falling during transfer.

[0012] Preferably, the two supporting parts are symmetrically arranged about the center of the wafer.

[0013] Preferably, a through hole is formed at the bottom of each negative pressure groove, and a negative pressure channel connecting the two through holes and the negative pressure component is formed inside the body, wherein the centers of the two through holes and the center of the wafer are on the same straight line.

[0014] According to another specific embodiment and preferred aspect of the present invention, the edge-finding calibrator includes an edge-finding module and a receiving module. The receiving module includes a receiving die base with a calibration station and a material-retrieving station, a suction head movably mounted on the receiving die base, and a drive member that drives the suction head back and forth between the calibration station and the material-retrieving station. The edge-finding module is positioned at the calibration station. This facilitates the connection between the wafer carrier and the edge-finding calibrator during transfer. The receiving die base also enables temporary storage, facilitating loading and unloading operations for multiple wafers at different stages using a single transfer robot.

[0015] According to another specific embodiment and preferred aspect of the present invention, a barcode reading area is formed on the rack, and the loading and unloading equipment also includes a barcode reader disposed in the barcode reading area for reading the wafer surface code. The transfer robot drives the calibrated wafer through the barcode reader's barcode reading area before loading. This enables rapid and accurate wafer ID reading without manual operation.

[0016] In addition, the wafer loading area, calibration area, and code reading area are distributed around the transfer area, shortening the wafer transfer distance and improving transfer efficiency.

[0017] Due to the implementation of the above technical solution, the utility model has the following advantages compared with the prior art:

[0018] The prior art generally uses a robot with a clamping claw to clamp the wafer to transfer it between the carrier and the edge finder and calibrator and implement wafer loading and unloading. When clamping the wafer, the clamping claw needs to clamp it on the edge of the wafer. In this way, the edge of the wafer is subjected to force, especially at the edge notch of the wafer, which is prone to deformation or damage. In addition, when the clamping claw is used to take and place the wafer, it needs to go through the process of aligning the clamping claw with the wafer, contracting the clamping claw, and opening the clamping claw. The operation is cumbersome and the efficiency of taking and placing is low. The present application provides a structure for the EFEM automatic wafer loading and unloading machine. The overall design of the structure cleverly solves the shortcomings and defects of the existing technology. After adopting the loading and unloading equipment, when the transfer robot takes the material, the edge of the wafer is pressed against the grid part on the pick-and-place fingers to form a rapid positioning in the radial direction of the wafer. Then, through the support part on the pick-and-place fingers, the negative pressure formed by the negative pressure groove extending along the chord length of the wafer is used to adsorb the wafer from the bottom surface and support it on the support part, thereby completing the rapid wafer picking. Under the movement of the movable arm, the wafer is transferred between the material placement area, the transfer area and the calibration area. Therefore, compared with the existing technology, the utility model is based on the cooperation of the grid part and the support part. Through the negative pressure groove extending along the chord length of the wafer, it can realize the rapid adsorption and positioning of the wafer without external force clamping, greatly reducing the probability of the wafer edge being damaged by force; on the other hand, it is simple to operate, easy to operate, and has high wafer picking and placing efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the EFEM automatic wafer loading and unloading machine of the utility model;

[0020] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A magnified schematic diagram of the local structure;

[0021] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A magnified schematic diagram of the local structure;

[0022] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A magnified schematic diagram of the local structure;

[0023] Among them: 1. Rack; q1, material placement area; q2, transfer area; q3, calibration area; q4, code reading area; q5, air purification area;

[0024] 2. Edge-finding calibrator; 20. Edge-finding module; 21. Material receiving module; 210. Material receiving die base; w1. Calibration station; w2. Material retrieving station; 211. Adsorption head;

[0025] 3. Transfer robot; 30. Movable arm; 31. Pick-and-place finger; 310. Main body; a. Grid portion; 311. Split body; b. Support portion; c. Negative pressure groove; c0. Through hole; t. Negative pressure channel;

[0026] 4. Barcode reader; Y. Wafer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] To make the above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages of the present application more clearly understood, the specific embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following description sets forth many specific details to facilitate a full understanding of the present application. However, the present application can be implemented in many other ways than those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar improvements without violating the scope of the present application. Therefore, the present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0028] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present 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 the present application.

[0029] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of the technical features being referred to. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of such features. Throughout the description of this application, "plurality" means at least two, for example, two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0030] In this application, unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "installed," "connected," "connect," "fixed," etc. should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they can refer to fixed connection, detachable connection, or integration; mechanical connection or electrical connection; direct connection or indirect connection through an intermediate medium; internal communication between two elements or interaction between two elements, unless otherwise specified. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this application based on specific circumstances.

[0031] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, when a first feature is "above" or "below" a second feature, it can mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or that the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediary. Furthermore, when a first feature is "above," "above," or "above" a second feature, it can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is at a higher horizontal height than the second feature. When a first feature is "below," "below," or "below" a second feature, it can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is at a lower horizontal height than the second feature. It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "disposed on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there can be an intermediate element. When an element is referred to as being "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there can be an intermediate element. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only embodiments.

[0032] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the EFEM wafer automatic loading and unloading machine of this embodiment includes a frame 1, an edge finder calibrator 2, a transfer robot 3, and a code reader 4.

[0033] Specifically, the rack 1 is provided with a connected loading area q1, a transfer area q2, a calibration area q3 and a code reading area q4, wherein the loading area q1, the calibration area q3 and the code reading area q4 are distributed around the transfer area q2, wherein the wafer carrier, the transfer robot 3, the edge-finding calibrator 2 and the code reader 4 are correspondingly arranged in the loading area q1, the transfer area q2, the calibration area q3 and the code reading area q4.

[0034] At the same time, two wafer carriers for loading wafer Y can be set in the loading area q1, one wafer carrier is used for feeding and the other wafer carrier is used for returning; an air purification area q5 is also formed on the rack 1, located above the transfer area q2, the calibration area q3 and the code reading area q4, and a conventional air purifier is installed in the air purification area q5.

[0035] In this example, the edge-finding calibrator 2 includes an edge-finding module 20 and a receiving module 21. The receiving module 21 includes a receiving die base 210 with a calibration station w1 and a retrieving station w2, a suction head 211 movably mounted on the receiving die base 210, and a drive member that drives the suction head 211 back and forth between the calibration station w1 and the retrieving station w2. The drive member can be any conventional drive mechanism. The edge-finding module 20 is mounted at the calibration station w1 and is any conventional wafer edge-finding device. This facilitates the connection between the wafer carrier and the edge-finding calibrator during transfer. The receiving die base also enables temporary storage, facilitating loading and unloading operations for multiple wafers in different processes using a single transfer robot.

[0036] In this example, the transfer robot 3 includes a movable arm 30, a pick-and-place finger 31, and a negative pressure component, wherein the movable arm 30 has a movable end portion that can move between the material placement area q1, the transfer area q2, the calibration area q3, and the code reading area q4; the pick-and-place finger 31 is fixedly connected to the movable end portion, and the pick-and-place finger 31 is formed with a grid portion a that matches the edge contour of the wafer and a support portion b that is arranged opposite to the grid portion a, wherein the support portion b is recessed inward from the top surface and forms a negative pressure groove c, and the negative pressure groove c extends along any chord length direction of the wafer and is connected to the negative pressure component, so that the wafer can be pressed against the grid portion a from the edge and synchronously adsorbed and supported on the support portion b from the bottom surface. It should be noted that when the wafer is pressed against the grid portion, it can achieve rapid positioning in the radial direction of the wafer; at the same time, based on the negative pressure groove extending along the chord length direction of the wafer, the wafer is subjected to a downward adsorption force in the chord length direction, thereby effectively avoiding the deviation phenomenon caused by the influence of inertia during the movement of the wafer.

[0037] In some embodiments, the pick-and-place finger 31 includes a main body 310 fixedly connected to the movable end portion, and two separate bodies 311 extending outward from one end of the main body 310 and spaced horizontally side by side. The grid portion a is formed on the main body 310, and there are two supporting portions b, one on each of the two separate bodies 311. This effectively improves the wafer's adsorption and support, preventing the wafer from accidentally falling during transfer.

[0038] There are at least two gate portions a spaced apart along the radial direction of the wafer, wherein each gate portion corresponds to a wafer of a different diameter, and the inner wall surface of each gate portion a is an arc-shaped surface that matches the edge of the corresponding wafer. This allows for flexible handling of wafers of different diameters.

[0039] The two support parts b are symmetrically arranged about the center of the wafer, and the negative pressure grooves c in the two support parts b are arranged parallel to each other, wherein the extension line of each negative pressure groove c intersects with the gate part a, and the negative pressure groove c is connected to the negative pressure component from one end close to the gate part a.

[0040] For ease of implementation, a through hole c0 is formed at the bottom of each negative pressure groove c, and a Y-shaped negative pressure channel t is formed inside the main body 310, wherein the negative pressure channel t connects the two through holes c0 and the negative pressure component, and the centers of the two through holes and the center of the wafer are on the same straight line.

[0041] In addition, a barcode reader 4 is located in the barcode reading area q4 and is used to read the wafer surface code. The transfer robot 3 drives the calibrated wafer through the barcode reader's reading area before loading it. This allows for fast and accurate wafer ID reading without manual operation.

[0042] In summary, after adopting this loading and unloading equipment, when the transfer robot picks up the material, the edge of the wafer is pressed against the grid part on the pick-and-place fingers to form a rapid positioning in the radial direction of the wafer, and then the support part on the pick-and-place fingers uses the negative pressure formed by the negative pressure groove extending along the chord length of the wafer to adsorb the wafer from the bottom surface and support it on the support part, thereby completing the rapid removal of the wafer, and under the movement of the movable arm, the wafer is transferred between the loading area, the transfer area and the calibration area. Therefore, compared with the prior art, the present invention is based on the cooperation between the grid portion and the support portion. Through the negative pressure groove extending along the chord length direction of the wafer, it can realize rapid adsorption and positioning of the wafer without external clamping, greatly reducing the probability of the wafer edge being damaged by force; on the other hand, it is simple to operate, easy to operate, and has high wafer handling efficiency; thirdly, based on the layout of the negative pressure groove and the grid portion, the cooperation between the grid portion and the support portion is enhanced to ensure the position accuracy of the wafer during handling; fourthly, it facilitates the connection between the wafer and the carrier and the edge calibrator during transfer; at the same time, temporary storage is achieved through the material receiving mold base, which facilitates the loading and unloading operations of multiple wafers in different processes with a single transfer robot; fifthly, it realizes rapid and accurate reading of the wafer ID without manual operation; sixthly, it adopts a surround layout to shorten the wafer transfer stroke and improve transfer efficiency.

[0043] The above detailed description of the utility model is intended to enable people familiar with the technology in this field to understand the content of the utility model and implement it. It is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the utility model. Any equivalent changes or modifications made according to the spirit of the utility model should be included in the scope of protection of the utility model.

Claims

1. An EFEM wafer automatic loading and unloading machine, comprising a frame, an edge finder and calibrator, and a transfer robot, wherein the frame is formed with interconnected material placement area, transfer area, and calibration area, and the wafer carrier, transfer robot, and edge finder and calibrator are correspondingly arranged in the material placement area, transfer area, and calibration area, characterized in that: The transfer robot includes a movable arm, a pick-and-place finger and a negative pressure component, wherein the movable arm has a movable end portion that can move between the material placement area, the transfer area and the calibration area; the pick-and-place finger is fixedly connected to the movable end portion, and the pick-and-place finger is formed with a grid portion that matches the edge contour of the wafer and a support portion arranged opposite to the grid portion, wherein the support portion is recessed inward from the top surface and forms a negative pressure groove, and the negative pressure groove extends along any chord length direction of the wafer and is connected to the negative pressure component, and the wafer can be pressed against the grid portion from the edge and synchronously adsorbed and supported on the support portion from the bottom surface.

2. The EFEM wafer automatic loading and unloading machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: An extension line of the negative pressure groove is arranged to intersect with the gate portion.

3. The EFEM wafer automatic loading and unloading machine according to claim 2, characterized in that: The negative pressure groove is communicated with the negative pressure component from one end close to the gate portion.

4. The EFEM wafer automatic loading and unloading machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: There are at least two gate portions, which are spaced apart along the radial direction of the wafer, wherein each gate portion corresponds to and matches a wafer with a different diameter.

5. The EFEM wafer automatic loading and unloading machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The picking and placing finger includes a main body fixedly connected to the movable end, and two split bodies extending outward from one end of the main body and spaced side by side in the horizontal direction, wherein the gate portion is formed on the main body, and there are two supporting portions which are correspondingly formed on the two split bodies.

6. The EFEM wafer automatic loading and unloading machine according to claim 5, characterized in that: The two supporting parts are symmetrically arranged about the center of the wafer.

7. The EFEM wafer automatic loading and unloading machine according to claim 5, characterized in that: A through hole is formed at the bottom of each negative pressure groove, and a negative pressure channel connecting the two through holes and the negative pressure component is formed inside the body, wherein the centers of the two through holes and the center of the wafer are on the same straight line.

8. The EFEM wafer automatic loading and unloading machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The edge-finding calibrator includes an edge-finding module and a material receiving module, wherein the material receiving module includes a material receiving die base having a calibration station and a material picking station, an adsorption head movably arranged on the material receiving die base, and a driving member that drives the adsorption head to reciprocate between the calibration station and the material picking station; the edge-finding module is arranged at the calibration station.

9. The EFEM wafer automatic loading and unloading machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: A code reading area is also formed on the rack, and the loading and unloading equipment also includes a code reader arranged in the code reading area and used to read the surface code of the wafer. The transfer robot drives the calibrated wafer to pass through the code reading area of ​​the code reader and then loads the wafer.

10. The EFEM wafer automatic loading and unloading machine according to claim 9, characterized in that: The material placement area, calibration area and code reading area are distributed around the transfer area.

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