Wafer automatic loading and unloading device

Abstract

The utility model discloses an automatic loading and unloading device for wafers. The automatic loading and unloading device comprises a first carrying disc, a second carrying disc arranged above the first carrying disc, an overturning driving unit for driving the second carrying disc to face the first carrying disc or a hanging tool, an assembling driving unit and an assembling driving unit. According to the utility model, on one hand, the center of the wafer is adjusted by driving the first carrying disc, and the wafer and the sealing ring are accurately matched on the second carrying disc under the driving of the lifting component, so that the loading precision of the wafer and the sealing ring is greatly improved; on the other hand, automatic alignment, loading and unloading of the wafer and the sealing ring are achieved, operation is easy and convenient, and loading efficiency is high.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of semiconductor technology, specifically relating to an automatic wafer loading and unloading device. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, in the electroplating process of wafers, the wafer and sealing ring need to be loaded onto a rack, and the rack is placed in the electroplating tank for electroplating. After the electroplating is completed, the rack is removed, and the wafer and sealing ring are unloaded from the rack.

[0003] A Chinese patent with publication number CN113249774A discloses an automatic loading and unloading mechanism for electroplating fixtures of wafer-type products. The mechanism includes a Y-axis fixture socket, an electroplating fixture, an X-axis sliding assembly, a P-axis flip-drive assembly, a flip-support assembly, and a loading / unloading suction cup assembly. The Y-axis fixture socket is arranged along the Y-axis, and the electroplating fixture is inserted into the Y-axis fixture socket, with a material groove on at least one side. The X-axis sliding assembly is fixed to the bottom of the Y-axis fixture socket along the X-axis. The P-axis flip-drive assembly is located on the material groove side of the electroplating fixture and moves closer to or further away from the electroplating fixture along the X-axis through the X-axis sliding assembly. The loading / unloading suction cup assembly is connected to the P-axis flip-drive assembly through the flip-support assembly, and when the P-axis flip-drive assembly drives the flip-support assembly to flip along the P-axis and move along the X-axis, it can drive the loading / unloading suction cup assembly to align with the material groove to complete the loading or unloading of wafer-type products. The X-axis is perpendicular to the Y-axis, and the P-axis is parallel to the Y-axis.

[0004] However, in actual use, existing technology requires a robotic arm to transfer the wafer to the suction cup of the loading and unloading suction cup assembly. During the transfer, the wafer has a high probability of shifting. Therefore, when loading the wafer, it is impossible to ensure the concentricity between the sealing ring and the wafer, which affects the sealing and conductivity between the sealing ring and the wafer after loading. Summary of the Invention

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

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution adopted by this utility model is as follows:

[0007] An automated wafer loading and unloading device includes a first tray, a second tray disposed above the first tray, a flipping drive unit for driving the second tray toward the first tray or a mounting fixture, an assembly drive unit, and a fitting drive unit. The wafer is placed flat on the first tray, and a sealing ring is placed on the second tray. The assembly drive unit includes a centering component and a lifting component. When the second tray is toward the first tray, the centering component drives the first tray and aligns the center of the wafer with the center of the sealing ring vertically. The lifting component drives the wafer to transfer between the first and second trays. When the second tray is toward the mounting fixture, the fitting drive unit drives the wafer and the sealing ring to be loaded or unloaded from the fixture.

[0008] Preferably, the second carrier disk includes a carrier disk body, a first adsorption element and a second adsorption element having a first adsorption region and a second adsorption region respectively formed on one side of the carrier disk body. During assembly, the sealing ring is adsorbed in the first adsorption region, and the wafer is adsorbed in the second adsorption region with its edges in contact with the surface of the sealing ring. Here, the first and second adsorption elements, which are independent of each other, are used to adsorb and fix the sealing ring and the wafer respectively. At the same time, based on the wafer being kept in contact with the surface of the sealing ring, the adsorption stability of the wafer and the sealing ring is greatly improved.

[0009] Specifically, a first annular cavity and a second annular cavity are formed within the carrier disk body, which are separated from each other and are connected to the first and second adsorption elements respectively. A plurality of first through holes and a plurality of second through holes are formed on one side of the carrier disk body, which are connected to the first and second annular cavities and are distributed in a ring array. The plurality of first through holes adsorb sealing rings, and the plurality of second through holes adsorb wafers.

[0010] Preferably, the assembly drive unit includes a rotary power component that drives the second carrier disk to rotate around its own axis, and a translational force component that drives the second carrier disk to reciprocate along its own axis. The rotational axis formed by the rotary power component intersects with the rotational axis formed by the flipping drive unit. It should be noted that a locking hole is formed on the sealing ring, and a locking pin is provided on the hanger. Therefore, when loading or unloading the wafer, the rotary power component drives the second carrier disk to rotate, thereby locking or unlocking the locking pin with the locking hole. Here, the two rotational axes intersect at one point, which reduces the required movement space for the second carrier disk and facilitates improved structural compactness.

[0011] Preferably, the wafer is placed flat on the first carrier disk with its edges protruding outwards. The centering component includes a detection module for detecting the wafer edge contour, a processor for acquiring wafer edge contour information to calculate the wafer center position, and a drive module for driving the first carrier disk. By determining the wafer center position through wafer edge contour detection and adjusting the wafer center position through the movement of the first carrier disk, automatic wafer centering without external force is achieved, greatly reducing the probability of wafer deformation and breakage and improving wafer centering accuracy.

[0012] Specifically, the detection module includes multiple detection cameras circumferentially spaced around the first carrier disk, and the multiple detection cameras simultaneously detect the wafer edge contour; the multiple detection cameras are located below the wafer, wherein each detection camera forms a detection port from the upper end for acquiring wafer edge contour information; the multiple detection ports are flush.

[0013] Furthermore, each inspection camera is also equipped with a protective cover over the inspection port, wherein the top of the protective cover is made of transparent material and the sides are made of light-blocking material, and the top of the protective cover extends outward and downward from the inner side.

[0014] Preferably, the wafer has a first radial direction and a second radial direction that are perpendicular to each other; the driving module includes a first driving member that drives the first carrier disk to reciprocate along the first radial direction, a second driving member that drives the first carrier disk to reciprocate along the second radial direction, and a third driving member that drives the first carrier disk to rotate around its own centerline.

[0015] In addition, the first carrier has multiple vacuum adsorption holes arranged in a ring at intervals. The wafer is placed flat and adsorbed onto the first carrier through the multiple vacuum adsorption holes. A lifting channel is provided in the middle of the first carrier. The lifting components include a lifting suction cup provided in the lifting channel and a lifting power component that drives the lifting suction cup to move up and down along the lifting channel.

[0016] Due to the implementation of the above technical solution, this utility model has the following advantages compared with the prior art:

[0017] Existing technologies require a robotic arm to transfer wafers onto the suction cups of the loading / unloading chuck assembly. However, wafers have a high probability of shifting during transfer, making it impossible to ensure concentricity between the sealing ring and the wafer during loading. This affects the sealing performance and conductivity between the sealing ring and the wafer after loading. This application addresses the shortcomings and defects of the existing technology by comprehensively designing the structure of the automatic wafer loading / unloading device. With this device, the sealing ring and wafer are first placed on the second and first trays, respectively; then, the device is driven by a centering component. The first tray adjusts the wafer's center to align with the sealing ring, and under the drive of the lifting mechanism, loads the wafer onto the second tray. Then, the second tray is flipped by a flipping drive unit to align the wafer and sealing ring with the mounting bracket, and under the drive of an assembly drive unit, the wafer and sealing ring are loaded onto the mounting bracket. During unloading, the assembly drive unit unloads the wafer and sealing ring from the mounting bracket onto the second tray, and the flipping drive unit flips the second tray so that the wafer and sealing ring face the first tray. Finally, the lifting mechanism pulls the wafer back onto the first tray. Therefore, compared with the prior art, this invention, on the one hand, achieves wafer center adjustment by driving the first tray and ensures precise alignment of the wafer and sealing ring on the second tray under the drive of the lifting mechanism, thus greatly improving the loading accuracy of the wafer and sealing ring; on the other hand, it achieves automatic alignment and loading / unloading of the wafer and sealing ring, making operation simple, convenient, and highly efficient. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a front view schematic diagram of the automated wafer loading and unloading device in this embodiment (the second tray faces the first tray);

[0019] Figure 2 This is a front view schematic diagram of the automated wafer loading and unloading device in this embodiment (the second tray is facing the mounting bracket);

[0020] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the first carrier disk and the assembly drive unit (first-person perspective);

[0021] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the first carrier disk and the assembly drive unit (second perspective);

[0022] Figure 5 for Figure 2 A three-dimensional structural diagram (first-person view) of the second carrier disk and the assembly drive unit;

[0023] Figure 6 for Figure 2 A three-dimensional structural diagram (second perspective) of the second carrier disk and the assembly drive unit;

[0024] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the wafer and sealing ring being loaded onto the mounting fixture in this embodiment.

[0025] Among them: 1. First carrier plate; 10. Lifting channel;

[0026] 2. Second carrier disk; 20. Carrier disk body; k1. First through hole; k2. Second through hole;

[0027] 3. Flip drive unit;

[0028] 4. Assemble the drive unit; 40. Alignment component; 400. Detection module; a. Detection camera; z. Protective cover; 401. Drive module; b1. First drive component; b11. First base; b12. Second base; b2. Second drive component; b21. Third base; b3. Third drive component; b31. Rotating base; b32. Third power component; 41. Lifting component; 410. Lifting suction cup; 411. Lifting power component;

[0029] 5. Assembly drive unit; 50. Rotary power component; 51. Translational power component;

[0030] H, sealing ring; Y, wafer; J, mounting fixture. Detailed Implementation

[0031] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of this application. However, this application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of this application. Therefore, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0032] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, 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, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0033] 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 technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0034] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0035] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0036] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening 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 possible implementation.

[0037] like Figures 1 to 7 As shown, the automatic wafer loading and unloading device of this embodiment includes a first carrier tray 1, a second carrier tray 2 disposed above the first carrier tray 1, a flipping drive unit 3 that drives the second carrier tray 2 toward the first carrier tray 1 or the mounting fixture J, an assembly drive unit 4, and an assembly drive unit 5.

[0038] Specifically, the first carrier disk 1 is a horizontally arranged suction cup, wherein the first carrier disk 1 has multiple vacuum adsorption holes distributed in a ring at intervals, the wafer Y is placed flat and adsorbed on the first carrier disk 1 through the multiple vacuum adsorption holes, and the edge of the wafer Y protrudes outward from the first carrier disk 1.

[0039] In this example, the second carrier 2 is a suction cup, and the second carrier 2 includes a carrier body 20, a first adsorption member and a second adsorption member forming a first adsorption area and a second adsorption area on one side of the carrier body, respectively. During assembly, the sealing ring H is adsorbed in the first adsorption area, and the wafer Y is adsorbed in the second adsorption area and keeps its edge in contact with the surface of the sealing ring H.

[0040] In some specific embodiments, a first annular cavity and a second annular cavity are formed within the carrier disk body 20, spaced apart internally and correspondingly connected to the first and second adsorption elements. One side of the carrier disk body 20 has a plurality of first through holes k1 and a plurality of second through holes k2, respectively connected to the first and second annular cavities and arranged in a ring array. The plurality of first through holes k1 adsorb the sealing ring H, and the plurality of second through holes k2 adsorb the wafer Y. Both the first and second adsorption elements employ conventional vacuum mechanisms, which will not be elaborated upon here.

[0041] In this example, the flip drive unit 3 uses a conventional drive motor.

[0042] In this example, the assembly drive unit 4 includes a centering component 40 and a lifting component 41. When the second carrier 2 faces the first carrier 1, the centering component 40 is used to drive the first carrier 1 and drive the wafer Y center to align vertically with the sealing ring H center. The lifting component 41 is used to drive the wafer to transfer between the first carrier 1 and the second carrier 2.

[0043] In some specific embodiments, the centering component 40 includes a detection module 400 for detecting the wafer edge contour, a processor for acquiring wafer edge contour information to calculate the wafer center position, and a drive module 401 for driving the first carrier disk. By determining the wafer center position through wafer edge contour detection and adjusting the wafer center position through the movement of the first carrier disk 1, automatic wafer centering without external force is achieved, greatly reducing the probability of wafer deformation and breakage and improving wafer centering accuracy.

[0044] The inspection module 400 includes multiple inspection cameras a distributed circumferentially around the first carrier disk 1, and the multiple inspection cameras a synchronously inspect the wafer edge contour; the multiple inspection cameras a are located below the wafer, wherein each inspection camera a forms an inspection port from its upper end for acquiring wafer edge contour information; the multiple inspection ports are flush. Each inspection camera a is also provided with a protective cover z covering the inspection port, wherein the top of the protective cover z is made of transparent material and the sides are made of light-blocking material, and the top of the protective cover z extends outward and downward from the inner side.

[0045] The wafer Y has a first radial direction and a second radial direction perpendicular to each other; the driving module 401 includes a first driving member b1 that drives the first carrier disk to reciprocate along the first radial direction, a second driving member b2 that drives the first carrier disk to reciprocate along the second radial direction, and a third driving member b3 that drives the first carrier disk 1 to rotate around its own center line. The first driving member b1 includes a first base b11, a second base b12 that is slidably connected to the first base b11 along the first radial direction, and a first power member that drives the second base b12 to reciprocate along the first radial direction. The detection module 400 is fixed on the first base b11. The second driving member b2 includes a third base b21 that is slidably connected to the second base b12 along the second radial direction, and a second power member that drives the third base b21 to reciprocate along the second radial direction. The third driving member b3 includes a rotating base b31 that is rotatably disposed on the third base b21 and extends vertically, and a third power member b3 that is fixedly disposed on the third base b21 and used to drive the rotating base b31 to rotate around the vertical center line. 32, wherein the upper end of the rotating seat b31 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the first carrier plate 1, and the third power component b32 is driven by a belt. For ease of implementation, the first seat b11 forms a clearance notch, the third seat b21 is slidably connected to the bottom of the second seat b12, the third power component b32 is set at the bottom of the third seat b21, and the second seat b12 forms a clearance notch, through which the rotating seat b31 is connected to the third seat b21.

[0046] A lifting channel 10 is provided in the middle of the first carrier tray 1. The lifting component 41 includes a lifting suction cup 410 disposed in the lifting channel 10 and a lifting power component 411 that drives the lifting suction cup 410 to move up and down along the lifting channel 10. During the loading process, when the wafer is placed flat on the first carrier tray 1, the lifting suction cup 410 is attracted to the bottom surface of the wafer. After the centering is completed, the lifting suction cup 410 lifts the wafer upward and attracts it to the second carrier tray 2. During the unloading process, the wafer is transferred from the holder J to the second carrier tray 2. The lifting suction cup 410 moves upward and attracts the bottom surface of the wafer. The lifting suction cup 410 moves downward to transfer the wafer back to the first carrier tray 1 for unloading by the robot arm.

[0047] In this example, the assembly drive unit 5 includes a rotary power component 50 that drives the second carrier 2 to rotate around its own axis, and a translational force component 51 that drives the second carrier 2 to reciprocate along its own axis. The rotation axis formed by the rotary power component 50 intersects with the rotation axis formed by the flipping drive unit 3. When the second carrier 2 faces the hanger J, the assembly drive unit 5 drives the wafer and sealing ring to be loaded or unloaded from the hanger J. It should be noted that the sealing ring has a locking hole, and the hanger is equipped with a locking pin. Therefore, when loading or unloading the wafer, the rotary power component drives the second carrier 2 to rotate, thereby causing the locking pin to lock or unlock with the locking hole.

[0048] In summary, after adopting this loading and unloading device, the sealing ring and the wafer are first placed on the second tray and the first tray, respectively. Then, the centering component drives the first tray to adjust the wafer's center and align it with the sealing ring. Driven by the lifting power component, the wafer is loaded onto the second tray. Next, the flipping drive unit drives the second tray to flip so that the wafer and sealing ring face the hanger. Driven by the assembly drive unit, the wafer and sealing ring are loaded onto the hanger. During unloading, the assembly drive unit drives the wafer and sealing ring to unload from the hanger onto the second tray, and the flipping drive unit flips the second tray so that the wafer and sealing ring face the first tray. Finally, the lifting component drives the wafer back onto the first tray. Therefore, compared with the prior art, this utility model, on the one hand, achieves wafer center adjustment by driving the first carrier disk and achieves precise matching of the wafer and sealing ring on the second carrier disk under the drive of the lifting component, thereby greatly improving the loading accuracy of the wafer and sealing ring; on the other hand, it realizes automatic alignment and loading / unloading of the wafer and sealing ring, which is simple, convenient and efficient; thirdly, it uses independent first and second adsorption components to adsorb and fix the sealing ring and wafer respectively, and based on the wafer synchronously keeping it in contact with the surface of the sealing ring, it greatly improves the adsorption stability of the wafer and sealing ring; fourthly, the two rotating shafts intersect at one point, which can reduce the movement space required by the second carrier disk and facilitate the improvement of the structure's compactness.

[0049] The present utility model has been described in detail above, with the aim of enabling those skilled in the art to understand its contents and implement it. However, this description should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present utility model. All equivalent changes or modifications made in accordance with the spirit and essence of the present utility model should be included within the scope of protection of the present utility model.

Claims

1. An automatic wafer loading and unloading device, characterized in that, It includes a first carrier tray, a second carrier tray disposed above the first carrier tray, a flipping drive unit for driving the second carrier tray toward the first carrier tray or a mounting device, an assembly drive unit, and a fitting drive unit, wherein the wafer is placed flat on the first carrier tray and the sealing ring is placed on the second carrier tray; the assembly drive unit includes a centering component and a lifting component; when the second carrier tray is toward the first carrier tray, the centering component drives the first carrier tray and aligns the center of the wafer with the center of the sealing ring vertically; the lifting component drives the wafer to transfer between the first and second carrier trays; when the second carrier tray is toward the mounting device, the fitting drive unit drives the wafer and the sealing ring to be loaded or unloaded from the mounting device.

2. The automatic wafer loading and unloading device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second carrier disk includes a carrier disk body, a first adsorption element and a second adsorption element forming a first adsorption area and a second adsorption area respectively on one side of the carrier disk body. During assembly, the sealing ring is adsorbed in the first adsorption area, and the wafer is adsorbed in the second adsorption area while keeping its edge in contact with the surface of the sealing ring.

3. The automatic wafer loading and unloading device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The carrier disk body forms an inner and outer spaced first annular cavity and a second annular cavity that are correspondingly connected to the first and second adsorption elements. One side of the carrier disk body has a plurality of first through holes and a plurality of second through holes that are respectively connected to the first and second annular cavities and distributed in a ring array. The plurality of first through holes adsorb the sealing ring, and the plurality of second through holes adsorb the wafer.

4. The automatic wafer loading and unloading device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The assembly drive unit includes a rotary power component that drives the second carrier disk to rotate around its own axis and a translational force component that drives the second carrier disk to reciprocate along its own axis, wherein the rotation axis formed by the rotary power component intersects with the rotation axis formed by the flipping drive unit.

5. The automatic wafer loading and unloading device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The wafer is placed flat on the first carrier disk with its edges protruding outwards; the centering component includes a detection module for detecting the wafer edge contour, a processor for acquiring wafer edge contour information to calculate the wafer center position, and a drive module for driving the first carrier disk.

6. The automatic wafer loading and unloading device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The detection module includes multiple detection cameras circumferentially spaced around the first carrier disk, and the multiple detection cameras simultaneously detect the wafer edge contour.

7. The automatic wafer loading and unloading device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The plurality of inspection cameras are located below the wafer, wherein each inspection camera forms an inspection port from its upper end for acquiring wafer edge contour information; the plurality of inspection ports are flush with each other.

8. The automatic wafer loading and unloading device according to claim 7, characterized in that, Each of the detection cameras is also provided with a protective cover over the detection port, wherein the top of the protective cover is made of transparent material and the sides are made of light-blocking material, and the top of the protective cover extends outward and downward from the inner side.

9. The automatic wafer loading and unloading device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The wafer has a first radial direction and a second radial direction that are perpendicular to each other; the driving module includes a first driving member that drives the first carrier disk to reciprocate along the first radial direction, a second driving member that drives the first carrier disk to reciprocate along the second radial direction, and a third driving member that drives the first carrier disk to rotate around its own centerline.

10. The automatic wafer loading and unloading device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first carrier has a plurality of vacuum adsorption holes arranged in a ring at intervals. The wafer is placed flat and adsorbed onto the first carrier through the plurality of vacuum adsorption holes. A lifting channel is provided in the middle of the first carrier. The lifting component includes a lifting suction cup disposed in the lifting channel and a lifting power component that drives the lifting suction cup to move up and down along the lifting channel.

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