Monitoring device
By installing an image acquisition module and an LED light source on the inner side wall of the quantity inspection equipment, the problem of inaccurate wafer position teaching on the robotic arm was solved, achieving efficient and compact silicon wafer loading monitoring, and improving production efficiency and product quality.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202423150107.2
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-12-19
- Publication Date
- 2025-11-18
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-12-19
AI Technical Summary
In the semiconductor manufacturing process, during the silicon wafer handling between compact metrology equipment and EFEM equipment, it is difficult to accurately teach the wafer position on the robotic arm, resulting in insufficient wafer loading accuracy and safety. Furthermore, traditional methods are costly and space-consuming.
An image acquisition module, including a lens and an LED light source, is installed on the inner side wall of the measurement and inspection equipment near the window. This module is used to monitor the position of the film on the robotic arm in real time. The image information is transmitted to the display device via cable to achieve field coverage and focus, thereby improving the accuracy and reliability of the film loading position.
It improves the accuracy and reliability of the robotic arm's plate positioning, reduces space occupation, lowers costs, and facilitates use in confined spaces.
Smart Images
Figure CN223566578U_ABST
Abstract
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of semiconductor detection, specifically relates to a monitoring device. BACKGROUND
[0002] With the continuous progress of semiconductor technology and the rapid development of the industry, quality control and efficiency improvement in the semiconductor manufacturing process have become the focus of the industry. As a key link to ensure product quality, the precision and efficiency of semiconductor quantity detection equipment are crucial to improving the performance of the overall production line. Currently, the design and manufacture of semiconductor quantity detection equipment are developing towards compactness, aiming to reduce the floor space occupied by the equipment, improve the utilization rate of factory space, and enhance the flexibility of production line configuration. This compact design not only optimizes the production environment, but also helps to reduce equipment costs and maximize economic benefits.
[0003] However, in the actual operation of semiconductor manufacturing, the wafer handling process between the quantity detection equipment and the EFEM (Equipment Front End Module) faces a series of challenges. Due to the difficulty in completely aligning the relative positions of the newly spliced quantity detection equipment and the EFEM equipment, the point teaching problem of the robot when transferring wafers becomes a key technical problem that needs to be solved. The accuracy of point teaching is directly related to the wafer placement accuracy and the safety of wafers. Any small error can lead to serious consequences, including affecting product quality, reducing production efficiency, and even causing damage to wafers.
[0004] Especially when teaching the robot wafer placement position inside the compact quantity detection equipment, the operator cannot observe the position of the robot and the wafer vertically from the top, which further limits the accuracy and reliability of the teaching. SUMMARY
[0005] In view of the problem that the operator cannot observe the position of the robot and the wafer vertically from the top in the prior art, resulting in insufficient accuracy and reliability of the robot wafer placement position, the present application provides a monitoring device. The monitoring device sets its image acquisition module on the inner side wall of the quantity detection equipment and close to the window of the quantity detection equipment. The installation position of the image acquisition module is directly above the wafer placement position, which can cover a certain field of view and be well focused, improving the accuracy and reliability of the robot wafer placement position, and improving the convenience of operation. The monitoring device has a compact structure, which can reduce space occupation and facilitate use in narrow spaces.
[0006] An embodiment of the present application provides a monitoring device, which includes an image acquisition module, a cable, and a display device. The image acquisition module is connected to the display device through the cable. The image acquisition module is used to collect image information, and the display device is used to display the image information.
[0007] The image acquisition module is arranged on the inner side wall of the quantity detection device and close to the window.
[0008] As an implementation form, the image acquisition module comprises a lens, an image sensor and a light source, the light source is arranged around the lens, the light source is used for illuminating the joint of the quantity detection device and the front-end device module, and the lens and the image sensor are used for collecting image information of the mechanical hand upper piece position of the front-end device module.
[0009] As an implementation form, the light source is an LED light source.
[0010] As an implementation form, the image acquisition module is arranged on the first end of the mounting body, and the cable is arranged in the mounting body and passes through the second end of the mounting body.
[0011] As an implementation form, the cross-sectional dimension of the inner wall of the mounting body is the same as the cross-sectional dimension of the outer wall of the cable.
[0012] As an implementation form, the mounting body is fixed to the inner side wall of the quantity detection device through the mounting seat.
[0013] As an implementation form, the mounting seat comprises a fixing part, a first mounting part and a second mounting part.
[0014] The fixing part is fixed to the inner side wall of the quantity detection device, the first end of the first mounting part and the first end of the second mounting part are fixedly connected with the fixing part, and the first end of the first mounting part abuts against the first end of the second mounting part.
[0015] The first mounting part is provided with a first accommodating groove, the second mounting part is provided with a second accommodating groove, the first mounting part and the second mounting part are combined, the first accommodating groove and the second accommodating groove form a mounting hole for accommodating the mounting body, and there is a gap between the second end of the first mounting part and the second end of the second mounting part.
[0016] As an implementation form, the second end of the first mounting part and the second end of the second mounting part are connected through a fastener, so that the mounting hole formed by the first accommodating groove and the second accommodating groove is fixed with the mounting body.
[0017] As an implementation manner, the fastener comprises a screw and a nut, the second end of the first mounting part and the second end of the second mounting part are provided with through holes, and the screw passes through the through holes.
[0018] As described above, the monitoring device of the present application has the following beneficial effects:
[0019] The monitoring device of the present application can cover a certain field of view and be well focused by arranging the image acquisition module on the inner side wall of the quantity detection equipment and near the window, and the window is located at the splicing position of the quantity detection equipment and the front-end equipment module, and the image acquisition module is located directly above the wafer loading position, and the collected image information is transmitted to the display device in time, the accuracy and reliability of the wafer loading position of the mechanical hand are improved, and the operation convenience is improved; the monitoring device has a compact structure, is equivalent to an endoscope, has a small volume, greatly reduces the space occupation, and is convenient to use in a narrow space. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0020] Figure 1 A structure schematic diagram of a monitoring device installation position of an embodiment of the present application is shown;
[0021] Figure 2 A structure schematic diagram of a lens and a light source in a monitoring device of an embodiment of the present application is shown;
[0022] Figure 3 A structure schematic diagram of an installation main body and a cable in a monitoring device of an embodiment of the present application is shown;
[0023] Figure 4 A top view structure schematic diagram of a mounting seat in a monitoring device of an embodiment of the present application is shown;
[0024] Figure 5 A structure schematic diagram of an installation main body mounted on a mounting seat in a monitoring device of an embodiment of the present application is shown.
[0025] Element number explanation
[0026] 10, quantity detection equipment; 11, window; 12, bearing table; 20, front-end equipment module; 21, mechanical hand; 30, splicing position; 40, silicon wafer; 100, monitoring device; 110, lens; 120, light source; 121, light beam; 130, cable; 140, installation main body; 150, mounting seat; 151, fixed part; 152, first mounting part; 153, second mounting part; 154, mounting hole. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0027] The embodiments of the present application will be described in detail with specific examples. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and functions of the present application from the content disclosed in the specification. The present application can also be implemented or applied in other different specific embodiments, and various modifications or changes can be made to the details in the specification without departing from the spirit of the present application.
[0028] Please refer to Figures 1 to 5 It should be noted that the diagrams provided in the embodiments only illustrate the basic concept of the present application in a schematic manner, and only show the components related to the present application in the diagrams, not the number, shape and size of the components when actually implemented. The shape, number and proportion of each component in actual implementation can be changed arbitrarily, and the component layout pattern can also be more complex.
[0029] With the continuous advancement of semiconductor manufacturing technology, the design and manufacture of semiconductor metrology equipment are developing towards a higher degree of compactness. This trend aims to improve the space utilization of the factory building by reducing the floor space of the equipment, making the production line configuration more flexible and variable, and is expected to reduce the overall equipment cost, thereby achieving double improvement of production efficiency and economic benefit.
[0030] In the semiconductor manufacturing process, the handling of silicon wafers between the metrology equipment and the EFEM (Equipment Front End Module) is usually completed by a high-precision robot. However, in actual application, it is often difficult to achieve perfect position alignment between the newly spliced metrology equipment and the EFEM equipment, which requires the equipment commissioning personnel to accurately demonstrate the point of the robot transfer entrance to ensure the accuracy of the wafer handling. The accuracy of the point demonstration is crucial, and slight inaccuracy may cause the wafer placement accuracy to decrease, and in severe cases, may even cause the wafer to be damaged, posing a serious threat to production efficiency and product quality.
[0031] When performing robot point demonstration inside a compact metrology equipment, one of the major challenges faced by operators is space limitation. Due to the compactness of the equipment structure, it is difficult for the operator to directly observe the wafer placement position from directly above, which greatly increases the difficulty and uncertainty of the point demonstration. To solve this problem, the traditional method is to install a camera and lighting device directly above the observation position to monitor the wafer position in real time. However, this method not only has high cost, but also occupies valuable space resources due to the installation of the camera and lighting equipment, which is contrary to the original design intention of the compact equipment.
[0032] In view of the above defects, the present application provides a monitoring device for monitoring robot point demonstration in a narrow space. The embodiments will be described in detail as follows.
[0033] The embodiment provides a monitoring device, which comprises an image acquisition module, a cable 130 and a display device, the image acquisition module is connected with the display device through the cable 130, the image acquisition module is used for collecting image information, and the display device is used for displaying the image information.
[0034] The monitoring device 100 is arranged at a splicing position 30 of the metrology detection device 10 and the front-end device module 20, so as to monitor the accuracy of the position of the wafer 40 carried by the robot 21. Specifically, as shown in the figure, Figure 1 The metrology detection device 10 is provided with a window 11 on the side wall close to the splicing position 30, and the image acquisition module is arranged on the inner side wall of the metrology detection device 10 and close to the window 11 when the robot 21 carries the wafer 40 to the carrying table 12 in the cavity of the metrology detection device 10. In order to make the field of view of the image acquisition module larger, the bottom end of the image acquisition module can be arranged flush with the top end of the window 11.
[0035] The monitoring device 100 provided by the embodiment can cover a certain field of view and be well focused by arranging the image acquisition module on the inner side wall of the metrology detection device 10 and above the wafer 40 loading position, so as to monitor the wafer 40 loading position in real time and improve the accuracy and reliability of the wafer 40 loading position and the convenience of operation. The monitoring device 100 is compact, equivalent to an endoscope, smaller than a traditional industrial camera and light source, greatly reduces the space occupation, and is convenient to use in a narrow space.
[0036] In an optional embodiment, as shown in the figure, Figure 2 The image acquisition module comprises a lens 110, an image sensor and a light source 120, the light source 120 is arranged around the lens 110, the light source 120 is used for illuminating the splicing position 30 of the metrology detection device 10 and the front-end device module 20, and the lens 110 and the image sensor are used for collecting image information of the position of the wafer 40 carried by the robot 21 in the cavity of the front-end device module 20. The light source 120 illuminates the splicing position 30, which is beneficial to ensuring that clear image information is obtained.
[0037] In an optional embodiment, the light source is an LED light source. The LED light source is small in size, convenient to integrate around the lens 110, occupies less space, and has high energy efficiency and low cost.
[0038] In an optional embodiment, as shown in the figure, Figure 3As shown, the monitoring device 100 further comprises a mounting body 140, the image acquisition module is arranged at a first end of the mounting body 140 (which is close to the window 11), and the cable 130 is arranged inside the mounting body 140 and passes through a second end of the mounting body 140 (which is relatively far from the window 11 compared with the first end). By arranging the mounting body 140, the image acquisition module and the cable 130 can be integrated, which is conducive to improving the structural compactness of the monitoring device 100 and facilitating the installation of the monitoring device 100 on the inner side wall of the quantity detection equipment 10.
[0039] In an optional embodiment, the size of the cross section of the inner wall of the mounting body 140 is the same as the size of the cross section of the outer wall of the cable 130. By arranging the size of the inner wall of the mounting body 140 to be the same as the diameter of the cable 130, the volume of the mounting body 140 can be reduced, which greatly reduces the space occupation and facilitates the use in a narrow space.
[0040] In an optional embodiment, as shown in Figure 4 The monitoring device 100 further comprises a mounting seat 150, and the mounting body 140 is fixed to the inner side wall of the quantity detection equipment 10 through the mounting seat 150, so as to improve the firmness of the connection between the mounting body 140 and the inner side wall of the quantity detection equipment 10.
[0041] In an optional embodiment, as shown in Figure 4 The mounting seat 150 comprises a fixing part 151, a first mounting part 152 and a second mounting part 153. The fixing part 151 is fixed to the inner side wall of the quantity detection equipment 10, and a through hole can be arranged on the fixing part 151, and the fixing part 151 is fixed to the inner side wall of the quantity detection equipment 10 through a screw. The first end of the first mounting part 152 and the first end of the second mounting part 153 are fixedly connected to the surface of the fixing part 151 away from the inner side wall of the quantity detection equipment 10, and the first end of the first mounting part 152 abuts against the first end of the second mounting part 153 (that is, there is no gap between the two). A first accommodating groove (not labeled in the figure) is arranged at the position close to the second mounting part 153 of the first mounting part 152, and a second accommodating groove (not labeled in the figure) is arranged at the position close to the first mounting part 152 of the second mounting part 153. After the first mounting part 152 and the second mounting part 153 are combined, the first accommodating groove and the second accommodating groove form a mounting hole 154, the mounting body 140 passes through the mounting hole 154, and there is a gap between the second end of the first mounting part 152 (that is, the end of the first mounting part 152 away from the fixing part 151) and the second end of the second mounting part 153 (that is, the end of the second mounting part 153 away from the fixing part 151), and the gap extends to part of the region of the mounting hole 154. As shown in Figure 5As shown, part of the area of the mounting hole 154 has a gap (or opening) which can accommodate mounting bodies 140 of different sizes and facilitate adjustment of the height of the bottom end of the mounting body 140 relative to the inner side wall of the quantity detection device 10 to cover the field of view of the robot hand 21 carrying the silicon wafer 40 and achieve good focusing, thereby improving the accuracy and reliability of the wafer loading position of the robot hand 21. As shown, Figure 5 As shown, it can be understood that the shape of the mounting body 140 is adapted to the shape of the mounting hole 154, for example, their cross sections can be circular, square, and regular polygon, etc. Preferably, their cross sections are circular to facilitate processing. The lens 110 and the light source 120 are arranged at one end of the mounting body 140, and the light source 120 is arranged around the circumference of the lens 110, so that the light beam 121 of the light source 120 is directed downward of the mounting body 140, Figure 5 The irradiation range of the light beam 121 is only an example, and the actual irradiation range of the light beam 121 is larger than Figure 5 As shown, the irradiation range is larger than that shown in the figure; the end of the mounting body 140 where the lens 110 and the light source 120 are arranged can be flush with the top end of the window 11, which is conducive to the lens 110 covering the field of view of the robot hand 21 carrying the silicon wafer 40 as much as possible.
[0042] As shown in the optional embodiment, Figure 5 The second end of the first mounting portion 152 and the second end of the second mounting portion 153 are connected by a fastener to form the mounting hole 154 between the first receiving groove and the second receiving groove, and to fix the mounting body 140 in the mounting hole 154.
[0043] In the optional embodiment, the fastener includes a screw and a nut, and the second end of the first mounting portion 152 and the second end of the second mounting portion 153 are provided with through holes, the screw is threaded through the through holes of the second end of the first mounting portion 152 and the second end of the second mounting portion 153, and the nut is tightened on the screw to achieve the effect of fastening the mounting body 140 and the mounting hole 154.
[0044] The above embodiments are only illustrative of the principles and effects of the present application, and are not intended to limit the present application. Any person skilled in the art can modify or change the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or changes made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and technical concept disclosed by the present application should be covered by the claims of the present application.
Claims
1. A monitoring device, characterized in that The application relates to an image acquisition module, a cable and a display device, wherein the image acquisition module is connected with the display device through the cable, the image acquisition module is used for collecting image information, and the display device is used for displaying the image information. The side wall of the quantity detection device is provided with a window, The image acquisition module is arranged on the inner side wall of the quantity detection device and close to the window.
2. The monitoring device of claim 1, wherein, The image acquisition module comprises a lens, an image sensor and a light source, the light source is arranged around the lens, the light source is used for illuminating the joint of the quantity detection device and the front-end device module, and the lens and the image sensor are used for collecting image information of the mechanical hand sheet feeding position of the front-end device module.
3. The monitoring device of claim 2, wherein, The light source is an LED light source.
4. The monitoring device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The application further comprises a mounting body, the image acquisition module is arranged at the first end of the mounting body, and the cable is arranged in the mounting body and passes through the second end of the mounting body.
5. The monitoring device of claim 4, wherein, The size of the cross section of the inner wall of the mounting body is the same as that of the cross section of the outer wall of the cable.
6. The monitoring device of claim 4, wherein, The application further comprises a mounting seat, and the mounting body is fixed to the inner side wall of the quantity detection device through the mounting seat.
7. The monitoring device of claim 6, wherein, The mounting seat comprises a fixed part, a first mounting part and a second mounting part. The fixed part is fixed to the inner side wall of the quantity detection device, the first end of the first mounting part and the first end of the second mounting part are fixedly connected with the fixed part, and the first end of the first mounting part abuts against the first end of the second mounting part. The first mounting part is provided with a first accommodating groove, the second mounting part is provided with a second accommodating groove, the first accommodating groove and the second accommodating groove form a mounting hole for accommodating the mounting body after the first mounting part and the second mounting part are combined, and there is a gap between the second end of the first mounting part and the second end of the second mounting part.
8. The monitoring device of claim 7, wherein, The second end of the first mounting part and the second end of the second mounting part are connected through a fastener, so that the mounting hole formed by the first accommodating groove and the second accommodating groove is fixed with the mounting body.
9. The monitoring device of claim 8, wherein, The fastener comprises a screw and a nut, the second end of the first mounting part and the second end of the second mounting part are provided with through holes, and the screw passes through the through holes.