Wafer conveying device and processing equipment

Abstract

The utility model belongs to the technical field of wafer processing, and particularly relates to a wafer conveying device and processing equipment, a basket is used for accommodating wafers, a mechanical arm is used for picking up and moving the wafers, a correction assembly comprises a lifting mechanism I and a side pushing mechanism, and the lifting mechanism I is used for driving the side pushing mechanism to lift; the side pushing mechanism is used for pushing towards the inside of the basket along the side, where the wafer moves in and out, of the basket, the adjusting assembly comprises an identification mechanism and a rotating platform, the identification mechanism is located on the side face of the rotating platform or arranged towards the rotating platform, and the rotating platform is used for placing the wafer and driving the wafer to rotate, so that the identification mechanism identifies a mark on the wafer. According to the utility model, the position and the direction of the wafer are accurate and consistent when the wafer is sent to a processing station, so that the abnormal problems that the processing operation is influenced by the position and the direction of the wafer and the wafer is damaged, cracked and the like in the processing operation process caused by the position and the direction of the wafer are avoided; and the reliability and the stability of automatic feeding and processing of the wafer are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of wafer processing technology, specifically relating to a wafer transfer device and processing equipment. Background Technology

[0002] With the increasing market demand for IGBT products, the demand for wafer manufacturing and processing is also increasing. To improve efficiency, reduce manual labor intensity, and avoid the human impact of manual loading, automated loading is now widely used when wafers are delivered to processing stations for corresponding processes. Automated loading typically involves placing wafers in a basket, which is then picked up by a robotic arm and delivered to the processing station, as exemplified by the automated wafer loading method used in Chinese utility model patent publication number CN211529921U. However, sometimes wafers placed in the basket are not aligned, resulting in positional and orientation deviations when delivered to the processing station. This not only easily affects the accuracy and quality of the corresponding processing operations at that station, but also, due to the wafer's shape and thinness, it is easily damaged or cracked by external forces. Utility Model Content

[0003] The technical problem to be solved by this utility model is to provide a wafer conveying device and processing equipment that ensures the accurate and consistent position and orientation of the wafer when it is delivered to the processing station, avoids the impact of wafer position and orientation problems on the processing operation, and avoids abnormal problems such as wafer breakage and cracking during the processing operation caused by wafer position and orientation problems, thereby improving the reliability and stability of automated wafer loading and processing.

[0004] This utility model provides a wafer transfer device, including a basket, a robotic arm, a calibration component, and an adjustment component. The basket is used to hold wafers, the robotic arm is used to pick up and move wafers, and the calibration component includes a lifting mechanism and a side-pushing mechanism. The lifting mechanism drives the side-pushing mechanism to move up and down along the height of the basket on the side where wafers are moved in and out. The side-pushing mechanism pushes the basket inwards along the side where wafers are moved in and out. The adjustment component includes an identification mechanism and a rotating platform. The identification mechanism is located on the side of the rotating platform or facing the rotating platform. The rotating platform is used to place wafers and drive the wafers to rotate, so that the identification mechanism can identify the markings on the wafers.

[0005] Furthermore, it also includes a frame and a platform. The robotic arm, correction components, and adjustment components are located inside the frame, while the platform is located outside the frame. The basket is set on the platform, and the frame has a window corresponding to the position of the platform for the robotic arm to reach into the basket to pick up the wafer.

[0006] Furthermore, the support platform is provided with three or more positioning pins, the flower basket is placed on the support platform, and the bottom of the flower basket is located between the three or more positioning pins.

[0007] Furthermore, the side-pushing mechanism includes a linear drive and a push plate. The linear drive is laterally arranged on the lifting mechanism, and the push plate is arranged on the output end of the linear drive.

[0008] Furthermore, the push plate is made of anti-static material.

[0009] Furthermore, the calibration assembly also includes a detection mechanism for detecting whether the wafer placed inside the basket protrudes from the side of the basket where the wafer is moved in and out.

[0010] Furthermore, the adjustment assembly also includes a support rod for supporting the wafer on the surface of the rotating platform so that the robotic arm can pick up the wafer along the side of the wafer facing the surface of the rotating platform.

[0011] Furthermore, the adjustment assembly also includes a second lifting mechanism, which is located below the rotating platform and rotates with the rotating platform. The support rod is mounted on the second lifting mechanism, and the rotating platform has a through hole for the support rod to pass through.

[0012] Furthermore, there are two lifting mechanisms, located on both sides below the rotating platform, and each lifting mechanism has at least two support rods spaced parallel to each other.

[0013] The present invention also provides a wafer processing equipment, which is equipped with the wafer transfer device as described above.

[0014] The beneficial effects of this invention are that the wafers in the basket can be pushed inward by the calibration component, aligning their positions along the basket's height. This ensures consistent relative positions when the wafers are picked up. Subsequently, the side-pushing mechanism and the lifting mechanism reset sequentially, without interfering with the robotic arm's wafer-picking operation. After picking up the wafers, the robotic arm first sends them to a rotating platform. The identification mechanism recognizes the wafer markings, and combined with the rotation of the platform, ensures consistent wafer orientation. The robotic arm then picks up the wafers from the rotating platform and sends them to the processing station. Based on this wafer transfer device, the position and orientation of the wafers delivered to the processing station are accurate and consistent, avoiding interference with processing operations due to wafer position and orientation issues. It also prevents wafer breakage, cracking, and other abnormalities during processing caused by wafer position and orientation problems, improving the reliability and stability of automated wafer loading and processing. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the wafer transfer device of this utility model.

[0016] Figure 2 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the wafer transfer device of this utility model.

[0017] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the adjustment component in the wafer transfer device of this utility model.

[0018] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the wafer processing equipment of this utility model.

[0019] Figure 5 This is a top view of the wafer processing equipment of this utility model after the top cover has been removed.

[0020] In the diagram: 1. Frame; 2. Support platform; 21. Positioning pin; 22. Outer cover; 3. Flower basket; 4. Correction assembly; 41. Lifting mechanism one; 42. Linear drive component; 43. Push plate; 5. Adjustment assembly; 51. Identification mechanism; 52. Rotating platform; 521. Through hole; 53. Rotating mechanism; 54. Support rod; 55. Lifting mechanism two; 6. Robotic arm; 61. Adsorption plate; 7. Processing station. Detailed Implementation

[0021] like Figures 1-3 As shown, this utility model provides a wafer transfer device, including a basket 3, a robotic arm 6, a correction component 4, and an adjustment component 5. The basket 3 is used to hold wafers and is vertically arranged in the wafer transfer device. One side of the basket 3 is open for wafers to be moved into or out of the basket 3, and the side for moving wafers into or out of the basket 3 faces the direction of the robotic arm 6. The robotic arm 6 is used to pick up wafers and move them to the corresponding positions. The correction component 4 includes a lifting mechanism 41 and a side-pushing mechanism, such as... Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, when the correction component 4 is not working, it is located below the side of the basket 3 where the wafers are moved in and out. The lifting mechanism 41 is used to drive the side-pushing mechanism to move up and down along the height direction of the basket 3 on the side where the wafers are moved in and out, so that the side-pushing mechanism can be raised to the outside of the side where the wafers are moved in and out. The side-pushing mechanism is used to push the wafers inward along the side where the wafers are moved in and out. The side-pushing distance of the side-pushing mechanism is determined according to actual requirements. The adjustment component 5 includes an identification mechanism 51 and a rotating platform 52. The identification mechanism 51 is located on the side of the rotating platform 52 or facing the rotating platform 52. The rotating platform 52 is used to place the wafers and drive the wafers to rotate so that the identification mechanism 51 can identify the marks on the wafers.

[0022] In this invention, the robotic arm 6 is specifically a multi-axis robotic arm as in the prior art, capable of multi-directional movement and flipping. The robotic arm 6 specifically picks up wafers via an adsorption plate 61 at its end. The adsorption plate 61 has adsorption holes on one side for picking up the wafer, and these holes are connected to a negative pressure generating mechanism. The surface of the adsorption plate 61 is adsorbed onto the robotic arm 6 by the negative pressure at the adsorption holes, thus being picked up by the robotic arm 6. The robotic arm 6 uses the adsorption plate 61 to pick up the wafers, which allows the adsorption plate 61 to more easily extend into the basket 3, while also avoiding mechanical damage to the wafers caused by clamping them from both sides. The negative pressure generating mechanism can be a vacuum pump, a vacuum generator, or other negative pressure generating mechanism, and can be specifically mounted on the robotic arm 6 or on the frame 1 where the robotic arm 6 is located.

[0023] The rotating platform 52 is driven to rotate by the rotating mechanism 53 below, which can be a motor or other mechanism. The marking on the wafer is specifically a notch mark located on the side edge of the wafer, i.e., the notch position. In one embodiment of this invention, the identification mechanism 51 can be a sensor that emits an infrared beam. Both the sensor and the rotating mechanism 53 are electrically connected to an external controller. When the wafer is placed on the rotating platform 52, if the infrared beam emitted by the sensor passes exactly through the notch mark, the wafer is identified as being in the correct position. If the notch is obstructed by the wafer edge, the rotating platform 52 drives the wafer to rotate, adjusting the wafer's orientation so that the notch mark aligns with the infrared beam. In other embodiments of this invention, the identification mechanism 51 can also be other mechanisms.

[0024] The wafer transfer device provided by this utility model can push the wafers in the basket 3 inward through the calibration component 4, so that the position of the wafers in the basket 3 is aligned in the height direction of the basket 3, ensuring that the relative position of the wafers is consistent when they are picked up. Then the side push mechanism and the lifting mechanism 41 are reset in sequence, without interfering with the operation of the robotic arm 6 picking up the wafers in the basket 3. After the robotic arm 6 picks up the wafers in the basket 3, it first sends the wafers to the rotating platform 52. The identification mechanism 51 identifies the wafer markings, and at the same time, the rotation of the rotating platform 52 ensures that the orientation of the wafers is consistent. Then the robotic arm 6 picks up the wafers on the rotating platform 52 and sends them to the processing station 7. Based on the setting of this wafer transfer device, the position and orientation of the wafers when they are sent to the processing station 7 can be accurate and consistent, avoiding the impact of wafer position and orientation problems on the processing operation, and avoiding abnormal problems such as wafer breakage and cracking during the processing operation caused by wafer position and orientation problems, thus improving the reliability and stability of automated wafer loading and processing.

[0025] This invention also includes a frame 1 and a support platform 2. The aforementioned robotic arm 6, correction component 4, and adjustment component 5 are located inside the frame 1, while the support platform 2 is located outside the frame 1. The wafer basket 3 is mounted on the support platform 2, and a window is provided on the frame 1 corresponding to the position of the support platform 2, allowing the robotic arm 6 to reach into the wafer basket 3 to pick up the wafer. This design facilitates operation of the wafer basket 3, such as replacing an empty wafer basket 3.

[0026] The support platform 2 is provided with three or more positioning pins 21. The flower basket 3 is placed directly on the support platform 2, and the bottom of the flower basket 3 is located between the three or more positioning pins 21 to position the flower basket 3. Based on this configuration, it is convenient to replace the flower basket 3 and the replacement operation is simplified. When the wafer inside the flower basket 3 placed on the support platform 2 has been picked up, the empty flower basket 3 is manually removed, and a flower basket 3 with a wafer is placed in it, and the positioning pins 21 are used for positioning.

[0027] In this utility model, an outer cover 22 is also hinged on the support platform 2. The outer cover 22 is located outside the frame 1 and is used to provide a certain shielding effect above the flower basket 3 to prevent direct external collision with the flower basket 3. Since the outer cover 22 is hinged, it can be flipped open when the flower basket 3 needs to be replaced.

[0028] In this invention, a lifting mechanism 41 is mounted on a frame 1. The side-pushing mechanism includes a linear drive 42 and a push plate 43. The linear drive 42 is horizontally mounted on the lifting mechanism 41, and the push plate 43 is mounted on the output end of the linear drive 42. Based on this configuration, the push plate 43 drives the wafers within the basket 3, enabling the side-pushing mechanism to have a side-pushing area that conforms to the size of the basket 3, thus better pushing all wafers into the basket 3 at once. Preferably, the push plate 43 is made of an anti-static material, such as anti-static PC material or other materials, to prevent electrostatic adsorption of the wafers and causing them to move outward as the push plate 43 resets.

[0029] The lifting mechanism 41 and the linear drive 42 can be electric cylinders or other mechanisms, and both are electrically connected to an external controller. In one embodiment of this invention, the robotic arm 6 performs a side-push alignment correction on the wafers in the basket 3 each time it picks up a wafer from the basket 3, using the correction component 4. In another embodiment of this invention, the correction component 4 further includes a detection mechanism for detecting whether the wafers placed inside the basket 3 protrude beyond the side of the basket 3 where the wafers are moved in and out. When the detection mechanism detects that the wafers placed inside the basket 3 protrude beyond the side of the basket 3 where the wafers are moved in and out, the correction component 4 performs a side-push alignment correction on the wafers in the basket 3. Specifically, the detection mechanism can be a sensor that emits an infrared beam. The sensor is electrically connected to an external controller. The sensor is set on the platform 2 or the rack 1. The emitted infrared beam is located on the side of the basket 3 where the wafer is moved in and out. When the infrared beam is blocked, it is considered that there is a situation where the wafer protrudes from the side of the basket 3 where the wafer is moved in and out. Then the correction component 4 is activated to perform a side-pushing alignment correction on the wafer in the basket 3.

[0030] In different application scenarios, the requirements for placing wafers at processing station 7 may vary. For example, the circumferential dicing station requires the wafer to be facing upwards, while the lamination station requires the wafer to be facing downwards. To adapt to the feeding requirements of different application scenarios, the adjustment component 5 of this invention also includes a support rod 54, which is used to lift and support the wafer on the surface of the rotating platform 52, so that the robotic arm 6 can pick up the wafer along the side of the wafer facing the surface of the rotating platform 52. Based on this setting, the robotic arm 6 can be configured to pick up the wafer along either the front or back side, depending on the actual application requirements.

[0031] The adjustment assembly 5 also includes a second lifting mechanism 55, which is located below the rotating platform 52 and rotates with it. A support rod 54 is mounted on the second lifting mechanism 55, and the rotating platform 52 has a through hole 521 through which the support rod 54 passes. When the wafer needs to be rotated via the rotating platform 52, the second lifting mechanism 55 drives the support rod 54 to descend and retract below the surface of the rotating platform 52. Figure 3 As shown. At this time, the wafer can be normally positioned on the surface of the rotating platform 52, ensuring a large contact area between the wafer and the rotating platform 52, thereby ensuring effective rotation of the wafer.

[0032] like Figure 3As shown, preferably, there are two lifting mechanisms 55, located on both sides below the rotating platform 52. Each lifting mechanism 55 has at least two parallel support rods 54 spaced apart, and the number of through holes 521 corresponds to the number of all support rods 54. Based on this configuration, when the support rods 54 extend to lift and support the wafer, all support rods 54 can collectively provide support at at least four points on the wafer, ensuring the stability of the wafer support. Preferably, the width of the adsorption plate 61 is smaller than the distance between the support rods 54 on the two lifting mechanisms 55, ensuring that the adsorption plate 61 of the robotic arm 6 can extend between the support rods 54 on the two lifting mechanisms 55, thereby adsorbing and picking up the wafer along the back side of the wafer.

[0033] The second lifting mechanism 55 can be an electric cylinder or other type, and it is electrically connected to an external controller. Since the wafer orientation is adjusted by rotation, the maximum single rotation angle does not exceed 360°, and it can be configured such that after a single wafer is rotated, the rotating mechanism 53 drives the rotating platform 52 to reset. The second lifting mechanism 55 can be directly electrically connected via redundant length wires. In other embodiments, the second lifting mechanism 55 can also achieve the corresponding electrical connection through a slip ring structure.

[0034] This utility model also provides a wafer processing equipment, such as Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the wafer processing equipment is equipped with a wafer transfer device as described above. The wafer transfer device is located on one side of the processing station 7 in the wafer processing equipment. The processing station 7 can be a ring dicing station or a film lamination station. The corresponding mechanisms or devices used in the ring dicing station or the film lamination station are all existing technologies and will not be described in detail here.

[0035] Because of the wafer transfer device described above, the wafer processing equipment can ensure that the position and orientation of the wafers delivered to the processing station 7 are accurate and consistent, avoiding any impact on the operation of the processing station 7 due to wafer position and orientation issues, and preventing wafer breakage during the operation due to wafer position and orientation issues, thereby improving the reliability and stability of automated wafer loading and processing.

[0036] Those skilled in the art should understand that the discussion of any of the above embodiments is merely exemplary and is not intended to imply that the scope of protection of this application is limited to these examples; within the framework of this application, the technical features of the above embodiments or different embodiments can also be combined, the steps can be implemented in any order, and there are many other variations of different aspects of one or more embodiments of this application as described above, which are not provided in detail for the sake of brevity.

[0037] One or more embodiments in this application are intended to cover all such substitutions, modifications, and variations that fall within the broad scope of this application. Therefore, any omissions, modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of one or more embodiments in this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A wafer transfer device, characterized in that, The device includes a basket (3), a robotic arm (6), a calibration component (4), and an adjustment component (5). The basket (3) is used to hold wafers. The robotic arm (6) is used to pick up and move wafers. The calibration component (4) includes a lifting mechanism (41) and a side-pushing mechanism. The lifting mechanism (41) is used to drive the side-pushing mechanism to move up and down along the height direction of the basket (3) on the side where the wafers are moved in and out. The side-pushing mechanism is used to push the basket (3) inwards along the side where the wafers are moved in and out. The adjustment component (5) includes an identification mechanism (51) and a rotating platform (52). The identification mechanism (51) is located on the side of the rotating platform (52) or facing the rotating platform (52). The rotating platform (52) is used to place wafers and drive the wafers to rotate so that the identification mechanism (51) can identify the markings on the wafers.

2. The wafer transfer apparatus as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a frame (1) and a support (2). The robotic arm (6), the correction component (4) and the adjustment component (5) are located inside the frame (1). The support (2) is located outside the frame (1). The basket (3) is set on the support (2). The frame (1) is provided with a window corresponding to the position of the support (2) for the robotic arm (6) to reach into the basket (3) to pick up the wafer.

3. The wafer transfer apparatus as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The support (2) is provided with three or more positioning pins (21), the flower basket (3) is placed on the support (2), and the bottom of the flower basket (3) is located between the three or more positioning pins (21).

4. The wafer transfer apparatus as described in any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The side-pushing mechanism includes a linear drive (42) and a push plate (43). The linear drive (42) is horizontally arranged on the lifting mechanism (41), and the push plate (43) is arranged on the output end of the linear drive (42).

5. The wafer transfer apparatus as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The push plate (43) is made of anti-static material.

6. The wafer transfer apparatus as described in any one of claims 1-3 and 5, characterized in that, The correction component (4) also includes a detection mechanism for detecting whether the wafer placed inside the basket (3) protrudes from the side of the basket (3) where the wafer is moved in and out.

7. The wafer transfer apparatus as described in any one of claims 1-3 and 5, characterized in that, The adjustment assembly (5) also includes a support rod (54) for supporting the wafer on the surface of the rotating platform (52) so that the robotic arm (6) can pick up the wafer along the side of the wafer facing the surface of the rotating platform (52).

8. The wafer transfer apparatus as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that, The adjustment component (5) also includes a second lifting mechanism (55), which is located below the rotating platform (52) and rotates with the rotating platform (52). The support rod (54) is located on the second lifting mechanism (55), and the rotating platform (52) has a through hole (521) through which the support rod (54) passes.

9. The wafer transfer apparatus as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that, There are two lifting mechanisms (55), which are located on both sides below the rotating platform (52), and at least two support rods (54) on each lifting mechanism (55) are arranged in parallel at intervals.

10. A wafer processing device, characterized in that, The wafer transfer device is provided as described in any one of claims 1-9.

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