Edge searching mechanism for wafer detection equipment

Abstract

The utility model discloses an edge searching mechanism for wafer detection equipment, and relates to the technical field of semiconductor processing equipment.The edge searching mechanism comprises a box body, a first driving piece, a rotary table, a camera shooting unit, a moving mechanism and an air blowing mechanism, the first driving piece is arranged in the box body, the rotary table is connected with the first driving piece, and an air suction hole is formed in the top end of the rotary table; the blowing mechanism is installed at the top end of the rotary table, the moving mechanism is arranged in the box body, and the camera unit is arranged at the moving end of the moving mechanism. The air blowing mechanism is used for blowing air to the top wall of the rotary table, so that the adsorption surface of the rotary table is always kept clean, dust, particles and other impurities are prevented from entering the rotary table in the long-term use process, the adsorption effect of the rotary table on the wafer is guaranteed, and meanwhile the situation that the impurities abrade the wafer and affect the use effect of the wafer is avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of semiconductor processing equipment technology, and in particular to an edge-finding mechanism for wafer inspection equipment. Background Technology

[0002] A wafer is a silicon wafer used to manufacture silicon semiconductor circuits. It is produced by grinding, polishing, and slicing silicon ingots to ultimately form silicon wafers. With the rapid development of the semiconductor industry, the requirements for wafer processing equipment and processes are becoming increasingly stringent.

[0003] The edge-finding mechanism used in wafer inspection equipment includes a housing, a turntable, and a lens. The turntable is mounted on the housing, located at one end of the top. The lens is mounted on the housing, located at the other end of the top. The wafer is placed on the turntable and rotates. The lens confirms the wafer's position, enabling the wafer transport equipment to effectively position the wafer. However, during long-term use, dust, particles, and other impurities can easily fall onto the turntable, causing height differences in wafer placement and even wear on the wafer. It can also reduce the turntable's suction power, affecting the wafer inspection results. Utility Model Content

[0004] To prevent dust, particles, and other impurities from falling onto the turntable and damaging the wafer, while ensuring that the adsorption force of the turntable is not affected, this application provides an edge-finding mechanism for wafer inspection equipment.

[0005] The edge-finding mechanism for wafer inspection equipment provided in this application adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] An edge-finding mechanism for a wafer inspection device includes a housing, a first driving component, a turntable, a camera unit, a moving mechanism, and an air-blowing mechanism. The first driving component is fixedly disposed within the housing. The turntable is connected to the first driving component and located at the top of the housing. An air intake hole is provided at the top of the turntable, located in the middle of the turntable. Multiple air-blowing mechanisms are installed at the top of the turntable and are evenly distributed at equal intervals around the top of the turntable. The air-blowing mechanism is used to blow air onto the top of the turntable. The moving mechanism is disposed within the housing, and the camera unit is disposed at the moving end of the moving mechanism. An X-axis moving mechanism is disposed within the housing, and a Y-axis moving mechanism is disposed at the moving end of the X-axis moving mechanism. The first driving component is disposed at the moving end of the Y-axis moving mechanism.

[0007] By adopting the above technical solution, the camera unit moves along the length of the housing via a moving mechanism, allowing the camera unit to adjust its position according to the size of the wafer, ensuring the edge-finding effect of the camera unit. The air-blowing mechanism ensures that the adsorption surface of the turntable remains clean, preventing dust, particles, and other impurities from entering during long-term use and affecting the turntable's adsorption capacity, thus ensuring the turntable's adsorption effect on the wafer. Simultaneously, it prevents impurities from causing wear and tear on the wafer, affecting its performance.

[0008] Preferably, the air blowing mechanism includes a baffle plate, a connecting rod, a limiting ring, and a connecting frame. An air blowing hole is provided in the turntable, the baffle plate is disposed in the air blowing hole of the turntable, a positioning ring groove is provided in the turntable, the limiting ring is slidably disposed in the positioning ring groove, the connecting frame is fixedly disposed in the limiting ring, the upper and lower ends of the connecting rod are respectively connected to the baffle plate and the connecting frame, the positioning ring groove communicates with the air blowing hole, and the diameter of the positioning ring groove is larger than the diameter of the air blowing hole.

[0009] By adopting the above technical solution, during the testing process, when placing the wafer, the baffle is located inside the air blowing hole, and the top wall of the baffle abuts against the top of the turntable. At this time, placing the wafer does not affect the position of the wafer. After the testing is completed, the wafer is removed from the turntable, and air is blown upward through the air blowing hole. The gas drives the baffle to move upward and slide out of the air blowing hole, creating a gap between it and the turntable, allowing the gas to be blown towards the top wall of the turntable. At this time, the baffle drives the connecting rod to move upward, and the connecting rod drives the limiting ring to move upward through the connecting frame. The positioning ring groove limits the baffle through the limiting ring, preventing the baffle from detaching from the turntable. This improves the stability of the air blowing mechanism and ensures that the air blowing mechanism can complete the air blowing work efficiently, preventing dust, particles and other impurities from falling onto the turntable and improving the turntable's adsorption capacity.

[0010] Preferably, multiple baffles are provided at equal intervals along the circumference of the bottom wall of the baffle plate.

[0011] By adopting the above technical solution, when the air blowing hole blows air upward, the air blown up is dispersed and blown out through the baffle. The baffle guides the direction of air dispersion, so that dust, particles and other impurities on the turntable cannot stay, ensuring the adsorption capacity of the turntable and also ensuring that the wafer is not damaged when placed.

[0012] Preferably, the bottom end of the connecting rod is provided with a fan blade, the fan blade is located below the limiting ring, the connecting rod is rotatably disposed in the connecting frame, and the connecting rod is fixedly connected to the baffle.

[0013] By adopting the above technical solution, when the air blowing hole blows air, the fan blades start to rotate. At this time, the fan blades drive the connecting rod to rotate, and the connecting rod drives the baffle to rotate, so that the air blowing hole can evenly and comprehensively blow air onto the turntable, resulting in a better blowing effect.

[0014] Preferably, the outer wall of the limiting ring is provided with a limiting block, the turntable is provided with a limiting groove, and the limiting block is slidably disposed in the limiting groove.

[0015] By adopting the above technical solution, when the fan blade drives the connecting rod to rotate, the connecting rod will drive the retaining ring to rotate. The limiting block is in the limiting groove, so that the limiting ring will not rotate, thereby improving the stability of the limiting ring and ensuring the blowing effect of the blowing mechanism.

[0016] Preferably, the moving mechanism includes a second driving member, a lead screw, a slider, and a moving plate. The second driving member is disposed inside the housing and located at one end of the housing away from the turntable. The lead screw is disposed on the second driving member and is rotatably disposed inside the housing. The slider is slidably disposed inside the housing and the lead screw thread passes through the slider. The moving plate is fixedly disposed on the slider. The camera unit is disposed on the moving plate. A sliding groove is provided on the housing, and the moving plate is movably disposed within the sliding groove.

[0017] By adopting the above technical solution, when the wafer placed on the turntable is large, the slider drives the moving plate to slide on the lead screw in a direction away from the turntable, and the moving plate drives the camera unit to move in a direction away from the turntable; when the wafer placed on the turntable is small, the slider drives the moving plate to slide on the lead screw in a direction closer to the turntable, and the moving plate drives the camera unit to move in a direction closer to the turntable, which facilitates the camera unit to perform edge detection and confirmation of the wafer.

[0018] Preferably, the top of the movable plate is provided with a mounting base, the camera unit is detachably mounted in the mounting base, and a locking member is provided in the mounting base, the end of the locking member abutting against the camera unit.

[0019] By adopting the above technical solution, when the camera unit lens becomes dirty and needs to be wiped or replaced, the camera unit can be removed from the mounting base by turning the locking part counterclockwise, which facilitates the installation or removal of the camera unit. When the camera unit lens is placed on the mounting base, the locking part is tightened clockwise, so that one end of the locking part is pressed against the mounting base, which helps to improve the stability of the camera unit and prevents the lens from falling off.

[0020] Preferably, the top wall of the turntable is provided with an air intake groove, which is connected to an air intake hole.

[0021] By adopting the above technical solution, the adsorption area between the wafer and the air intake hole can be increased through the air intake groove, resulting in a better adsorption effect of the turntable.

[0022] In summary, this application includes at least one of the following beneficial technical effects:

[0023] 1. The air blowing mechanism can keep the adsorption surface of the turntable clean at all times, preventing dust, particles and other impurities from entering during long-term use, which would affect the adsorption capacity of the turntable and ensure the adsorption effect of the turntable on the wafer. At the same time, it can prevent impurities from abrading the wafer and affecting its performance.

[0024] 2. With the help of the baffle, when the air blows upward through the air hole, the air blown up is dispersed and blown out through the baffle. The baffle guides the direction of air dispersion, so that dust, particles and other impurities on the turntable cannot stay, ensuring the adsorption capacity of the turntable and also ensuring that the wafer is not damaged when placed.

[0025] 3. When air is blown through the air holes, the air blades begin to rotate, which drives the connecting rod to rotate. The connecting rod then drives the baffle plate to rotate, ensuring that air is blown evenly and comprehensively onto the turntable through the air holes, resulting in a better blowing effect. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the edge-finding mechanism used in the wafer inspection equipment of this application;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the overall structure of the edge-finding mechanism used in the wafer inspection equipment of this application;

[0028] Figure 3 For this application Figure 1 Enlarged view of point A in the middle;

[0029] Figure 4 This is a partial structural cross-sectional view of the edge-finding mechanism used in wafer inspection equipment according to this application;

[0030] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a portion of the structure of the air blowing mechanism, which is used in the edge-finding mechanism of the wafer inspection equipment in this application.

[0031] Reference numerals: 1. Housing; 2. First driving component; 3. Turntable; 4. Camera unit; 5. Moving mechanism; 51. Second driving component; 52. Lead screw; 53. Slider; 54. Moving plate; 6. Air blowing mechanism; 61. Baffle; 62. Connecting rod; 63. Limiting ring; 64. Connecting frame; 7. Intake hole; 8. Air blowing hole; 9. Positioning ring groove; 10. Baffle; 11. Fan blade; 12. Limiting block; 13. Limiting groove; 14. Slide groove; 15. Mounting base; 16. Locking component; 17. Intake groove; 18. Through hole; 19. Mounting ring; 20. First ring groove; 21. Second ring groove; 22. Air inlet pipe; 23. Air outlet pipe; 30. X-axis moving mechanism; 40. Y-axis moving mechanism. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figures 1-5This application will be described in further detail.

[0033] This application discloses an edge-finding mechanism for wafer inspection equipment.

[0034] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 An edge-finding mechanism for a wafer inspection device includes a housing 1, a first drive unit 2, a turntable 3, and a camera unit 4. The first drive unit 2 is disposed inside the housing 1, and the turntable 3 is fixedly installed on the drive end at the top of the first drive unit 2, with the turntable 3 located at the top of the housing 1. In this application, the first drive unit 2 may be a servo motor.

[0035] An X-axis moving mechanism 30 is installed inside the housing 1. A Y-axis moving mechanism 40 is installed on the moving end of the X-axis moving mechanism 30, and a first drive component 2 is installed on the moving end of the Y-axis moving mechanism 40. The X-axis moving mechanism 30 and the Y-axis moving mechanism 40 are conventional structures for realizing movement in the X and Y directions, and will not be described in detail here. When there is a deviation in the wafer placement position, the X-axis moving mechanism 30 and the Y-axis moving mechanism 40 are used to adjust the position of the wafer, which helps to make wafer edge detection more accurate.

[0036] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 4 The turntable 3 has an air intake hole 7 located at the center of the top wall of the turntable 3. An air intake groove 17, which is annular, is also provided on the top wall of the turntable 3. Multiple through holes 18 are provided inside the turntable 3, connecting the air intake groove 17 and the air intake hole 7. The air intake groove 17 increases the adsorption area between the wafer and the air intake hole 7, improving the adsorption effect of the turntable 3.

[0037] Reference Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 The housing 1 contains a moving mechanism 5, and the moving end of the moving mechanism 5 is equipped with a camera unit 4. The moving mechanism 5 drives the camera unit 4 to move according to the size of the wafer. When the wafer is placed on the turntable 3, the suction device adsorbs the wafer through the suction port 7 and the suction groove 17. The first driving component 2 drives the turntable 3 to rotate, and the turntable 3 drives the wafer to rotate. During the rotation of the wafer, the camera unit 4 searches for the edge of the wafer.

[0038] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2The moving mechanism 5 includes a second driving member 51, a lead screw 52, ​​a slider 53, and a moving plate 54. The second driving member 51 is fixedly installed inside the housing 1, located on the side of the housing 1 closest to the camera unit 4. The lead screw 52 is fixedly installed on the driving end of the second driving member 51 and rotatably installed inside the housing 1. The slider 53 is slidably installed in the housing 1 in a horizontal direction, and the lead screw 52 is threaded through the slider 53. The moving plate 54 is fixedly installed on the slider 53. A sliding groove 14 is provided on the housing 1, and the moving plate 54 is movably installed in the sliding groove 14.

[0039] A mounting base 15 is fixedly installed on the top of the movable plate 54. The camera unit 4 is detachably placed inside the mounting base 15. A locking member 16 is rotatably installed on the side wall of the mounting base 15, and the end of the locking member 16 abuts against the side wall of the camera unit 4. In this application, the locking member 16 can be a hand-tightening bolt.

[0040] When the camera unit 4 needs to be disassembled or replaced, the locking member 16 is loosened counterclockwise so that the camera unit 4 can be taken out from the mounting base 15, and then the camera lens can be wiped, disassembled or replaced. When the camera unit 4 needs to be installed, the locking member 16 is tightened clockwise so that one end of the locking member 16 abuts against the camera unit 4, ensuring that the camera unit 4 will not fall off and improving the stability of the camera unit 4.

[0041] Reference Figure 3 Six air blowing mechanisms 6 are fixedly installed on the top of the turntable 3. The six air blowing mechanisms 6 are distributed around the top of the turntable 3 and are evenly distributed at equal intervals. The air blowing mechanisms 6 are used to clean dust, particles and other impurities on the top of the turntable 3, ensuring the adsorption effect of the turntable 3 on the wafer, and at the same time avoiding impurities from causing wear on the wafer and affecting its performance.

[0042] Reference Figure 4 and Figure 5 The air blowing mechanism 6 includes a baffle 61, a connecting rod 62, a limiting ring 63, and a connecting frame 64. Six air blowing holes 8 are provided inside the turntable 3. The baffle 61 is slidably installed within the air blowing holes 8 of the turntable 3. Multiple baffles 10 are installed on the bottom wall of the baffle 61, and the baffles 10 are evenly distributed at equal intervals along the circumference of the baffle 61. During testing, a wafer is placed on top of the turntable 3. At this time, the baffle 61 is located within the air blowing holes 8, and the top wall of the baffle 61 abuts against the top of the turntable 3. Therefore, the position of the baffle 61 does not affect the position of the wafer.

[0043] The top end of the connecting rod 62 is fixedly installed in the middle of the bottom wall of the baffle 61, and the bottom end of the connecting rod 62 is rotatably connected to the connecting frame 64. The limiting ring 63 is fixedly installed on the outside of the connecting frame 64. The bottom end of the connecting rod 62 passes through the connecting frame 64, and the fan blade 11 is fixedly installed on the bottom end of the connecting rod 62. The limiting ring 63 is located above the fan blade 11. A positioning ring groove 9 is provided in the turntable 3. The limiting ring 63 is slidably disposed in the positioning ring groove 9. The positioning ring groove 9 communicates with the air blowing hole 8, and the diameter of the positioning ring groove 9 is larger than the diameter of the air blowing hole 8.

[0044] After the wafer is removed from the turntable 3, the air blowing device begins to deliver air through the air blowing hole 8. The baffle 61 is blown upward by the gas, creating a gap between the baffle 61 and the top wall of the turntable 3. At this time, the limiting ring 63 limits the baffle 61 through the positioning ring groove 9 to prevent the baffle 61 from detaching from the turntable 3. Meanwhile, the fan blade 11 drives the connecting rod 62 to rotate, which in turn drives the baffle 61 to rotate. The baffle 61 then drives the baffle plate 10 to rotate, ensuring that the air blowing hole 8 delivers air to the turntable 3 evenly and with a wide air blowing coverage. The air blown from the air blowing hole 8 is evenly blown out in all directions through the baffle plate 10, ensuring that there are no dust, particles, or other impurities on the turntable 3, thus ensuring the turntable 3's adsorption effect on the wafer and preventing impurities from causing wear to the wafer.

[0045] A limiting groove 13 is formed vertically inside the turntable 3. A limiting block 12 is fixedly installed on the outer wall of the limiting ring 63. The limiting block 12 is slidably installed in the limiting groove 13 along the vertical direction. By allowing the limiting block 12 to slide in the limiting groove 13, the stability of the limiting ring 63 during movement is improved, and the rotation of the limiting ring 63 is prevented.

[0046] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 4 The top of the first driving component 2 is fixedly mounted with an installation ring 19. The turntable 3 is rotatably mounted inside the installation ring 19. The inner side wall of the installation ring 19 is provided with a first ring groove 20 and a second ring groove 21. An air inlet pipe 22 and an air outlet pipe 23 are installed inside the installation ring 19. The end of the air inlet pipe 22 is connected to the blowing device. The first ring groove 20 connects the air inlet pipe 22 to the blowing hole 8. The end of the air outlet pipe 23 is connected to the suction device. The second ring groove 21 connects the air outlet pipe 23 to the suction hole 7.

[0047] The implementation principle of the edge-finding mechanism for a wafer inspection equipment according to an embodiment of this application is as follows: After the wafer is removed from the turntable 3, the air blowing device starts to deliver air through the air blowing hole 8. The baffle 61 is blown upward by the gas, so that a gap is formed between the baffle 61 and the top wall of the turntable 3. At this time, the limiting ring 63 limits the baffle 61 through the positioning ring groove 9 to prevent the baffle 61 from falling off the turntable 3. The fan blade 11 drives the connecting rod 62 to rotate, the connecting rod 62 drives the baffle 61 to rotate, and the baffle 61 drives the baffle 10 to rotate, so that the air blowing hole 8 delivers air to the turntable 3 evenly and the air blowing coverage is wide. The air blown up by the air blowing hole 8 is blown out evenly in all directions through the baffle 10 to ensure that there are no dust, particles or other impurities on the turntable 3, to ensure the adsorption effect of the turntable 3 on the wafer, and at the same time to prevent impurities from causing wear on the wafer.

[0048] The above are merely optional embodiments of this disclosure and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Various modifications and variations can be made to this disclosure by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this disclosure should be included within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

Claims

1. An edge-finding mechanism for wafer inspection equipment, characterized in that: The system includes a housing (1), a first drive unit (2), a turntable (3), a camera unit (4), a moving mechanism (5), and an air blowing mechanism (6). The first drive unit (2) is fixedly installed inside the housing (1). The turntable (3) is connected to the first drive unit (2) and located at the top of the housing (1). An air intake hole (7) is provided at the top of the turntable (3), and the air intake hole (7) is located in the middle of the turntable (3). The air blowing mechanism (6) is installed at the top of the turntable (3). Multiple air blowing mechanisms (6) are configured. The air blowing mechanism (6) is evenly distributed at equal intervals on the periphery of the top of the turntable (3). The air blowing mechanism (6) is used to blow air onto the top of the turntable (3). The moving mechanism (5) is set inside the housing (1). The camera unit (4) is set at the moving end of the moving mechanism (5). An X-axis moving mechanism (30) is set inside the housing (1). A Y-axis moving mechanism (40) is set on the moving end of the X-axis moving mechanism (30). The first driving member (2) is set on the moving end of the Y-axis moving mechanism (40).

2. The edge-finding mechanism for a wafer inspection equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air blowing mechanism (6) includes a baffle (61), a connecting rod (62), a limiting ring (63), and a connecting frame (64). An air blowing hole (8) is provided in the turntable (3). The baffle (61) is set in the air blowing hole (8) of the turntable (3). A positioning ring groove (9) is provided in the turntable (3). The limiting ring (63) is slidably set in the positioning ring groove (9). The connecting frame (64) is fixedly set in the limiting ring (63). The upper and lower ends of the connecting rod (62) are respectively connected to the baffle (61) and the connecting frame (64). The positioning ring groove (9) communicates with the air blowing hole (8), and the diameter of the positioning ring groove (9) is larger than the diameter of the air blowing hole (8).

3. The edge-finding mechanism for a wafer inspection equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: Multiple baffles (10) are provided at equal intervals along their circumference on the bottom wall of the baffle (61).

4. The edge-finding mechanism for a wafer inspection equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that: The bottom end of the connecting rod (62) is provided with a fan blade (11), which is located below the limiting ring (63). The connecting rod (62) is rotatably disposed in the connecting frame (64), and the connecting rod (62) is fixedly connected to the baffle (61).

5. The edge-finding mechanism for a wafer inspection equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The outer wall of the limiting ring (63) is provided with a limiting block (12), and a limiting groove (13) is opened in the turntable (3). The limiting block (12) is slidably disposed in the limiting groove (13).

6. The edge-finding mechanism for a wafer inspection equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The moving mechanism (5) includes a second driving member (51), a lead screw (52), a slider (53), and a moving plate (54). The second driving member (51) is disposed inside the housing (1) and is located at one end of the housing (1) away from the turntable (3). The lead screw (52) is disposed on the second driving member (51) and is rotatably disposed inside the housing (1). The slider (53) is slidably disposed inside the housing (1) and the lead screw (52) is threaded through the slider (53). The moving plate (54) is fixedly disposed on the slider (53). The camera unit (4) is disposed on the moving plate (54). A sliding groove (14) is provided on the housing (1), and the moving plate (54) is movably disposed in the sliding groove (14).

7. The edge-finding mechanism for a wafer inspection equipment according to claim 6, characterized in that: The top of the movable plate (54) is provided with a mounting base (15), and the camera unit (4) is detachably installed in the mounting base (15). The mounting base (15) is provided with a locking member (16), and the end of the locking member (16) abuts against the camera unit (4).

8. The edge-finding mechanism for a wafer inspection equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The top wall of the turntable (3) is provided with an air intake groove (17), which is connected to the air intake hole (7).

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