Wafer coaxial double-arm carrying device

Abstract

The utility model relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and discloses a wafer coaxial double-arm carrying device, which comprises a mounting bracket, the mounting bracket is provided with a plurality of driving motors and a plurality of mechanical arms, the mechanical arms are in one-to-one correspondence with the driving motors, and the driving motors are used for driving the corresponding mechanical arms to rotate; the multiple mechanical arms are coaxial and rotate independently, and an adsorption device is arranged at the end, away from the rotating shaft, of each mechanical arm and used for adsorbing wafers. According to the utility model, the plurality of mechanical arms are coaxial and rotate independently, so that each mechanical arm can carry and transfer wafers independently, the wafer carrying efficiency is improved, each mechanical arm can carry wafers in the whole circular range, the wafer carrying and transferring range is improved, the space utilization rate of the whole carrying device is further improved, and the wafer carrying and transferring efficiency is improved. The carrying device can meet more carrying requirements in a narrow space, the carrying process of the whole carrying device is more flexible and smoother, the carrying efficiency is higher, and the space utilization rate is higher.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and in particular to a wafer coaxial dual-arm handling device. Background Technology

[0002] In the semiconductor manufacturing industry, wafer handling is an indispensable part of the production process, serving as the link between various stages of semiconductor production. With the continuous development of semiconductor technology, wafer sizes are gradually increasing, placing increasingly higher demands on handling equipment. Traditional wafer handling solutions, with their multiple single-arm structures, struggle to handle multiple wafers simultaneously. This results in low handling efficiency, inflexibility, and an inability to adapt to more varied and complex handling tasks, significantly slowing down production cycles, especially when multiple wafers need to be handled and transferred concurrently. Utility Model Content

[0003] The technical problem to be solved by this utility model is: how to improve the efficiency of wafer handling. In order to solve the above technical problem, this utility model provides a wafer coaxial dual-arm handling device, including a mounting bracket. The mounting bracket is provided with multiple drive motors and multiple robotic arms. Each robotic arm corresponds to one of the drive motors, and the drive motor is used to drive the corresponding robotic arm to rotate.

[0004] Multiple robotic arms are coaxial and rotate independently. Each robotic arm has an adsorption device at the end away from the rotation axis, which is used to adsorb wafers.

[0005] Preferably, the mounting bracket is provided with a first drive motor, a first robotic arm, a second drive motor, and a second robotic arm, wherein the first drive motor and the second drive motor are respectively used to drive the first robotic arm and the second robotic arm to rotate.

[0006] Preferably, a first transmission structure is provided between the first drive motor and the first robotic arm, and a second transmission structure is provided between the second drive motor and the second robotic arm, with the first robotic arm located below the second robotic arm.

[0007] Preferably, the first transmission structure includes a hollow rotating platform fixed to the mounting bracket, one side of the hollow rotating platform is connected to the first robotic arm, and the side of the hollow rotating platform away from the first robotic arm is connected to the first drive motor.

[0008] Preferably, the second transmission structure includes a transmission shaft, with the two ends of the transmission shaft connected to the second robotic arm and the second drive motor respectively, and the transmission shaft is coaxially disposed in the first through hole in the middle of the hollow rotating platform.

[0009] Preferably, the output end of the second drive motor is provided with a first synchronous pulley, the end of the transmission shaft is provided with a second synchronous pulley corresponding to the first synchronous pulley, and a synchronous belt is provided between the first synchronous pulley and the second synchronous pulley.

[0010] Preferably, the adsorption device includes a lifting component and an adsorption component. The lifting component is fixedly disposed at the end of the first robotic arm or the second robotic arm. The lifting component is used to drive the adsorption component to move up and down in the vertical direction. The adsorption component is used to pick up and fix the wafer.

[0011] Preferably, the lifting assembly includes a first lifting structure and a second lifting structure. The first lifting structure is fixed to the end of the robotic arm and is used to drive the second lifting structure to move up and down in the vertical direction. The second lifting structure is connected to the output end of the first lifting structure and is used to drive the adsorption assembly to move up and down in the vertical direction.

[0012] Preferably, the drive shaft has a second through hole in the middle, and the second robotic arm is fixedly connected to a rotary cable chain. Both the second through hole and the rotary cable chain are used to store cables and air pipes.

[0013] Preferably, the mounting bracket is further provided with an electrical slip ring, which is used to connect the adsorption device to the power transmission equipment and the gas transmission equipment.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the wafer coaxial dual-arm handling device provided in this embodiment of the utility model has the following advantages:

[0015] In this embodiment, multiple robotic arms are arranged, each with a corresponding drive motor to drive its rotation. The multiple robotic arms are stacked vertically with their rotation axes overlapping, but each robotic arm rotates independently. This allows each robotic arm to independently transport and transfer wafers during wafer handling, and each robotic arm can transport wafers within the entire circular area. This not only enables the simultaneous transport and transfer of multiple wafers but also increases the range of wafer transport and transfer. Furthermore, the coaxial rotation of multiple robotic arms improves the space utilization of the entire handling device, allowing it to complete more handling needs in a narrow space. The entire handling process is more flexible and smooth, with higher handling efficiency and space utilization. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the present invention.

[0018] In the diagram: 1. Mounting bracket; 11. Rotary cable chain; 12. Electric slip ring; 2. First drive motor; 3. First robotic arm; 4. Second drive motor; 5. Second robotic arm; 6. First transmission structure; 61. Hollow rotating platform; 7. Second transmission structure; 71. First synchronous pulley; 72. Second synchronous pulley; 73. Drive shaft; 8. Adsorption device; 81. First lifting structure; 82. Second lifting structure; 83. Adsorption assembly. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The specific embodiments of this utility model will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. The following examples are used to illustrate this utility model, but are not intended to limit its scope.

[0020] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, a preferred embodiment of this utility model provides a wafer coaxial dual-arm handling device, which includes a mounting bracket 1. The mounting bracket 1 is provided with multiple drive motors and multiple robotic arms. Each robotic arm corresponds to a drive motor, and the drive motor is used to drive the corresponding robotic arm to rotate.

[0021] Multiple robotic arms are coaxial and rotate independently. An adsorption device 8 is provided at the end of the robotic arm away from the rotation axis. The adsorption device 8 is used to adsorb wafers.

[0022] Specifically, in traditional solutions, wafer handling uses a single robotic arm, which can only handle one wafer at a time, resulting in low efficiency, limited range of motion, and low flexibility. In this invention, multiple robotic arms are used, all sharing the same axis of rotation, and each arm rotates independently. This allows each arm to independently move a wafer to different processing stages during wafer handling, significantly improving efficiency. Furthermore, because the multiple robotic arms are coaxially arranged, and each arm's rotation range exceeds 360 degrees, combined with the wafer processing equipment surrounding the handling unit, wafers can move flexibly between different processing stages within a confined space, enhancing the flexibility of wafer handling and improving the overall space utilization of the handling equipment.

[0023] In one specific embodiment, the mounting bracket is equipped with a first drive motor 2, a first robotic arm 3, a second drive motor 4, and a second robotic arm 5. The first drive motor 2 and the second drive motor 4 are used to drive the first robotic arm 3 and the second robotic arm 5 to rotate, respectively. For example, in the wafer grinding process, the wafer needs to undergo two processes: rough grinding and fine grinding. Therefore, the first robotic arm 3 and the second robotic arm 5 are provided so that two wafers can be ground simultaneously, thereby improving the wafer grinding efficiency. Furthermore, a third robotic arm can be provided, which can serve as a standby robotic arm. When the first robotic arm 3 and the second robotic arm 5 pick up wafers for rough grinding and fine grinding, respectively, the third robotic arm can pick up the next wafer to be ground. When the wafer picked up by the first robotic arm 3 is undergoing the fine grinding process, the wafer picked up by the third robotic arm can undergo the rough grinding process. At the same time, the second robotic arm 5 can put down the ground wafer and pick up a new wafer to be ground for standby, further reducing the waiting time for the robotic arms to pick up wafers during the wafer grinding process, further improving the production cycle and increasing the wafer grinding efficiency. In other embodiments, the number of robotic arms can be adjusted according to the number of processes and the number of equipment.

[0024] In some embodiments, a first transmission structure 6 is provided between the first drive motor 2 and the first robotic arm 3, and a second transmission structure 7 is provided between the second drive motor 4 and the second robotic arm 5, with the first robotic arm 3 located below the second robotic arm 5.

[0025] Furthermore, the first transmission structure 6 includes a hollow rotating platform 61 fixed to the mounting bracket 1, a first robotic arm 3 connected to one side of the hollow rotating platform 61, and a first drive motor 2 connected to the side of the hollow rotating platform 61 away from the first robotic arm 3.

[0026] Furthermore, the second transmission structure 7 includes a transmission shaft 73, with the two ends of the transmission shaft 73 connected to the second robotic arm 5 and the second drive motor 4, respectively. The transmission shaft 73 is coaxially disposed in the first through hole in the middle of the hollow rotating platform 61.

[0027] Specifically, in this embodiment, the first robotic arm 3 and the second robotic arm 5 employ different drive structures, and the two drive structures do not interfere with each other, each driving its corresponding robotic arm independently. The first robotic arm 3 is driven by the first drive motor 2 and the hollow rotating platform 61. It should be noted that the hollow rotating platform 61 is a commonly used existing technology in mechanical equipment, so its specific structure will not be described in detail. Based on this, a transmission shaft 73 is installed in the first through hole in the middle of the hollow rotating platform 61, and the two ends of the transmission shaft 73 are respectively connected to the second robotic arm 5 and the second drive motor 4, thus enabling the first robotic arm 3 and the second robotic arm 5 to rotate coaxially and independently. It should also be noted that in actual use, since both the ends of the first robotic arm 3 and the second robotic arm 5 are equipped with adsorption devices 8, the overlapping projections of the first robotic arm 3 and the second robotic arm 5 on the plane should be avoided. This can be achieved by controlling the rotation of the motors.

[0028] In some embodiments, the output end of the second drive motor 4 is provided with a first synchronous pulley 71, the end of the transmission shaft 73 is provided with a second synchronous pulley 72 corresponding to the first synchronous pulley 71, and a synchronous belt is provided between the first synchronous pulley 71 and the second synchronous pulley 72.

[0029] Specifically, in this embodiment, the drive shaft 73 is disposed in the first through hole of the hollow rotating platform 61 and is rotatably connected to the mounting bracket. The second drive motor 4 drives the drive shaft 73 to rotate relative to the mounting bracket 1 through two synchronous pulleys and a synchronous belt, thereby driving the second robotic arm 5 at the other end of the drive shaft 73 to rotate. In other embodiments, the second drive motor 4 and the drive shaft 73 can also be driven by gear meshing.

[0030] In some embodiments, the adsorption device 8 includes a lifting component and an adsorption component 83. The lifting component is fixedly disposed at the end of the first robotic arm 3 or the second robotic arm 5. The lifting component is used to drive the adsorption component 83 to move up and down in the vertical direction. The adsorption component 83 is used to pick up and fix the wafer.

[0031] Furthermore, the lifting assembly includes a first lifting structure 81 and a second lifting structure 82. The first lifting structure 81 is fixed to the end of the robotic arm and is used to drive the second lifting structure 82 to move up and down in the vertical direction. The second lifting structure 82 is connected to the output end of the first lifting structure 81 and is used to drive the adsorption assembly 83 to move up and down in the vertical direction.

[0032] Specifically, in this embodiment, the adsorption devices 8 at the ends of multiple robotic arms have the same structure, all including a lifting component that can drive the adsorption assembly 83 to move vertically up and down. The adsorption assembly 83 is connected to a vacuum device via an air pipe, which can create a vacuum to stably pick up and fix the wafer, facilitating wafer transfer. The lifting component can adjust the height of the adsorption assembly 83 and the wafer, and in conjunction with the rotation of the robotic arm, it can easily transport and transfer the wafer in various process equipment, resulting in higher efficiency and greater flexibility in wafer handling. Furthermore, in a specific embodiment, the first lifting structure 81 uses a lifting cylinder, while the second lifting structure 82 uses a linear guide rail and a motor drive to achieve lifting. The combined use of these two increases the stroke of the lifting component, allowing the adsorption assembly 83 to move up and down a wider range, better adapting to wafer adsorption work under different conditions.

[0033] In some embodiments, a second through hole is provided in the middle of the drive shaft 73, and a rotary cable chain 11 is fixedly connected to the second robotic arm 5. Both the second through hole and the rotary cable chain 11 are used to store cables and air pipes. Specifically, different pipe groups are set for different robotic arms, and each pipe group contains cables and air pipes used to connect with the corresponding robotic arm. The cables and air pipes connected to the lifting component and adsorption component 83 in the first robotic arm 3 pass through the second through hole to the top of the handling equipment, and then connect to the various components in the first robotic arm 3. The cables and air pipes corresponding to the second robotic arm 5 are neatly stored by the rotary cable chain 11 and then connected to the various components in the second robotic arm 5. The specific connection method can be adjusted by the equipment installer according to the actual situation. The setting of the second through hole and the rotary cable chain 11 makes the pipeline wiring of the entire handling device more reasonable and reliable, and will not cause pipeline entanglement or detachment due to the rotation of the robotic arm, making the use of the handling device more stable and reliable.

[0034] In some embodiments, the mounting bracket 1 is also provided with an electrical slip ring 12, which is used to connect the adsorption device 8 with the power transmission equipment and the gas transmission equipment. Specifically, the electrical slip ring 12 can ensure the stable connection of the circuit and the gas circuit during the rotation of the robotic arm, ensuring the stable operation of the entire handling device. The electrical slip ring 12 is a commonly used component in the field of mechanical equipment, and its specific structure will not be described in detail here.

[0035] In summary, this utility model provides a wafer coaxial dual-arm handling device, which achieves the effect of simultaneously handling multiple wafers through two coaxial rotating robotic arms. Due to its rotating structure, it can handle wafers more flexibly in narrow spaces, improving wafer handling efficiency and space utilization of the handling device. The entire wafer handling process is more flexible and can adapt to more complex wafer handling needs.

[0036] The above are merely preferred embodiments of this utility model. It should be noted that, for those skilled in the art, several improvements and substitutions can be made without departing from the technical principles of this utility model, and these improvements and substitutions should also be considered within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A wafer coaxial dual-arm handling device, characterized by, The mounting support is provided with a plurality of driving motors and a plurality of mechanical arms, the mechanical arms correspond to the driving motors one by one, and the driving motors are used to drive the corresponding mechanical arms to rotate; The plurality of mechanical arms rotate coaxially and independently, and the mechanical arms are provided with suction devices at one end away from the rotation shaft, and the suction devices are used to suck wafers.

2. The wafer coaxial dual-arm handling device of claim 1, wherein, The mounting support is provided with a first driving motor, a first mechanical arm, a second driving motor and a second mechanical arm, and the first driving motor and the second driving motor are used to drive the first mechanical arm and the second mechanical arm to rotate, respectively.

3. The wafer coaxial dual-arm handling device of claim 2, wherein, The first driving motor and the first mechanical arm are provided with a first transmission structure, the second driving motor and the second mechanical arm are provided with a second transmission structure, and the first mechanical arm is located below the second mechanical arm.

4. The wafer coaxial dual-arm handling device of claim 3, wherein, The first transmission structure comprises a hollow rotating platform fixed to the mounting support, one side of the hollow rotating platform is connected with the first mechanical arm, and the side of the hollow rotating platform away from the first mechanical arm is connected with the first driving motor.

5. The wafer coaxial dual-arm handling device of claim 4, wherein, The second transmission structure comprises a transmission shaft, both ends of the transmission shaft are connected with the second mechanical arm and the second driving motor, respectively, and the transmission shaft is coaxially arranged in a first through hole in the middle of the hollow rotating platform.

6. The wafer coaxial dual-arm handling device of claim 5, wherein, The output end of the second driving motor is provided with a first synchronous wheel, the end of the transmission shaft is provided with a second synchronous wheel corresponding to the first synchronous wheel, and a synchronous belt is arranged between the first synchronous wheel and the second synchronous wheel.

7. The wafer coaxial dual-arm handling device of claim 2, wherein, The suction device comprises a lifting assembly and a suction assembly, the lifting assembly is fixedly arranged at the end of the first mechanical arm or the second mechanical arm, the lifting assembly is used to drive the suction assembly to move up and down along the vertical direction, and the suction assembly is used to suck a fixed wafer.

8. The wafer coaxial dual-arm handling device of claim 7, wherein, The lifting assembly comprises a first lifting structure and a second lifting structure, the first lifting structure is fixed to the end of the mechanical arm and is used to drive the second lifting structure to move up and down along the vertical direction, and the second lifting structure is connected to the output end of the first lifting structure and is used to drive the suction assembly to move up and down along the vertical direction.

9. The wafer coaxial dual-arm handling device of claim 5, wherein, The middle of the transmission shaft is provided with a second through hole, the second mechanical arm is fixedly connected with a rotary drag chain, and the second through hole and the rotary drag chain are used to accommodate cables and air pipes.

10. The wafer coaxial dual-arm handling device of claim 1, wherein, The mounting support is also provided with an electrical slip ring, and the electrical slip ring is used to communicate the suction device with power transmission equipment and gas transmission equipment.

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