Wafer bearing device capable of being independently controlled

Abstract

The utility model relates to the field of wafer detection equipment, in particular to a wafer bearing device capable of being independently controlled, which comprises a rotary driving part, a rotary table and a plurality of bearing single bodies, the rotary table is arranged along the horizontal direction, the rotary driving part drives the rotary table to rotate in the horizontal plane, and the bearing single bodies are circumferentially and uniformly distributed on the rotary table; each bearing single body comprises a horizontal moving part and a vertical sliding block, the horizontal moving part moves on the rotary table in the radial direction, the vertical sliding block moves on the horizontal moving part in the vertical direction, and a clamping jaw used for clamping a wafer is fixedly arranged on the vertical sliding block. According to the utility model, the plurality of mutually independent bearing single bodies are arranged, so that each clamping jaw can realize independent action while stably bearing the wafer, and in the wafer edge detection process, the clamping jaw can be independently withdrawn by the bearing single body at the position to be detected, so that the edge area of the wafer is completely exposed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of wafer inspection equipment, and in particular to a wafer carrier device that can be controlled independently. Background Technology

[0002] In semiconductor manufacturing, wafer edge inspection is necessary to improve yield and meet advanced process requirements. Wafer inspection requires fixtures to clamp and position the wafer, and continuous rotation is required to inspect multiple edge regions or the entire edge. However, in existing technologies, the fixture supports and clamps the wafer from the bottom, causing occlusion at the bottom edge, preventing the inspection process from being completed in a single rotation. To address this issue, existing technologies use a clamping mechanism to lift and rotate the wafer, then place it back to inspect the occluded areas. However, this improved solution is complex in structure and operation, time-consuming, and requires complex processing of multiple inspection results to obtain a complete edge inspection result, resulting in high inspection costs. Utility Model Content

[0003] The present invention aims to solve the above problems and provides a separately controllable wafer carrier device, the technical solution of which is as follows:

[0004] A individually controllable wafer carrier device includes a rotary drive, a turntable, and carrier units. The turntable is arranged horizontally, and the rotary drive drives the turntable to rotate in the horizontal plane. There are multiple carrier units, which are evenly distributed circumferentially on the turntable. Each carrier unit includes a horizontal movable component and a vertical slider. The horizontal movable component moves radially on the turntable, and the vertical slider moves vertically on the horizontal movable component. Grippers for holding wafers are fixedly installed on the vertical slider.

[0005] Based on the above scheme, the number of carrier units is 5.

[0006] Preferably, the supporting unit further includes a limiting mechanism, which includes a limiting nut, a limiting fixing block, and a limiting stud. The limiting fixing block is fixedly connected to the vertical slider, and the limiting stud is vertically disposed on the limiting fixing block and threadedly connected to the limiting fixing block. When the vertical slider moves to its limit position, the bottom end of the limiting stud abuts against the vertical slider.

[0007] Preferably, the supporting unit further includes a horizontal linear motor and a vertical drive component. The horizontal linear motor is arranged radially along the turntable and drives the horizontal movable component to move. A vertical slide rail is fixedly connected to the horizontal movable component in the vertical direction, and the vertical drive component drives the vertical slider to move along the vertical slide rail.

[0008] Preferably, the gripper includes a receiving arm extending radially outward along the turntable, the outer end of the receiving arm extending upward to form a clamping block, and the clamping block abutting against the outer edge of the wafer.

[0009] Based on the above scheme, the clamping block is provided with a flexible device along the wafer radial direction on the wafer side, and the flexible device is a spring or a buffer sheet.

[0010] Preferably, the carrier unit further includes a horizontal limit switch and a horizontal position detection block. The horizontal position detection block is fixedly connected to the horizontal movable component. When the horizontal movable component retracts radially inward to a first predetermined position, the horizontal position detection block enters the detection range of the horizontal limit switch. At this time, the gripper abuts against the edge of the wafer, and the horizontal linear motor stops operating.

[0011] Preferably, the supporting unit further includes a vertical displacement sensor, which detects the position signal of the vertical slider when the vertical slider moves upward to the second predetermined position.

[0012] Preferably, a floating joint is provided between the end of the actuating component of the vertical drive member and the vertical slider.

[0013] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows: by setting multiple independent support units, each gripper can perform independent actions while stably supporting the wafer. During the wafer edge detection process, the support unit at the detection position can retract the gripper individually, thereby completely exposing the wafer edge area, without affecting the stability of wafer support and avoiding wafer position shift that could cause detection result errors. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 : A schematic diagram of the structure of this utility model;

[0015] Figure 2 : Schematic diagram of the installation state of the load-bearing unit of this utility model;

[0016] Figure 3 : Schematic diagram of the load-bearing unit structure of this utility model;

[0017] Figure 4 : Another structural schematic diagram of the carrier unit of this utility model. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments:

[0019] In this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0020] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "center," "length," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," and "inner," etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship, are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this utility model, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0021] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0022] like Figures 1 to 4As shown, a individually controllable wafer carrier device includes a rotary drive 11, a turntable 12, and carrier units. The turntable 12 is arranged horizontally, and the rotary drive 11 drives the turntable 12 to rotate in the horizontal plane. The rotary drive 11 can be a rotary drive element such as a motor, gear mechanism, etc. Multiple carrier units are evenly distributed circumferentially on the turntable 12. The wafer to be tested is placed on each carrier unit and supported by multiple carrier units. The wafer is coaxially arranged with the turntable 12, thereby achieving horizontal placement of the wafer and enabling rotation in the horizontal plane. Preferably, there are five carrier units, thereby achieving stable support for the wafer and ensuring that the wafer remains stable and does not deflect or wobble even when any one of the carrier units fails to provide support.

[0023] The supporting unit includes a horizontal movable component 22 and a vertical slider 35. The horizontal movable component 22 moves radially on the turntable 12, and the vertical slider 35 moves vertically on the horizontal movable component 22. Specifically, the supporting unit also includes a horizontal linear motor 21 and a vertical drive component 31. The horizontal linear motor 21 is arranged radially along the turntable 12 and drives the horizontal movable component 22 to move. A vertical slide rail 34 is fixedly connected to the horizontal movable component 22 in the vertical direction. The vertical drive component 31 drives the vertical slider 35 to move along the vertical slide rail 34. The vertical drive component 31 can be a linear drive element such as a motor, cylinder, or hydraulic cylinder. A floating joint 33 is provided between the end of the moving part of the vertical drive component 31 and the vertical slider 35 to compensate for installation and machining accuracy errors between components.

[0024] A gripper 4 for holding a wafer is fixedly mounted on a vertical slider 35. The gripper 4 includes a receiving arm extending radially outward along the turntable 12, and the outer end of the receiving arm extends upward to form a clamping block, which abuts against the outer edge of the wafer. The receiving arm supports the wafer from the bottom, and combined with the abutting action of the clamping block against the edge of the wafer, it completes the support and positioning of the wafer.

[0025] Because the wafer edge is relatively thin, excessive clamping force during radial clamping at the edge can easily cause damage such as chipping, while insufficient clamping force may lead to unstable positioning and clamping, wafer misalignment, and other problems. Therefore, a flexible device is provided radially along the wafer side of the clamping block to improve clamping effectiveness while preventing damage to the wafer edge. Furthermore, the flexibility of the device allows the wafer carrier to adapt to wafers of different sizes, expanding its applicability and reducing accuracy requirements. The flexible device can be a spring, buffer sheet, or other structure that undergoes elastic deformation or other dimensional changes along the wafer's radial direction.

[0026] The carrier unit also includes a limiting mechanism, which includes a limiting nut 51, a limiting fixing block 52, and a limiting stud 53. The limiting fixing block 52 is fixedly connected to the vertical slider 35. The limiting stud 53 is vertically inserted through the limiting fixing block 52 and threadedly connected to it. The limiting nut 51 is sleeved on the limiting stud 53 and limits its position. When the vertical slider 35 moves to its limit position, the bottom end of the limiting stud 53 abuts against the vertical slider 35. By rotating the limiting stud 53, the height is adjusted, limiting the vertical slider 35 and the gripper 4 to their limit positions when they reach the top. This allows for leveling operations when the carrier device carries the wafer, ensuring the accuracy of the wafer's horizontal position and angle.

[0027] The carrier unit also includes a horizontal limit switch 24 and a horizontal position detection block 23. The horizontal position detection block 23 is fixedly connected to the horizontal movable member 22. When the horizontal movable member 22 retracts radially inward to a first predetermined position, the horizontal position detection block 23 enters the detection range of the horizontal limit switch 24. At this time, the gripper 4 abuts against the edge of the wafer, and the horizontal linear motor 21 stops operating. The carrier unit also includes a vertical displacement sensor 32. When the vertical slider 35 moves upward to a second predetermined position, the vertical displacement sensor 32 detects the position signal of the vertical slider 35.

[0028] The testing process includes the following steps:

[0029] S1. Adjust the relative positions of each bearing unit so that each gripper 4 is in the same horizontal plane, and the center of the circle formed by the gripping positions of each gripper 4 is coaxial with the turntable 12.

[0030] S2. Place the wafer to be inspected on each of the jaws 4 of the carrier device, with the inner side of each jaw 4 abutting against the edge of the wafer;

[0031] S3. Rotary drive component 11 drives turntable 12 to rotate;

[0032] S4. When a certain gripper 4 moves toward the detection position and is at a predetermined distance from the detection position, the gripper 4 moves downward and retracts radially inward, exposing the bottom and side surfaces of the wafer at the gripper 4 support position to the detection range of the detection mechanism.

[0033] S5. After the inspection mechanism completes the inspection of the wafer at this location, the gripper 4 extends outward radially and moves upward until it returns to its original position and abuts against the gripper 4.

[0034] S6. Repeat steps S4 and S5 until the area to be inspected at the edge of the wafer is completely inspected.

[0035] In steps S4 and S5, when the horizontal movable part 22 retracts inward to the first predetermined position, the horizontal position limit switch 24 is triggered, the horizontal linear motor 21 stops operating, and the gripper 4 moves accurately to the edge position of the corresponding wafer. When the vertical slider 35 moves upward to the second predetermined position, the gripper 4 abuts against the bottom of the wafer, the vertical displacement sensor 32 detects the position signal, and the vertical drive part 31 stops operating, ensuring that the wafer is in a horizontal state. By setting each limit switch and sensor, the movement range of each moving part can be limited, and corresponding action signals can be sent to the host computer to accurately monitor and control the detection process.

[0036] The present invention has been described above by way of example, but the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. Any modifications or variations made based on the present invention shall fall within the scope of protection claimed by the present invention.

Claims

1. A separately controllable wafer carrier device, characterized in that, The application relates to a rotary drive device, which comprises a rotary drive (11), a rotary table (12) and a plurality of bearing units, the rotary table (12) is arranged in a horizontal direction, the rotary drive (11) drives the rotary table (12) to rotate in a horizontal plane, and the bearing units are arranged in a circumferential direction on the rotary table (12).

2. The individually controllable wafer carrier of claim 1, wherein, The number of the bearing units is five.

3. The individually controllable wafer carrier of claim 1, wherein, The bearing unit further comprises a limiting mechanism, the limiting mechanism comprises a limiting nut (51), a limiting fixed block (52) and a limiting stud (53), the limiting fixed block (52) is fixedly connected to the vertical sliding block (35), the limiting stud (53) is arranged in a penetrating mode in the limiting fixed block (52) in a vertical direction and is threadedly connected to the limiting fixed block (52), and the bottom end of the limiting stud (53) is abutted against the vertical sliding block (35) when the vertical sliding block (35) moves to a limit position.

4. The individually controllable wafer carrier of claim 1, wherein, The bearing unit further comprises a horizontal linear motor (21) and a vertical drive (31), the horizontal linear motor (21) is arranged in a radial direction of the rotary table (12) and drives the horizontal movable part (22) to move, a vertical sliding rail (34) is fixedly connected to the horizontal movable part (22) in a vertical direction, and the vertical drive (31) drives the vertical sliding block (35) to move along the vertical sliding rail (34).

5. The individually controllable wafer carrier of claim 1, wherein, The clamping jaw (4) comprises a receiving arm extending in a radial direction of the rotary table (12) and outwardly, the outer end of the receiving arm extends upward to form a clamping block, and the clamping block is abutted against the outer edge of a wafer.

6. The individually controllable wafer carrier of claim 5, wherein, A flexible device is arranged on the clamping block in a radial direction of the wafer and faces the wafer, and the flexible device is a spring or a buffer sheet.

7. The individually controllable wafer carrier of claim 1, wherein, The bearing unit further comprises a horizontal stroke switch (24) and a horizontal position detection block (23), the horizontal position detection block (23) is fixedly connected to the horizontal movable part (22), the horizontal position detection block (23) enters the detection range of the horizontal stroke switch (24) when the horizontal movable part (22) is retracted in a radial direction to a first predetermined position, at this moment, the clamping jaw (4) is abutted against the edge of the wafer, and the horizontal linear motor (21) stops working.

8. The individually controllable wafer carrier of claim 1, wherein, The bearing unit further comprises a vertical displacement sensor (32), the vertical displacement sensor (32) detects the position signal of the vertical sliding block (35) when the vertical sliding block (35) moves upward to a second predetermined position.

9. The individually controllable wafer carrier of claim 4, wherein, A floating joint (33) is arranged between the end of the actuator of the vertical drive (31) and the vertical sliding block (35).

Images