Wafer carrier and semiconductor processing equipment

Abstract

The utility model discloses a wafer carrier and a semiconductor processing device. The wafer carrier comprises a chamber; the plurality of placing assemblies are arranged in the cavity at intervals in the Z-axis direction, and the placing assemblies are used for placing wafers; each placement assembly comprises two placement pieces which are symmetrically arranged, and the two placement pieces are fixedly arranged on the opposite side walls of the cavity in the X-axis direction correspondingly; and placing grooves are formed in the adjacent side walls of the two placing pieces, and the placing grooves penetrate through the placing pieces in the Y-axis direction. According to the utility model, the problem that the wafers are laminated, inclined or broken in the placing process can be solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of semiconductor equipment technology, and in particular to a wafer carrier and semiconductor processing equipment. Background Technology

[0002] In the semiconductor manufacturing process, a placement chamber is a device for storing wafers. It is a standardized container used for loading and transporting wafers during semiconductor manufacturing.

[0003] In existing technologies, we need to move the wafers manually or using a pick-up pen, which can easily lead to misplacement, tilting, scribing, or stacking of wafers, causing significant damage to our wafers.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a new wafer carrier and semiconductor processing equipment to solve the above-mentioned problems existing in the prior art. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a wafer carrier and semiconductor processing equipment for storing wafers, which can improve the problems of wafer stacking, tilting or fragmentation during the placement process.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution of this utility model is as follows:

[0007] A wafer carrier, comprising a cavity;

[0008] Multiple placement components are spaced apart along the Z-axis inside the cavity, and the placement components are used to place wafers.

[0009] Each of the placement components includes two symmetrically arranged placement members, which are respectively fixedly disposed on the opposite sidewalls of the chamber along the X-axis direction;

[0010] Placement grooves are provided on the adjacent side walls of the two placement components, and the placement grooves penetrate the placement components along the Y-axis direction.

[0011] By adopting the above technical solution, the wafer is placed in the placement slot during the placement process. Since the placement slot has a certain depth, if the wafer is tilted, the other side wall of the wafer will not come into contact with the placement component in the adjacent placement assembly. This ensures that the wafer can only contact the placement component in the same placement assembly on both sides during placement, thereby reducing the possibility of the wafer tilting during placement.

[0012] Optionally, the placement slot has a first sidewall and a second sidewall, both of which are inclined, and the distance between the first sidewall and the second sidewall gradually increases along the X-axis toward the interior of the cavity.

[0013] By adopting the above technical solution, when the wafer is placed, if the wafer is tilted, it will be inserted into the placement slot. Since both the first and second sidewalls are tilted, the wafer will be tilted even more, so that the other side of the wafer cannot be placed on the placement component in other placement components, further reducing the possibility of the wafer tilting when placing the wafer.

[0014] Optionally, the placement member has a guide surface on the side wall facing the interior of the cavity along the X-axis direction, and the guide surface is arc-shaped.

[0015] By adopting the above technical solution, the guide surface is arc-shaped, which effectively reduces the possibility of scratches on the wafer surface or damage to the wafer caused by contact between the wafer and the placement device at the corner.

[0016] Optionally, handles are fixedly provided on both side walls of the chamber that are arranged opposite each other along the X-axis, and anti-slip sleeves are fixedly provided on the outer walls of the handles.

[0017] By adopting the above technical solution, handles are fixedly installed on both side walls of the chamber that are opposite each other along the X-axis. The handles are easy to grip, thus facilitating the movement of the chamber.

[0018] Optionally, the chamber has a placement opening, and a sealing door is movably provided on the side wall of the chamber, the sealing door being used to close or open the placement opening;

[0019] A locking element is provided on the top wall of the chamber along the Z-axis for connecting with the closed door, so that the closed door is connected to the chamber.

[0020] By adopting the above technical solution, the locking element is controlled to control the closing door, so that the closing door can close or open the placement opening. During use, the placement opening can be closed or opened according to different needs.

[0021] Optionally, a control hole is provided on the top wall of the chamber for a control component to pass through, and the control component is used in conjunction with the locking component;

[0022] In operation, the control component passes through the control hole and is connected to the locking component. Rotating the control component separates the locking component from the closed door, thereby separating the closed door from the chamber and opening the placement port.

[0023] By adopting the above technical solution, the control component and the locking component are used together. By controlling the rotation of the control component, the locking component can be connected to or separated from the closed door, thereby facilitating the opening or closing of the placement opening.

[0024] Optionally, a sensor is provided on the placement component, and an alarm component is fixedly provided on the bottom wall of the chamber along the Z-axis direction, and the alarm component and the sensor are electrically connected;

[0025] In operation, the sensor detects the position of the wafer in the placement slot. When the wafer position shifts, the sensor transmits the detection signal to the alarm device, which then issues an alarm signal.

[0026] By adopting the above technical solution, when the position of the wafer is shifted, or when the wafer is stacked or tilted, the sensor will output a detection signal to the alarm device, which will then issue an alarm signal to indicate that the wafer is in the wrong position.

[0027] Optionally, the sidewall of the placement component is fixedly provided with a distinguishing layer, and the distinguishing layers in two adjacent placement components are of different colors.

[0028] By adopting the above technical solution, the colors of the distinguishing layers in two adjacent placement components are different, that is, the colors of the placement components in two adjacent placement components are different. During the placement process, it is easy to distinguish each group of placement components, thereby reducing the possibility of wafer stacking or scratches caused by storing two wafers on the same placement component.

[0029] A semiconductor processing apparatus includes a vacuum chamber, a robotic arm, and a wafer carrier;

[0030] The robotic arm is positioned inside the vacuum chamber.

[0031] The chamber is located inside the vacuum chamber and is connected to the robotic arm;

[0032] In operation, the robotic arm moves, causing the chamber to move and move to the outside of the vacuum chamber.

[0033] By adopting the above technical solution, after the wafer is placed, the robot moves the chamber, allowing the chamber to enter the vacuum chamber or be transferred from the vacuum chamber to the outside of the vacuum chamber, which facilitates the subsequent processing of the wafer.

[0034] Optionally, the side wall of the vacuum chamber has a feed inlet, and the side wall of the vacuum chamber is movably provided with a sealing door, which is used to close or open the feed inlet.

[0035] By adopting the above technical solution, the sealing door is used to close or open the feed port, which facilitates the subsequent processing of the wafer.

[0036] The advantages of the wafer carrier and semiconductor processing equipment provided by this utility model include at least the following:

[0037] 1. One sidewall of the wafer is tilted in the placement slot, and the other sidewall of the wafer will not come into contact with the placement component in the adjacent placement assembly. This ensures that the wafer can only contact the placement component in the same placement assembly on both sides during placement, thereby reducing the possibility of the wafer tilting during placement.

[0038] 2. The placement components in adjacent placement assemblies are of different colors, which makes it easier to distinguish each group of placement assemblies during placement, thereby reducing the possibility of two wafers being stored on the same placement assembly, which could lead to wafer stacking or scratches.

[0039] 3. Equipped with control components for easy opening of the chamber at any time. Attached Figure Description

[0040] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the main structure of the wafer carrier according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0041] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Enlarged view of section A in the middle;

[0042] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the handle on the wafer carrier according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection position of the closed door and the chamber of the wafer carrier according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram showing the position of the wafer carrier in a semiconductor processing equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] Figure label:

[0046] 100, Chamber; 110, Placement port; 120, Sealed door; 130, Locking element; 140, Control hole; 150, Control element; 200, Placement assembly; 210, Placement element; 220, Placement slot; 221, First side wall; 222, Second side wall; 230, Guide surface; 240, Layering element; 310, Handle; 320, Anti-slip sleeve; 400, Sensor; 500, Alarm element; 510, Buzzer; 520, Warning light; 600, Vacuum chamber; 610, Robotic arm; 620, Feed inlet; 630, Sealed door. Detailed Implementation

[0047] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this utility model clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this utility model, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this utility model. Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used herein should have the ordinary meaning understood by those skilled in the art to which this utility model pertains. The terms "comprising" and similar expressions used herein mean that the element or object preceding the word covers the element or object listed following the word and its equivalents, but does not exclude other elements or objects.

[0048] The specific embodiments of this utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0049] Reference Figure 1-5 This utility model provides a wafer carrier for placing wafers in a semiconductor processing apparatus. The wafer carrier includes a chamber 100, one of which has a placement opening 110 for passing a wafer through, facilitating the placement of the wafer inside or outside the chamber 100. For ease of distinction, the direction towards the opening of the placement opening 110 in the horizontal direction is defined as the Y-axis direction, the direction perpendicular to the Y-axis direction in the horizontal direction is defined as the X-axis direction, and the direction perpendicular to the plane formed by the X-axis and Y-axis directions is defined as the Z-axis direction.

[0050] Reference Figure 1-5In existing technologies, wafers need to be moved manually or using a pick-and-place pen, which can easily lead to misplacement, tilting, dicing, or stacking, causing significant damage to the wafers. To solve this problem, multiple placement components 200 are arranged within a chamber 100. These components are spaced apart along the Z-axis and are used to place wafers. In this embodiment, the placement components 200 are evenly arranged along the Z-axis within the chamber 100, meaning that the spacing between adjacent placement components 200 in the Z-axis direction is the same. Each placement component 200 includes two placement members 210, which are symmetrically arranged and fixed to opposite sidewalls of the chamber 100 along the X-axis. The fixing method can be adhesive, snap-fit, or bolt fixing, etc. In this embodiment, bolt fixing of the placement members 210 is preferred. Fixedly installed on the inner wall of the chamber 100, each of the two placement components 210 has a placement groove 220. The placement groove 220 is placed on the adjacent side wall of the two placement components 210, and the placement groove 220 passes through the placement component 210 along the Y-axis direction. In the working state, the wafer enters the interior of the chamber 100 from the placement port 110. Each placement component 200 can carry a corresponding number of wafers. In this embodiment, each placement component 200 carries one wafer, and the wafer is placed in the placement groove 220 on the two opposite placement components 210. When one side wall of the wafer is placed in the placement groove 220 and abuts against the inner bottom of the placement groove 220, the wafer is rotated at this time. The other side wall of the wafer will not contact the placement component 210 in the adjacent placement component 200 in the Z-axis direction, so that the wafer will not be stacked during placement, which facilitates the wafer placement process.

[0051] Reference Figure 1-5The placement groove 220 has a first sidewall 221 and a second sidewall 222, both of which are inclined at an angle between 0 and 90°. In this embodiment, the preferred inclination angle of the first sidewall 221 and the second sidewall 222 in the horizontal direction is 60°. The first sidewall 221 and the second sidewall 222 may or may not intersect. When the first sidewall 221 and the second sidewall 222 do not intersect, both the first sidewall 221 and the second sidewall 222 intersect with the sidewall of the placement member 210. The placement groove 220 may also have at least one extended sidewall, which intersects with both the first sidewall 221 and the second sidewall 222, allowing the cross-section of the placement groove 220 along the Y-axis to be rectangular or polygonal. In this embodiment, the first sidewall 221 and the second sidewall 222 intersect. Specifically, the interval between the first sidewall 221 and the second sidewall 222... The distance gradually increases along the X-axis towards the interior of the chamber 100 and intersects with the sidewall of the placement member 210. That is, the cross-section of the placement groove 220 in the Y-axis direction is triangular. During the wafer placement process, moving the wafer can allow the wafer to quickly abut against the inner bottom of the placement groove 220. At the same time, the opening of the placement groove 220 in the X-axis direction towards the interior of the chamber 100 is the largest, which facilitates the placement of the wafer and effectively reduces the occurrence of wafer fragmentation caused by collision between the wafer sidewall and the sidewall of the placement member 210. In addition, a guide surface 230 is provided on the sidewall of the placement member 210 in the X-axis direction towards the interior of the chamber 100. The guide surface 230 is arc-shaped. Specifically, in this embodiment, the guide surface 230 is provided at the edge of the opposite sidewall of the placement member 210. During the wafer movement, the arc-shaped guide surface 230 can improve the problem of wafer fragmentation caused by collision between the wafer and the placement member 210.

[0052] Reference Figure 1-5 Handles 310 are fixedly installed on both side walls of the chamber 100 along the X-axis. The fixing method can be adhesive, snap-fit, or bolt fixing. In this embodiment, the handles 310 are fixed to the side walls of the chamber 100 by bolt fixing. The handles 310 are arc-shaped, and both ends of the handles 310 are fixed to the side walls of the chamber 100, so that there is a certain gap between the side walls of the handles 310 and the side walls of the chamber 100, which makes it easy to grip the handles 310 and thus facilitates the movement of the position of the chamber 100. At the same time, an anti-slip sleeve 320 is fixedly installed on the outer side wall of the handles 310. The fixing method can be adhesive, snap-fit, etc. In this embodiment, the anti-slip sleeve 320 is sleeved on the handles 310 and fixed to the side walls of the handles 310 by adhesive. The anti-slip sleeve 320 can be made of rubber, silicone, or other anti-slip materials. In this embodiment, the anti-slip sleeve 320 is made of rubber.

[0053] Reference Figure 1-5 A sealing door 120 is movably provided on the side wall of the chamber 100. The sealing door 120 is used to close or open the placement opening 110, thereby facilitating the removal or placement of wafers. Simultaneously, a locking element 130 is provided on the top wall of the chamber 100 along the Z-axis. The locking element 130 cooperates with the sealing door 120. When the sealing door 120 closes the placement opening 110, the locking element 130 connects with the sealing door 120, thereby connecting the sealing door 120 to the chamber 100. Specifically, the locking element 130 mainly... The locking component can be any component capable of locking. In this embodiment, a locking element 130 is slidably disposed on the top of the chamber 100, and the end of the locking element 130 has a protrusion. A groove is provided on the closed door 120 for the protrusion to pass through. The locking element 130 is slidably controlled so that the protrusion passes through the groove, thereby connecting the locking element 130 and the closed door 120. In addition, a control hole 140 is provided on the top wall of the chamber 100 for a control element 150 to pass through. The control element 150 works in conjunction with the locking element 130 to control the movement of the locking element 130. In this embodiment, rotating the control element 150 can drive the locking element 130 to move. In the working state, after the control element 150 is passed through the control hole 140, the control element 150 and the locking element 130 are connected. Rotating the control element 150 causes the locking element 130 to slide, thereby causing the protrusion to pass through the groove or disengage from the groove. This facilitates fixing the closed door 120 to the chamber 100, or closing the closed door 120 to the chamber 100. When the closed door 120 is connected to the chamber 100, rotating the control component 150 separates the locking component 130 from the closed door 120. At this time, the closed door 120 is separated from the chamber 100, and the placement opening 110 is opened. At the same time, after the control component 150 is rotated, it will not disengage from the control hole 140. The control component 150 can also be used as a handle 310 to facilitate moving the position of the chamber 100.

[0054] Reference Figure 1-5The placement component 210 is also equipped with a sensor 400, and the chamber 100 is equipped with an alarm component 500. The alarm component 500 is located on the bottom wall of the chamber 100 along the Z-axis. In this embodiment, the alarm component 500 includes a buzzer 510 and a warning light 520. Both the buzzer 510 and the warning light 520 are fixedly installed on the bottom wall of the chamber 100 along the Z-axis. The fixing method can be adhesive, snap-fit, or bolt fixing, etc. In this embodiment, the buzzer 510 and the warning light 520 are both fixedly installed on the bottom wall of the chamber 100 along the Z-axis by bolt fixing. At the same time, the sensor 400 and the alarm component 500 are electrically connected, that is, the sensor 400... The sensor 400 is electrically connected to the buzzer 510 and the warning light 520. In operation, the sensor 400 detects the position of the wafer in the placement slot 220. When the position of the wafer in the placement slot 220 is offset, the sensor 400 transmits the detection signal to the alarm 500, which then issues an alarm signal. Specifically, in this embodiment, the sensor 400 transmits the detection signal to the buzzer 510 and the warning light 520. When the position of the wafer in the placement slot 220 is offset, the buzzer 510 sounds, and the warning light 520 remains on or flashes to alert the user that the wafer position has shifted or that the wafer is stacked or tilted.

[0055] The sensor 400 can be either an infrared sensor or a pressure sensor. In this embodiment, the sensor 400 is selected as a pressure sensor. When installing the pressure sensor, it is installed by embedding it into the placement component 210. During installation, the pressure sensor is embedded in the second sidewall 222, and after installation, the surface of the pressure sensor protrudes from the second sidewall 222. This reduces the overall height of the pressure sensor on the placement component 210, ensuring that the wafer has sufficient placement space. However, the surface of the pressure sensor needs to be higher than the second sidewall 222. This setting ensures that the pressure sensor can sense the position of the wafer. In addition, the contact area between the pressure sensor and the wafer needs to be more than half of the area of ​​the wafer on the second sidewall 222. This can effectively prevent the wafer from being unable to contact the pressure sensor due to warping. During the detection process, when the wafers are stacked, the pressure value detected by the sensor 400 increases, and the detection result is fed back to the alarm component 500. Or, when the wafer is broken or tilted, the pressure values ​​detected by the two sensors 400 in the same placement component are different, and the detection results are fed back to the alarm component 500.

[0056] In addition, a distinguishing layer 240 is fixedly provided on the side wall of the placement component 210, and the distinguishing layer 240 in adjacent placement components 200 has a different color. In this embodiment, the distinguishing layer 240 is a pigment, making the distinguishing layer 240 in adjacent placement components 200 have a different color. With this setting, the color distinction of the placement component 210 in adjacent placement components 200 is more obvious during the wafer placement process, which can effectively reduce the occurrence of wafer placement errors. Specifically, in this embodiment, a two-color design is adopted, that is, the colors of the placement components 210 in adjacent placement components 200 are different, but spaced apart. The placement components 210 within the two placement assemblies 200 are of the same color. For example, the placement assemblies 200 are numbered 1, 2, 3, and 4 from bottom to top. The colors of 1 and 2 are different, the colors of 1 and 3 are the same, the colors of 2 and 3 are different, the colors of 2 and 4 are the same, and the colors of 3 and 4 are different. This dual-color design allows the operator to clearly see the position of the wafer at a glance. At the same time, the device materials in this embodiment are all anti-static materials, including but not limited to plastic, carbon fiber, PVC anti-static board, anti-static polyester, etc., which are not limited in this embodiment.

[0057] This application also discloses a semiconductor processing apparatus for processing wafers. The semiconductor processing apparatus includes a vacuum chamber 600, a robotic arm 610, and a wafer carrier. The robotic arm 610 is movably disposed inside the vacuum chamber 600 and has a placement platform. A chamber 100 is disposed inside the vacuum chamber 600 and connected to the robotic arm 610. Specifically, the chamber 100 is placed on the placement platform, thereby connecting to the robotic arm 610. Movement of the robotic arm 610 moves the placement platform, thereby moving the chamber 100. The movement of chamber 100 facilitates its transfer to the outside of vacuum chamber 600. Simultaneously, a feed inlet 620 is provided on the side wall of vacuum chamber 600, and a sealing door 630 is movably installed on the side wall of vacuum chamber 600. The sealing door 630 is used to close or open the feed inlet 620. During operation, the sealing door 630 opens, connecting the inside and outside of vacuum chamber 600. At this time, the robot arm 610 moves, which can drive chamber 100 to move from the inside of vacuum chamber 600 towards the outside of vacuum chamber 600, or from the outside of vacuum chamber 600 towards the inside of vacuum chamber 600.

[0058] The implementation principle of the wafer carrier and semiconductor processing equipment in this application embodiment is as follows: a wafer is placed into a chamber 100 through a placement port 110. During this process, one side wall of the wafer contacts the bottom of the placement groove 220 of the placement component 210. When the wafer rotates, the other side wall of the wafer will not contact the placement components 210 in other placement assemblies 200, thereby reducing the possibility of wafer tilting during wafer placement. At the same time, this improves production efficiency and quality and reduces the cost of wafer wear. In addition, the placement components 210 in two adjacent placement assemblies 200 have different colors, which can be easily distinguished during wafer placement, reducing the possibility of incorrect wafer placement. Furthermore, this utility model can be applied when the machine reports a vacuum error and the wafer is in an unsafe position and needs to be manually removed. This device can quickly and safely remove the abnormal wafer, thereby improving production efficiency and quality and reducing the cost of wafer wear.

[0059] Although the embodiments of this utility model have been described in detail above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to these embodiments. However, it should be understood that such modifications and variations fall within the scope and spirit of this utility model as described in the claims. Moreover, the utility model described herein may have other embodiments and can be implemented or realized in various ways.

Claims

1. A wafer carrier, comprising: The chamber (100) comprises a plurality of placement assemblies (200) arranged in the chamber (100) along the Z-axis direction, and each of the placement assemblies (200) comprises two symmetrically arranged placement pieces (210) fixedly arranged on the opposite side walls of the chamber (100) along the X-axis direction. Each of the placement assemblies (200) comprises two symmetrically arranged placement pieces (210) fixedly arranged on the opposite side walls of the chamber (100) along the X-axis direction. The placement groove (220) has a first side wall (221) and a second side wall (222), and the first side wall (221) and the second side wall (222) are both inclined. The placement piece (210) has a guide surface (230) arranged on the side wall of the placement piece (210) facing the inside of the chamber (100) along the X-axis direction, and the guide surface (230) is arc-shaped.

2. The wafer carrier of claim 1, wherein, The chamber (100) has a placement opening (110), and the side wall of the chamber (100) movably arranged has a closing door (120) for closing or opening the placement opening (110).

3. The wafer carrier of claim 1, wherein, The chamber (100) has a locking piece (130) arranged on the top wall of the chamber (100) along the Z-axis direction, which is used to connect with the closing door (120) to connect the closing door (120) with the chamber (100).

4. The wafer carrier of claim 1, wherein, The chamber (100) has a control hole (140) arranged on the top wall of the chamber (100), which is used to pass through a control piece (150) cooperating with the locking piece (130). In the working state, the control piece (150) is connected with the locking piece (130) by passing through the control hole (140), and the locking piece (130) is separated from the closing door (120) by rotating the control piece (150), so that the closing door (120) is separated from the chamber (100), and the placement opening (110) is opened.

5. The wafer carrier of claim 4, wherein, The placement piece (210) is provided with a sensor (400), and the chamber (100) has a warning piece (500) fixedly arranged on the bottom wall of the chamber (100) along the Z-axis direction, and the warning piece (500) and the sensor (400) are electrically connected. In the working state, the sensor (400) detects the position of the wafer in the placement groove (220), and when the position of the wafer deviates, the sensor (400) transmits a detection signal to the warning piece (500), and the warning piece (500) sends an alarm signal.

6. The wafer carrier of claim 1, wherein, ​ ​ 7. The wafer carrier of any of claims 1-6, wherein, The sidewall of the placing part (210) is fixedly provided with a distinguishing layer (240), and the colors of the distinguishing layers (240) in two adjacent placing assemblies (200) are different.

8. A semiconductor processing apparatus, characterized by comprising: The wafer carrier comprises a vacuum cavity (600), a mechanical arm (610) and the wafer carrier of any one of claims 1-7. The mechanical arm (610) is movably arranged in the vacuum cavity (600). The chamber (100) is arranged in the vacuum cavity (600) and connected with the mechanical arm (610). In the working state, the mechanical arm (610) moves to drive the chamber (100) to move, so that the chamber (100) is transferred to outside of the vacuum cavity (600).

9. The semiconductor processing apparatus of claim 8, wherein, The sidewall of the vacuum cavity (600) has a feeding port (620), and the sidewall of the vacuum cavity (600) movably arranged with a sealing door (630) for closing or opening the feeding port (620).

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