Wafer feeding device

Abstract

The utility model discloses a wafer feeding device, and belongs to the technical field of semiconductor production equipment. The device comprises a rack, a first material storage frame, a material taking mechanism and a material disc carrying system. A plurality of vertical U-shaped bins are arranged on the first storage rack, and partition grooves are formed in the inner walls of the bins and used for storing wafers; the material taking mechanism is used for extracting the whole bin of wafers at one time by using uniformly distributed shifting pieces and vacuum chucks and carrying the wafers to a material taking station; the tray carrying system comprises a plate turnover mechanism and a wafer carrying manipulator, the plate turnover mechanism is controlled by a servo motor to achieve 180-degree precise turnover and automatic turnover of a tray, and the wafer is precisely loaded into a positioning circular groove of the tray through the manipulator in combination with the visual positioning system. According to the utility model, the problems of low efficiency, easy damage, poor compatibility and the like of traditional wafer feeding are solved through whole-bin material taking, multi-station cooperation and automatic carrying, the wafer feeding device has the characteristics of high efficiency, high precision, high compatibility, high space utilization rate and the like, and the production yield and productivity of semiconductors are remarkably improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of semiconductor manufacturing equipment technology, and in particular relates to a wafer feeding device. Background Technology

[0002] In wafer fabrication, traditional manual or single-arm robotic methods of handling wafers one by one are inefficient and prone to scratches or cracks on the wafer surface due to improper operation. Existing storage devices mostly use a horizontal stacking structure, requiring frequent movement of the cassettes, making it difficult to achieve rapid transfer and precise positioning of entire wafer hoppers. Furthermore, during the transfer of wafers from storage racks to trays, existing equipment struggles to adapt to the compatibility requirements of different tray sizes, and the tray replacement process is complex, impacting production efficiency. Utility Model Content

[0003] The technical problem to be solved by this utility model is to provide a wafer feeding device to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art. The wafer feeding device aims to solve at least one of the above-mentioned technical problems through the coordinated operation of a multi-station collaborative storage rack, a whole-warehouse material picking mechanism and an automatic material tray handling system.

[0004] The technical solution adopted by this utility model to solve its technical problem is:

[0005] A wafer feeding device includes a frame, at least one first storage rack is provided on the frame, and multiple hoppers are provided on the first storage rack, with multiple wafers placed in each hopper;

[0006] The rack is equipped with a material handling mechanism, which is used to remove all the wafers placed in a single hopper at once and transport them to the material handling station.

[0007] The material handling mechanism includes a material handling frame, which includes multiple vertically and horizontally evenly arranged paddles. A limiting block is connected between two paddles. The limiting block is used to separate two adjacent paddles and position the wafer.

[0008] The pick is also equipped with a suction cup, which is used to pick up the wafer when the material handling mechanism transports the wafer. The suction cups of multiple picks are connected by a negative pressure air pipe.

[0009] Preferably, in the wafer feeding device of this utility model, the hopper is configured with a vertically distributed U-shaped opening structure, and the inner wall of the hopper is evenly distributed with a plurality of vertically arranged partition grooves, the partition grooves are used to insert wafers, and the spacing of the partition grooves is matched with the wafer thickness.

[0010] Preferably, in the wafer feeding device of this utility model, the openings of multiple hoppers on the first storage rack face inward, and there is a clearance channel between two opposing openings of the hoppers for moving the picking rack. The width of the clearance channel is greater than the lateral movement stroke of the picking rack.

[0011] Preferably, in the wafer feeding device of this utility model, the picking mechanism further includes a first driving mechanism, which is used to drive the picking frame to move horizontally and lift vertically along the X-axis and Y-axis directions.

[0012] Preferably, in a wafer feeding device of the present invention, the frame is provided with two opposing second storage racks, the second storage racks are used to place wafer trays, and the wafer trays are provided with a plurality of positioning grooves for placing wafers.

[0013] Preferably, in a wafer feeding device of the present invention, a tray conveying mechanism is further provided between the two second storage racks. The tray conveying mechanism is used to transport the empty wafer trays on the second storage racks to the loading station and to send the wafer trays loaded with wafers back to the second storage racks.

[0014] Preferably, in a wafer feeding device of the present invention, the tray conveying mechanism includes a flipping mechanism, wherein the flipping mechanism is configured to rotate horizontally at 180° for conveying wafer trays of the second storage racks on both sides.

[0015] Preferably, in the wafer feeding device of this utility model, the tray conveying mechanism further includes a second driving mechanism, which is used to drive the flipping mechanism to move horizontally and lift vertically along the X-axis.

[0016] Preferably, in a wafer feeding device of the present invention, a wafer handling robot is further provided between the two second storage racks. The wafer handling robot is used to transport the wafers on the picking racks into the positioning grooves on the wafer tray.

[0017] Preferably, in a wafer feeding device of the present invention, the wafer handling robot arm is provided with an arc-shaped gripper, and the bottom of the arc-shaped gripper is provided with a plurality of anti-slip limiting posts, which are used to sequentially grip the wafers on the picking rack from top to bottom.

[0018] The beneficial effects of this utility model are:

[0019] (1) Rapid transfer of whole wafers significantly improves efficiency. The picking mechanism extracts all wafers in a single hopper at once and moves them quickly to the picking station by a three-axis linear module. Compared with the traditional single-arm robotic arm that handles wafers one by one, the wafer transfer time is greatly shortened and the overall efficiency is improved by more than 50%.

[0020] Precise positioning reduces the risk of wafer damage. The combination design of the paddle and the limiting block, along with the vacuum suction cup adsorption, ensures that the wafer remains stable during extraction and handling, avoiding surface scratches or cracks caused by sliding or collision.

[0021] Multi-station collaboration, compatible with different specifications of wafers and trays, the vertical U-shaped tray partition can be adapted to 8-inch wafers, while the adjustable tweezers spacing and suction cup partitioned air path design support flexible switching of 6-12 inch wafers.

[0022] Fully automated operation reduces human intervention. The wafer handling robot, combined with a vision positioning system, completes the fully automatic and precise loading of wafers from the pick-up rack to the tray. The tray handling mechanism controls the flip angle and limit support blocks through servo motors to achieve automatic circulation of empty / full trays, without the need for manual operation throughout the entire process. Attached Figure Description

[0023] The technical solution of this application will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an embodiment of this application;

[0025] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first storage rack and the material picking mechanism according to an embodiment of this application;

[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the hopper structure of the first storage rack in an embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the material handling rack structure according to an embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the flip-plate mechanism structure according to an embodiment of this application;

[0029] The attached figures are labeled as follows:

[0030] The machine includes a frame 10, a first storage rack 11, a hopper 12, a second storage rack 13, a wafer tray 14, a tray handling mechanism 15, a flipping mechanism 16, a wafer handling robot 17, a picking mechanism 20, a picking rack 21, a paddle 22, and a limit block 23. Detailed Implementation

[0031] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other.

[0032] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationships based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing this application 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 limiting the scope of protection of this application. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., 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, features defined with "first," "second," etc., may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this invention, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0033] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0034] The technical solution of this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0035] Example

[0036] This embodiment provides a wafer feeding device, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the frame 10 adopts a frame-type aluminum alloy structure, with two sets of first storage racks 11 on the top. Each first storage rack 11 has two rows of three hoppers 12, as shown in the figure. Figure 2 and Figure 3 The hopper 12 has a vertical U-shaped opening facing inwards. The inner wall of the hopper 12 has partition grooves spaced 20mm apart and 5mm deep, used to accommodate the edge of an 8-inch wafer with a thickness of 0.725mm (this embodiment uses an 8-inch wafer as an example, but other wafer sizes can also be fed). A 200mm wide clearance channel is reserved between the two rows of opposing hoppers 12 for the lateral movement of the pick-up rack 21. Second storage racks 13 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the rack, capable of stacking 20 wafer trays 14. Each tray 14 has a 201mm diameter silicone substrate positioning groove.

[0037] The material handling mechanism 20 achieves three-axis motion through a first drive mechanism including X / Y / Z axis linear modules (each composed of three sets of stepper motor-driven lead screw and nut transmission mechanisms). (Refer to...) Figure 3 The material handling rack 21 consists of 25 carbon fiber picks 22, each 6mm thick, with a 20mm spacing between adjacent picks. Two adjacent picks 22 are separated and fixed by polyurethane limiting blocks 23. A 5mm diameter vacuum suction cup is embedded in the center of each pick 22. The suction cup is connected to a central vacuum generator via a negative pressure air pipe, forming an independent air path zone. The connection end between the negative pressure air pipe and the suction cup is embedded within the pick 22. During operation, driven by linear die-taking along the X / Y / Z axes, the material handling rack 21 is inserted into the material bin 12 through a clearance channel. The picks 22 are inserted into the wafers within the material bin 12, aligned with the wafer center, and then rise to contact and adsorb the wafer above the vacuum suction cup. After adsorbing the wafer, the entire assembly is lifted and moved horizontally to the material handling station.

[0038] The second drive mechanism of the tray conveying mechanism 15 adopts an X / Z axis linear module (composed of two sets of stepper motor-driven lead screw and nut transmission mechanisms) to achieve synchronous movement of the two axes, driving the flipping mechanism 16 to move and lift along the X axis. The flipping mechanism 16 includes a bearing seat and an aluminum alloy flipping plate rotatably mounted on the bearing seat. The bottom of the bearing seat is connected to the action output part of the tray conveying mechanism 15. An anti-static rubber layer is attached to the surface of the aluminum alloy flipping plate. The rotating shaft of the flipping plate is coaxially connected to a servo motor to achieve 180° rotation.

[0039] It should be noted that, referring to Figure 4 The bearing housing is also equipped with a limit support block to ensure a stable horizontal state of the flip plate after the flipping action and when supporting materials.

[0040] After an empty tray 14 is picked up from the loading station, a rotating flip plate returns a full tray to its designated layer on the second storage rack 13. A wafer handling robot 17 is installed between the two second storage racks 13, equipped with a 6-axis articulated arm (repeatability ±0.02mm). The end effector has a pair of symmetrically arranged arc-shaped grippers (radius of curvature 150mm), with two ceramic anti-slip limit posts fixedly connected to the bottom of each gripper. During operation, the wafer handling robot 17 accurately identifies the wafer position using a vision positioning system (5-megapixel CCD camera), sequentially picking up wafers from the pick-up rack 21 and transferring them to the positioning grooves on the tray 14.

[0041] Among them, reference Figure 4 The end of the lever 22 is configured as a pointed structure, and the end of the pointed structure is shorter than the outer diameter edge of the wafer to prevent the anti-slip limiting post of the arc-shaped gripper from contacting the lever 22 during the gripping operation.

[0042] It should be noted that before the flipping mechanism 16 flips 180°, the wafer handling robot 17 should rotate backward to avoid collision with the flipping aluminum alloy flipping plate.

[0043] The working process of this device is as follows:

[0044] First, the material tray conveying mechanism 15 delivers the empty material tray 14 to the loading and unloading station, and the material picking mechanism 20 selects the target material bin 12 and extracts the wafer as a whole; then, the wafer handling robot 17 sorts and positions the wafers for loading; finally, the full material tray 14 is sent back to the second storage rack 13 via the flipping mechanism 16; the system automatically switches to the next work cycle.

[0045] Based on the above-described preferred embodiments according to this application, and through the foregoing description, those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the technical concept of this application. The technical scope of this application is not limited to the contents of the specification, but must be determined according to the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A wafer feeding device, characterized in that, Includes a rack (10), on which at least one first storage rack (11) is provided, and on which multiple hoppers (12) are provided, and multiple wafers are placed in a single hopper (12); The rack (10) is provided with a material picking mechanism (20), which is used to pick up all the wafers placed in a single hopper (12) at one time and transport them to the material picking station; The material handling mechanism (20) includes a material handling frame (21), which includes a plurality of vertically and vertically evenly arranged paddles (22). A limiting block (23) is connected between two paddles (22). The limiting block (23) is used to separate two adjacent paddles (22) and position the wafer. The pick (22) is also provided with a suction cup, which is used to adsorb the wafer when the material handling mechanism (20) transports the wafer. The suction cups of multiple picks (22) are connected by a negative pressure air pipe.

2. The wafer feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hopper (12) is configured with a vertically distributed U-shaped opening structure. The inner wall of the hopper (12) is evenly distributed with multiple vertically arranged partition grooves. The partition grooves are used to insert wafers, and the spacing of the partition grooves is matched with the wafer thickness.

3. A wafer feeding device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first storage rack (11) has multiple hoppers (12) with inward openings. There is a clearance channel between two opposing hoppers (12) for the movement of the picking rack (21). The width of the clearance channel is greater than the lateral movement stroke of the picking rack.

4. A wafer feeding device according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The material handling mechanism (20) further includes a first driving mechanism, which is used to drive the material handling rack (21) to move horizontally and lift vertically along the X-axis and Y-axis directions.

5. A wafer feeding device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The rack (10) is provided with two opposing second storage racks (13), which are used to place wafer trays (14). The wafer trays (14) are provided with multiple positioning grooves for placing wafers.

6. A wafer feeding device according to claim 5, characterized in that, A tray transport mechanism (15) is also provided between the two second storage racks (13). The tray transport mechanism (15) is used to transport the empty wafer trays (14) on the second storage racks (13) to the loading station and send the wafer trays (14) loaded with wafers back to the second storage racks (13).

7. A wafer feeding device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The tray handling mechanism (15) includes a flipping mechanism (16), the flipping mechanism (16) is configured to flip horizontally at 180°, for handling the wafer trays (14) of the second storage racks (13) on both sides.

8. A wafer feeding device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The tray conveying mechanism (15) further includes a second drive mechanism, which is used to drive the flipping mechanism (16) to move horizontally and lift vertically along the X-axis.

9. A wafer feeding device according to claim 8, characterized in that, A wafer handling robot (17) is also provided between the two second storage racks (13), which is used to transport the wafers on the pick-up rack (21) into the positioning groove on the wafer tray (14).

10. A wafer feeding device according to claim 9, characterized in that, The wafer handling robot (17) is equipped with an arc-shaped gripper, and the bottom of the arc-shaped gripper is equipped with multiple anti-slip limiting posts. The anti-slip limiting posts are used to grip the wafers on the pick-up rack (21) from top to bottom.

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