Wafer pick-up handling mechanism for a horizontal electroplating apparatus

Abstract

The utility model discloses a wafer piece taking handling mechanism for horizontal electroplating equipment, including the casing, two groups of handling module that symmetry sets up in the casing. The utility model discloses a handling mechanism with double handling module is designed, and the limit boss that is used to limit the movement stroke of wafer piece taking finger is set in the casing sideboard in -side of handling mechanism, and the photoelectric switch is set on its casing bottom plate, and the photoelectric induction sheet that is inductive with photoelectric switch is set on handling mechanism, can realize the double positioning detection of wafer piece taking finger position, effectively improved the positioning accuracy of wafer piece taking finger position, avoided appearing no operation, also improved wafer handling efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, and in particular to a wafer handling mechanism for horizontal electroplating equipment. Background Technology

[0002] In the horizontal electroplating process of semiconductor manufacturing, wafer pick-up and handling are crucial steps, and their efficiency and precision directly affect the quality and capacity of the entire production process. With the continuous development of the semiconductor industry, the requirements for wafer size are gradually increasing, while the demands for production efficiency and precision are also rising. Traditional wafer handling technologies are no longer sufficient to meet the needs of modern large-scale, high-precision production.

[0003] Existing horizontal electroplating equipment has the following technical defects in wafer handling:

[0004] (1) The single robotic arm has low operating efficiency and is difficult to match the high-speed electroplating cycle.

[0005] (2) Traditional lead screw drives have backlash, which affects positioning accuracy (above ±0.1mm);

[0006] (3) The open structure is prone to corrosion of moving parts by chemical solutions;

[0007] (4) The lack of a dual positioning detection mechanism poses a risk of misoperation. Summary of the Invention

[0008] In view of this, the present invention provides a wafer handling mechanism for a horizontal electroplating equipment to solve the problems existing in the background art.

[0009] A wafer handling mechanism for a horizontal electroplating equipment includes a housing and two sets of handling modules symmetrically arranged within the housing.

[0010] The cover plate of the housing has two slots along its length. Parts of the two wafer picking fingers located at the top of the housing extend into the housing from the two slots and are connected to the corresponding transport modules. The two ends of the inner side of the side plate of the housing are provided with limiting protrusions to restrict the movement of the wafer picking fingers. The bottom plate of the housing is provided with a photoelectric switch to detect the position of the wafer picking fingers. The transport module is provided with a photoelectric sensor to interact with the photoelectric switch.

[0011] Preferably, the side plate, bottom plate, front plate, and rear plate are assembled into an upper open housing by fasteners, and the cover plate is magnetically fixed to the top of the upper open housing.

[0012] Preferably, a magnetic strip is provided at the edge of the lower surface of the cover plate.

[0013] Preferably, mounting strips are provided at the positions where the front end plate and the rear end plate meet the side plate and the cover plate, and the two ends of the mounting strips are fixed to the side plate by bolts.

[0014] Preferably, a wire hole is provided in the center of the base plate.

[0015] Preferably, the conveying module includes a motor fixed on a motor mounting plate, a first synchronous pulley fixed on the output end of the motor, a second synchronous pulley connected to the first synchronous pulley via a synchronous belt, a ball screw connected to the screw fixing seat and the second synchronous pulley respectively, a motion bearing seat disposed on the ball screw, and a slider fixed on the motion bearing seat. The slider is slidably disposed on a guide rail, and the guide rail is disposed on the inner side of the side plate.

[0016] Preferably, the limiting protrusion is a limiting pin.

[0017] Preferably, the base plate is made of aluminum alloy.

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

[0019] 1. This application designs a handling mechanism with dual handling modules, and sets a limiting protrusion on the inner side of the cover side plate of the handling mechanism to limit the movement of the wafer picking fingers. A photoelectric switch is set on the bottom plate of the cover, and a photoelectric sensor sheet that senses the photoelectric switch is set on the handling mechanism. This can realize dual positioning detection of the wafer picking fingers, effectively improve the positioning accuracy of the wafer picking fingers, avoid no operation, and also improve the wafer handling efficiency.

[0020] 2. The handling mechanism of this application is a closed enclosure with good structural stability, which can provide good protection and stable support for the handling module inside, preventing external factors from interfering with the internal motor, motion module, etc.; and its base plate is made of highly corrosion-resistant aluminum alloy, which can not only effectively support the weight of the entire handling module during the handling process and ensure the smooth operation of the entire mechanism, but also be used for a long time in the complex environment of the electroplating workshop, thus improving the service life of the entire mechanism.

[0021] 3. This application provides mounting strips at the joints between the front and rear end plates and the side plates and cover plates. This not only seals the joints between the front and rear end plates and the side plates and cover plates, but also protects the motor from external environmental influences. In addition, it can improve the structural strength of the housing and enhance the structural reliability of the entire mechanism.

[0022] 4. The cover plate of this application is a magnetic cover plate, which is simple and convenient to install, greatly improving the installation efficiency of this mechanism, and also facilitating disassembly and maintenance.

[0023] 5. This application employs components such as a low-torque, high-precision five-phase stepper motor, a high-precision ball screw, and a precision guide rail slider. Combined with the precise position detection of photoelectric sensors and photoelectric switches, it can achieve high-precision reciprocating linear motion of the wafer picking fingers, meeting the stringent requirements for wafer handling position accuracy during horizontal electroplating, effectively improving the quality of electroplated products and reducing the defect rate. At the same time, the precision devices between various components ensure the stability of the entire handling mechanism during operation, reducing the probability of failures caused by vibration, impact, and other factors, extending the service life of the equipment, and ensuring the continuous and stable operation of the production line.

[0024] 6. The two handling modules in this application have identical structures, and each module can be controlled independently. This design allows the handling mechanism to more flexibly handle different material handling needs in practical applications. For example, when handling wafers of different sizes, weights, or shapes, the motion parameters of the left and right handling modules, such as speed, acceleration, and positioning, can be adjusted separately to achieve optimal handling results. Simultaneously, the two handling modules can work together to improve efficiency, or they can work independently according to production needs to adapt to handling tasks requiring different wafer specifications or special processes, increasing the equipment's applicability and flexibility. Attached Figure Description

[0025] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the wafer handling mechanism.

[0027] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the wafer handling mechanism.

[0028] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of the handling module.

[0029] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the motion trajectory of the wafer picking and handling mechanism.

[0030] The meanings of the labels in the diagram are as follows:

[0031] 1 is the housing, 11 is the cover plate, 12 is the side plate, 13 is the bottom plate, 14 is the slot, 15 is the limiting protrusion, 16 is the photoelectric switch, 17 is the front plate, 18 is the rear plate, 19 is the mounting strip, and 110 is the wire passage hole.

[0032] 2 is the conveying module, 21 is the motor, 22 is the first synchronous pulley, 23 is the second synchronous pulley, 24 is the synchronous belt, 25 is the lead screw fixing seat, 26 is the ball screw, 27 is the motion bearing seat, 28 is the slider, 29 is the motor mounting plate, and 210 is the guide rail.

[0033] 3 represents the wafer picking fingers.

[0034] 4 represents a photoelectric sensor. Detailed Implementation

[0035] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this utility model clearer, the present utility model is described below with reference to specific embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that these descriptions are merely exemplary and not intended to limit the scope of the present utility model. Furthermore, descriptions of well-known structures and technologies are omitted in the following description to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the concept of the present utility model.

[0036] The terminology used in this disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. The singular forms “a,” “the,” and “the” as used in this disclosure and the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term “and / or” as used herein refers to and includes any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0037] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, etc., may be used in this disclosure to describe various information, such information should not be limited to these terms and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. These terms are used only to distinguish information of the same type from one another. For example, without departing from the scope of this disclosure, first information may also be referred to as second information, and similarly, second information may also be referred to as first information. Depending on the context, the word "if" as used herein may be interpreted as "when," "when," or "in response to determination."

[0038] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They 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. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model.

[0039] In the description of this utility model, unless otherwise specified and limited, it should be noted that the terms "installation", "connection" and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to mechanical or electrical connections, or internal connections between two components. They can be direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms according to the specific circumstances.

[0040] To better understand the technical solution of this utility model, the following detailed description of this utility model is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0041] This utility model provides a wafer handling mechanism for horizontal electroplating equipment, including a housing 1 and two sets of handling modules 2 symmetrically arranged inside the housing 1.

[0042] The housing 1 is used to accommodate and place the transport module 2. Two wafer picking fingers 3 are provided on the top of the housing 1. The bottom of the two wafer picking fingers 3 extends into the housing 1 and is connected to the corresponding transport module 2. The transport module 2 is used to drive the wafer picking fingers 3 located on the top of the housing 1 to move left and right to realize the action of picking up and transporting wafers.

[0043] The casing 1 is a rectangular shell composed of a bottom plate 13, left and right side plates 12, a front end plate 17, a rear end plate 18, and a cover plate 11.

[0044] The base plate 13 has a wire hole 110 in the center for motor wiring. The base plate 13 is made of aluminum alloy. The high hardness of the aluminum alloy gives it high strength, which can effectively support the weight of the entire handling module 2 during the handling process and ensure the stability of the entire mechanism. At the same time, the high hardness of the aluminum alloy has good processing performance, which facilitates the precise machining of structures such as the wire hole. In addition, the corrosion resistance of the aluminum alloy also helps to ensure long-term use in the complex environment of the electroplating workshop.

[0045] The side plate 12 is vertically fixed to the left and right sides of the base plate 13 by fasteners such as bolts or screws. A guide rail groove is laterally formed on the side plate 12 for mounting the guide rail 210. The guide rail groove ensures the straightness and installation accuracy of the guide rail 210, providing precise guidance for the linear movement of subsequent moving parts. Limiting protrusions 15 are provided at both ends of the inner side of the side plate 12 to limit the travel of the wafer picking fingers 3. In this embodiment, the limiting protrusions 15 are limiting pins, which can be fixed by providing pin limiting holes on the side plate 12. The limiting pins limit the travel range of the slider 28 to prevent the slider 28 from exceeding its normal movement range, effectively preventing the slider from falling and ensuring the safe operation of the entire mechanism.

[0046] Both the front end plate 17 and the rear end plate 18 are made of 2mm thick sheet metal and serve to connect the base plate 13, the side plate 12, and the cover plate 11. In this embodiment, both the front end plate 17 and the rear end plate 18 are designed in a U-shape. The bent portions of the front end plate 17 and the rear end plate 18 are fixed to the side plate 12 by bolts or screws. The motor 21 of the conveying module 2 can be accommodated in the space formed by the protruding portion in the middle. By designing the front end plate 17 and the rear end plate 18 in a U-shape, the overall connectivity and stability of the cover can be enhanced, so that the cover can maintain its structural integrity when subjected to external impacts and internal component vibrations.

[0047] In a preferred embodiment, mounting strips 19 are provided at the positions where the front end plate 17 and the rear end plate 18 meet the side plate 12 and the cover plate 11. The two ends of the mounting strips 19 are fixed to the side plate 12 by bolts. The mounting strips 19 can not only seal the joints where the front end plate 17 and the rear end plate 18 meet the side plate 12 and the cover plate 11, but also protect the motor from the influence of the external environment. At the same time, they can also improve the structural strength of the cover and improve the structural reliability of the entire mechanism.

[0048] The aforementioned side plate 12, bottom plate 13, front end plate 17, and rear end plate 18 form an upper open housing. The cover plate 11 is magnetically fixed to the top of the upper open housing to form a closed protective space. Specifically, a magnetic strip (not shown in the figure) can be provided at the edge of the lower surface of the cover plate 11 to magnetically fix the cover plate 11 to the top of the upper open housing. The magnetic strip is preferably a neodymium iron boron magnetic strip.

[0049] The cover plate 11 has two slots 14 along its length. The bottoms of the two wafer picking fingers 3 extend into the cover 1 from the two slots 14 and are connected to the corresponding handling modules 2.

[0050] The transport module 2 includes a motor 21 fixed on a motor mounting plate 29, a first synchronous pulley 22 fixed on the output end of the motor 21, a second synchronous pulley 23 connected to the first synchronous pulley 22 via a synchronous belt 24, a ball screw 26 connected to the lead screw fixing seat 25 and the second synchronous pulley 23 respectively, a motion bearing seat 27 disposed on the ball screw 26, and a slider 28 fixed on the motion bearing seat 27. The slider 28 is slidably disposed on a guide rail 210, which is disposed on the inner side of the side plate 12.

[0051] The motor mounting plate 29 is an L-shaped plate, fixed to the base plate 13 by bolts or screws and other fasteners; the lead screw fixing seat 25 is also fixed to the base plate 13 by bolts or screws and other fasteners, and the lead screw fixing seat 25 is arranged opposite to the motor mounting plate 29. In this embodiment, the motor mounting plate 29 is fixed to the rear side of the base plate 13, and the lead screw fixing seat 25 is fixed to the front side of the base plate 13.

[0052] In a preferred embodiment, a photoelectric switch 16 for detecting the position of the wafer picking finger 3 is provided on the base plate 13, and a photoelectric sensor 4 that interacts with the photoelectric switch 16 is installed at the bottom of the motion bearing seat 27.

[0053] In this embodiment, the photoelectric switch 16 can be a through-beam photoelectric switch.

[0054] When the motor 21 is started, the output shaft of the motor 21 can drive the first synchronous pulley 22 to rotate. The first synchronous pulley 22 drives the second synchronous pulley 23 to rotate synchronously through the synchronous belt 24. Since the second synchronous pulley 23 is fixedly connected to the ball screw 26, the rotational power of the synchronous pulley can be converted into screw transmission. The ball screw 26 rotates stably under the support of the screw fixing seat 25. The motion bearing seat 27 on the screw moves back and forth along the axial direction as the screw rotates. The motion bearing seat 27 drives the slider 28 to slide back and forth along the guide rail 210. Since the lower end of the wafer picking finger 3 is directly fixed to the slider 28, the slider 28 can move back and forth with the wafer picking finger 3 to achieve reciprocating linear motion and complete the wafer handling work.

[0055] When the transport module 2 moves back and forth with the wafer pick-up finger 3, the photoelectric sensor triggers the photoelectric switch 16. The photoelectric switch 16 feeds back a position signal to the control system. The control system adjusts the running state of the stepper motor in a timely manner according to the signal to achieve precise control of the position of the wafer pick-up finger 3 and ensure that the wafer can be accurately transported to the predetermined position.

[0056] In this embodiment, the motor 21 is a low-torque, high-precision five-phase stepper motor. This motor can accurately control the rotation of the synchronous pulley and provide stable power output to the synchronous belt. Its five-phase design makes the step angle smaller and the control precision higher, which can meet the needs of minute position adjustments during wafer handling. At the same time, the low torque characteristic of the five-phase stepper motor makes it more stable during start-up and stop, reducing the impact of inertial shock on the equipment and wafer.

[0057] In this embodiment, the lead screw is a ball screw, which features high precision, high efficiency, and low friction. During the conversion of rotary motion into linear motion, the ball screw utilizes the rolling of internal balls, significantly reducing frictional resistance and improving transmission efficiency. Its high-precision machining and assembly processes ensure the accuracy of the linear motion, meeting the stringent positional accuracy requirements of wafer handling.

[0058] In a preferred embodiment, the transport module 2 is further equipped with a cable chain, which is used to organize and protect the wires and cables connecting the motor 21, the wafer pick-up fingers 3, and the control system. During the reciprocating motion of the wafer pick-up fingers 3, the cable chain extends and retracts with their movement, preventing damage to the wires and cables due to excessive bending, stretching, or entanglement, ensuring the stability and reliability of the electrical connection, and ensuring that the control system can accurately control the wafer pick-up fingers 3.

[0059] The two handling modules 2 in this application have identical structures and can be controlled independently. This design allows the handling mechanism to more flexibly handle different material handling needs in practical applications. For example, when handling wafers of different sizes, weights, or shapes, the motion parameters of the left and right handling modules 2, such as speed, acceleration, and positioning, can be adjusted separately to achieve optimal handling results. Simultaneously, the two handling modules 2 can work together to improve efficiency, or they can work independently according to production needs to adapt to handling tasks requiring different wafer specifications or special processes, increasing the applicability and flexibility of the equipment.

[0060] The wafer picking and handling mechanism of this application is installed on the wafer handling robot arm of a horizontal electroplating equipment to drive the wafer picking fingers 3 to move and pick up the wafer. The wafer picking fingers 3 pick up the wafer by vacuum adsorption or Bernoulli method. The adsorption force of vacuum adsorption can be precisely controlled by adjusting the vacuum level. Bernoulli method uses Bernoulli's principle to generate a stable adsorption force through airflow and causes little damage to the wafer surface. Since the wafer picking fingers 3 are existing technology, their structure will not be described in detail here.

[0061] It should be understood that the described embodiments are merely some, not all, of the embodiments of this utility model. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this utility model without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this utility model.

Claims

1. A wafer handling mechanism for a horizontal electroplating equipment, characterized in that, Includes a housing (1) and two sets of conveying modules (2) symmetrically arranged inside the housing (1). The cover plate (11) of the housing (1) has two slots (14) along its length. Parts of the two wafer picking fingers (3) located at the top of the housing (1) extend into the housing (1) from the two slots (14) and are connected to the corresponding transport module (2). The two ends of the inner side of the side plate (12) of the housing (1) are provided with limiting protrusions (15) to limit the movement of the wafer picking fingers (3). The bottom plate (13) of the housing (1) is provided with a photoelectric switch (16) to detect the position of the wafer picking fingers (3). The transport module (2) is provided with a photoelectric sensor (4) to interact with the photoelectric switch (16).

2. The wafer handling mechanism for horizontal electroplating equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The side plate (12), bottom plate (13), front plate (17) and rear plate (18) are connected by fasteners to form an upper open housing, and the cover plate (11) is magnetically fixed to the top of the upper open housing.

3. The wafer handling mechanism for horizontal electroplating equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, A magnetic strip is provided at the edge of the lower surface of the cover plate (11).

4. The wafer handling mechanism for horizontal electroplating equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, Mounting strips (19) are provided at the positions where the front end plate (17) and the rear end plate (18) meet the side plate (12) and the cover plate (11). The two ends of the mounting strips (19) are fixed to the side plate (12) by bolts.

5. The wafer handling mechanism for a horizontal electroplating equipment according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, A wire hole (110) is provided in the center of the base plate (13).

6. The wafer handling mechanism for horizontal electroplating equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transport module (2) includes a motor (21) fixed on a motor mounting plate (29), a first synchronous pulley (22) fixed on the output end of the motor (21), a second synchronous pulley (23) connected to the first synchronous pulley (22) via a synchronous belt (24), a ball screw (26) connected to the screw fixing seat (25) and the second synchronous pulley (23) respectively, a motion bearing seat (27) set on the ball screw (26), and a slider (28) fixed on the motion bearing seat (27). The slider (28) is slidably set on the guide rail (210), and the guide rail (210) is set on the inner side of the side plate (12).

7. The wafer handling mechanism for horizontal electroplating equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The limiting protrusion (15) is a limiting pin.

8. The wafer handling mechanism for horizontal electroplating equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The base plate (13) is made of aluminum alloy.

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