Wafer on-die material storage mechanism

Abstract

This utility model discloses a wafer loading and storage mechanism, including a storage cup and a separator. The separator is installed on the outside of the storage cup. The storage cup has a vertically extending separation gap in its wall, and the separator has an air outlet on its side wall, facing the separation gap. The storage cup is used for stacked wafers, and the separator is used to spray airflow into the separation gap to separate adjacent wafers. This wafer loading and storage mechanism helps avoid abnormal wafer handling caused by the mutual adsorption of adjacent wafers.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of testing equipment technology, and in particular to a wafer loading and storage mechanism. Background Technology

[0002] In the wafer thickness inspection process, to improve inspection efficiency and facilitate batch processing, the wafers to be inspected are usually stored in a stacked manner in the loading mechanism (such as a material box, material rack, etc.). During inspection, the wafers are picked up one by one from the stacked state by a picking device such as a robotic arm's suction cup and transferred to the inspection mechanism for thickness measurement.

[0003] However, existing structures for storing wafers to be tested often only have a simple containment function and cannot effectively separate stacked wafers. Because wafer surfaces are typically smooth, and air between adjacent wafers is easily expelled during stacking, creating a pressure difference, coupled with potential electrostatic forces or surface tension, adjacent wafers tend to adhere tightly together. This adhesion makes it difficult for the pick-up device to accurately grasp a single wafer, often resulting in the simultaneous picking up of multiple wafers. This not only affects the continuity and stability of the testing process but can also cause equipment malfunctions or wafer damage due to multiple wafers stacked together in the testing mechanism, severely limiting the automation efficiency and reliability of wafer thickness testing.

[0004] Therefore, how to solve the separation problem of stacked wafers during the material handling process and avoid material handling abnormalities caused by adsorption of adjacent wafers has become a technical pain point that urgently needs to be improved in existing wafer thickness detection equipment. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to propose a wafer feeding and storage mechanism that helps to avoid abnormal material handling caused by the mutual adsorption of adjacent wafers, thereby overcoming the shortcomings of the prior art.

[0006] To achieve this objective, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] A wafer loading and storage mechanism includes a storage cup and a separator, wherein the separator is installed on the outside of the storage cup;

[0008] The storage cup has a vertically extending separation gap in its wall, and the separator has an air outlet in its side wall, with the air outlet facing the separation gap; the storage cup is used for stacked wafers, and the separator is used to spray airflow into the separation gap to separate adjacent wafers.

[0009] Preferably, the separator includes an air source and a flow divider; the flow divider has an air outlet and an air inlet on its side wall, and a flow divider channel is also provided inside the flow divider; the air inlet, the flow divider channel and the air outlet are sequentially connected to each other; the air outlet of the air source is connected to the air inlet.

[0010] The air outlet is provided in multiple ways, and the multiple air outlets are distributed and spaced apart along the vertical direction on the side wall of the separator.

[0011] Preferably, the separator includes a regulating valve installed at the air inlet, and the regulating valve is used to regulate the airflow pressure and flow rate at the air outlet.

[0012] Preferably, the feeding and storage mechanism further includes a base; the top of the base is provided with a positioning groove, and the storage cup is detachably matched and installed in the positioning groove; the diverter seat is fixedly installed on the top of the base.

[0013] Preferably, the feeding and storage mechanism further includes a positioning detector; the positioning detector is installed at the bottom of the base, and the detection end of the positioning detector is facing upward;

[0014] Both the base and the bottom of the storage cup are provided with clearance through holes. The clearance through holes of the storage cup, the clearance through holes of the base, and the detection end of the positioning detector are arranged sequentially from top to bottom and located in the same vertical direction.

[0015] Preferably, the cross-section of the storage cup wall is C-shaped.

[0016] Preferably, a support ring is provided on the inner bottom wall of the storage cup, and the support ring is used to place the wafer.

[0017] Preferably, the outer side wall of the storage cup is provided with a handle.

[0018] Preferably, one of the storage cups and one of the diversion seats constitute a set of storage components, and multiple sets of storage components are provided.

[0019] The technical solution provided by this utility model can include the following beneficial effects:

[0020] To avoid material handling abnormalities caused by the mutual adsorption of adjacent wafers, this solution improves the structure of the material storage mechanism for storing wafers to be tested. It includes a storage cup with a separation gap and a separator with an air outlet. When a wafer is picked up by a material handling device such as a suction cup, the airflow sprayed by the separator can be used to break the adsorption force between the wafers, thereby achieving effective separation of adjacent wafers and avoiding wafer stacking during material handling. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1This is a top view of a wafer feeding and storage mechanism according to this utility model.

[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a wafer feeding and storage mechanism according to this utility model.

[0023] Among them: storage cup 11, separation gap 111, support ring 112, clearance through hole 101, separator 12, flow divider seat 121, air outlet 1211, air inlet 1212, base 13. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The embodiments of this utility model are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain this utility model, and should not be construed as limiting this utility model.

[0025] This technical solution provides a wafer loading and storage mechanism, including a storage cup 11 and a separator 12, wherein the separator 12 is installed on the outside of the storage cup 11;

[0026] The storage cup 11 has a vertically extending separation gap 111 on its cup wall, and the separator 12 has an air outlet 1211 on its side wall, with the air outlet 1211 facing the separation gap 111; the storage cup 11 is used for stacked wafers, and the separator 12 is used to spray airflow into the separation gap 111 to separate adjacent wafers.

[0027] To avoid material handling abnormalities caused by adjacent wafers adhering to each other, this solution improves the structure of the feeding and storage mechanism for storing wafers to be tested. It includes a storage cup 11 with a separation gap 111 and a separator 12 with an vent 1211. Figure 1-2 As shown, when a wafer is picked up using a suction cup or other picking device, the airflow ejected by the separator 12 can be used to break the adsorption force between the wafers, thereby achieving effective separation of adjacent wafers and avoiding wafer stacking during picking.

[0028] Furthermore, the separator 12 includes an air source and a flow divider 121; the flow divider 121 has an air outlet 1211 and an air inlet 1212 on its side wall, and a flow divider channel is also provided inside the flow divider 121; the air inlet 1212, the flow divider channel, and the air outlet 1211 are sequentially connected to each other; the air outlet of the air source is connected to the air inlet 1212.

[0029] Multiple air outlets 1211 are provided, and the multiple air outlets 1211 are distributed and spaced apart along the vertical direction on the side wall of the separator 12.

[0030] In a preferred embodiment of this solution, the gas is diverted through the arrangement of the flow divider 121, which is more conducive to the effective separation of the wafer.

[0031] Furthermore, the separator 12 includes a regulating valve, which is installed at the air inlet 1212 and is used to regulate the airflow pressure and flow rate at the air outlet 1211.

[0032] Furthermore, this solution also includes a regulating valve (not shown in the figure) connected to the air inlet 1212, which allows technicians to adjust the airflow pressure and flow rate of the air outlet 1211 according to the actual separation effect.

[0033] Furthermore, the feeding and storage mechanism also includes a base 13; a positioning groove is provided on the top of the base 13, and the storage cup 11 is detachably matched and installed in the positioning groove; the diverter seat 121 is fixedly installed on the top of the base 13.

[0034] In another preferred embodiment of this technical solution, the feeding and storage mechanism also includes a base 13, and a positioning groove (not shown in the figure) is provided on its top to quickly position and install the storage cup 11 and speed up the feeding cycle.

[0035] Furthermore, the feeding and storage mechanism also includes a positioning detector; the positioning detector is installed at the bottom of the base 13, and the detection end of the positioning detector is facing upwards;

[0036] Both the base 13 and the storage cup 11 have clearance through holes 101 at their bottoms. The clearance through holes 101 of the storage cup 11, the clearance through holes 101 of the base 13, and the detection end of the positioning detector are arranged sequentially from top to bottom and located in the same vertical direction.

[0037] In a more preferred embodiment of this technical solution, by installing a positioning detector (not shown in the figure, such as an infrared detector) at the bottom of the base 13, it is beneficial to detect the positioning of the wafer in the storage cup 11 and improve the controllability of the device.

[0038] To further explain, the cross-section of the cup wall of the storage cup 11 is C-shaped.

[0039] To further explain, a support ring 112 is provided protruding from the inner bottom wall of the storage cup 11, and the support ring 112 is used to place the wafer. In this way, it is convenient to remove the last wafer from the storage cup 11 and avoids the wafer adhering to the inner bottom surface of the storage cup 11.

[0040] To further explain, the outer side wall of the storage cup 11 is provided with a handle.

[0041] To further explain, the storage cup 11 and the diversion seat 121 constitute a set of storage components, and multiple sets of storage components are provided.

[0042] This increases the material storage capacity of the feeding and storage mechanism, thereby ensuring continuous measurement by the detection device.

[0043] It should be noted that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to this application. As used herein, the singular form is intended to include the plural form as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, it should be understood that when the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0044] Unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values ​​of the components and steps described in these embodiments do not limit the scope of this invention. It should also be understood that, for ease of description, the dimensions of the various parts shown in the drawings are not drawn to actual scale. Techniques, methods, and devices known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and devices should be considered part of the specification. In all examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limitations. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values. It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the following drawings denote similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it need not be further discussed in subsequent drawings.

[0045] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the directional terms such as "front, back, up, down, left, right", "horizontal, vertical, horizontal" and "top, bottom" 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. Unless otherwise stated, these directional terms 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 on the scope of protection of this utility model. The directional terms "inner" and "outer" refer to the inner and outer contours of each component itself.

[0046] For ease of description, spatial relative terms such as "above," "on top of," "on the upper surface of," "above," etc., are used herein to describe the spatial positional relationship of a device or feature as shown in the figures to other devices or features. It should be understood that spatial relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations in use or operation beyond the orientation of the device as described in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures were inverted, a device described as "above" or "on top of" other devices or structures would subsequently be positioned as "below" or "under" other devices or structures. Thus, the exemplary term "above" can include both "above" and "below." The device may also be positioned in other different ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatial relative descriptions used herein will be interpreted accordingly.

[0047] Furthermore, it should be noted that the use of terms such as "first" and "second" to define components is merely for the purpose of distinguishing the corresponding components. Unless otherwise stated, the above terms have no special meaning and therefore cannot be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this utility model.

[0048] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments of this application described herein can be implemented in sequences other than those illustrated or described herein.

[0049] The technical principles of this utility model have been described above with reference to specific embodiments. These descriptions are merely for explaining the principles of this utility model and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this utility model in any way. Based on this explanation, those skilled in the art can readily conceive of other specific embodiments of this utility model without any inventive effort, and these embodiments will all fall within the scope of protection of this utility model.

Claims

1. An on-wafer material storage mechanism, comprising: It includes a storage cup and a separator, the separator being installed on the outside of the storage cup; The storage cup has a vertically extending separation gap in its wall, and the separator has an air outlet in its side wall, with the air outlet facing the separation gap; the storage cup is used for stacked wafers, and the separator is used to spray airflow into the separation gap to separate adjacent wafers.

2. The wafer feeding and storage mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The separator includes an air source and a flow divider; the flow divider has an air outlet and an air inlet on its side wall, and a flow divider channel is also provided inside the flow divider; the air inlet, the flow divider channel and the air outlet are connected to each other in sequence; the air outlet of the air source is connected to the air inlet. The air outlet is provided in multiple ways, and the multiple air outlets are distributed and spaced apart along the vertical direction on the side wall of the separator.

3. The wafer feeding and storage mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: The separator includes a regulating valve installed at the air inlet, and the regulating valve is used to regulate the airflow pressure and flow rate at the air outlet.

4. The wafer feeding and storage mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: The feeding and storage mechanism also includes a base; a positioning groove is provided on the top of the base, and the storage cup is detachably matched and installed in the positioning groove; the diverter seat is fixedly installed on the top of the base.

5. The wafer feeding and storage mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that: The feeding and storage mechanism also includes a positioning detector; the positioning detector is installed at the bottom of the base, and the detection end of the positioning detector is facing upward; Both the base and the bottom of the storage cup are provided with clearance through holes. The clearance through holes of the storage cup, the clearance through holes of the base, and the detection end of the positioning detector are arranged sequentially from top to bottom and located in the same vertical direction.

6. The wafer loading and storage mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The storage cup has a C-shaped cross-section.

7. The wafer loading and storage mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner bottom wall of the storage cup is provided with a support ring, which is used to place the wafer.

8. A wafer loading and storage mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: A handle protrudes from the outer wall of the storage cup.

9. A wafer feeding and storage mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: The storage cup and the diversion seat constitute a set of storage components, and multiple sets of storage components are provided.

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