A wafer processing equipment

Abstract

This application discloses a wafer processing equipment. The equipment includes a front-end module, an edge trimming module, a thinning module, a polishing module, and a transfer module. The edge trimming module trims the edges of the wafer to be processed; the thinning module thins the trimmed wafer; and the polishing module performs chemical mechanical polishing on the ground wafer. The thinning, polishing, edge trimming, and transfer modules are all located on the same side of the front-end module and are all within the transfer range of the transfer module. The transfer module is used to transfer the wafer between at least two of the thinning, polishing, and edge trimming modules, and to transfer the wafer to be processed to the edge trimming module and / or remove the trimmed wafer from the edge trimming module. This wafer processing equipment achieves ultra-high cleanliness wafer trimming, thinning, and polishing processing, occupies little space, facilitates compact equipment layout, and has high throughput.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] In the wafer fabrication industry, key processes such as thinning, polishing, and cleaning are usually performed by separate equipment.

[0003] However, when wafers are processed on individual devices, they typically need to be transferred between these devices via transport structures. Furthermore, each device usually requires its own robotic arms, positioning platforms, and inspection components to handle wafer loading and unloading. This results in wafers undergoing multiple loading and unloading operations and numerous positioning steps during processing, leading to complex wafer transfer paths and processing flows, ultimately resulting in low processing efficiency. Utility Model Content

[0004] This application discloses a wafer processing equipment that can efficiently complete wafer trimming, thinning, and polishing, effectively improving processing efficiency and increasing the production capacity of wafer processing equipment.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, embodiments of this application disclose a wafer processing apparatus, comprising:

[0006] A front-end module, which is used to place the wafer to be processed and the wafer that has been processed;

[0007] An edge trimming module, used to trim the edges of the wafer to be processed;

[0008] A thinning module is disposed downstream of the trimming module, and the thinning module is used to thin the trimmed wafer;

[0009] A polishing module is disposed downstream of the thinning module, and the polishing module is used to perform chemical mechanical polishing on the ground wafer;

[0010] Transmission module;

[0011] The thinning module, polishing module, trimming module, and transmission module are all located on the same side of the front-end module. The thinning module, polishing module, and trimming module are all within the transmission range of the transmission module. The transmission module is used to transmit the wafer between at least two of the thinning module, polishing module, and trimming module, and is also used to transfer the wafer to be processed to the trimming module and / or remove the trimmed wafer from the trimming module.

[0012] Optionally, the transmission module includes a multi-axis robot, the transmission radius of which covers at least two of the trimming module, the thinning module, and the polishing module.

[0013] Optionally, the wafer processing equipment further includes a base located between the thinning module and the front-end module, and the polishing module and the trimming module are both disposed on the base;

[0014] The thinning module, the polishing module, and the front-end module are arranged to form a transmission space. The multi-axis robot includes a first base, which is disposed in the area of ​​the base located within the transmission space and is positioned close to the front-end module.

[0015] Optionally, the wafer processing equipment further includes a cleaning module, and the trimming module, the polishing module, the cleaning module and the transmission module are all located between the thinning module and the front-end module.

[0016] Optionally, the trimming module and the cleaning module are arranged side by side along a first horizontal direction, and the trimming module and the cleaning module are located between the polishing module and the front end module; or,

[0017] One of the trimming module and the cleaning module is located between the polishing module and the front end module along a first horizontal direction, and the other of the trimming module and the cleaning module is located between the thinning module and the transmission module along the first horizontal direction and adjacent to the polishing module along a second horizontal direction. The first horizontal direction and the second horizontal direction are perpendicular to each other.

[0018] Optionally, the cleaning module includes a first cleaning unit and a second cleaning unit. The first cleaning unit is used to perform a first cleaning on the polished wafer, and the second cleaning unit is used to perform a second cleaning and drying on the wafer after the first cleaning. The first cleaning unit and the second cleaning unit are stacked in a vertical direction.

[0019] Optionally, the wafer processing equipment further includes a temporary storage module for temporarily storing the wafer to be trimmed, and the temporary storage module, the first cleaning unit and the second cleaning unit are stacked in a vertical direction.

[0020] Optionally, the transmission module includes a transmission transfer device and a multi-axis robot. The transmission transfer device is disposed on one side of the multi-axis robot and is used to cooperate with the multi-axis robot to transfer the wafer between at least two of the thinning module, the polishing module, and the trimming module.

[0021] Optionally, the transfer relay device includes a second base, a transfer relay drive, and a transfer carrier platform. The transfer carrier platform is disposed on the second base and is used to carry the wafer. The second base is movably disposed between the multi-axis robot and the thinning module. The transfer relay drive is connected to the second base and is used to drive the second base to reciprocate between the multi-axis robot and the thinning module.

[0022] Optionally, the front-end module, the thinning module, the polishing module, and the trimming module each have at least one maintenance surface. The maintenance surface is provided on at least one side of the front-end module, the thinning module, the polishing module, and the trimming module facing the outside of the wafer processing equipment. The maintenance surface is a side wall surface with a maintenance panel or a maintenance window.

[0023] Optionally, both the thinning module and the polishing module have multiple maintenance surfaces, and there is a gap between the thinning module and the polishing module, which forms a maintenance channel. The maintenance surfaces are provided on the side of the thinning module facing the maintenance channel and on the side of the polishing module facing the maintenance channel.

[0024] Compared with the prior art, this application has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0025] In this application, the wafer processing equipment can trim the wafer using an edge trimming module, thin the trimmed wafer using a thinning module, and perform mechanical and chemical polishing on the thinned wafer using a polishing module. Furthermore, the reuse of the transfer module effectively simplifies the structure and number of transfer devices for transferring wafers between modules. In other words, the wafer processing equipment has a high degree of integration, which not only allows for a more compact layout but also improves wafer processing efficiency, thereby increasing the production capacity of the wafer processing equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0026] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in 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.

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first type of wafer processing equipment provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0028] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second type of wafer processing equipment provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0029] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a front-end module provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0030] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a combination of a temporary storage module and a cleaning module provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0031] Figure 5 This is a perspective view of a combination of a temporary storage module and a cleaning module provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0032] Figure 6 This is a perspective view of a trimming module provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a trimming module performing trimming on a wafer according to an embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first thinning module provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0035] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second thinning module provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0036] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first polishing module provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0037] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a combination of a first polishing head, a second polishing head, a rotating bracket, and a first driving component provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0038] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second polishing module provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0039] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a wafer processing equipment with a maintenance channel provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0040] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0041] 1-Front-end module; 11-Front-end transmission device; 12-Wafer box; 13-Rack;

[0042] 2- Trimming module; 21- Trimming support platform; 221- Supporting surface; 22- Trimming device; 23- Rotation drive component; 24- First guide rail; 25- First slider; 26- Second guide rail; 27- Camera;

[0043] 3-Thinning module; 3a-Grinding station; 3b-Material handling station; 31-First base; 32-Turntable; 33-Grinding device; 34-Material handling device;

[0044] 4-Polishing module; 41-Second base; 42-First polishing head; 43-Second polishing head; 44-Polishing disc; 45-Polishing fluid supply; 46-Polishing pad conditioner; 47-Cleaning station; 48-Rotating bracket; 49-First drive component;

[0045] 5-Transmission module; 51-Multi-axis robot; 52-Transmission transfer device;

[0046] 6- Temporary storage module;

[0047] 7-Cleaning module; 71-First cleaning unit; 72-Second cleaning unit;

[0048] 8-Maintenance access;

[0049] 10 - Wafer processing equipment; 20 - Wafer. Detailed Implementation

[0050] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0051] In this invention, the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "front," "rear," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "middle," "vertical," "horizontal," "lateral," and "longitudinal" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. These terms are primarily for the purpose of better describing this invention and its embodiments, and are not intended to limit the indicated device, element, or component to having a specific orientation, or to be constructed and operated in a specific orientation.

[0052] Furthermore, in addition to indicating direction or positional relationship, some of the aforementioned terms may also have other meanings. For example, the term "above" may also be used in some cases to indicate a certain dependency or connection relationship. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of these terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

[0053] Furthermore, the terms "installation," "setup," "equipped with," "connection," and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral structure; 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, or an internal connection between two devices, components, or parts. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of these terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0054] Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., are primarily used to distinguish different devices, elements, or components (which may be the same or different in specific type and construction), and are not intended to indicate or imply the relative importance or quantity of the indicated devices, elements, or components. Unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0055] In the field of wafer fabrication, key processes such as thinning, polishing, and cleaning are typically performed by separate pieces of equipment. For example, wafer thinning is performed using a wafer thinning machine, and chemical mechanical polishing is performed using a wafer polishing machine.

[0056] Among them, wafer thinning machines, also known as wafer grinding machines, are a type of equipment specifically used for fine processing of the surface of semiconductor wafers. Wafer thinning machines reduce the thickness of wafers by grinding them.

[0057] A wafer polishing machine, also known as a chemical mechanical polishing machine, uses the synergistic effect of chemical etching and mechanical abrasion to achieve global planarization of the wafer surface.

[0058] However, when wafers are processed on individual devices, they typically need to be transferred between these devices via transport structures. Additionally, each device usually requires its own robotic arms, positioning platforms, and inspection components to handle wafer loading and unloading. This results in multiple loading and unloading operations and numerous positioning steps, making the wafer transfer path and processing flow complex and ultimately leading to poor wafer processing efficiency.

[0059] Based on this, the embodiments of this application disclose wafer processing equipment that can efficiently complete wafer trimming, thinning and polishing, effectively improving processing efficiency and facilitating the increase of wafer processing equipment capacity.

[0060] The technical solution of this application will be described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0061] This application provides a wafer processing equipment, such as... Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the system includes a front-end module 1, an edge trimming module 2, a thinning module 3, a polishing module 4, and a transfer module 5. The front-end module 1 is used to place the wafer to be processed and the wafer that has already been processed. The edge trimming module 2 is used to trim the edge of the wafer to be processed. The thinning module 3 is located downstream of the edge trimming module 2 and is used to thin the trimmed wafer. The polishing module 4 is located downstream of the thinning module 3 and is used to perform chemical mechanical polishing on the ground wafer. The thinning module 3, polishing module 4, edge trimming module 2, and transfer module 5 are all located on the same side of the front-end module 1, and are all within the transfer range of the transfer module 5. The transfer module 5 is used to transfer the wafer between at least two of the thinning module 3, polishing module 4, and edge trimming module 2, and is also used to transfer the wafer to be processed to the edge trimming module 2 and / or remove the trimmed wafer from the edge trimming module 2.

[0062] It should be clarified that the aforementioned placement of the thinning module 3 downstream of the trimming module 2 means that in the wafer processing flow, the thinning module 3 is located downstream of the trimming module 2. In other words, the wafer is first processed by the trimming module 2 and then transported to the thinning module 3 for further processing. It does not mean that the thinning module 3 is located downstream of the trimming module 2 in terms of orientation or layout. Similarly, the placement of the polishing module 4 downstream of the thinning module 3 means that in the wafer processing flow, the polishing module 4 is located downstream of the thinning module 3.

[0063] In this embodiment, the wafer processing equipment 10 can trim the wafer using the trimming module 2, thin the trimmed wafer using the thinning module 3, and perform mechanical and chemical polishing on the thinned wafer using the polishing module 4. Furthermore, the wafer can be transferred and moved between the front-end module 1, trimming module 2, thinning module 3, and polishing module 4 via the transmission module 5 and the front-end transmission device 11 in the front-end module 1. This means the wafer processing equipment 10 has a high degree of integration, which not only reduces the space occupied by the equipment and allows for a more compact layout, but also improves wafer processing efficiency, thereby increasing the production capacity of the wafer processing equipment 10.

[0064] The edge trimming module 2 can trim the edges of the wafer to be processed, reducing the probability of edge chipping when the wafer is thinned by the thinning module 3, thereby improving the processing quality of the wafer by the wafer processing equipment 10.

[0065] Furthermore, since the thinning module 3, polishing module 4, and trimming module 2 are all within the transmission range of the transmission module 5, the transmission module 5 is used to transfer the wafers to be processed to the trimming module 2 and / or remove the trimmed wafers from the trimming module 2. This allows the transmission module 5 to handle both the loading and unloading of wafers in the trimming module 2 and the transmission between the front-end module 1 and the trimming module 2, effectively simplifying the structure and the number of transmission devices for transferring wafers between modules. Specifically, firstly, there is no need to set up a separate loading and unloading structure for the trimming module 2, reducing the structure and number of components of the trimming module 2, thereby allowing the trimming module 2 to have a smaller size and less space occupied, thus enabling the wafer processing equipment 10 to have a more compact layout; secondly, through the reuse of the transmission module 5, the trimming module 2 is within the transmission range of the transmission module 5, making the transmission of wafers between the front-end module 1 and the trimming module 2 more convenient and efficient, effectively improving the processing efficiency of wafers and contributing to the increase in the capacity of the wafer processing equipment 10.

[0066] By having the thinning module 3, polishing module 4, trimming module 2, and transfer module 5 all located on the same side of the front-end module 1, and all within the transfer range of the transfer module 5, the transfer module 5 facilitates the transfer of wafers between at least two of these modules. This makes the transfer of wafers between at least two of these modules convenient and efficient, thereby further improving the throughput of the wafer processing equipment 10. Furthermore, by directly transferring wafers between at least two of these modules via the transfer module 5, the spacing between them can be reduced, further minimizing the space occupied by the wafer processing equipment 10 and making its layout more compact.

[0067] The thinning module 3, polishing module 4, trimming module 2, and transmission module 5 are all located on the same side of the front-end module 1. Specifically, the front-end module 1 can be located at the front end of the wafer processing equipment 10, the thinning module 3 can be located at the rear end of the wafer processing equipment 10, and the polishing module 4 and trimming module 2 can be located between the front-end module 1 and the thinning module 3. This ensures that the transmission path to the front-end module 1 after wafer polishing is completed is relatively short, and the transmission path to the thinning module 3 after wafer trimming is also relatively short. This is beneficial to improving the processing efficiency of the wafer processing equipment 10, thereby improving the production capacity of the wafer processing equipment 10.

[0068] The transfer module 5 is used to transfer the wafer to be processed to the trimming module 2 and / or remove the trimmed wafer from the trimming module 2. It can be that the transfer module 5 is used to transfer the wafer to be processed to the trimming module 2, or it can be used to remove the trimmed wafer from the trimming module 2, or it can be used to transfer the wafer to be processed to the trimming module 2 and remove the trimmed wafer from the trimming module 2.

[0069] In addition, the thinning module 3 can thin the wafer that has been trimmed by the trimming module 2 to reduce the thickness of the wafer.

[0070] The polishing module 4 can perform chemical mechanical polishing on the wafer after it has been thinned by the thinning module 3, so as to perform fine removal and planarization on the thinned surface of the wafer.

[0071] like Figure 3 As shown, the front-end module 1 may include a rack 13, a front-end transfer device 11, and a wafer cassette 12. Both the front-end transfer device 11 and the wafer cassette 12 are mounted on the rack 13. The front-end transfer device 11 is used to remove the wafer to be processed from the wafer cassette 12 and to transfer the processed wafer to the wafer cassette 12. That is, the wafer processed by the wafer processing equipment 10 can be temporarily placed in the wafer cassette 12 to realize the loading and unloading of wafers on the wafer processing equipment 10, saving time and effort.

[0072] The front-end transmission device 11 can be a robotic arm or a combination of a transfer station and a robotic arm, and there is no limitation on it. The transfer station can be used for the transfer of wafers.

[0073] In addition, the transmission module 5 can work in conjunction with the front-end transmission device 11 to remove the wafer from the wafer box 12 and transfer it to the trimming module 2.

[0074] The aforementioned transmission module 5 can be implemented in various ways. In one possible implementation, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the transmission module 5 includes a multi-axis robot 51, the transmission radius of which covers at least two of the trimming module 2, the thinning module 3, and the polishing module 4.

[0075] This makes the transmission module 5 easy to implement, and the multi-axis robot 51 has multiple degrees of freedom, which can meet various spatial positioning and posture requirements, greatly facilitating the transmission of wafers and improving the efficiency of wafer transmission.

[0076] Among them, the multi-axis robot 51 can be a five-axis robot or a six-axis robot, and no limitation is made here.

[0077] Optionally, the wafer processing equipment 10 also includes a base located between the thinning module 3 and the front-end module 1. The polishing module 4 and the trimming module 2 are both disposed on the base. The thinning module 3, the polishing module 4 and the front-end module 1 form a transmission space. The multi-axis robot 51 includes a first base located in the area of ​​the base within the transmission space and is positioned close to the front-end module 1.

[0078] This effectively reduces the rotation angle of the multi-axis robot 51 when transferring wafers between the trimming module 2 and the thinning module 3, and between the thinning equipment and the polishing equipment, thus effectively improving the efficiency of wafer transfer and further increasing the production capacity of the wafer processing equipment 10.

[0079] The first base can be connected to the base by a threaded connection, or the first base can be welded to the base; there is no limitation on this.

[0080] In another implementation of transmission module 5, such as Figure 2 As shown, the transmission module 5 includes a transmission transfer device 52 and a multi-axis robot 51. The transmission transfer device 52 is disposed on one side of the multi-axis robot 51 and is used to cooperate with the multi-axis robot 51 to transfer wafers between at least two of the thinning module 3, the polishing module 4 and the trimming module 2.

[0081] Therefore, the transfer device 52 can transfer wafers between the multi-axis robot 51 and at least two of the thinning module 3, polishing module 4 and trimming module 2 to realize the transfer of wafers between different workstations. At the same time, the transfer device 52 can also temporarily store wafers, which is beneficial for adjusting the wafer processing rhythm.

[0082] The transfer device 52 includes a second base, a transfer drive, and a transfer platform. The transfer platform is mounted on the second base and is used to carry the wafer. The second base is movably mounted between the multi-axis robot 51 and the thinning module 3. The transfer drive is connected to the second base and is used to drive the second base to reciprocate between the multi-axis robot 51 and the thinning module 3.

[0083] This makes the structure of the transfer device 52 simpler and easier to implement, and also allows the robotic arm of the multi-axis robot 51 to be shorter, enabling the multi-axis robot 51 to flexibly complete the picking and transfer of wafers, thereby increasing the production capacity of the wafer processing equipment 10.

[0084] In addition, the transfer relay device 52 may also include a limiting device, which is disposed on the transfer carrier stage and is used to limit the wafer to a preset position on the carrier surface 221 of the transfer carrier stage.

[0085] Therefore, the transfer device 52 can center the wafer while transferring the wafer, that is, the center of the wafer can be aligned with the geometric center of the bearing surface 221 in the vertical direction, so that the wafer can be transferred to the corresponding position in the thinning module 3 with greater accuracy, which is conducive to improving the wafer processing efficiency and further improving the production capacity of the wafer processing equipment 10.

[0086] For example, the limiting device includes a limiting drive and multiple limiting claws. The multiple limiting claws are arranged around the bearing surface 221 of the transmission carrier stage. The multiple limiting claws are all connected to the limiting drive. The limiting drive is used to drive each limiting claw away from or towards the transmission carrier stage in a direction parallel to the bearing surface 221, so as to limit the wafer to a preset position on the bearing surface 221. This makes the structure of the limiting device simple and easy to implement.

[0087] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the wafer processing equipment 10 also includes a cleaning module 7, and the trimming module 2, polishing module 4, cleaning module 7 and transmission module 5 are all located between the thinning module 3 and the front-end module 1.

[0088] Therefore, the cleaning module 7 can clean and perform post-cleaning treatment on the polished wafer to remove impurities from the wafer surface, improving the cleanliness of the wafer surface and thus improving the processing quality of the wafer. In the above embodiment, the wafer is processed by the wafer processing equipment 10 to obtain a thinner wafer with ultra-high cleanliness.

[0089] The cleaning module 7 can be located within the transmission range of the transmission module 5. The transmission module 5 is also used to transfer the polished wafer to the cleaning module 7 so that the distance between the cleaning module 7 and the polishing module 4 can be closer, which is beneficial to the compact layout of the wafer processing equipment 10.

[0090] Furthermore, the cleaning module 7 and the trimming module 2 can be arranged in various ways within the wafer processing equipment 10. In one possible implementation, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the trimming module 2 and the cleaning module 7 are along the first horizontal direction (e.g., Figure 2 The trimming module 2 and the cleaning module 7 are arranged side by side in the direction shown in the middle (x), and the trimming module 2 and the cleaning module 7 are located between the polishing module 4 and the front end module 1.

[0091] This allows the trimming module 2 and the cleaning module 7 to be closer to the front-end module 1, making it easier and more efficient to transfer wafers from the front-end module 1 to the trimming module 2 and from the cleaning module 7 to the front-end module 1. This results in higher wafer processing efficiency and thus higher capacity for the wafer processing equipment 10. At the same time, it also reduces the space occupied by the wafer processing equipment 10, making its layout more compact.

[0092] In this case, along the first horizontal direction, the trimming module 2 is positioned closer to the front-end module 1 than the cleaning module 7. Alternatively, the cleaning module 7 can be positioned closer to the front-end module 1 than the trimming module 2. This is not a limitation.

[0093] In another arrangement of the cleaning module 7 and the trimming module 2 in the wafer processing equipment 10, such as Figure 1 As shown, one of the trimming module 2 and the cleaning module 7 is located between the polishing module 4 and the front-end module 1 along the first horizontal direction, and the other of the trimming module 2 and the cleaning module 7 is located between the thinning module 3 and the transmission module 5 along the first horizontal direction, and along the second horizontal direction (e.g., ...). Figure 1 The direction shown in the middle (y) is arranged adjacent to the polishing module 4, and the first horizontal direction and the second horizontal direction are perpendicular to each other.

[0094] This allows the cleaning module 7 and the polishing module 4 to be closer together, thereby further reducing the space occupied by the wafer processing equipment 10 and making the layout of the wafer processing equipment 10 more compact. At the same time, it also makes it easier and more efficient to transfer the wafer from the cleaning module 7 to the front-end module 1, which is conducive to improving the processing efficiency of the wafer and thus enabling the wafer processing equipment 10 to have a higher capacity.

[0095] Furthermore, when the trimming module 2 is positioned between the thinning module 3 and the transfer module 5 along the first horizontal direction and adjacent to the polishing module 4 along the second horizontal direction, the distance between the trimming module 2 and the thinning module 3 can be made closer, thereby further reducing the space occupied by the wafer processing equipment 10 and making the layout of the wafer processing equipment 10 more compact. At the same time, it can also make the wafer transfer from the trimming module 2 to the thinning module 3 more convenient and efficient, which is conducive to improving the processing efficiency of the wafer and thus enabling the wafer processing equipment 10 to have higher capacity.

[0096] Furthermore, when the trimming module 2 is located between the thinning module 3 and the transfer module 5 along the first horizontal direction, and adjacent to the polishing module 4 along the second horizontal direction, the thinning module 3 and the polishing module 4 can also be adjacent to each other along the second horizontal direction. The trimming module 2 being adjacent to the thinning module 3 along the second horizontal direction further reduces the space occupied by the wafer processing equipment 10, making the layout of the wafer processing equipment 10 more compact. At the same time, it also makes it more convenient and efficient to transfer the wafer from the trimming module 2 to the thinning module 3 and from the thinning module 3 to the polishing module 4, further improving the processing efficiency of the wafer and thus enabling the wafer processing equipment 10 to have higher capacity.

[0097] like Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, the cleaning module 7 includes a first cleaning unit 71 and a second cleaning unit 72. The first cleaning unit 71 is used to perform a first cleaning on the polished wafer, and the second cleaning unit 72 is used to perform a second cleaning and drying on the wafer after the first cleaning. The first cleaning unit 71 and the second cleaning unit 72 are stacked in the vertical direction.

[0098] Therefore, the impurities remaining on the polished wafer surface can be cleaned by the first cleaning unit 71, the wafer surface can be cleaned again by the second cleaning unit 72, and the wafer surface can be dried to facilitate the subsequent storage and processing of the wafer.

[0099] Furthermore, the first cleaning unit 71 and the second cleaning unit 72 are stacked vertically, which allows the wafer to undergo the first cleaning in the first cleaning unit 71 and then be moved a shorter distance vertically after being removed from the first cleaning unit 71 before being placed into the second cleaning unit 72 for a second cleaning and drying. This results in a shorter movement path for the wafer between the first cleaning unit 71 and the second cleaning unit 72, which is beneficial to improving the processing efficiency of the wafer processing equipment 10 and thus further increasing the production capacity of the wafer processing equipment 10. At the same time, it can also effectively reduce the space occupied by the cleaning module 7 and the temporary storage module 6 in the horizontal direction, thereby allowing the wafer processing equipment 10 to have a more compact layout.

[0100] The cleaning solution used in the first cleaning unit 71 to clean the wafer can be the same as or different from the cleaning solution used in the second cleaning unit 72 to clean the wafer; no limitation is made here.

[0101] Of course, in some embodiments, the first cleaning unit 71 and the second cleaning unit 72 may also be arranged side by side in the horizontal direction so that when the multi-axis robot 51 transfers the wafer between the first cleaning unit 71 and the second cleaning unit 72, it can move in the horizontal direction. The wafer transfer efficiency is convenient and efficient, which is conducive to improving the processing efficiency of the wafer processing equipment 10, thereby further improving the production capacity of the wafer processing equipment 10. This is not limited here.

[0102] In addition, after the first cleaning unit 71 has finished cleaning the wafer, the cleaned wafer can be transferred to the second cleaning unit 72 through the transfer device. Thus, there is no need to set up an additional wafer transfer structure, which effectively simplifies the structure of the wafer processing equipment 10 and facilitates the compact layout of the wafer processing equipment 10.

[0103] Optionally, the second cleaning unit 72 has a second cleaning chamber with a receiving space and a third opening and a fourth opening disposed on the second cleaning chamber. The third opening and the fourth opening are both connected to the receiving space. The third opening is disposed towards the transmission module 5 and is used by the transmission module 5 to place the wafer that has completed the first cleaning into the receiving space. The fourth opening is disposed towards the front-end module 1 and is used by the front-end transmission device 11 to take out the dried wafer from the storage space.

[0104] Therefore, wafers can be placed into and removed from the second cleaning chamber through two openings facing different directions, avoiding interference during the process of placing and removing wafers. This effectively improves the efficiency of placing and removing wafers from the second cleaning chamber, thereby increasing the processing efficiency of the wafer processing equipment 10 and further enhancing its capacity. Furthermore, the fourth opening is oriented towards the front-end module 1, which greatly facilitates the front-end transfer device 11 in removing the dried wafers from the second cleaning chamber, resulting in even higher processing efficiency for the wafer processing equipment 10 and further increasing its capacity.

[0105] Furthermore, when there is a certain distance between the second cleaning unit 72 in the cleaning module 7 and the front-end module 1, i.e., they are not adjacent to each other, and the fourth opening of the second cleaning unit is not within the transmission range of the front-end transfer device 11, but within the transmission range of the multi-axis robot 51 of the transfer module 5, the dried wafer can be removed from the second cleaning unit 72 by the multi-axis robot 51. The front-end transfer device 11 may include a transfer table and a robot. The multi-axis robot 51 can place the picked-up dried wafer onto the transfer table, and then the robot of the front-end transfer device 11 can transfer the wafer on the transfer table to the wafer cassette 12. Thus, through the coordinated cooperation of the transfer module 5 and the front-end transfer device 11, the wafer can be efficiently transferred from the second cleaning unit 72 to the wafer cassette 12, which is beneficial to improving the wafer processing efficiency and thus enabling the wafer processing equipment to have higher capacity.

[0106] In addition, such as Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the wafer processing equipment 10 also includes a temporary storage module 6, which is used to temporarily store wafers to be trimmed. The temporary storage module 6, the first cleaning unit 71, and the second cleaning unit 72 are stacked vertically. The temporary storage module 6 is located within the transmission range of the front-end transmission device 11 and is used to temporarily store the wafers to be trimmed that have been removed from the front-end module 1. The temporary storage module 6 is also located within the transmission range of the transmission module 5, which is also used to remove the wafers from the temporary storage module 6.

[0107] Therefore, after the wafer to be processed is taken out of the wafer box 12, it can be temporarily stored in the temporary storage module 6 to facilitate the transfer of the wafer to the trimming module 2 by the transfer module 5. At the same time, it can also facilitate the control of the wafer processing rhythm. Furthermore, since the temporary storage module 6 is located within the transmission range of the transfer module 5, the path of the wafer to be processed to the trimming module 2 is shorter, which improves the efficiency of wafer transfer and further improves the production capacity of the wafer processing equipment 10.

[0108] In this process, after the wafer to be processed is taken out from the wafer box 12, it can be transferred to the temporary storage module 6 through the front-end transfer device 11. This allows the wafer to be transferred from the trimming module 2 to the temporary storage module 6 without the need for other structures to transfer it, which effectively improves the efficiency of wafer transfer and thus helps to increase the production capacity of the wafer processing equipment 10.

[0109] Optionally, the temporary storage module 6 includes a temporary storage box, which has a storage space and a first opening and a second opening disposed on the temporary storage box. Both the first opening and the second opening are connected to the storage space. The first opening is used by the front-end transmission device 11 to place the wafer to be processed into the storage space, and the second opening is used by the transmission module 5 to take out the wafer to be processed from the storage space.

[0110] Therefore, wafers can be placed into and removed from the temporary storage box through two different openings, avoiding interference during the process of placing and removing wafers. This facilitates wafer placement and removal, effectively improves the efficiency of placing and removing wafers from the temporary storage box, and helps to improve the processing efficiency of the wafer processing equipment 10, thereby further improving the production capacity of the wafer processing equipment 10.

[0111] For example, the first opening may be set toward the front-end module 1, and the second opening may be set toward the transmission module 5.

[0112] This makes it easier to place and retrieve wafers into the temporary storage box, further improving the efficiency of placing and retrieving wafers into the temporary storage box, and further improving the processing efficiency of the wafer processing equipment 10.

[0113] For example, when the front-end transfer device 11 moves the wafer to be processed to a position close to the temporary storage box and opposite to the first opening, the wafer to be processed can be conveniently and quickly placed in the temporary storage box; the free end of the transfer module 5 can be moved to the second opening, so that the wafer can be taken out from the temporary storage box and transferred to the trimming module 2.

[0114] Optionally, the first cleaning unit 71 and the second cleaning unit 72 are located on the same side of the temporary storage module 6 in the vertical direction, or the first cleaning unit 71 and the second cleaning unit 72 are located on opposite sides of the temporary storage module 6 in the vertical direction.

[0115] Furthermore, at least two of the first cleaning unit 71, the second cleaning unit 72, and the temporary storage box share some structural components, such as a common housing, support frame / structure, or frame, thereby ensuring a secure connection between the first cleaning unit 71, the second cleaning unit 72, and the temporary storage box. Alternatively, the first cleaning unit 71, the second cleaning unit 72, and the temporary storage box can be independently installed, allowing for height adjustments to facilitate wafer handling as needed.

[0116] Optionally, such as Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, the trimming module 2 may include a trimming base (not shown), a trimming support platform 21, a trimming device 22, and a rotation drive 23. The trimming support platform 21 is movably disposed relative to the trimming base and is located within the transmission range of the transmission module 5. The trimming support platform 21 has a bearing surface 221 for placing the wafer 20 to be trimmed. The trimming device 22 is disposed on one side of the trimming support platform 21 and is used to trim the wafer 20 placed on the trimming support platform 21. The rotation drive 23 is connected to the trimming support platform 21 and is used to drive the trimming support platform 21 to rotate so that the trimming device 22 can trim the wafer 20. For example, Figure 7 The wafer 20 shown can be a bonding wafer. Accordingly, the wafer processing equipment can perform edge trimming, thinning, and chemical mechanical polishing on the bonding wafer.

[0117] Therefore, when trimming the wafer 20, the transmission module 5 can place the wafer 20 on the bearing surface 221, and then the trimming bearing stage 21 rotates relative to the trimming base. The trimming device 22 processes the edge of the wafer 20 located on the bearing surface 221. After the trimming bearing stage 21 carries the wafer 20 and rotates one revolution, the trimming of the edge of the wafer 20 can be completed. The operation is simple and quick.

[0118] The trimming support platform 21 may be provided with a vacuum adsorption hole on its support surface 221. The vacuum adsorption hole can be connected to a vacuum pump through a pipeline to vacuum adsorb and fix the wafer 20 placed on the support surface 221. This effectively prevents the wafer 20 from shifting during the trimming process, which would cause a large dimensional deviation and improve the trimming quality.

[0119] The rotating drive component 23 can be any of the following: motor, electric motor, rotary cylinder, etc., and is not limited to any one of them.

[0120] In addition, the trimming module 2 may also include a camera 27, which can take a picture of the position of the wafer 20 on the support surface 221 when the wafer 20 is placed on the support surface 221, so as to obtain the center of the wafer 20, so as to ensure that the center of the wafer 20 coincides with the center of the support surface 221 before the trimming process.

[0121] Optionally, the trimming module 2 may further include a first moving drive, a second moving drive, a first guide rail 24, a second guide rail 26, a first slider 25, and a second slider. The second guide rail 26 is disposed on the trimming base and extends along a second horizontal direction. The second slider is connected to the first guide rail 24 and slidably connected to the second guide rail 26. The first slider 25 is connected to the trimming support platform 21 and slidably connected to the first guide rail 24. The first moving drive is connected to the trimming support platform 21 and is used to drive the trimming support platform 21 to move along a first horizontal direction so that the first slider 25 slides relative to the first guide rail 24 along the first horizontal direction. The second moving drive is connected to the first guide rail 24 and is used to drive the first guide rail 24 to move relative to the second guide rail 26 along a second horizontal direction so that the trimming support platform 21 moves along the second horizontal direction via the first slider 25.

[0122] Therefore, by adjusting the position of the trimming support stage 21 in the first horizontal direction and the second horizontal direction through the first moving drive component and the second moving drive component, the position of the wafer 20 located on the support surface 221 in the first horizontal direction and the second horizontal direction can be adjusted, so that the relative position of the wafer 20 and the trimming device 22 can be adjusted, and the trimming range of the wafer 20 can be flexibly adjusted according to the requirements.

[0123] The trimming support platform 21 is guided to move along the first horizontal direction by the cooperation of the first slider 25 and the first guide rail 24, so as to prevent the trimming support platform 21 from deviating along the first horizontal direction; the first guide rail 24 can be guided to move along the second horizontal direction by the cooperation of the second slider and the second guide rail 26, and then the trimming support platform 21 can be guided to move along the second horizontal direction by the first slider 25, so as to prevent the trimming support platform 21 from deviating along the second horizontal direction.

[0124] The first horizontal direction and the second horizontal direction are perpendicular to each other.

[0125] The aforementioned trimming device 22 may include a focusing unit to trim the wafer 20 with a laser, or it may include a trimming wheel to trim the wafer 20 with a trimming wheel; there is no limitation on this.

[0126] Optionally, when the trimming device 22 includes a focusing unit, the focusing unit is positioned facing the bearing surface 221. The focusing unit focuses the laser beam inside the wafer 20, allowing for laser-based refining of the edge region of the wafer 20. The trimming bearing stage 21 rotates the wafer 20, thereby forming annular refining regions within the edge region of the wafer 20. Furthermore, the focusing position of the laser beam radially within the wafer 20 and / or along the thickness direction can be changed as needed, thereby forming multiple annular refining regions within the edge region of the wafer 20. This allows the edge region of the wafer 20 to fracture along cracks in these refining regions when subjected to pressure, effectively preventing edge chipping and scrapping of the wafer 20 due to uncontrollable crack / fracture paths in the edge region during pressure-induced thinning processes.

[0127] Optionally, after the modified region is formed inside the edge of the wafer 20 by the focusing unit, the wafer 20 can be directly transferred to the thinning module 3 for thinning, so as to remove the edge portion of the wafer 20 during the thinning process; or, an edge removal structure can be set in the edge trimming module 2, such as ultrasonically removing the edge portion of the wafer 20 by an ultrasonic structure, or removing the edge portion of the wafer 20 by a trimming mechanical claw by prying or pressing, and then the wafer 20 with the edge portion removed can be transferred to the thinning module 3 for thinning.

[0128] Therefore, the wafer processing equipment 10 first trims the edges of the wafer 20 and then thins the wafer 20, avoiding edge chipping, scrap, curling and other situations that may occur when obtaining a thinner wafer 20, thus improving the yield.

[0129] Optionally, the trimming module 2 may also include a trimming transfer device. The trimming transfer device can be disposed on the trimming base and located between the trimming support platform 21 and the thinning module 3. The trimming transfer device is used to carry the trimmed wafer 20. Thus, the wafer 20 can be placed on the trimming transfer device after trimming, which facilitates the transfer of the wafer 20 to the thinning module 3, improves the processing efficiency of the wafer 20, and thus increases the production capacity of the wafer processing equipment 10.

[0130] The implementation method of the trimming transfer device is roughly the same as that of the transmission transfer device 52. For details, please refer to the above, and it will not be repeated here.

[0131] In addition, when the trimming module 2 is located between the thinning module 3 and the multi-axis robot 51 along the first horizontal direction and adjacent to the polishing module 4 along the second horizontal direction, the trimming module 2 can also be located adjacent to the thinning module 3 along the first horizontal direction. In this case, the transfer device 52 described in the above embodiment can also be set inside the trimming module 2 to transfer the trimmed wafer 20 from the multi-axis robot 51 to the thinning module 3, and to receive the wafer 20 after thinning by the thinning module 3. That is to say, the transfer device 52 at this time is the trimming transfer device, used to transfer the wafer 20 to be thinned to the thinning module 3 and to receive the wafer after thinning by the thinning module 3.

[0132] In some embodiments, such as Figures 8-9 As shown, the thinning module 3 may include a first base 31, a turntable 32, and multiple grinding devices 33. The turntable 32 is rotatably mounted on the first base 31, and the turntable 32 is provided with a material loading / unloading station 3b (e.g., Figure 8 (as shown in the dashed box) and multiple grinding stations 3a (such as) Figure 8 As shown in the dashed box, a pick-and-place station 3b and multiple grinding stations 3a are spaced around the rotation center axis of the turntable 32. The pick-and-place station 3b is used to place the wafer 20 to be thinned or already thinned, so as to facilitate the thinning module 3 to control the thinning rhythm. When the turntable 32 rotates, the wafer 20 located at the pick-and-place station 3b can be rotated sequentially to the multiple grinding stations 3a. After the wafer 20 has undergone thinning processing on the multiple grinding stations 3a, it can return to the pick-and-place station 3b as the turntable 32 rotates. Multiple grinding devices 33 are arranged around the turntable 32 and corresponding to the multiple grinding stations 3a to thin the wafer 20 on the grinding stations 3a.

[0133] Therefore, the same wafer 20 can be thinned multiple times, effectively improving the thinning effect of wafer 20.

[0134] There may be two, three or more grinding stations 3a, and correspondingly, there may be two, three or more grinding devices 33, which are not limited here.

[0135] For example, when there are three grinding stations 3a, the number of grinding devices 33 can also be three, and the three grinding devices 33 can perform three thinning operations on the same wafer 20. Optionally, the grinding device 33 may include a grinding support, a grinding drive, and a grinding wheel. The grinding support is disposed on the first base 31, the grinding wheel is rotatably connected to the grinding support via a spindle, and the grinding drive is connected to the spindle to drive the spindle to rotate, thereby driving the grinding wheel to rotate, so as to thin the wafer 20 placed on the grinding station 3a. Among them, the grinding wheels in different grinding devices 33 have different grit numbers, and can respectively perform rough grinding, fine grinding, and ultra-fine grinding on the wafer 20 to obtain a thinner wafer 20, and the surface of the wafer 20 has a high flatness.

[0136] Additionally, the grinding device 33 may include a dry polishing wheel, replacing the third grinding wheel used for ultra-fine grinding. This allows for sequential rough grinding, fine grinding, and dry polishing of the wafer 20. The dry polishing wheel rotates to perform dry grinding / polishing on the surface of the wafer 20, achieving precise thinning of the wafer 20 while also ensuring a smooth surface. Therefore, in the above embodiments, the final thinning process performed by the thinning module 3 on the same wafer 20 can be either grinding thinning or dry polishing thinning.

[0137] Optionally, the thinning module 3 may be provided with a loading / unloading opening on the side facing the front module 1. The thinning module 3 may also include a pick-and-place device 34, which can extend out of the loading / unloading opening. Alternatively, the transfer transfer device 52 / trimming transfer device can move into the thinning module 3 through the loading / unloading opening, such as into the transfer range of the pick-and-place device 34, to transfer the wafer 20 to be thinned from the transfer transfer device 52 or the trimming transfer device to the pick-and-place station 3b, and to transfer the thinned wafer 20 to the transfer transfer device 52 or the trimming transfer device, which facilitates the pick-and-place of the wafer 20, saving time and effort. Moreover, it eliminates the need to set up a separate thinning transfer device in the thinning module 3, simplifying the structure and number of components of the thinning module 3, reducing the space occupied by the thinning module 3, thereby enabling the wafer processing equipment 10 to have a more compact layout.

[0138] The picking and unloading device 34 may include a robotic arm, which can move the wafer 20 between the picking and unloading station 3b and the transfer device 52 or between the picking and unloading station 3b and the trimming transfer device, and can place the wafer 20 at the picking and unloading station 3b or remove it from the picking and unloading station 3b, which is convenient and fast.

[0139] For example, when the thinning module 3 thins the wafer 20, the multi-axis robot 51 places the wafer 20 to be thinned on the transfer device 52 or the trimming transfer device, and the pick-and-place device 34 transfers the wafer 20 to be thinned from the transfer device 52 or the trimming transfer device to the pick-and-place station 3b; then, the turntable 32 can rotate around its rotation center axis to rotate the wafer 20 to the first grinding station 3a, and the corresponding grinding device 33 performs the first thinning on the wafer 20 at the first grinding station 3a; then, the turntable 32 continues to rotate around its rotation center axis to rotate the wafer 20 to the second grinding station 3a, and the corresponding grinding device 33 performs the first thinning on the wafer 20 at the first grinding station 3a; then, the turntable 32 continues to rotate around its rotation center axis to rotate the wafer 20 to the second grinding station 3a, and the corresponding grinding device 33 performs the first thinning on the wafer 20 at the second grinding station 3a. The grinding device 33 performs a second thinning on the wafer 20 located at the second grinding station 3a; then, the turntable 32 continues to rotate around its rotation center axis, rotating the wafer 20 to the third grinding station 3a, where the corresponding grinding device 33 performs a third thinning on the wafer 20 located at the third grinding station 3a; then, the turntable 32 continues to rotate around its rotation center axis, rotating the wafer 20 to the pick-and-place station 3b, where the pick-and-place device 34 transfers the thinned wafer 20 to the transfer transfer device 52 or the trimming transfer device, and finally, the transfer module 5 transfers the thinned wafer 20 located on the transfer transfer device 52 or the trimming transfer device to the polishing module 4.

[0140] As described above, when the first wafer 20 rotates to the second grinding station 3a for the second thinning, the second wafer 20 can be thinned for the first time at the first grinding station 3a. When the first wafer 20 rotates to the third grinding station 3a for the third thinning, the second wafer 20 can rotate to the second grinding station 3a for the second thinning, and the third wafer 20 can be thinned for the first time at the first grinding station 3a. This effectively improves the thinning efficiency of the thinning module 3, thereby further increasing the production capacity of the wafer processing equipment 10.

[0141] In some embodiments, such as Figures 10-12As shown, the polishing module 4 may include a second base 41, a cleaning station 47, a first polishing head 42, a second polishing head 43, and a polishing disk 44. The cleaning station 47 is disposed on the second base 41 and located outside the polishing disk 44. The cleaning station 47 is used to transfer the wafer 20 between the transfer module 5 and the polishing head, and also to clean the polished wafer 20 and the polished polishing head. The first polishing head 42 and the second polishing head 43 are both movably disposed relative to the second base 41. Both the first polishing head 42 and the second polishing head 43 can pick up the wafer 20 from the cleaning station 47. The first polishing head 42 and the second polishing head 43 can move between the cleaning station 47 and the polishing disk 44 to perform polishing on either the first polishing head 42 or the second polishing head 43. When head 43 rotates to cleaning station 47, it can pick up the wafer 20 to be polished, and then carry the wafer 20 to polishing disk 44. It can cooperate with polishing disk 44 to polish the wafer 20. When one of the first polishing head 42 and the second polishing head 43 picks up the wafer 20 for polishing, the other can be located at cleaning station 47 to pick up the wafer 20 to be polished, or the polished wafer 20 can be placed in cleaning station 47. Polishing disk 44 is rotatably set on second base 41. Polishing disk 44 is used to cooperate with the first polishing head 42 or the second polishing head 43 to polish the wafer 20.

[0142] Therefore, while the first polishing head 42 and the polishing disk 44 are working together to polish the previous wafer 20, the second polishing head 43 can simultaneously pick up the next wafer 20. After the previous wafer 20 is polished, the second polishing head 43 can carry the next wafer 20 and work with the polishing disk 44 to polish the next wafer 20, which effectively improves the polishing efficiency of the polishing module 4 and further increases the production capacity of the wafer processing equipment 10.

[0143] Furthermore, the cleaning station 47 cleans the polished wafer 20 and the polishing head, ensuring that the surface of the polished wafer 20 is relatively clean and reducing the chance of scratches during transport due to impurities on the surface of the wafer 20. At the same time, it also ensures that the surface of the polishing head is relatively clean, reducing the chance of the polishing head not adhering firmly to the wafer 20 due to impurities on its surface, and reducing the chance of the wafer 20 falling off due to weak adhesion.

[0144] The polishing module 4 may further include a first driving member 49, a second driving member (not shown in the figure), and a rotating bracket 48. The rotating bracket 48 is rotatably mounted on the second base 41. The first polishing head 42 and the second polishing head 43 are both movably mounted relative to the rotating bracket 48 and are arranged on opposite sides of the rotation center of the rotating bracket 48. The first driving member 49 is connected to the rotating bracket 48 and is used to drive the rotating bracket 48 to rotate relative to the second base 41, so as to drive the first polishing head 42 and the second polishing head 43 to rotate alternately to the polishing disk 44. This simplifies the structure of the polishing module 4, thereby reducing the space occupied by the polishing module 4 and facilitating the compact layout of the wafer processing equipment 10.

[0145] The second driving component is connected to the first polishing head 42 and the second polishing head 43 respectively, and is used to drive the first polishing head 42 and the second polishing head 43 to rotate respectively. When the first polishing head 42 carries the wafer 20 for polishing, the first polishing head 42 can carry the wafer 20 to rotate relative to the polishing disk 44. The polishing disk 44 can rotate around its own rotation center axis, so that the wafer 20 and the polishing disk 44 rotate relative to each other. At this time, the second polishing head 43 can pick up the next wafer 20 and wait. When the second polishing head 43 carries the wafer 20 for polishing, the second driving component can drive the second polishing head 43 to rotate, so as to drive the wafer 20 to rotate.

[0146] The cleaning station 47 described above may include a stage and a cleaning nozzle disposed on the upper side of the stage. The stage is used to place the wafer 20, and the cleaning nozzle is disposed facing the stage. The cleaning nozzle is connected to the cleaning fluid tank through a pipeline to clean the polished wafer 20 located on the stage, or to clean the polished polishing head located on the upper side of the stage.

[0147] In addition, the cleaning station 47 can be set on the side of the polishing disk 44 facing the transmission module 5 on the second base 41, so that the transmission module 5 can place the wafer 20 to be polished on the cleaning station 47 and remove the polished wafer 20 from the cleaning station 47, which is conducive to improving the processing efficiency of the wafer processing equipment 10 on the wafer 20, thereby improving the production capacity of the wafer processing equipment 10.

[0148] like Figure 12 As shown, a polishing pad (not shown in the figure) is laid on the polishing disk 44. A polishing slurry supplier 45 can also be provided on one side of the polishing disk 44. The spray nozzle of the polishing slurry supplier 45 is set towards the polishing pad. The polishing disk 44 can rotate together with the polishing pad. When polishing the wafer 20, the wafer 20 comes into contact with the polishing pad, and relative movement occurs between the wafer 20 and the polishing pad. At the same time, the polishing slurry supplier 45 sprays polishing slurry onto the polishing pad so that the polishing slurry chemically etches the surface of the wafer 20, and the particles in the polishing slurry mechanically grind the wafer 20, thereby achieving fine removal and planarization of the wafer 20.

[0149] Furthermore, such as Figure 12 As shown, the polishing module 4 also includes a polishing pad conditioner 46, which is disposed on one side of the polishing disk 44 and is used to condition the polishing pad. That is, during the polishing of the wafer 20, the polishing pad conditioner 46 can smooth the surface morphology of the polishing pad and remove impurity particles remaining on the surface of the polishing pad, such as abrasive particles removed from the polishing fluid and waste materials falling off the surface of the wafer 20, so as to ensure the consistency of the surface morphology of the polishing pad during the polishing process, so that the polishing effect of the wafer 20 can be relatively stable.

[0150] Optionally, the polishing module 4 may further include a third driving component. The third driving component can be connected to the first polishing head 42 and the second polishing head 43 respectively via a connector. The third driving component is used to drive the first polishing head 42 and the second polishing head 43 to reciprocate radially along the polishing pad 44. That is, when the polishing head cooperates with the polishing pad 44 to polish the wafer 20, the polishing head can not only rotate, but also reciprocate radially along the polishing pad 44, so that the surface of the wafer 20 in contact with the polishing pad can be gradually polished and planarized.

[0151] The wafer 20 moves radially back and forth along the polishing disk 44, which can be a linear movement or a curved movement, and is not limited here.

[0152] In summary, when the wafer processing equipment 10 includes a front-end module 1, an edge trimming module 2, a thinning module 3, a polishing module 4, a transfer module 5, a temporary storage module 6, and a cleaning module 7, the specific steps for processing the wafer 20 are as follows: First, the front-end transfer device 11 removes the wafer 20 to be processed from the wafer cassette 12 and transfers it to the temporary storage module 6. The multi-axis robot 51 transfers the wafer 20 to be processed from the temporary storage module 6 to the edge trimming module 2. The edge trimming module 2 performs edge trimming processing on the wafer 20, such as using laser to modify the peripheral edge area of ​​the wafer 20. Subsequently, the multi-axis robot 51 places the trimmed wafer 20 into the transfer transfer device 52 or the edge trimming module 53. In the second step, the pick-and-place device 34 in the thinning module 3 transfers the wafer 20 from the transfer transfer device 52 or the trimming transfer device to the pick-and-place station 3b. The turntable 32 rotates to move the wafer 20 to the grinding station 3a. The grinding device 33 thins the wafer 20 located at the grinding station 3a, completing the thinning of the wafer 20. The turntable 32 rotates to move the wafer 20 to the pick-and-place station 3b, and then the pick-and-place device 34 removes the wafer 20 from the pick-and-place station 3b. Before transferring the wafer 20 to the transfer transfer device 52 or the trimming transfer device, the pick-and-place device 34 adsorbs the wafer 20 and performs unloading and cleaning on the wafer 20 at the unloading and cleaning station. Then, the pick-and-place device 34 places the wafer 20 into the transfer transfer device 52 or the trimming transfer device; in the third step, the multi-axis robot 51 transfers the thinned wafer 20 to the polishing module 4, where the polishing module 4 polishes the wafer 20. For example, after picking up the wafer 20 from the transfer transfer device 52 or the trimming transfer device, the multi-axis robot 51 rotates the wafer 20 180° and places it with the thinned side down on the cleaning station 47 in the polishing module 4. The polishing head picks up the wafer 20 and rotates it to the polishing disk 44, where it cooperates with the polishing disk 44 to complete the polishing of the wafer 20. Then, the polishing head places the polished wafer 20 back onto the polishing module 4. The wafer 20 is placed on the cleaning station 47, which cleans the polished wafer 20. In the fourth step, the multi-axis robot 51 removes the polished wafer 20 from the cleaning station 47 and transfers it to the cleaning module 7. The cleaning module 7 cleans and dries the wafer 20. For example, after the multi-axis robot 51 picks up the polished wafer 20, it flips the wafer 20 180° so that the polished side of the wafer 20 faces upward. Then, the wafer 20 is placed in the first cleaning unit 71 for the first cleaning. Then, the multi-axis robot 51 transfers the wafer 20 from the first cleaning unit 71 to the second cleaning unit 72 for the second cleaning and drying.In the fifth step, the front-end transfer device 11 removes the dried wafer 20 from the second cleaning unit 72 and places it into the wafer cassette 12 to complete the processing of the wafer 20. Alternatively, the multi-axis robot arm 51 removes the dried wafer 20 from the second cleaning unit 72 and places it on the transfer table in the front-end transfer device 11. Then, the robot arm in the front-end transfer device 11 picks up the wafer from the transfer table and places it into the wafer cassette 12.

[0153] In some embodiments, the front-end module 1, the thinning module 3, the polishing module 4, and the trimming module 2 each have at least one maintenance surface. The front-end module 1, the thinning module 3, the polishing module 4, and the trimming module 2 are provided with a maintenance surface on at least one side facing the outside of the wafer processing equipment 10. The maintenance surface is a side wall surface with a maintenance panel or a maintenance window.

[0154] This greatly facilitates the maintenance of the front-end module 1, thinning module 3, polishing module 4 and trimming module 2 by the staff, and is beneficial to the maintenance of the wafer processing equipment 10.

[0155] In other embodiments, such as Figure 13 As shown, both the thinning module 3 and the polishing module 4 have multiple maintenance surfaces. There is a gap between the thinning module 3 and the polishing module 4, which forms a maintenance channel 8. Maintenance surfaces are provided on the side of the thinning module 3 facing the maintenance channel 8 and on the side of the polishing module 4 facing the maintenance channel 8.

[0156] This allows staff to easily access the interior of the wafer processing equipment 10 to maintain the thinning module 3 and the polishing module 4, thus facilitating the maintenance of the wafer processing equipment 10.

[0157] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this utility model, and are not intended to limit it. Although the utility model has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model.

Claims

1. A wafer processing equipment, characterized in that, include: A front-end module, which is used to place the wafer to be processed and the wafer that has been processed; An edge trimming module, used to trim the edges of the wafer to be processed; A thinning module is disposed downstream of the trimming module, and the thinning module is used to thin the trimmed wafer; A polishing module is disposed downstream of the thinning module, and the polishing module is used to perform chemical mechanical polishing on the ground wafer; Transmission module; The thinning module, polishing module, trimming module, and transmission module are all located on the same side of the front-end module. The thinning module, polishing module, and trimming module are all within the transmission range of the transmission module. The transmission module is used to transmit the wafer between at least two of the thinning module, polishing module, and trimming module, and is also used to transfer the wafer to be processed to the trimming module and / or remove the trimmed wafer from the trimming module.

2. The wafer processing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transmission module includes a multi-axis robot, the transmission radius of which covers at least two of the trimming module, the thinning module, and the polishing module.

3. The wafer processing equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The wafer processing equipment also includes a base, which is located between the thinning module and the front-end module, and the polishing module and the trimming module are both disposed on the base; The thinning module, the polishing module, and the front-end module are arranged to form a transmission space. The multi-axis robot includes a first base, which is disposed in the area of ​​the base located within the transmission space and is positioned close to the front-end module.

4. The wafer processing equipment according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The wafer processing equipment also includes a cleaning module, and the trimming module, the polishing module, the cleaning module and the transmission module are all located between the thinning module and the front-end module.

5. The wafer processing equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that, The trimming module and the cleaning module are arranged side by side along a first horizontal direction, and the trimming module and the cleaning module are located between the polishing module and the front end module; or, One of the trimming module and the cleaning module is located between the polishing module and the front end module along a first horizontal direction, and the other of the trimming module and the cleaning module is located between the thinning module and the transmission module along the first horizontal direction and adjacent to the polishing module along a second horizontal direction. The first horizontal direction and the second horizontal direction are perpendicular to each other.

6. The wafer processing equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that, The cleaning module includes a first cleaning unit and a second cleaning unit. The first cleaning unit is used to perform a first cleaning on the polished wafer, and the second cleaning unit is used to perform a second cleaning and drying on the wafer after the first cleaning. The first cleaning unit and the second cleaning unit are stacked in a vertical direction.

7. The wafer processing equipment according to claim 6, characterized in that, The wafer processing equipment also includes a temporary storage module, which is used to temporarily store the wafer to be trimmed. The temporary storage module, the first cleaning unit and the second cleaning unit are stacked in a vertical direction.

8. The wafer processing equipment according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The transmission module includes a transmission transfer device and a multi-axis robot. The transmission transfer device is disposed on one side of the multi-axis robot and is used to cooperate with the multi-axis robot to transfer the wafer between at least two of the thinning module, the polishing module and the trimming module.

9. The wafer processing equipment according to claim 8, characterized in that, The transfer device includes a second base, a transfer drive, and a transfer platform. The transfer platform is disposed on the second base and is used to support the wafer. The second base is movably disposed between the multi-axis robot and the thinning module. The transfer drive is connected to the second base and is used to drive the second base to reciprocate between the multi-axis robot and the thinning module.

10. The wafer processing equipment according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The front-end module, the thinning module, the polishing module, and the trimming module each have at least one maintenance surface. The maintenance surface is provided on at least one side of the front-end module, the thinning module, the polishing module, and the trimming module facing the outside of the wafer processing equipment. The maintenance surface is a side wall surface with a maintenance panel or a maintenance window.

11. The wafer processing equipment according to claim 10, characterized in that, Both the thinning module and the polishing module have multiple maintenance surfaces, and there is a gap between the thinning module and the polishing module, which forms a maintenance channel. The maintenance surface is provided on the side of the thinning module facing the maintenance channel and on the side of the polishing module facing the maintenance channel.

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