A wafer processing equipment

Abstract

This application discloses a wafer processing equipment. The equipment includes a front-end module, a thinning module, a polishing module, a cleaning module, and a transfer module. The thinning module is used to thin the wafer; the polishing module is used to perform chemical mechanical polishing on the wafer; the cleaning module is used to clean the wafer and perform post-cleaning processing. The thinning module, polishing module, and cleaning module are all located within the transfer area of ​​the transfer module, which is used to transfer the wafer between at least two of the three modules. The thinning module and polishing module are arranged along a first horizontal direction, and the thinning module, polishing module, and transfer module are all located on the same side of the front-end module along a second horizontal direction. This wafer processing equipment achieves ultra-high cleanliness wafer thinning and polishing processing, improves processing efficiency, and facilitates increased equipment capacity.

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 processing, multiple equipment such as thinning equipment, polishing equipment, and cleaning equipment are used to process the wafer, and various processes such as thinning, polishing, and cleaning are performed to control the wafer's thickness and surface quality.

[0003] In related technologies, thinning equipment, polishing equipment, cleaning equipment, etc. are usually arranged linearly according to the process sequence, which results in a long transport path for the wafer, causing poor wafer transport efficiency and ultimately poor wafer processing efficiency. Utility Model Content

[0004] This application discloses a wafer processing equipment that can effectively shorten the wafer transport path and reduce the wafer transport time, thereby effectively improving wafer processing efficiency and facilitating the increase of equipment capacity.

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

[0006] Front-end module;

[0007] A thinning module is disposed downstream of the front-end module, and the thinning module is used to thin the wafer to be processed;

[0008] A polishing module is disposed downstream of the thinning module, and the polishing module is used to perform chemical mechanical polishing on the thinned wafer;

[0009] A cleaning module is provided downstream of the polishing module, and the cleaning module is used to clean the polished wafer and perform post-cleaning processing.

[0010] The transfer module, wherein the thinning module, the polishing module, and the cleaning module are all located within the transfer area of ​​the transfer module, and the transfer module is used to transfer the wafer between at least two of the thinning module, the polishing module, and the cleaning module;

[0011] The thinning module and the polishing module are arranged along a first horizontal direction, and the thinning module, the polishing module and the transmission module are all located on the same side of the front-end module along a second horizontal direction. The first horizontal direction and the second horizontal direction are perpendicular to each other.

[0012] Optionally, the cleaning module is disposed adjacent to the front end module along the first horizontal direction, and the cleaning module is disposed opposite to the polishing module along the second horizontal direction, and the front end module is disposed adjacent to the thinning module along the second horizontal direction.

[0013] Optionally, the wafer processing equipment further includes an edge trimming module, which is arranged along the first horizontal direction with the front-end module and the cleaning module. Along the first horizontal direction, the edge trimming module is located on the side of the cleaning module away from the front-end module, or the edge trimming module is located on the side of the front-end module away from the cleaning module. The edge trimming module is used to trim the unthinned wafer to be processed.

[0014] Optionally, the front-end module includes a rack, a front-end transfer device, and a wafer cassette. The wafer cassette and the front-end transfer device are both disposed on the rack. The front-end transfer device is used to remove the wafer to be processed from the wafer cassette and / or to transfer the processed wafer to the wafer cassette.

[0015] The rack has a first clearance opening in the area corresponding to the thinning module, and the front-end transfer device can extend out of the first clearance opening to transfer the wafer to be processed to the thinning module; and / or

[0016] The rack is provided with a second clearance opening in the area corresponding to the cleaning module. The front-end transfer device can extend out of the second clearance opening to transfer the cleaned wafer from the cleaning module to the wafer cassette.

[0017] Optionally, the thinning module, the polishing module, and the cleaning module are arranged to form a clearance space, and the transmission module is disposed within the clearance space.

[0018] Optionally, the wafer processing equipment has an inlet / outlet that communicates with the clearance space.

[0019] Optionally, the cleaning module is arranged along the second horizontal direction with the front-end module and the polishing module, and the cleaning module is located between the polishing module and the front-end module.

[0020] Optionally, the wafer processing equipment further includes an edge trimming module, which is disposed adjacent to the front end module along the first horizontal direction and adjacent to the thinning module along the second horizontal direction. The edge trimming module is used to trim the edge of the unthinned wafer to be processed.

[0021] Optionally, along the first horizontal direction, there is a gap between the cleaning module and the thinning module, and the transmission module is located within the gap.

[0022] Optionally, the front-end module includes a rack, a front-end transfer device, and a wafer cassette. The wafer cassette and the front-end transfer device are both disposed on the rack. The front-end transfer device is used to remove the wafer to be processed from the wafer cassette and / or to transfer the processed wafer to the wafer cassette.

[0023] The rack is provided with a second clearance opening in the area corresponding to the cleaning module. The front-end transfer device can extend out of the second clearance opening to transfer the cleaned wafer from the cleaning module to the wafer cassette.

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

[0025] In this application, the wafer processing equipment can thin the wafer using a thinning module, perform chemical mechanical polishing on the thinned wafer using a polishing module, and enable the transfer and flow of the wafer between the thinning module, polishing module, and cleaning module using a transfer module. This high level of integration not only reduces the space required for the wafer processing equipment and allows for a compact layout, but also improves processing efficiency and thus increases production capacity. When the wafer processing equipment also includes an edge trimming module, it can trim the edges of the wafer to be processed, preventing edge chipping, scrap, or curling during the thinning process.

[0026] Furthermore, the thinning module and polishing module are arranged along the first horizontal direction, and the thinning module, polishing module, and transmission module are all located on the same side of the front-end module along the second horizontal direction. This allows the overall length and width of the wafer processing equipment to be similar, thereby allowing for smaller spacing between modules. This enables faster transmission and flow of wafers between modules, effectively improving the efficiency of wafer transmission. Consequently, the wafer processing equipment achieves higher processing efficiency and higher production capacity. At the same time, the wafer processing equipment can have a more compact layout and occupy less space. Attached Figure Description

[0027] 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.

[0028] 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;

[0029] 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;

[0030] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first type of front-end module provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0031] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second type of front-end module provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0032] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the third type of front-end module provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0033] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a combination of a cleaning module and a temporary storage module provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 7 This is a perspective view of a combination of a cleaning module and a temporary storage module provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first thinning module provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0036] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second thinning module provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0037] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the third thinning module provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0038] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first polishing module provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0039] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a combination of a first polishing head, a second polishing head, and a rotating support provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0040] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second polishing module provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0041] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0042] 1-Front-end module; 11-Front-end transmission device; 12-Wafer box; 13-Rack; 131-Transmission space;

[0043] 2- Trimming module;

[0044] 3-Thinning module; 3a-Grinding station; 3b-Material handling station; 31-First base; 32-Turntable; 33-Grinding device; 34-Material handling device; 35-Thinning transfer device; 36-Loading transfer device; 37-Unloading transfer device;

[0045] 4-Polishing module; 41-Second base; 42-First polishing head; 43-Second polishing head; 44-Polishing disc; 45-Polishing fluid supply device; 46-Polishing pad conditioner; 47-Polishing transfer device; 48-Rotating bracket;

[0046] 5-Transmission module; 51-Multi-axis robotic arm;

[0047] 6- Temporary storage module;

[0048] 7-Cleaning module; 71-First cleaning unit; 72-Second cleaning unit; 721-Discharge opening; 722-Removal opening;

[0049] 8-Supporting modules;

[0050] 9. Avoidance space;

[0051] 10-Wafer processing equipment. Detailed Implementation

[0052] 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.

[0053] 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.

[0054] 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.

[0055] 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.

[0056] 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.

[0057] In the wafer processing, multiple equipment such as thinning equipment, polishing equipment, and cleaning equipment are used to process the wafer, and various processes such as thinning, polishing, and cleaning are performed to control the wafer's thickness and surface quality.

[0058] Among them, a wafer thinning machine, also known as a wafer polishing machine, is a device specifically used for fine processing of the surface of semiconductor wafers. Wafer thinning machines reduce the thickness of the wafer by thinning it.

[0059] 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.

[0060] In related technologies, wafer thinning equipment, polishing equipment, and cleaning equipment are usually arranged linearly according to the process sequence. That is, wafer thinning machines, wafer polishing machines, and wafer cleaning equipment are arranged in a straight line, which results in a long transport path for the wafer, poor wafer transport efficiency, and poor wafer processing efficiency.

[0061] Based on this, this application discloses a wafer processing equipment that can effectively shorten the wafer transfer path and reduce the wafer transfer time, thereby effectively improving wafer processing efficiency and facilitating the increase of equipment capacity.

[0062] The technical solution of this application will be described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0063] This application provides a wafer processing equipment, such as... Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the module includes a front-end module 1, a thinning module 3, a polishing module 4, a cleaning module 7, and a transfer module 5. The thinning module 3 is located downstream of the front-end module 1 and is used to thin the wafer to be processed. The polishing module 4 is located downstream of the thinning module 3 and is used to perform chemical mechanical polishing on the thinned wafer. The cleaning module 7 is located downstream of the polishing module 4 and is used to clean the polished wafer and perform post-cleaning processing. The thinning module 3, polishing module 4, and cleaning module 7 are all located within the transfer area of ​​the transfer module 5, which is used to transfer the wafer between at least two of the trimming module 2, thinning module 3, polishing module 4, and cleaning module 7. The thinning module and polishing module are arranged along a first horizontal direction, and the thinning module, polishing module, and transfer module are all located on the same side of the front-end module along a second horizontal direction, with the first and second horizontal directions perpendicular to each other.

[0064] It should be clarified that the aforementioned placement of the thinning module 3 downstream of the front-end module 1 means that in the wafer processing flow, the thinning module 3 is located downstream of the front-end module 1. In other words, during the process, the wafer is first removed from the front-end module 1 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 front-end module 1 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. The placement of the cleaning module 7 downstream of the polishing module 4 means that in the wafer processing flow, the cleaning module 7 is located downstream of the polishing module 4.

[0065] In this embodiment, the wafer processing equipment 10 can thin the wafer through the thinning module 3, perform chemical mechanical polishing on the thinned wafer through the polishing module 4, and realize the transfer and flow of the wafer between the trimming module 2, the thinning module 3, the polishing module 4 and the cleaning module 7 through the transfer module 5. That is, the wafer processing equipment 10 has a high degree of integration and can perform wafer thinning, polishing and other processes. Not only does it make the wafer processing equipment 10 occupy less space and have a more compact layout, but it also helps to improve the wafer processing efficiency, thereby improving the production capacity of the wafer processing equipment 10.

[0066] By having the thinning module 3, polishing module 4, and cleaning module 7 all located within the transmission area of ​​the transmission module 5, the transmission module 5 can facilitate convenient and efficient wafer transfer, at least between the thinning module 3 and polishing module 4, and between the polishing module 4 and cleaning module 7. This further improves wafer processing efficiency and thus increases the production capacity of the wafer processing equipment 10. Furthermore, it can effectively shorten the space occupied by the transmission module 5 along a certain horizontal straight line, allowing the spacing between any two of the front-end module 1, thinning module 3, polishing module 4, cleaning module 7, and transmission module 5 to be closer, which is more conducive to the compact layout of the wafer processing equipment 10.

[0067] The thinning module 3 and the polishing module 4 are connected along the first horizontal direction (e.g.) Figure 1 The thinning module 3, polishing module 4, and transmission module 5 are arranged along the second horizontal direction (as shown in the x-axis). Figure 1 The directions shown in the middle (y) are all located on the same side of the front-end module 1, which allows the overall length and width of the wafer processing equipment 10 to be similar, thereby allowing the spacing between modules to be smaller, and the wafers to be transferred and flowed between modules faster, effectively improving the efficiency of wafer transfer. This, in turn, enables the wafer processing equipment 10 to have higher processing efficiency and higher production capacity. At the same time, the wafer processing equipment 10 can have a more compact layout and occupy less space.

[0068] For example, the overall structure of the wafer processing equipment 10 has a length along a first horizontal direction (e.g., Figure 1 The direction shown in a) and the width along the second horizontal direction (e.g. Figure 1 (as shown in direction b) The ratio between the length of the overall structure of the wafer processing equipment 10 and the width of the overall structure of the wafer processing equipment 10 can be between 0.7 and 1.5.

[0069] This allows for a smaller difference in the overall length and width of the wafer processing equipment 10, which is more conducive to reducing the spacing between the front-end module 1 and the thinning module 3, the thinning module 3 and the polishing module 4, the polishing module 4 and the cleaning module 7, and the cleaning module 7 and the front-end module 1. This enables faster transfer and flow of wafers between modules, effectively improving the efficiency of wafer transfer and thus enabling the wafer processing equipment 10 to have higher processing efficiency and higher production capacity. At the same time, it also allows the wafer processing equipment 10 to have a more compact layout and occupy less space.

[0070] Preferably, the ratio between the length of the overall structure of the wafer processing equipment 10 and the width of the overall structure of the wafer processing equipment 10 can be 0.9 to 1.1.

[0071] For example, the ratio between the length of the overall structure of the wafer processing equipment 10 and the width of the overall structure of the wafer processing equipment 10 can be 0.9, 1, 1.1, or any value between 0.9 and 1.1, and is not limited herein.

[0072] In addition, the front-end module 1 can temporarily store wafers to be processed and wafers that have been processed, so as to realize the loading and unloading of wafers on the wafer processing equipment 10.

[0073] The thinning module 3 can thin the wafer to be processed to reduce the thickness of the wafer.

[0074] 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.

[0075] The cleaning module 7 can clean and perform post-cleaning processing on the polished wafers so that after the wafer processing equipment 10 processes the wafers, a thinner wafer with ultra-high cleanliness can be obtained.

[0076] In addition, the wafer processing equipment 10 can perform edge trimming, thinning, chemical mechanical polishing and cleaning on bonded wafers. Of course, it can also process other types of wafers, which is not limited here.

[0077] Optionally, the side of the thinning module 3 facing the front end module 1 and the side of the front end module 1 facing the thinning module 3 are located in the same vertical plane.

[0078] This allows the spacing between the thinning module 3 and the front-end module 1 along the second horizontal direction to be zero, making the layout of the wafer processing equipment 10 more compact. It also allows the wafer to travel a shorter path between the thinning module 3 and the front-end module 1, improving the efficiency of wafer transport and thus improving processing efficiency.

[0079] The thinning module 3 and the front-end module 1 can be arranged adjacent to each other along the second horizontal direction, or they can be staggered along the second horizontal direction, as long as the distance between the thinning module 3 and the front-end module 1 along the second horizontal direction is zero. There is no limitation here.

[0080] Optionally, such as Figures 3-5 As shown, the front-end module 1 includes a rack 13, a front-end transfer device 11, and a wafer cassette 12. The rack 13 extends along a first horizontal direction. The wafer cassette 12 is disposed on the outside of the rack 13 away from the thinning module 3. The wafer cassette 12 is used to carry wafers to be processed and / or processed wafers. The front-end transfer device 11 is disposed on the rack 13. The front-end transfer device 11 is used to remove the wafers to be processed from the wafer cassette 12 and / or to transfer the processed wafers to the wafer cassette 12.

[0081] Therefore, by using a front-end robotic arm to remove the wafers to be processed from the wafer cassette 12 and to transfer the processed wafers to the wafer cassette 12, time and labor are saved, which helps to improve the wafer processing efficiency.

[0082] The number of wafer cells 12 can be one, two, or more, and there is no limitation here.

[0083] When there are multiple wafer cassettes 12, they can be arranged along the first horizontal direction on the outside of the rack 13 away from the thinning module 3. This greatly facilitates placing the wafers to be processed into the wafer cassettes 12 and removing the processed wafers from the wafer cassettes 12. At the same time, it can effectively reduce the space occupied by the multiple wafer cassettes 12 along the second horizontal direction, and reduce the space occupied by the front-end module 1 along the second horizontal direction.

[0084] The front-end transmission device 11 can be a robotic arm or a combination of a transfer station 32 and a robotic arm, and there is no limitation on it. The transfer station 32 can be used for the transfer of wafers.

[0085] Optionally, the rack 13 may have a transmission space 131 extending along a first horizontal direction, and the front-end transmission device 11 may be disposed within the transmission space 131. This can effectively reduce the temporary space occupied by the front-end module 1 and facilitate the compact layout of the wafer processing equipment 10.

[0086] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the wafer processing equipment 10 also includes an edge trimming module 2. Along the first horizontal direction, the edge trimming module 2 is arranged with the front end module 1 and is located adjacent to the front end module 1. The edge trimming module 2 is used to trim the edge of the unthinned wafer to be processed.

[0087] This allows for a shorter transmission path between the trimming module 2 and the front-end module 1, reducing the transmission time between them and improving the efficiency of wafer transmission, thus enabling higher wafer processing efficiency.

[0088] In this context, the trimming module 2 and the front-end module 1 can be arranged adjacent to each other along the first horizontal direction, or there can be other modules arranged between them; this is not limited here. For example, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the trimming module 2 is arranged along a first horizontal direction with the front-end module 1 and the cleaning module 7. Along this first horizontal direction, the trimming module 2 is located on the side of the cleaning module 7 furthest from the front-end module 1. Of course, in other embodiments, the trimming module 2 may also be located along the first horizontal direction on the side of the front-end module 1 furthest from the cleaning module 7. For example... Figure 2As shown, the trimming module 2 is arranged adjacent to the front end module 1 along the first horizontal direction, and the trimming module 2 is arranged adjacent to the thinning module 3 along the second horizontal direction.

[0089] Alternatively, the trimming module 2 may include a focusing component to trim the wafer with a laser, or the trimming device may include a trimming wheel to trim the wafer with the trimming wheel, which is not limited here.

[0090] The trimming module 2 may be located within the transmission range of the front-end transfer device 11 so that the front-end transfer device 11 can transfer the wafer to and / or remove it from the trimming module 2.

[0091] Therefore, the front-end transfer device 11 can handle both the loading and unloading of wafers in the trimming module 2 and the transfer between the front-end module 1 and the trimming module 2, effectively simplifying the structure and number of transfer devices for wafer transfer 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, thus allowing the trimming module 2 to have a smaller size and less space occupied, thereby enabling the wafer processing equipment 10 to have a more compact layout; secondly, through the reuse of the front-end transfer device 11, the transfer of wafers between the front-end module 1 and the trimming module 2 is more convenient and efficient within the transfer range of the front-end transfer device 11, effectively improving the wafer processing efficiency and contributing to the increase in the capacity of the wafer processing equipment 10.

[0092] The positions of the aforementioned front-end module 1, thinning module 3, polishing module 4, and cleaning module 7 in the wafer processing equipment 10 can be implemented in various ways.

[0093] In one possible implementation, such as Figure 1 As shown, the cleaning module 7 is arranged adjacent to the front end module 1 along the first horizontal direction, and the cleaning module 7 is arranged opposite to the polishing module 4 along the second horizontal direction. The front end module 1 is arranged adjacent to the thinning module 3 along the second horizontal direction.

[0094] This allows for shorter paths for transferring wafers between the cleaning module 7 and the front-end module 1, between the polishing module 4 and the cleaning module 7, and between the front-end module 1 and the thinning module 3, improving wafer transfer efficiency and thus enabling higher wafer processing efficiency and increasing the capacity of the wafer processing equipment 10.

[0095] The cleaning module 7 is arranged opposite to the polishing module 4 along the second horizontal direction. It can be that the cleaning module 7 is spaced apart from the polishing module 4 along the second horizontal direction, or it can be arranged adjacent to the polishing module 4 along the second horizontal direction. There is no limitation here.

[0096] In addition, along the second horizontal direction, there may be a gap between the polishing module 4 and the cleaning module 7, or the polishing module 4 and the cleaning module 7 may be arranged closely together, which is not limited here.

[0097] Optionally, the area of ​​the rack 13 corresponding to the thinning module 3 is provided with a first clearance opening, and the front-end transfer device 11 can extend out of the first clearance opening to transfer the wafer to be processed to the thinning module 3; and / or, the area of ​​the rack 13 corresponding to the cleaning module 7 is provided with a second clearance opening, and the front-end transfer device 11 can extend out of the second clearance opening to transfer the processed wafer from the cleaning module 7 to the wafer cassette 12.

[0098] Therefore, the front-end transfer device 11 can conveniently and efficiently transfer the wafer to the thinning module 3 and transfer the processed wafer from the cleaning module 7 to the wafer box 12, effectively improving the efficiency of wafer transfer and making the wafer processing efficiency higher.

[0099] For example, when the thinning module 3 and the rack 13 are arranged adjacent to each other along the second horizontal direction, a first clearance opening can be provided on one side of the rack 13 facing the thinning module 3 to facilitate the transfer of the wafer from the front-end transfer device 11 to the thinning module 3.

[0100] When the cleaning module 7 is arranged adjacent to the rack 13 along the first horizontal direction, a second clearance opening can be provided on the side of the rack 13 facing the cleaning module 7 to facilitate the front-end transfer device 11 to transfer the wafers that have undergone cleaning and post-processing in the cleaning module 7 to the wafer cassette 12.

[0101] Optionally, such as Figure 1 As shown, the polishing module 4, the cleaning module 7 and the thinning module 3 are arranged to form a clearance space 9, and the transmission module 5 is set in the clearance space 9.

[0102] Therefore, the polishing module 4, cleaning module 7 and thinning module 3 are located on the periphery of the transfer module 5, so that the transfer module can transfer wafers between the thinning module 3 and the polishing module 4 and between the polishing module 4 and the cleaning module 7 with a small rotation angle, which effectively improves the efficiency of wafer transfer, thereby making the wafer processing efficiency higher and more conducive to improving the capacity of the wafer processing equipment 10.

[0103] In addition, the wafer processing equipment 10 may have an entrance / exit, which is connected to the clearance space 9.

[0104] This allows staff to easily access the interior of the wafer processing equipment 10 to operate, observe, and maintain the various modules.

[0105] For example, please refer to Figure 1The wafer processing equipment 10 shown has an edge trimming module 2, a cleaning module 7, a thinning module 3, and a polishing module 4 arranged around the periphery of the transmission module 5. The edge trimming module 2, the cleaning module 7, and the front-end module 1 are arranged sequentially along the first horizontal direction. The front-end module 1 is arranged adjacent to the thinning module 3 along the second horizontal direction. The polishing module 4 is arranged opposite to the edge trimming module 2 and the cleaning module 7 along the second horizontal direction. During wafer processing, firstly, the front-end transfer device 11 in the front-end module 1 removes the wafer to be processed and, in coordination with the transfer module 5, transfers the wafer to the trimming module 2. For example, a temporary storage module 6 can be provided between the front-end module 1 and the trimming module 2. The temporary storage module 6 is arranged vertically with the cleaning module 7. The front-end transfer device 11 transfers the wafer to be processed from the wafer cassette 12 to the temporary storage module 6. The transfer module 5 then transfers the wafer to be processed from the temporary storage module 6 to the trimming module 2. The trimming module 2 then trims the wafer. After the trimming module 2 completes the trimming process, the transfer module 5 can efficiently transfer the wafer to the thinning module 3. After the thinning module 3 performs the thinning process on the wafer, the wafer is then... The transfer module 5 can conveniently and efficiently transfer the wafer from the thinning module 3 to the polishing module 4. The polishing module 4 performs chemical mechanical polishing on the thinned wafer. After the polishing module 4 finishes polishing the wafer, the transfer module 5 can easily pick up the polished wafer. Then, the transfer module 5 can easily place the wafer on the cleaning module 7 by rotating a certain angle. Then, the front-end transfer device 11 in the front-end module 1 can transfer the wafer that has been cleaned and processed on the cleaning module 7 to the wafer box 12. For example, the robotic arm of the front-end transfer device 11 can extend the second clearance opening to take out the wafer that has been cleaned and processed from the cleaning module 7 and transfer it into the wafer box 12 to complete the edge trimming, thinning and chemical mechanical polishing processing of the wafer. Therefore, it can be seen that the wafer processing equipment 10 can transfer wafers efficiently between any two modules during the wafer processing process, which makes the wafer processing equipment 10 more efficient in processing wafers, has a higher capacity, and can obtain wafers with ultra-high cleanliness after trimming, thinning and polishing.

[0106] In another implementation of the positions of the front-end module 1, thinning module 3, polishing module 4, and cleaning module 7 in the wafer processing equipment 10, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the cleaning module 7 is arranged along the second horizontal direction with the front-end module 1 and the polishing module 4, and is located between the polishing module 4 and the front-end module 1.

[0107] This results in smaller spacing between the cleaning module 7 and the polishing module 4, as well as between the cleaning module 7 and the front-end module 1, along the second horizontal direction. This shortens the transfer path of the wafer from the polishing module 4 to the cleaning module 7 and from the cleaning module 7 to the front-end module 1, reducing the wafer transfer time. Consequently, the wafer can be efficiently transferred from the polishing module 4 to the cleaning module 7 and from the cleaning module 7 to the front-end module 1, further improving wafer processing efficiency and facilitating the increase of equipment capacity.

[0108] In this arrangement, the polishing module 4, the cleaning module 7, and the front-end module 1 can be arranged sequentially along the second horizontal direction. That is, along the second horizontal direction, the polishing module 4 and the cleaning module 7 are arranged closely together, and the cleaning module 7 and the front-end module 1 are arranged closely together.

[0109] In addition, such as Figure 2 As shown, along the first horizontal direction, there is a gap between the cleaning module 7 and the thinning module 3, and the transmission module 5 is located within the gap.

[0110] This allows for smaller spacing between the transmission module 5 and the front-end module 1, thinning module 3, polishing module 4, and cleaning module 7, resulting in a more compact layout and smaller footprint for the wafer processing equipment 10. Furthermore, the free end of the transmission module 5 can achieve wafer transfer with minimal rotation angle and movement distance between the front-end module 1 and thinning module 3, between the thinning module 3 and polishing module 4, and between the polishing module 4 and cleaning module 7. This effectively improves wafer transfer efficiency and further enhances wafer processing efficiency, enabling the wafer processing equipment 10 to achieve higher throughput.

[0111] Optionally, when the cleaning module 7 is located between the polishing module 4 and the front-end module 1 along the second horizontal direction, a second clearance opening may be provided in the area of ​​the frame 13 corresponding to the cleaning module 7, and the front-end transfer device 11 may extend out of the second clearance opening to transfer the processed wafer from the cleaning module 7 to the wafer cassette 12.

[0112] Therefore, the front-end transfer device 11 can conveniently and efficiently transfer the processed wafers from the cleaning module 7 to the wafer box 12, effectively improving the efficiency of wafer transfer and making the wafer processing efficiency higher.

[0113] Additionally, the wafer processing equipment 10 may also include a temporary storage module 6, which, along with the cleaning module 7, is arranged vertically. The temporary storage module 6 can temporarily store the wafer to be thinned. For example,... Figure 2As shown, the trimming module 2 is located on the side of the front-end module 1 close to the thinning module 3 along the first horizontal direction. When the trimmed wafer is transferred to the thinning module 3, the front-end transfer device 11 in the front-end module 1 can remove the trimmed wafer from the trimming module 2 and transfer it to the temporary storage module 6. Then the transfer module 5 can transfer the wafer to be thinned from the temporary storage module 6 to the thinning module for thinning processing.

[0114] Of course, in another implementation of transferring the wafer from the trimming module 2 to the thinning module 3, the front-end transfer device 11 can include a transfer station and a robotic arm. The front-end transfer device 11 removes the trimmed wafer from the trimming module 2 and places it on the transfer station. Then, the transfer module 5 can transfer the trimmed wafer on the transfer station to the thinning module 3 for thinning processing. In this case, the wafer processing equipment 10 does not need to have a separate temporary storage module 6. The transfer station in the front-end transfer device 11 can replace the temporary storage module 6 to realize the function of transferring wafers between the transfer module 5 and the front-end transfer device 11.

[0115] Please refer to Figure 2 The wafer processing equipment 10 shown has a front-end module 1, a thinning module 3, a cleaning module 7, and a polishing module 4 arranged around a transfer module 5. An edge trimming module 2 is adjacent to the front-end module 1 along a first horizontal direction and to the thinning module 3 along a second horizontal direction. This allows the front-end transfer device 11 to transfer the wafer to be processed to the edge trimming module 2 during wafer processing. The edge trimming module 2 trims the wafer, and the front-end transfer device 11 then removes the trimmed wafer from the trimming module and places it on a transfer table 32 or a temporary storage module 6 within the front-end transfer device 11. The transfer module 5 can then easily transfer the wafer from the front-end transfer module 5 to the thinning module 4. The wafer is transferred from the transfer station 32 or the temporary storage module 6 to the thinning module 3. After the thinning module 3 completes the thinning process, the transfer module 5 can conveniently and efficiently transfer the wafer from the thinning module 3 to the polishing module 4. After the polishing module 4 completes the chemical mechanical polishing of the wafer, the transfer module 5 can conveniently and efficiently transfer the wafer from the polishing module 4 to the cleaning module 7, so that the cleaning module 7 can clean and perform post-cleaning processing on the polished wafer. Then, the front-end transfer device 11 can extend the second clearance port to transfer the post-cleaned wafer from the cleaning module 7 to the wafer cassette 12 to complete the wafer processing. It can be seen that the wafer processing equipment 10 can achieve high wafer transfer efficiency between any two modules during the wafer processing process, resulting in higher wafer processing efficiency and higher capacity of the wafer processing equipment 10, and the ability to obtain ultra-high cleanliness wafers after trimming, thinning, and polishing.

[0116] The cleaning module 7 mentioned above is as follows Figure 6 and Figure 7As shown, it may include 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.

[0117] Therefore, the impurities remaining on the polished wafer surface can be cleaned by the first cleaning unit 71, and the wafer surface can be cleaned again by the second cleaning unit 72, which improves the cleanliness of the wafer and dries the wafer surface to facilitate subsequent storage and processing of the wafer.

[0118] The first cleaning unit 71 and the second cleaning unit 72 can be arranged vertically or horizontally, without limitation. When the first cleaning unit 71 and the second cleaning unit 72 are arranged vertically, the wafer can undergo the first cleaning in the first cleaning unit 71 and, after being removed from the first cleaning unit 71, move a shorter vertical distance to be placed in the second cleaning unit 72 for a second cleaning and drying. This shortens the movement path of 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 in the horizontal direction, thereby allowing the wafer processing equipment 10 to have a more compact layout.

[0119] 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.

[0120] 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 module 5. 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.

[0121] Optionally, the second cleaning unit 72 has a second cleaning box with a receiving space and a material discharge opening 721 and a material retrieval opening 722 disposed on the second cleaning box, both of which are connected to the receiving space.

[0122] When the second cleaning unit 72 in the cleaning module 7 is arranged adjacent to the front-end module 1, the feeding opening 721 is set towards the transfer module 5 or the polishing module 4, so that the transfer module 5 can place the wafer that has completed the first cleaning into the accommodating space. The feeding opening 722 can be set towards the front-end module 1, so that the front-end transfer device 11 can take out the dried wafer from the storage space.

[0123] Therefore, wafers can be placed into and removed from the second cleaning chamber through two openings with different orientations, 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 material removal opening 722 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.

[0124] In addition, such as Figure 1 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, the wafer processing equipment 10 also includes a temporary storage module 6, which is used to temporarily store the wafer to be trimmed. The temporary storage module 6 can be arranged adjacent to the front end module 1 along the first horizontal direction. The temporary storage module 6 is located within the transmission range of the transmission module 5. The transmission module 5 is also used to remove the wafer from the temporary storage module 6.

[0125] 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.

[0126] The temporary storage module 6 can also be located within the transmission range of the front-end transmission device 11. 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 transmission 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.

[0127] In addition, the temporary storage module 6, the first cleaning unit 71 and the second cleaning unit 72 can be arranged vertically, which reduces the space occupied by the temporary storage module 6 and the cleaning module 7 in the horizontal direction, and facilitates the compact layout of the wafer processing equipment 10.

[0128] 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.

[0129] Furthermore, at least two of the first cleaning unit 71, the second cleaning unit 72, and the temporary storage module 6 share some structural components, such as a housing, support frame / structure, or frame, thereby ensuring a secure connection between them. Alternatively, the first cleaning unit 71, the second cleaning unit 72, and the temporary storage module 6 can be independently configured, allowing for height adjustments to facilitate wafer handling.

[0130] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the wafer processing equipment 10 also includes a supporting module 8. Along the first horizontal direction, the supporting module 8 is arranged side by side with the front-end module 1 and is adjacent to the front-end module 1. The supporting module 8 includes a liquid inlet interface component, which is used to connect to a liquid holding tank.

[0131] Therefore, the liquid inlet interfaces can be centrally arranged in the wafer processing equipment 10, which facilitates installation and maintenance.

[0132] Furthermore, the supporting module 8 is arranged side by side with the front-end module 1 along the second horizontal direction, which allows the supporting module 8 to be located in the area near the outer side of the wafer processing equipment 10, making it convenient for staff to maintain the supporting module 8.

[0133] In addition, the supporting module 8 is arranged adjacent to the front-end module 1 along the second horizontal direction, which allows the supporting module 8 and the front-end module 1 to be arranged closely, which is beneficial to the compact layout of the wafer processing equipment 10.

[0134] Optionally, the liquid inlet assembly is connected to a liquid outlet assembly, which includes multiple liquid outlets. The thinning module 3, polishing module 4, and cleaning module 7 are arranged to form a clearance space 9. Each of the thinning module 3, polishing module 4, and cleaning module 7 has a liquid outlet on the side facing the clearance space 9. The liquid outlet is used to discharge the liquid that flows into the wafer processing equipment 10 from the liquid inlet assembly.

[0135] Therefore, in the wafer processing equipment 10, the drain interface components can be arranged in a relatively centralized manner, which further facilitates the installation and maintenance by the staff.

[0136] In other embodiments, the front-end module 1 has an exterior facade facing the outside of the wafer processing equipment 10, and an active window is provided on the exterior facade. The active window communicates with the interior of the wafer processing equipment 10 so that personnel can enter the wafer processing equipment 10 for maintenance.

[0137] This greatly facilitates the maintenance of the wafer processing equipment 10 by the staff.

[0138] The aforementioned transmission module 5 may include a multi-axis robot 51, and the transmission radius of the multi-axis robot 51 covers the trimming module 2, the thinning module 3, the polishing module 4, and the cleaning module 7, so that the transmission module 5 can have multiple degrees of freedom, meet the posture requirements of various spatial positioning machines, greatly facilitate the transmission of wafers between the trimming module 2 and the thinning module 3, the thinning module 3 and the polishing module 4, and the polishing module 4 and the cleaning module 7, and improve the wafer processing efficiency.

[0139] Among them, the multi-axis robot 51 can be a five-axis robot, a six-axis robot, or a four-axis robot; there is no limitation here.

[0140] In some embodiments, such as Figures 8-10 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 wafers 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 wafers located at the pick-and-place station 3b can be rotated sequentially to the multiple grinding stations 3a. After the wafers have undergone thinning processing at the multiple grinding stations 3a, they 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 wafers at the grinding stations 3a.

[0141] Therefore, the same wafer can be thinned multiple times, effectively improving the wafer thinning effect.

[0142] 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.

[0143] 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. 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, and thus thinning the wafer placed on the grinding station 3a. 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 to obtain a thinner wafer with a higher surface flatness.

[0144] 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. The dry polishing wheel rotates to perform dry grinding / polishing on the wafer surface, achieving precise wafer thinning while also ensuring a smooth wafer surface. Therefore, in the above embodiments, the final thinning process performed by the thinning module 3 on the same wafer can be either grinding thinning or dry polishing thinning.

[0145] In some embodiments, such as Figure 9 As shown, the thinning module 3 may also include a pick-and-place device 34 and a thinning transfer device 35. The thinning transfer device 35 is disposed on one side of the pick-and-place device 34 and is located within the transmission range of the transmission module 5. The thinning transfer device 35 is used to temporarily store wafers that have been thinned or wafers to be thinned transmitted from the transmission module 5, so as to facilitate the transfer of wafers between the pick-and-place device 34 and the transmission module 5. The pick-and-place device 34 is used to transfer wafers to be thinned from the thinning transfer device 35 to the pick-and-place station 3b, and to transfer wafers that have been thinned to the thinning transfer device 35, which facilitates the pick-and-place of wafers in the thinning module 3, saving time and effort.

[0146] The pick-and-place device 34 may include a robotic arm, which can move wafers between the pick-and-place station 3b and the thinning transfer device 35, and can place wafers at or remove them from the pick-and-place station 3b, which is convenient and fast.

[0147] For example, when the thinning module 3 thins the wafer, the transfer module 5 places the wafer to be thinned on the thinning transfer device 35, and the pick-and-place device 34 transfers the wafer to be thinned from the thinning transfer device 35 to the pick-and-place station 3b; then, the turntable 32 can rotate around its rotation center axis to rotate the wafer to the first grinding station 3a, where the corresponding grinding device 33 performs the first thinning on the wafer at the first grinding station 3a; then, the turntable 32 continues to rotate around its rotation center axis to rotate the wafer to the second grinding station 3a, where the corresponding grinding... The device 33 performs a second thinning on the wafer located at the second grinding station 3a; then, the turntable 32 continues to rotate around its rotation center axis, rotating the wafer to the third grinding station 3a, where the corresponding grinding device 33 performs a third thinning on the wafer located at the third grinding station 3a; then, the turntable 32 continues to rotate around its rotation center axis, rotating the wafer to the pick-and-place station 3b, where the pick-and-place device 34 transfers the thinned wafer to the thinning transfer device 35, and finally, the transfer module 5 transfers the thinned wafer located on the thinning transfer device 35 to the polishing module 4.

[0148] As described above, when the first wafer rotates to the second grinding station 3a for the second thinning, the second wafer can be thinned for the first time at the first grinding station 3a. When the first wafer rotates to the third grinding station 3a for the third thinning, the second wafer can rotate to the second grinding station 3a for the second thinning, and the third wafer 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.

[0149] In other embodiments, such as Figure 10 As shown, the thinning module 3 may also include a loading and unloading device 34, a loading transfer device 36, and an unloading transfer device 37. The loading transfer device 36 and the unloading transfer device 37 are both disposed on the first base 31 and are located between the turntable 32 and the transmission module 5. The loading transfer device 36 is used to temporarily store the trimmed wafers transmitted from the transmission module 5, and the unloading transfer device 37 is used to temporarily store the wafers that have been thinned. The loading and unloading device 34 is used to transfer the wafers to be thinned from the loading transfer device 36 to the loading and unloading station 3b, and to transfer the wafers that have been thinned to the unloading transfer device 37.

[0150] Therefore, the wafers can be temporarily stored through different structures when loading and unloading the thinning module 3, which effectively avoids interference between the trimmed wafers and the thinned wafers transmitted by the transmission module 5 and the loading and unloading device 34. This facilitates the control of the wafer thinning rhythm, thereby improving the processing efficiency of the wafer processing equipment 10 and further increasing the production capacity of the wafer processing equipment 10.

[0151] For example, the transfer module 5 places the wafer to be thinned on the loading transfer device 36, and the pick-and-place device 34 transfers the wafer to be thinned from the loading transfer device 36 to the pick-and-place station 3b; then, the turntable 32 rotates, sequentially rotating the wafer to multiple grinding stations 3a, and the wafer is thinned by the corresponding grinding device 33 until the turntable 32 rotates the thinned wafer back to the pick-and-place station 3b; then, the pick-and-place device 34 transfers the thinned wafer from the pick-and-place station 3b to the unloading transfer device 37; finally, the transfer module 5 transfers the thinned wafer on the unloading transfer device 37 to the polishing module 4.

[0152] In addition, the thinning module 3 is also equipped with a material unloading and cleaning station. Before the thinned wafer is transferred to the thinning transfer device 35 or the material unloading transfer device 37, the unloading device 34 carries the wafer to the material unloading and cleaning station to clean the un-thinned surface of the wafer, which improves the cleanliness of the wafer and is conducive to improving the quality of wafer processing.

[0153] In other embodiments, such as Figures 11-13 As shown, the polishing module 4 described above may include a second base 41, a first polishing head 42, a second polishing head 43, a polishing transfer device 47, and a polishing disk 44. The polishing transfer device 47 is disposed on the second base 41 and located outside the polishing disk 44. The polishing transfer device 47 is used not only to transfer wafers between the transfer module 5 and the polishing heads, but also to clean the polished wafers and polished heads. Both the first polishing head 42 and the second polishing head 43 are movably disposed relative to the second base 41. Both the first polishing head 42 and the second polishing head 43 can adsorb wafers from the polishing transfer device 47. The first polishing head 42 and the second polishing head 43 can move between the polishing transfer device 47 and the polishing disk 44 to allow the first polishing head 42 to... When the second polishing head 43 rotates to the polishing transfer device 47, it can pick up the wafer to be polished and then carry the wafer to the polishing disk 44. It can cooperate with the polishing disk 44 to polish the wafer. When one of the first polishing head 42 and the second polishing head 43 picks up the wafer for polishing, the other can be located at the polishing transfer device 47 to pick up the wafer to be polished, or the polished wafer can be placed in the polishing transfer device 47. The polishing disk 44 is rotatably disposed on the second base 41. The polishing disk 44 is used to cooperate with the first polishing head 42 or the second polishing head 43 to polish the wafer.

[0154] Therefore, while the first polishing head 42 and the polishing disk 44 are working together to polish the previous wafer, the second polishing head 43 can simultaneously pick up the next wafer. After the previous wafer is polished, the second polishing head 43 can carry the next wafer and work with the polishing disk 44 to polish the next wafer, which effectively improves the polishing efficiency of the polishing module 4 and further increases the production capacity of the wafer processing equipment 10.

[0155] Furthermore, the polishing transfer device 47 cleans the polished wafers and polishing heads, ensuring a cleaner wafer surface and reducing the likelihood of scratches during transport due to impurities on the wafer surface. Simultaneously, it also ensures a cleaner polishing head surface, reducing the likelihood of weak wafer adhesion due to impurities on the polishing head, thus lowering the chance of the wafer falling off due to weak adhesion.

[0156] The polishing transfer device 47 may include a stage and a cleaning nozzle disposed on the upper side of the stage. The stage is used to place the wafer, and the cleaning nozzle is disposed facing the stage. The cleaning nozzle is connected to a cleaning fluid tank through a pipeline to clean the polished wafer located on the stage, or to clean the polished polishing head located on the upper side of the stage.

[0157] like Figure 13As shown, a polishing pad (not shown) 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, the wafer and the polishing pad come into contact and relative motion occurs between the wafer 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 wafer surface and the particles in the polishing slurry mechanically grind the wafer, thereby achieving fine removal and planarization of the wafer.

[0158] Furthermore, such as Figure 13 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 wafer polishing, 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 wafer surface, so as to ensure the consistency of the surface morphology of the polishing pad during polishing and make the polishing effect of the wafer more stable.

[0159] Optionally, the polishing module 4 may further include a driving component, which can be connected to the first polishing head 42 and the second polishing head 43 respectively via a connector. The 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 respectively. That is, when the polishing head cooperates with the polishing pad 44 to polish the wafer, the polishing head can not only rotate, but also reciprocate radially along the polishing pad 44, so that the surface of the wafer in contact with the polishing pad can be gradually polished and planarized.

[0160] The wafer moves radially back and forth along the polishing disk 44, which can be either a linear movement or a curved movement, and there is no limitation on this.

[0161] 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 apparatus characterized by comprising: include: Front-end module; A thinning module is disposed downstream of the front-end module, and the thinning module is used to thin the wafer to be processed; A polishing module is disposed downstream of the thinning module, and the polishing module is used to perform chemical mechanical polishing on the thinned wafer; A cleaning module is provided downstream of the polishing module, and the cleaning module is used to clean the polished wafer and perform post-cleaning processing. The transfer module, wherein the thinning module, the polishing module, and the cleaning module are all located within the transfer area of ​​the transfer module, and the transfer module is used to transfer the wafer between at least two of the thinning module, the polishing module, and the cleaning module; The thinning module and the polishing module are arranged along a first horizontal direction, and the thinning module, the polishing module and the transmission module are all located on the same side of the front-end module along a second horizontal direction. The first horizontal direction and the second horizontal direction are perpendicular to each other.

2. The wafer processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The cleaning module is arranged adjacent to the front-end module along the first horizontal direction, and the cleaning module is arranged with the polishing module along the second horizontal direction. The front-end module is arranged adjacent to the thinning module along the second horizontal direction.

3. The wafer processing equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The wafer processing equipment further includes an edge trimming module, which is arranged along the first horizontal direction with the front-end module and the cleaning module. Along the first horizontal direction, the edge trimming module is located on the side of the cleaning module away from the front-end module, or the edge trimming module is located on the side of the front-end module away from the cleaning module. The edge trimming module is used to trim the edge of the unthinned wafer to be processed.

4. The wafer processing equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The front-end module includes a rack, a front-end transfer device, and a wafer cassette. The wafer cassette and the front-end transfer device are both disposed on the rack. The front-end transfer device is used to remove the wafer to be processed from the wafer cassette and / or to transfer the processed wafer to the wafer cassette. The rack is provided with a first clearance opening in the area corresponding to the thinning module. The front-end transmission device can extend out of the first clearance opening to transfer the wafer to be processed to the thinning module. and / or The rack is provided with a second clearance opening in the area corresponding to the cleaning module. The front-end transfer device can extend out of the second clearance opening to transfer the cleaned wafer from the cleaning module to the wafer cassette.

5. The wafer processing equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The thinning module, the polishing module, and the cleaning module are arranged to form a clearance space, and the transmission module is disposed within the clearance space.

6. The wafer processing equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that, The wafer processing equipment has an entrance and exit, which are connected to the clearance space.

7. The wafer processing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cleaning module is arranged along the second horizontal direction with the front-end module and the polishing module, and the cleaning module is located between the front-end module and the polishing module.

8. The wafer processing equipment according to claim 7, characterized in that, The wafer processing equipment further includes an edge trimming module, which is disposed adjacent to the front end module along the first horizontal direction and adjacent to the thinning module along the second horizontal direction. The edge trimming module is used to trim the edge of the unthinned wafer to be processed.

9. The wafer processing equipment according to claim 7, characterized in that, Along the first horizontal direction, there is a gap between the cleaning module and the thinning module, and the transmission module is located within the gap.

10. The wafer processing equipment according to claim 7, characterized in that, The front-end module includes a rack, a front-end transfer device, and a wafer cassette. The wafer cassette and the front-end transfer device are both disposed on the rack. The front-end transfer device is used to remove the wafer to be processed from the wafer cassette and / or to transfer the processed wafer to the wafer cassette. The rack is provided with a second clearance opening in the area corresponding to the cleaning module. The front-end transfer device can extend out of the second clearance opening to transfer the cleaned wafer from the cleaning module to the wafer cassette.

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