Wafer pick-and-place device with position detection function

Abstract

This utility model discloses a wafer pick-and-place device with position detection function, comprising: a support plate, an arc-shaped housing, two suction cups, and two spring clips. The support plate is configured to support at least a portion of the wafer; the arc-shaped housing is disposed at one end of the support plate, and a vacuum passage is provided within the arc-shaped housing; the two suction cups are respectively disposed at both ends of the bottom of the arc-shaped housing and communicate with the vacuum passage; the two spring clips are respectively disposed at both ends of the bottom of the arc-shaped housing along the width direction, and each spring clip is connected to the arc-shaped housing via a hinge shaft. One end of the spring clip extends out of the arc-shaped housing and is used to be pressed against a portion of the wafer, and the other end of the spring clip is located below the suction cup and can be attracted by the suction cup. This wafer pick-and-place device can prevent the spring clips from being accidentally attracted by the suction cups, improving the accuracy of wafer position detection.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of semiconductor technology, specifically relating to a wafer pick-and-place device with position detection function. Background Technology

[0002] In the operation of an AOI (Automated Optical Inspection) wafer system, wafers are removed from their cassettes using a wafer pick-and-place device, transported to various functional modules within the system for required inspection, and then finally placed back into the cassette. During wafer transport, the pick-and-place device needs to continuously monitor the correct placement of the wafers to ensure their safety. In existing solutions, the relative positions of the nozzle and spring on the detection component of the wafer pick-and-place device are: nozzle below, spring above. With this configuration, due to its own weight, the spring, which is suspended at one end, is slightly drooping. In this state, rapid arm movement or airflow within the system can cause the spring to move downwards more significantly, potentially leading to the nozzle accidentally sucking up the suspended spring. This causes vacuum fluctuations and signal changes, resulting in machine malfunctions and errors. Furthermore, the existing solution has a simplistic structure, which can lead to misjudgments of the correct wafer position on the pick-and-place device. For example, if a wafer is mistakenly placed on the top of a limiting block far from the spring, there is a certain probability that the wafer will press against a single spring, thereby blocking the vacuum nozzle. When the vacuum value reaches the set value, the machine will determine that the wafer is in the correct position, and the robot arm will move, increasing the risk of the wafer falling or being abnormally impacted.

[0003] Furthermore, while the height of the existing springs can be adjusted, the spacing of the wafer cassettes limits their effectiveness. Increasing the spring height causes it to collide with the side of the wafer during loading and unloading. Decreasing it increases the likelihood of the spring getting stuck, leading to machine malfunctions and errors. Additionally, the existing design uses a typical cantilever beam structure, with the vacuum nozzle positioned very close to the cantilever beam's suspended end, which is also the functional area for sensing the wafer. In this arrangement, the movement distance of the spring's suspended end is essentially equal to the working distance of the vacuum nozzle with and without obstruction. Due to the wafer cassette spacing limitations, we need to minimize the spring's suspended height while maximizing the spacing between the blocked nozzles (to prevent incorrect obstruction due to airflow disturbances). This creates a contradiction between the cantilever beam structure and functional requirements.

[0004] The information disclosed in this background section is intended only to enhance the understanding of the overall background of this utility model and should not be construed as an admission or in any way implying that the information constitutes prior art known to those skilled in the art. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a wafer pick-and-place device with a position detection function, which can prevent the spring from being accidentally sucked by the suction cup and improve the accuracy of wafer position detection.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, a specific embodiment of this utility model provides the following technical solution: A wafer pick-and-place device with position detection function, comprising: a support plate, an arc-shaped housing, two suction cups, and two spring clips. The support plate is configured to support at least a portion of the wafer; the arc-shaped housing is disposed at one end of the support plate, and a vacuum passage is provided within the arc-shaped housing; the two suction cups are respectively disposed at both ends of the bottom of the arc-shaped housing and communicate with the vacuum passage; the two spring clips are respectively disposed at both ends of the bottom of the arc-shaped housing along the width direction of the arc-shaped housing, and each spring clip is connected to the arc-shaped housing via a hinge shaft. One end of the spring clip extends out of the arc-shaped housing and is used to be pressed against a portion of the wafer, and the other end of the spring clip is located below the suction cup and can be adsorbed by the suction cup.

[0007] In one or more embodiments of this utility model, the spring sheet includes a pressing section, a connecting section, and an adsorption section. The pressing section extends out of the arc-shaped housing, and the wafer is pressed against the portion of the pressing section extending out of the arc-shaped housing; the connecting section is connected to the pressing section; and the adsorption section is connected to the connecting section, with one end of the adsorption section away from the connecting section located below the suction cup; the hinge shaft is fixedly disposed below the connecting section.

[0008] In one or more embodiments of this utility model, the length of the adsorption section is at least twice the length of the crimping section.

[0009] In one or more embodiments of this utility model, a counterweight is provided at the bottom of the adsorption section.

[0010] In one or more embodiments of this utility model, the bottom of the arc-shaped housing is provided with a receiving groove extending in the width direction, and the two ends of the hinge shaft are rotatably connected to the side wall of the receiving groove.

[0011] In one or more embodiments of this utility model, a limiting groove is formed at the end of the receiving groove along its width direction, the width of the connecting section is greater than the width of the pressing section and the adsorption section, and the connecting section is located within the limiting groove.

[0012] In one or more embodiments of this utility model, an adjustment block that can move up and down is provided below the adsorption section to adjust the distance between the adsorption section and the suction cup.

[0013] In one or more embodiments of this utility model, the bottom of the arc-shaped housing is provided with a guide groove communicating with the receiving groove, and the adjusting block is connected to the arc-shaped housing by a height adjusting screw and can move along the guide groove.

[0014] In one or more embodiments of this utility model, a fixing screw is further provided inside the arc-shaped housing, which is pressed together with the height adjustment screw to fix the adjustment block.

[0015] In one or more embodiments of this utility model, a limiting rod is provided above the connecting segment, and there is a gap between the limiting rod and the connecting segment.

[0016] Compared with existing technologies, the wafer pick-and-place device with position detection function of this invention avoids the situation in existing technologies where a single chuck can be stuck even if the wafer position shifts, by setting two spring contacts and two chucks. Furthermore, the spring contacts of this wafer pick-and-place device are located below the chucks, which prevents the spring contacts from being attracted to the chucks due to their own weight even when not pressed against the wafer, thus avoiding incorrect sealing. In addition, the wafer pick-and-place device is equipped with an adjustment block, which allows adjustment of the distance between the spring contacts and the chucks to accommodate different wafers, preventing incorrect sealing due to the spring contacts being too close to the chucks or failure to be attracted due to the distance being too far. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of a wafer pick-and-place device with position detection function in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a bottom perspective view of the arc-shaped shell in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 3 This is another bottom view of the arc-shaped shell in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of the spring and adjustment block in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Explanation of key figure labels:

[0023] 1-Bearing plate, 2-Arc-shaped shell, 21-Accommodation groove, 22-Limiting groove, 23-Guide groove, 3-Suction cup, 4-Spring piece, 41-Crimping section, 42-Connecting section, 43-Adsorption section, 44-Hinge shaft, 45-Counterweight block, 5-Adjusting block, 51-Height adjustment screw, 52-Fixing screw, 6-Limiting rod, 7-Vacuum air passage. Detailed Implementation

[0024] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions in this disclosure, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this disclosure, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0025] like Figure 1 and 2 As shown, a wafer pick-and-place device with position detection function according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a support plate 1, an arc-shaped housing 2, two suction cups 3, and two spring tabs 4. The support plate 1 is configured to support at least a portion of the wafer. The arc-shaped housing 2 is disposed at one end of the support plate 1, and a vacuum passage 7 is provided inside the arc-shaped housing 2. The two suction cups 3 are respectively disposed at both ends of the bottom of the arc-shaped housing 2 and are both connected to the vacuum passage 7. The two spring tabs 4 are respectively disposed at both ends of the bottom of the arc-shaped housing 2 along the width direction of the arc-shaped housing 2, and each spring tab 4 is connected to the arc-shaped housing 2 by a hinge shaft 44. One end of the spring tab 4 extends out of the arc-shaped housing 2 and is used to press a portion of the wafer, and the other end of the spring tab 4 is located below the suction cup 3 and can be attracted by the suction cup 3.

[0026] The wafer pick-and-place device with position detection works as follows: Initially, there is a gap between the other end of the spring tab 4 and the suction cup 3. An external vacuum device is connected to the vacuum path 7 to perform a vacuuming operation. When the wafer is correctly placed on the carrier plate 1, it presses against the ends of the two spring tabs 4 extending from the arc-shaped housing 2. The weight of the wafer presses one end of the two spring tabs 4 downwards, causing the spring tabs 4 to move around the hinge axis 44 in a seesaw-like motion. This causes the other end of the spring tab 4 located below the suction cup 3 to move closer to the suction cup 3. Then, because the external atmospheric pressure is greater than the air pressure inside the vacuum path 7, the suction force of the suction cup 3 holds the spring tab 4 in place. Only when both ends of the two spring tabs 4 extending from the arc-shaped housing 2 are pressed by the wafer can the other ends of the two spring tabs 4 move closer to the suction cup 3 to be attracted, causing a change in the suction force of the suction cup 3. The external processor determines whether the wafer is correctly positioned on the carrier plate 1 based on the change in the suction force of the suction cup 3. When the wafer is misplaced, it cannot be pressed onto the two springs 4 at the same time. Since the two suction cups 3 share a vacuum passage 7, the vacuum passage 7 cannot be completely blocked. As a result, when the suction force of the suction cup 3 does not reach the set threshold, the external processor will send a relevant signal to remind the operator to adjust the position of the wafer on the carrier plate 1.

[0027] In the above embodiment, the wafer pick-and-place device with position detection function, by setting two springs 4 and two suction cups 3, avoids the situation in the prior art where a single suction cup 3 can be stuck even if the wafer position is shifted. Furthermore, the springs 4 of this wafer pick-and-place device with position detection function are located below the suction cups 3, which can prevent the springs 4 from being stuck near the suction cups 3 due to their own weight even if they are not pressed against the wafer, thus avoiding incorrect sealing.

[0028] In one implementation, such as Figure 4 As shown, the spring piece 4 includes a pressing section 41, a connecting section 42, and an adsorption section 43. The pressing section 41 extends partially out of the arc-shaped housing 2, and the wafer is pressed against the portion of the pressing section 41 extending out of the arc-shaped housing 2. The connecting section 42 is connected to the pressing section 41. A hinge shaft 44 is fixedly disposed below the connecting section 42. The spring piece 4 can rotate around the hinge shaft 44 via the hinge shaft 44 located below the connecting section 42. The adsorption section 43 is connected to the connecting section 42, with one end of the adsorption section 43 away from the connecting section 42 located below the suction cup 3. In this embodiment, the spring piece 4 is connected to the arc-shaped housing 2 via the hinge shaft 44, and the pressing section 41 and the adsorption section 43 are respectively connected to both sides of the connecting section 42, thus forming a structure similar to a "seesaw" with the hinge shaft 44 as the axis of rotation. When the wafer is pressed onto the pressing section 41, due to the weight of the wafer, the pressing section 41 rotates downwards, causing the adsorption section 43 to rotate upwards and approach the suction nozzle. When the distance between the adsorption section 43 and the nozzle decreases, the suction force of the nozzle will hold the adsorption section 43 in place.

[0029] Furthermore, to ensure that the spring 4 can rotate promptly after being pressed by the wafer, the length of the adsorption section 43 is at least twice the length of the pressing section 41. Preferably, the length of the adsorption section 43 can be three times the length of the pressing section 41, which can increase the movement distance at the end of the adsorption section 43, thereby allowing the pressing section 41 to be lower, enabling wafer placement and removal in narrow spaces. At the same time, due to the lever effect, the distance between the end of the adsorption section 43 and the chuck 3 can be greater, which helps to avoid the incorrect adsorption of the end of the adsorption section 43 when the chuck 3 is drawing a vacuum.

[0030] like Figure 2 As shown, a counterweight 45 is provided at the bottom of the adsorption section 43. When the wafer is delivered to the designated position, the wafer is removed from the support plate 1. After the wafer leaves the support plate 1, the suction cup 3 stops adsorption. The weight of the adsorption section 43 and the weight of the counterweight 45 cause the adsorption section 43 to rotate away from the suction cup 3, disengage from the suction cup 3, and return to its initial position.

[0031] A limiting rod 6 is provided above the connecting section 42. There is a gap between the limiting rod 6 and the connecting section 42 to prevent the pressing section 41 from tilting upwards excessively under the gravity of the adsorption section 43 and the counterweight 45, so that the wafer cannot be pressed onto the pressing section 41.

[0032] In one implementation, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the bottom of the arc-shaped housing 2 is provided with a receiving groove 21 extending along the width direction, and the two ends of the hinge shaft 44 are rotatably connected to the side wall of the receiving groove 21. The receiving groove 21 and the support plate 1 together enclose the mounting space for mounting the spring piece 4. Furthermore, a limiting groove 22 is formed at the end of the receiving groove 21 along its width direction. The width of the connecting section 42 is greater than the width of the pressing section 41 and the suction section 43, and the connecting section 42 is located within the limiting groove 22. With this configuration, the shape and size of the connecting section 42 match the limiting groove 22, so that the spring piece 4 will not be displaced in the length direction of the receiving groove 21, but will only rotate in the height direction within the receiving groove 21 around the hinge shaft 44, so as to avoid the spring piece 4 moving when the wafer is pressed on the spring piece 4, causing the suction force of the suction cup 3 to change, which would cause the external processor to misjudge the position of the wafer.

[0033] In one embodiment, because different wafers have different qualities, the wafers are pressed onto the pressing section 41, causing the position of the adsorption section 43 to change. To ensure that the suction cup 3 can always hold the adsorption section 43 when it approaches, regardless of the wafer quality, the distance between the adsorption section 43 and the suction cup 3 needs to be adjusted according to the usage. Specifically, as follows... Figure 4As shown, an adjustable block 5 that can move up and down is provided below the adsorption section 43. When the pressing section 41 is not pressed by the wafer, the adsorption section 43, under the action of itself and the counterweight 45, abuts against the adjustable block 5. Specifically, the bottom of the arc-shaped housing 2 has a guide groove 23 that communicates with the receiving groove 21. The guide groove 23 extends in the vertical direction. The adjustable block 5 is connected to the arc-shaped housing 2 by a height adjustment screw 51 and can move in the vertical direction along the guide groove 23. The height adjustment screw 51 connects the adjustable block 5 to the arc-shaped housing 2 by threads. By turning the height adjustment screw 51, the adjustable block 5 moves up and down, thereby changing the distance between the adsorption section 43 and the suction cup 3.

[0034] Furthermore, to ensure that the distance between the adsorption section 43 and the suction cup 3 remains unchanged after adjustment, a fixing screw 52 is also provided inside the arc-shaped housing 2, which can abut against the height adjustment screw 51 to fix the adjustment block 5. Once the height of the adjustment block 5 is determined, tightening the fixing screw 52 to abut against the height adjustment screw 51 prevents the height adjustment screw 51 from moving, thus locking the position of the adjustment block 5.

[0035] In summary, this wafer pick-and-place device with position detection function, by incorporating two spring contacts 4 and two suction cups 3, avoids the situation in existing technologies where a single suction cup 3 can cause the spring contacts 4 to be stuck even when the wafer position shifts. Furthermore, the spring contacts 4 are located below the suction cups 3, preventing them from being held in place by the wafer but instead being held close to the suction cups 3 due to their own weight, thus avoiding incorrect sealing. In addition, the device includes an adjustment block 5, allowing adjustment of the distance between the spring contacts 4 and the suction cups 3 to accommodate different wafers, preventing incorrect sealing due to the spring contacts 4 being too close to the suction cups 3 or failure to hold due to the distance being too far.

[0036] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that this disclosure is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that this disclosure can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered in all respects as exemplary and non-limiting, and the scope of this disclosure is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Thus, all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims are intended to be included within this disclosure. No reference numerals in the claims should be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

[0037] Furthermore, it should be understood that although this specification describes embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. This narrative style is merely for clarity. Those skilled in the art should consider the specification as a whole, and the technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A wafer pick-and-place device with position detection function, characterized in that, include: The carrier plate is configured to carry at least a portion of the wafer; An arc-shaped shell is disposed at one end of the support plate, and a vacuum passage is provided inside the arc-shaped shell; Two suction cups are respectively located at both ends of the bottom of the arc-shaped housing and are connected to the vacuum passage; and Two spring tabs are respectively disposed at both ends of the bottom of the arc-shaped housing along the width direction of the arc-shaped housing. Each spring tab is connected to the arc-shaped housing through a hinge shaft. One end of the spring tab extends out of the arc-shaped housing and is used to be pressed by a part of the wafer. The other end of the spring tab is located below the suction cup and can be attracted by the suction cup.

2. The wafer pick-and-place apparatus with a position detection function according to claim 1, characterized by, The spring clip includes: A crimping section extends partially out of the arc-shaped housing, and the wafer is crimped to the portion of the crimping section that extends out of the arc-shaped housing; The connecting section is connected to the crimping section; and An adsorption section is connected to the connecting section, with one end of the adsorption section away from the connecting section located below the suction cup; the hinge shaft is fixedly disposed below the connecting section.

3. The wafer pick-and-place apparatus having a position detection function according to claim 2, characterized by, The length of the adsorption section is at least twice the length of the crimping section.

4. The wafer pick-and-place apparatus having a position detection function according to claim 2, wherein A counterweight is provided at the bottom of the adsorption section.

5. The wafer pick-and-place apparatus having a position detection function according to claim 2, wherein The bottom of the arc-shaped housing is provided with a receiving groove extending in the width direction, and the two ends of the hinge shaft are rotatably connected to the side wall of the receiving groove.

6. The wafer pick-and-place apparatus having a position detection function according to claim 5, wherein The end of the receiving groove has a limiting groove along its width direction, the width of the connecting section is greater than the width of the pressing section and the adsorption section, and the connecting section is located within the limiting groove.

7. The wafer pick-and-place apparatus having a position detection function according to claim 5, wherein An adjustment block that can move up and down is provided below the adsorption section to adjust the distance between the adsorption section and the suction cup.

8. The wafer pick-and-place apparatus having a position detection function according to claim 7, wherein The bottom of the arc-shaped housing is provided with a guide groove that communicates with the receiving groove. The adjusting block is connected to the arc-shaped housing by a height adjusting screw and can move along the guide groove.

9. The wafer pick-and-place apparatus having a position detection function according to claim 8, wherein, The arc-shaped housing is also provided with a fixing screw, which is pressed together with the height adjustment screw to fix the adjustment block.

10. The wafer pick-and-place apparatus having a position detection function according to claim 2, wherein A limit rod is provided above the connecting segment, and there is a gap between the limit rod and the connecting segment.

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