A silicon wafer clamping mechanism for a plate ALD apparatus

Abstract

A silicon wafer clamping mechanism of a plate type ALD device comprises a connecting frame and a plurality of vacuum suction pens, the connecting frame is provided with a plurality of suction pen connecting blocks, each vacuum suction pen is horizontally connected to a suction pen connecting block; the suction pen connecting block is provided with a rotatable first rotating shaft; the vacuum suction pen comprises a shell, a telescopic assembly, a suction pen rod and a suction nozzle; the shell is provided with a second rotating shaft fixed opposite thereto, the second rotating shaft is rotatably connected to the first rotating shaft, one of the central axes of the first and second rotating shafts is arranged in a vertical direction, and the other is arranged in a front-back direction; the telescopic assembly is arranged on the shell, the suction pen rod is fixedly connected to the telescopic assembly, and the suction pen rod is provided with a rotatable third rotating shaft; the suction nozzle is provided with a fourth rotating shaft fixed opposite thereto, the fourth rotating shaft is rotatably connected to the third rotating shaft, one of the central axes of the third and fourth rotating shafts is arranged in a vertical direction, and the other is arranged in a front-back direction. Compared with the prior art, the mechanism can improve the processing quality of the silicon wafer and the performance of the silicon wafer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the technical field of silicon wafer clamping mechanism, specifically relating to a silicon wafer clamping mechanism for a plate-type ALD device. Background Technology

[0002] A plate-type ALD equipment is a semiconductor manufacturing device based on atomic layer deposition (ALD) technology. The traditional conveying mechanism of a plate-type ALD equipment includes a wafer separation unit, a loading conveyor, and an unloading conveyor. The wafer separation unit is responsible for separating the silicon wafers from the basket (wafer storage carrier) and arranging them evenly on the conveyor belt. The loading conveyor is responsible for transporting the separated silicon wafers from the conveyor belt and precisely placing them onto the process carrier. After the silicon wafers are placed on the process carrier, they enter the process chamber for deposition. The unloading conveyor is responsible for removing the silicon wafers from the process carrier and transporting them to the output position after the ALD process is completed.

[0003] like Figure 1 As shown, the specific operation of the existing silicon wafer separation device is as follows: the basket 01 descends, placing the silicon wafer 02 at the bottom onto the conveyor belt; the conveyor belt 03 rotates, moving the silicon wafer away; the basket and conveyor belt repeat the above actions, thus evenly placing the silicon wafers on the basket onto the conveyor belt; finally, the suction cup 04 picks them up and places them onto the process carrier 05. However, during the silicon wafer separation process, the bottom surface of the silicon wafer comes into contact with the conveyor belt, causing dirt and contact damage to the bottom surface of the silicon wafer, thereby increasing the risk of process failure and reducing the coating quality. Especially for the double-sided ALD process, the dirt and contact damage on the bottom surface of the silicon wafer have a particularly significant impact on the silicon wafer. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a silicon wafer clamping mechanism for a plate-type ALD device.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model discloses a silicon wafer clamping mechanism for a plate-type ALD device, including a connecting frame and multiple vacuum suction pens. Multiple suction pen connecting blocks are provided on one side of the connecting frame, and the multiple suction pen connecting blocks are spaced apart in the vertical direction. Each vacuum suction pen is horizontally connected to one of the suction pen connecting blocks. The pen suction connecting block is provided with a rotatable first pivot. The vacuum pen includes a housing, a telescopic assembly, a pen-holding rod, and a suction nozzle; The outer shell is provided with a second rotating shaft that is fixed relative to it. The second rotating shaft is rotatably connected to the first rotating shaft. One of the central axis of the first rotating shaft and the central axis of the second rotating shaft is arranged along the vertical direction, and the other is arranged along the front-back direction. The telescopic component is disposed on the outer shell, the pen suction rod is fixedly connected to the telescopic component and extends and retracts left and right under the action of the telescopic component, and the pen suction rod is provided with a rotatable third pivot. The suction nozzle is provided with a fourth rotating shaft that is fixed relative to it. The fourth rotating shaft is rotatably connected to the third rotating shaft. One of the central axis of the third rotating shaft and the central axis of the fourth rotating shaft is arranged along the vertical direction, and the other is arranged along the front-back direction.

[0006] Preferably, the telescopic component includes a connecting strip and a first driving device, the connecting strip being slidably connected to the housing, and the first driving device being used to drive the connecting strip to slide left and right.

[0007] Preferably, there are two connecting strips, and the two connecting strips are spaced apart.

[0008] Preferably, the two connecting strips are respectively connected to both sides of the end of the pen suction rod.

[0009] Preferably, the first driving device is a motor, the output end of the motor is provided with an output gear, and the connecting bar is a rack that cooperates with the output gear.

[0010] Preferably, the connecting strip is welded to the pen suction rod.

[0011] Preferably, the outer shell includes a shell body and a connecting rod, the telescopic assembly is disposed on the shell body, the connecting rod is fixedly connected to the top of the shell body, and the connecting rod is provided with a second rotating shaft.

[0012] Preferably, the shell body and the connecting rod are detachably connected.

[0013] Preferably, the pen-absorbing connecting block is vertically slidably connected to the connecting frame.

[0014] Preferably, the connecting frame is provided with a fitting part for connecting to the robotic arm.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows: In normal operation, multiple vacuum pens are arranged vertically at intervals, with each pen adsorbing a silicon wafer from a single basket. Through the coordinated rotation of the first and second pivots, the shells of the pens unfold horizontally, simultaneously positioning the nozzles at the same height. The nozzles are linearly aligned by the telescopic assembly. Using the third and fourth pivots, the adsorption surfaces of the nozzles of the pens rotate to the same horizontal plane and with the same orientation. Thus, after adsorbing a silicon wafer, the pens ensure that all wafers are aligned linearly and with the same orientation on the same horizontal plane, ultimately allowing them to be placed on a process substrate.

[0016] The silicon wafer clamping mechanism of this invention avoids the problems of dirt and contact damage caused by traditional conveyor belt transportation of silicon wafers, thus improving the processing quality and performance of silicon wafers. Furthermore, while traditional conveyor belts can only transport wafers of a specific size, the clamping mechanism of this invention is not limited by the size of traditional conveyor belts and can accommodate the handling of silicon wafers of various sizes. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the clamping mechanism in an existing silicon wafer separation device; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the silicon wafer clamping mechanism of the plate-type ALD device in an embodiment; Figure 3 for Figure 2 A magnified view of a portion of point A in the middle; Figure 4 for Figure 2 A bottom view of the silicon wafer clamping mechanism of a plate-type ALD device; Figure 5 for Figure 4 A magnified view of a portion of point B in the middle; Figure 6 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a vacuum suction pen; Figure 7 for Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of a vacuum suction pen; Figure 8 for Figure 7 A magnified view of a portion of point C in the middle; Figure 9 A schematic diagram showing the silicon wafer placement state when the silicon wafer clamping mechanism is in the unfolded state. Flower basket 01; Silicon wafer 02; Conveyor belt 03; Suction cup 04; Process carrier 05; Connecting frame 100; Fitting part 110; Pen suction connecting block 120; First rotating shaft 121; Second connecting hole 1211; Second motor 1212; First connecting hole 122; First motor 123; Support rod 124; First air passage 130; Protrusion 140; Vacuum pen suction 200; outer shell 210; second rotating shaft 211; shell body 212; connecting rod 213; telescopic assembly 220; connecting strip 221; first drive device 222; output gear 223; pen suction rod 230; third connecting hole 231; third motor 232; third rotating shaft 233; fourth connecting hole 2331; fourth motor 2332; suction nozzle 240; fourth rotating shaft 241; second air passage 250; Hose 300. Detailed Implementation

[0018] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features and advantages of this utility model more apparent and understandable, the utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0019] A silicon wafer clamping mechanism for a plate-type ALD device, see [link / reference]. Figure 2 The system includes a connecting frame 100 and multiple vacuum suction pens 200. One side of the connecting frame 100 has a fitting part 110, which is connected to the rotating base of the robotic arm using screws and nuts, allowing the robotic arm to flexibly adjust and control the posture of the gripping mechanism. The other side of the connecting frame 100 has multiple suction pen connecting blocks 120, the number of which is determined by the number of vacuum suction pens 200. The multiple suction pen connecting blocks 120 are spaced vertically, specifically according to the spacing between two adjacent silicon wafers on the basket. Each vacuum suction pen 200 is horizontally connected to one suction pen connecting block 120, so that in its normal state, each vacuum suction pen 200 adsorbs one silicon wafer from the basket.

[0020] The vacuum suction pen described above is similar to existing conventional suction pens, such as the suction pen provided by authorization notice number CN204257613U, which can all adsorb silicon wafers stacked in a flower basket.

[0021] Understandably, in order to achieve vacuum adsorption, the connecting frame 100 and the vacuum nozzle 240 are respectively provided with a first air passage 130 and a second air passage 250, which are connected, for example, through a flexible hose 300. Each of the separate structures of the nozzle 240 can also be connected through a flexible hose.

[0022] In this embodiment, see Figures 3-9The suction pen connecting block 120 is provided with a rotatable first rotating shaft 121. The central axis of the first rotating shaft 121 is set in the front-back direction, and it can rotate around its own central axis when driven. The vacuum suction pen 200 includes a housing 210, a telescopic component 220, a suction pen rod 230, and a suction nozzle 240. The housing 210 is provided with a second rotating shaft 211 fixed to it. The second rotating shaft 211 is rotatably connected to the first rotating shaft 121. The central axis of the second rotating shaft 211 is set in the vertical direction, and it can rotate around its own central axis when driven. When the second rotating shaft 211 rotates, the housing 210 rotates back and forth around the central axis of the second rotating shaft 211 to allow the suction nozzle 240 to unfold back and forth; when the first rotating shaft 121 rotates, the housing 210 rotates up and down around the central axis of the first rotating shaft 121 so that the suction nozzle 240 can be on the same horizontal plane. The telescopic assembly 220 is housed within the outer casing 210. The suction pen lever 230 is fixedly connected to the telescopic assembly 220 and extends and retracts left and right under the action of the telescopic assembly 220. This allows the suction nozzles 240 to be linearly arranged to correspond to their placement positions on the process carrier. The suction pen lever 230 is equipped with a rotatable third pivot 233. The central axis of the third pivot 233 is set along the front-to-back direction. It can be driven to rotate around its own central axis, allowing the suction surfaces of the suction nozzles 240 of the vacuum suction pen 200 to rotate to the same horizontal plane. A fourth pivot 241 is fixed to each suction nozzle 240. The central axis of the fourth pivot 241 is set along the vertical direction. It can be driven to rotate around its own central axis, allowing all suction nozzles 240 to have the same posture and ultimately be placed on the process carrier. Through the above clamping mechanism, the problems of dirt and contact damage caused by traditional conveyor belt transport of silicon wafers are avoided, improving the silicon wafer processing quality and silicon wafer performance. Traditionally, silicon wafers are transported via conveyor belts, which can only transport wafers of a specific size. The clamping mechanism in this embodiment does not have the size limitations of traditional conveyor belts and can accommodate the handling of silicon wafers of various sizes. In practical applications, if the silicon wafers undergo a double-sided coating process, the above clamping mechanism, combined with a robotic arm, can directly complete the flipping, which is more efficient than the traditional manual flipping method for double-sided coating.

[0023] Each of the four rotating shafts is equipped with a motor, which is directly connected to the motor's output shaft. The rotation of the motor directly drives the rotating shaft to rotate. For example, the pen-absorbing connector 120 has a first connecting hole 122 extending in the front-to-back direction, and a first rotating shaft 121 is rotatably disposed within the first connecting hole 122. The pen-absorbing connector 100 is fixedly connected to a first motor 123, which is connected to the first rotating shaft 121 to drive its rotation. The first rotating shaft 121 has a second connecting hole 1211 extending in the vertical direction, and a second rotating shaft 211 is rotatably disposed within it. A second motor 1212 is fixedly connected to the first rotating shaft 121, and the second motor 1212 is connected to the second rotating shaft 211. The end of the pen suction rod 230 away from the telescopic component 220 is provided with a third connecting hole 231, which is arranged in the front-to-back direction. A third rotating shaft 233 is rotatably disposed within the third connecting hole 231. A third motor 232 is fixedly connected to the pen suction rod 230, and the third motor 232 is connected to the third rotating shaft 233. A fourth connecting hole 2331 extending in the vertical direction is provided within the third rotating shaft 233, and a fourth rotating shaft 241 is rotatably disposed within the fourth connecting hole 2331. A fourth motor 2332 is fixedly connected to the third rotating shaft, and the fourth motor 2332 is connected to the fourth rotating shaft 241.

[0024] Understandably, to allow the vacuum pen 200 to extend into the first connecting hole 122 and to rotate vertically and horizontally, the first connecting hole 122 extends towards the side away from the connecting bracket 100 in a front-to-back direction. The lateral opening has a certain height to accommodate vertical rotation, and the front-to-back opening allows for forward and backward expansion. Similarly, the connecting holes in the first rotating shaft 121, the pen-absorbing rod 230, and the third rotating shaft 233 also extend in the same manner to accommodate rotation. The connecting rod can be cylindrical, spherical, or other shapes, depending on the requirements.

[0025] Both the first and third rotating shafts are equipped with connecting holes to connect the second and fourth rotating shafts. The first rotating shaft 121 and the third rotating shaft 233 are arranged in the front-to-back direction, and the second rotating shaft 211 and the fourth rotating shaft 241 are arranged in the up-down direction. It can be understood that the first rotating shaft 121 and the third rotating shaft 233 are arranged in the up-down direction, and the second rotating shaft 211 and the fourth rotating shaft 241 are arranged in the front-to-back direction.

[0026] In this embodiment, the telescopic component 220 includes a connecting strip 221 and a first driving device 222. The connecting strip 221 is slidably connected inside the housing 210, with one end connected to the first driving device 222 and the other end extending out of the housing and fixedly connected to the pen suction rod 230. The first driving device 222 is fixed to the housing 210 and is used to drive the connecting strip 221 to move left and right, thereby causing the pen suction rod 230 to extend and retract.

[0027] Specifically, the first driving device 222 is a motor, and the output end of the motor is equipped with an output gear 223. The connecting bar 221 is a rack that cooperates with the output gear 223. The motor drives the rack to move through the output gear 223. The extension and retraction of the pen suction rod 230 is realized through the gear and rack transmission structure, which has high transmission accuracy and simple structure.

[0028] There are two connecting strips 221, spaced apart, and welded to both ends of the pen-absorbing rod 230. Using two connecting strips 221 to connect the pen-absorbing rod 230 and the nozzle 240 ensures the connecting strips 221 meet rigidity requirements and effectively mitigates deformation caused by excessive extension length. Welding the connecting strips 221 to the pen-absorbing rod 230 improves the reliability of the connection. With two connecting strips 221, there are corresponding two output gears 223. The two output gears 223 can be driven by the same motor or by separate motors.

[0029] In this embodiment, the outer shell includes a shell body 212 and a connecting rod 213. The aforementioned telescopic component 220 is disposed inside the shell body 212, and the connecting rod 213 is fixedly connected to the top of the shell body 212. The connecting rod 213 is provided with the aforementioned third rotating shaft 233.

[0030] Specifically, the connection between the shell body 212 and the connecting rod 213 is a detachable connection, and the connection method includes, but is not limited to, threaded connection, adhesive connection, etc.

[0031] In this embodiment, the suction pen connecting block 120 is slidably connected to the connecting frame 100 in the vertical direction. In this way, the spacing between the suction pen connecting block 120 and the vacuum suction pen 200 can be adjusted according to the different silicon wafer spacing in the basket, thereby improving versatility.

[0032] The sliding connection of the aforementioned pen-absorbing connecting block 120 can be, for example, as follows: The connecting frame 100 has multiple protrusions 140, which are alternately arranged with the multiple pen-absorbing connecting blocks 120. Each pen-absorbing connecting block 120 has one protrusion 140 on each of its two sides. Support rods 124 are provided on the upper and lower sides of the pen-absorbing connecting block 120. Adjacent protrusions 140 have openings, allowing the support rods 124 to slide up and down within the openings. Adjustment motors are also provided on the protrusions 140, allowing each pen-absorbing connecting block 120 to move up and down under the action of the corresponding adjustment motor to adjust the spacing.

[0033] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model, and its structure is not limited to the shapes listed above. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present utility model should be included within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A silicon wafer clamping mechanism for a plate-type ALD device, comprising a connecting frame and a plurality of vacuum suction pens, wherein a plurality of suction pen connecting blocks are provided on one side of the connecting frame, the plurality of suction pen connecting blocks are spaced apart in a vertical direction, and each vacuum suction pen is horizontally connected to one of the suction pen connecting blocks, characterized in that: The pen suction connecting block is provided with a rotatable first pivot. The vacuum pen includes a housing, a telescopic assembly, a pen-holding rod, and a suction nozzle; The outer shell is provided with a second rotating shaft that is fixed relative to it. The second rotating shaft is rotatably connected to the first rotating shaft. One of the central axis of the first rotating shaft and the central axis of the second rotating shaft is arranged along the vertical direction, and the other is arranged along the front-back direction. The telescopic component is disposed on the outer shell, the pen suction rod is fixedly connected to the telescopic component and extends and retracts left and right under the action of the telescopic component, and the pen suction rod is provided with a rotatable third pivot. The suction nozzle is provided with a fourth rotating shaft that is fixed relative to it. The fourth rotating shaft is rotatably connected to the third rotating shaft. One of the central axis of the third rotating shaft and the central axis of the fourth rotating shaft is arranged along the vertical direction, and the other is arranged along the front-back direction.

2. The silicon wafer clamping mechanism of the plate-type ALD device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The telescopic component includes a connecting strip and a first driving device. The connecting strip is slidably connected to the outer shell, and the first driving device is used to drive the connecting strip to slide left and right.

3. The silicon wafer clamping mechanism of the plate-type ALD device according to claim 2, characterized in that: There are two connecting strips, which are spaced apart.

4. The silicon wafer clamping mechanism of the plate-type ALD device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The two connecting strips are respectively connected to both sides of the end of the pen suction rod.

5. The silicon wafer clamping mechanism of the plate-type ALD device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first driving device is a motor, and the output end of the motor is provided with an output gear. The connecting bar is a rack that cooperates with the output gear.

6. The silicon wafer clamping mechanism of the plate-type ALD device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The connecting strip is welded to the pen suction rod.

7. The silicon wafer clamping mechanism of the plate-type ALD device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer shell includes a shell body and a connecting rod. The telescopic assembly is disposed on the shell body, and the connecting rod is fixedly connected to the top of the shell body. The connecting rod is provided with a second rotating shaft.

8. The silicon wafer clamping mechanism of the plate-type ALD device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The shell body and the connecting rod are detachably connected.

9. The silicon wafer clamping mechanism of the plate-type ALD device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pen-absorbing connecting block is vertically slidably connected to the connecting frame.

10. The silicon wafer clamping mechanism of the plate-type ALD device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connecting frame is provided with a fitting part, which is used to connect to the robotic arm.

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