Mechanical arm structure of wafer cleaning equipment

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kind of mechanical arm structures of wafer cleaning equipment, including arm body, motor of driving arm body horizontal rotation and driving lift cylinder, motor is fixed in the sleeve inside the bottom of cleaning cavity, output shaft is upward;Protective cover is covered on the upper mouth of sleeve and is connected with output shaft, and not contact with upper mouth;Protective bellows is connected with the lower surface of arm body rear portion and the upper surface of protective cover through flange, cylinder is located in bellows and is connected with protective cover, output rod is connected with arm body rear portion. Protective cover and protective bellows are isolated motor and cylinder respectively, effectively block cleaning fluid and corrosive water vapor, prolong the life of driving component, and non-contact design and bellows extensibility guarantee mechanical arm movement precision and flexibility, applicable to high-precision semiconductor wafer cleaning scene.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, and in particular relates to a robotic arm structure for a wafer cleaning equipment. Background Technology

[0002] In semiconductor manufacturing, contaminants on the wafer surface (such as metal ions, micron-sized particles, organic residues, and native oxide layers) can severely affect the electrical performance and yield of devices. Therefore, wet cleaning, as a core process for removing such contaminants, directly determines the quality of subsequent critical steps such as photolithography and etching based on its precision and reliability. Wet cleaning typically uses alternating sprays of highly corrosive chemical solutions (such as hydrofluoric acid or sulfuric acid-hydrogen peroxide mixtures) and ultrapure water, resulting in the cleaning chamber being in a harsh environment of high humidity and strong chemical corrosion for extended periods.

[0003] To achieve uniform cleaning of wafer surfaces, cleaning equipment needs to use a robotic arm to drive the nozzle to complete multi-dimensional movements, including horizontal rotation (adjusting the radial position of the cleaning nozzle) and vertical lifting (controlling the distance from the wafer surface). Existing robotic arm drive systems mainly consist of a motor (responsible for rotational drive) and a cylinder (responsible for lifting drive). However, the drive components of traditional robotic arms are often directly exposed to the cleaning chamber environment, causing cleaning fluid droplets and corrosive moisture to easily seep into the motor and cylinder, resulting in damage. This not only shortens the equipment's lifespan but also leads to deviations in motion accuracy, causing uneven wafer cleaning, localized residual contaminants, and ultimately, device leakage or reduced yield, severely restricting the high-efficiency and high-precision requirements of semiconductor manufacturing. Utility Model Content

[0004] Based on this, and in response to the aforementioned technical problems, a robotic arm structure for a wafer cleaning device is provided.

[0005] The technical solution adopted in this utility model is as follows:

[0006] A robotic arm structure for a wafer cleaning device includes an arm body and a motor and a cylinder for driving the arm body to rotate horizontally and move vertically. The structure is characterized by further including a protective cover and a protective bellows. The motor is fixed in a sleeve formed at the bottom of the cleaning chamber, with its output shaft facing upwards. The protective cover covers the upper opening of the sleeve but does not contact the upper opening, and the lower surface of the protective cover is connected to the output shaft. The upper and lower ends of the protective bellows are connected to the lower rear surface of the arm body and the upper surface of the protective cover, respectively, via flanges. The cylinder is disposed inside the protective bellows and connected to the upper surface of the protective cover, with its output rod facing upwards and connected to the rear of the arm body.

[0007] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows:

[0008] 1. Effectively isolates corrosive environments, extending the lifespan of drive components:

[0009] By covering the upper opening of the sleeve with a protective cover that is linked to the motor output shaft, the cleaning fluid and droplets can be effectively blocked from entering the sleeve, preventing the motor from coming into contact with corrosive media and significantly reducing the risk of motor bearing corrosion and short circuits. The protective bellows is connected to the arm and the protective cover through a flange, forming a closed cavity that encloses the cylinder. It can freely extend and retract with the cylinder, completely isolating external moisture and chemical droplets, preventing cylinder corrosion and failure, and greatly extending the mean time between failures (MTBF) of the motor and cylinder.

[0010] 2. Ensure the precision and flexibility of the robotic arm's movements:

[0011] The protective cover and the upper opening of the sleeve are designed to be non-contact, which not only does not hinder the rotation drive of the motor output shaft, but also avoids the motion resistance caused by friction in traditional sealing structures; the protective bellows can be adapted to the cylinder lifting stroke without mechanical interference, ensuring that the positioning accuracy of the arm body during horizontal rotation and vertical lifting meets the high precision requirements of semiconductor cleaning. Attached Figure Description

[0012] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments:

[0013] Figure 1 A three-dimensional structural diagram of a robotic arm structure for a wafer cleaning device provided in this embodiment of the present invention;

[0014] Figure 2 A vertical sectional view of the robotic arm structure of a wafer cleaning device provided in this embodiment of the present invention;

[0015] Figure 3 An exploded view of the robotic arm structure of a wafer cleaning device provided in this embodiment of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the fit between the protective cover and the sleeve in an embodiment of this utility model. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The embodiments of this utility model will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments described in this specification are not exhaustive and do not represent the only embodiments of this utility model. The following corresponding embodiments are only for clearly illustrating the utility model content of this patent and are not intended to limit its implementation. For those skilled in the art, different variations and modifications can be made based on the described embodiments. Any obvious variations or modifications that fall within the technical concept and utility model content of this utility model are also within the protection scope of this utility model.

[0018] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown in the figure, this application provides a robotic arm structure for a wafer cleaning equipment, including a fixed frame 1100, a motor 1200, a sensor 1300, a protective cover 1400, a protective bellows 1500, an arm body 1600, a cylinder connecting plate 1700, a cylinder 1800, a transmission plate 1900, an upper connecting plate 1998, and a sealing cover 1999.

[0019] The mounting bracket 1100 is an inverted cylindrical shape and is disposed in the sleeve 21 formed at the bottom 2 of the cleaning chamber of the wafer cleaning equipment (see [reference]). Figure 4 It has an opening on its circumference for the wiring of the motor 1200, and its lower end is connected and fixed to the bottom of the cleaning chamber by a flange.

[0020] The motor 1200 is used to drive the boom 1600 to rotate horizontally. It is located inside the fixed frame 1100. Its upper end face is fixed to the top plate 1110 of the fixed frame 1100 by bolts. The output shaft 1210 of the motor 1200 passes upward through the top plate 1110 and is connected to the coupling 1211 by bolts. The top of the coupling 1211 has a horizontal lower connecting plate 1211a.

[0021] Among them, such as Figure 3 As shown, a static limit block 1111 is fixed on the top plate 1110 of the fixing frame 1100, such as... Figure 2 As shown, a movable limit block 1211b is fixed on the circumferential surface of the coupling 1211, which can rotate with the output shaft 1210. It can constrain the rotation angle of the output shaft 1210 in cooperation with the static limit block 1111.

[0022] Sensor 1300 is used to detect the rotation angle of output shaft 1210, and its lever 1310 is fixed on the circumferential surface of coupling 1211. See [reference needed] Figure 2 .

[0023] like Figure 2 As shown, the lower connecting plate 1211a, the protective cover 1400 and the cylinder connecting plate 1700 are arranged sequentially from bottom to top, and the three are fixed together by bolts in the vertical direction.

[0024] Among them, such as Figure 4 As shown, the protective cover 1400 covers the upper opening of the sleeve 21 but does not contact the upper opening.

[0025] The upper surface of the protective cover 1400 has a groove that precisely accommodates the cylinder connecting plate 1700, and the protective cover 1400 also has a through hole for the downward lead-out pipe of the cylinder 1800.

[0026] The protective bellows 1500 has flanges at both the top and bottom, which are connected to the lower rear surface of the arm 1600 and the upper surface of the protective cover 1400.

[0027] The arm body 1600 is a plastic plate with a groove on its rear lower surface located inside the protective bellows 1500. Multiple single nozzles 3 are fixed side-by-side at the front, and these nozzles 3 are constrained together by pipe clamps 4. (See attached image.) Figure 1 .

[0028] Cylinder 1800 is used to drive the boom 1600 to lift and lower. It is located inside the protective bellows 1500 with the output rod facing upward. The pipe on the air connector 1810 of cylinder 1800 is led out downward from the through hole of the protective cover 1400.

[0029] The transmission plate 1900 is horizontally fixed to the top of the output rod.

[0030] The upper connecting plate 1998 is located in a groove on the lower rear surface of the arm body 1600 and is connected to the arm body 1600 and the transmission plate 1900 by bolts in the vertical direction. The through holes corresponding to the bolts are sealed by a sealing cover 1999, which covers the upper rear surface of the arm body 1600 and is fixed by screws.

[0031] Among them, the upper connecting plate 1998 is made of metal, which improves the connection strength with the plastic arm body 1600.

[0032] During operation, the arm body 1600 is driven to rotate horizontally by the motor 1200. During this process, the protective cover 1400, the protective bellows 1500, the cylinder connecting plate 1700, the cylinder 1800, the transmission plate 1900, the upper connecting plate 1998, and the sealing cover 1999 rotate synchronously. When the cylinder drives the arm body 1600 to lift and lower, the protective bellows 1500 extends and retracts synchronously.

[0033] As can be seen from the above, the robotic arm structure of the wafer cleaning equipment provided in this application embodiment has the following beneficial effects:

[0034] 1. Effectively isolates corrosive environments, extending the lifespan of drive components:

[0035] By covering the upper opening of the sleeve with a protective cover that is linked to the motor output shaft, the cleaning fluid and droplets can be effectively blocked from entering the sleeve, preventing the motor from coming into contact with corrosive media and significantly reducing the risk of motor bearing corrosion and short circuits. The protective bellows is connected to the arm and the protective cover through a flange, forming a closed cavity that encloses the cylinder. It can freely extend and retract with the cylinder, completely isolating external moisture and chemical droplets, preventing cylinder corrosion and failure, and greatly extending the mean time between failures (MTBF) of the motor and cylinder.

[0036] 2. Ensure the precision and flexibility of the robotic arm's movements:

[0037] The protective cover and the upper opening of the sleeve are designed to be non-contact, which not only does not hinder the rotation drive of the motor output shaft, but also avoids the motion resistance caused by friction in traditional sealing structures; the protective bellows can be adapted to the cylinder lifting stroke without mechanical interference, ensuring that the positioning accuracy of the arm body during horizontal rotation and vertical lifting meets the high precision requirements of semiconductor cleaning.

[0038] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this application without departing from the scope of this application. Therefore, if such modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalents, this application also intends to include such modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A robotic arm structure for a wafer cleaning device, comprising an arm body and a motor and a cylinder for driving the arm body to rotate horizontally and to lift vertically, characterized in that, It also includes a protective cover and a protective bellows. The motor is fixed in a sleeve formed at the bottom of the cleaning chamber with its output shaft facing upward. The protective cover covers the upper opening of the sleeve but does not contact the upper opening, and the lower surface of the protective cover is connected to the output shaft. The upper and lower ends of the protective bellows are connected to the lower rear surface of the arm body and the upper surface of the protective cover, respectively, through flanges. The cylinder is located inside the protective bellows and is connected to the upper surface of the protective cover. The output rod of the cylinder faces upward and is connected to the rear of the arm body.

2. The robotic arm structure of a wafer cleaning equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a cylinder connecting plate located above the protective cover, a coupling is bolted to the output shaft of the motor, the top of the coupling has a horizontal lower connecting plate located below the protective cover, the lower connecting plate, the protective cover and the cylinder connecting plate are connected by bolts in the vertical direction, and the bottom of the cylinder is connected to the cylinder connecting plate.

3. The robotic arm structure of a wafer cleaning equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The upper surface of the protective cover has a groove that precisely accommodates the cylinder connecting plate.

4. The robotic arm structure of a wafer cleaning equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, A horizontal transmission plate is connected to the top of the output rod, and the transmission plate is connected to the lower rear surface of the arm body.

5. The robotic arm structure of a wafer cleaning equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that, It also includes a metal upper connecting plate, the arm body is a plastic plate with a groove on the lower surface of the plate, the upper connecting plate is located in the groove and is connected to the arm body and the transmission plate by bolts in the vertical direction.

6. The robotic arm structure of a wafer cleaning equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that, It also includes a sealing cap, which covers the upper rear surface of the arm body.

7. The robotic arm structure of a wafer cleaning equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The motor is fixed in the sleeve by a fixing bracket. The top of the fixing bracket and the circumference of the coupling are respectively provided with a static limit block and a dynamic limit block for cooperating with each other to constrain the rotation angle of the output shaft.

8. The robotic arm structure of a wafer cleaning equipment according to claim 7, characterized in that, It also includes a sensor for detecting the rotation angle of the output shaft, the sensor's tab being fixed to the circumferential surface of the coupling.

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