Vertical furnace tube equipment

Abstract

This utility model relates to the field of semiconductor equipment manufacturing technology, and provides a vertical furnace tube device, including a vertical furnace body, a lifting mechanism, a wafer boat, a transfer robot, and a wafer carrier platform. The wafer boat is erected on the lifting mechanism and can move in and out of the vertical furnace body under the drive of the lifting mechanism. The wafer carrier platform is located on one side of the lifting mechanism and has multiple positions for storing wafer carriers. The transfer robot is arranged adjacent to the lifting mechanism and the wafer carrier platform. The transfer robot includes a robot body, an arm, and fingers. One end of the arm is connected to the robot body, and the other end of the fingers is connected to the arm. The end of the fingers away from the arm has a finger head guide limit block, and the end closer to the arm has a finger tail wafer guide block. A retractable finger tail wafer pusher and gripper block is provided at the connection between the arm and the fingers. This utility model makes wafer center calibration and positioning convenient and quick, helps to improve wafer transfer accuracy, and the equipment has a simple structure and is easy to use.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing equipment technology, specifically to a vertical furnace tube device. Background Technology

[0002] Before performing vertical furnace processes, vertical furnace tube equipment requires a transfer device (such as a transfer robot), including a robotic arm, to remove wafers from wafer carriers and place them onto wafer boats within the vertical furnace tube. These wafer boats, carrying several batches of wafers, are then lifted into the furnace by a lifting mechanism. After the wafers complete their processing within the furnace tube, the lifting mechanism lowers the wafer boat to the unloading position. The transfer device then removes the wafers from the wafer boat and transfers them to wafer carriers, from the loading cavity of the vertical furnace equipment, and to the next process stack point. To meet the ever-increasing capacity demands of semiconductor wafer fabs, the number of wafers that can be processed in a single vertical furnace tube is increasing, and the spacing between the wafer-carrying positions on the wafer boat is decreasing. This makes wafer transfer increasingly difficult, and wafer misalignment during the transfer process is a frequent occurrence.

[0003] To address this issue, existing vertical furnace tube equipment uses a complex and bulky calibration module during the transfer process to calibrate and straighten the wafer center and reduce wafer misalignment. This calibration module is set up independently of the transfer robot and requires sampling, calibration, and correction during each transfer. This results in a large space requirement for the equipment and numerous serial steps in the process, leading to a decrease in transfer efficiency.

[0004] It should be noted that the above introduction to the technical background is only for the purpose of providing a clear and complete explanation of the technical solutions of this utility model and facilitating understanding by those skilled in the art. It should not be assumed that these technical solutions are known to those skilled in the art simply because they have been described in the background section of this utility model. Utility Model Content

[0005] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art described above, the purpose of this utility model is to provide a vertical furnace tube device to solve the problem that the existing vertical furnace tube devices use a calibration module that is independent of the transfer robot in order to reduce wafer misalignment. This calibration module is complex and bulky, and sampling, calibration and correction are required in each transfer process. This results in a large space occupation of the device and a lot of serialization in the process, which leads to a decrease in transfer efficiency.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this utility model provides a vertical furnace tube device, including a vertical furnace body, a lifting mechanism, a crystal boat, a conveying robot, and a wafer carrier platform; the crystal boat is erected on the lifting mechanism and can enter and exit the vertical furnace body under the drive of the lifting mechanism; the wafer carrier platform is located on one side of the lifting mechanism and has multiple positions for storing wafer carriers; the conveying robot is arranged adjacent to the lifting mechanism and the wafer carrier platform, and the conveying robot includes a robot body, an arm, and fingers. One end of the arm is connected to the robot body, and the fingers are connected to the other end of the arm. The end of the fingers away from the arm is provided with a finger head guide limit block, and the end closer to the arm is provided with a finger tail wafer guide block. A retractable finger tail wafer pusher and gripper block is provided at the connection between the arm and the fingers.

[0007] Optionally, the fingers include upper and lower fingers that are spaced apart and can be controlled independently.

[0008] Optionally, the upper and lower fingers are flat U-shaped structures, and two ends of the upper and lower fingers away from the arm are provided with through-beam sensors.

[0009] Optionally, the wafer carrier platform is provided with an AWC sensor light column on the side adjacent to the transfer robot.

[0010] Optionally, the surfaces of the finger tip guide limiting block, the finger tail wafer guide block, and the finger tail wafer push clamping block have a wear-resistant rubber layer.

[0011] Optionally, the arm is provided with a telescopic rod connected to the wafer pusher block at the end of the finger, and the telescopic rod is connected to the drive device.

[0012] Optionally, the finger is provided with a groove, and the wafer pusher block at the tail of the finger is located in the groove.

[0013] Optionally, the wafer pusher block at the finger's tail is provided with a gas port that communicates with an inert gas source.

[0014] Optionally, the conveying robot is also equipped with a level sensor for detecting the levelness of the fingers.

[0015] Optionally, the conveying robot or the wafer carrier platform is equipped with a camera for detecting the condition of the wafer surface.

[0016] As described above, the vertical furnace tube equipment provided by this utility model has the following beneficial effects: By setting guide blocks and push-holding blocks on the fingers of the transfer robot, the vertical furnace tube equipment provided by this utility model can perform center correction and positioning of the wafer during wafer transfer without the need for a separate calibration module. This helps to simplify the equipment structure, reduce equipment costs, and the calibration process is simple, easy, efficient and convenient, which helps to improve wafer transfer efficiency and yield, and increase equipment output. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 A partial structural schematic diagram of the vertical furnace tube equipment provided by this utility model; Figure 2 A top view of the vertical furnace tube equipment provided by this utility model; Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the conveying robot for the vertical furnace tube equipment provided by this utility model; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the finger structure of the conveying robot of this utility model; Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the wafer carrier platform for the vertical furnace tube equipment provided by this utility model; In the diagram: 1. Furnace tube boat; 2. Conveying robot; 3. Wafer carrier platform; 4. Camera; 5. Wafer; 6. Horizontal sensor; 11. Boat; 21. Arm; 22. Upper finger; 23. Lower finger; 24. Conveying mechanism; 25. Through-beam sensor; 26. Wafer guide limit block at finger tip; 27. Wafer guide block at finger tail; 28. Wafer pusher and clamping block at finger tail; 29. ​​Slide; 31. Wafer carrier; 32. AWC sensor beam. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The following specific examples illustrate the implementation of this utility model. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of this utility model from the content disclosed in this specification. This utility model can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and various details in this specification can also be modified or changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of this utility model.

[0019] It should be noted that the illustrations provided in this embodiment are only schematic representations of the basic concept of this utility model. Therefore, the drawings only show components related to this utility model and are not drawn according to the actual number, shape, and size of the components in the actual implementation. In the actual implementation, the form, quantity, and proportion of each component can be arbitrarily changed, and the layout of the components may also be more complex. To keep the illustrations as concise as possible, not all structures are indicated in the drawings.

[0020] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, this utility model provides a vertical furnace tube device, including a vertical furnace body (not shown), a lifting mechanism 1, a crystal boat 11, a conveying robot 2, and a wafer carrier platform 3.

[0021] The vertical furnace can be a single-tube or double-tube structure. In a single-tube structure, the furnace includes a single reaction tube made of materials such as quartz or silicon carbide. The top of the reaction tube is typically closed, while the bottom can be closed via an openable furnace door. The interior of the reaction tube provides the vertical furnace process space, within which the crystal boat 11 carrying wafer 5 is located during the process. Resistance heaters can be spirally or coiled on the inner or outer surface of the reaction tube, and the exterior of the reaction tube can be covered with insulating materials such as ceramic cloth. In a double-tube structure, the furnace includes an inner reaction tube made of materials such as quartz or silicon carbide and an outer tube surrounding the inner reaction tube. The interior of the inner reaction tube is the vertical furnace process space, and a gap is typically provided between the outer tube and the inner reaction tube. In some examples, an inert gas can be introduced into this gap for insulation. The gas intake method of the vertical furnace can be determined according to needs. For example, in a single-tube structure, a gas injection pipeline with multiple air inlets from bottom to top can be set inside the reaction tube. This gas injection pipeline is adjacent to the crystal boat 11, and its top end can be closed, while its other end is connected to a gas source to supply gas to the wafers located on the crystal boat. In a dual-tube structure, the gas injection pipeline can be set inside the inner tube, adjacent to the crystal boat 11, or it can be located between the inner and outer tubes. Correspondingly, the inner tube wall needs to be provided with openings that correspond one-to-one with the air inlets of the gas injection pipeline. In another example, when the vertical furnace tube equipment is a dual-tube structure, the gap between the inner and outer tubes can also be sealed as a gas equalization chamber. Multiple air inlets are set on the inner tube wall from bottom to top, and the gas pipeline connected to the gas source is connected to the air inlets on the outer tube to introduce gas into the gas equalization chamber between the inner and outer tubes. Then, the gas is supplied to the wafers on the surface of the crystal boat through the air inlets on the inner tube wall. The exhaust port of the equipment can be located at the upper and / or lower part of the vertical furnace body, and preferably at the opposite end of the air inlet position. This embodiment does not limit the specific structure and type of the furnace body of the vertical furnace tube equipment, or in other words, this embodiment is applicable to a variety of existing vertical furnace bodies, therefore the structure of the vertical furnace body is not specifically shown in this embodiment.

[0022] The crystal boat 11 is erected on the lifting mechanism 1 and can enter and exit the vertical furnace under the drive of the lifting mechanism 1. Depending on the process, the crystal boat 11 can be made of any of silicon, quartz, and silicon carbide. The crystal boat 11 typically includes three or more parallel and spaced columns, with the spacing between two columns large enough to allow the wafer 5 to enter and exit the crystal boat 11. Multiple bosses are spaced from top to bottom on the columns, and the bosses on the same plane of the multiple columns jointly support the wafer 5. An insulation tank can be installed on the lifting mechanism 1, and the crystal boat 11 can be fixed to the insulation tank, thereby being fixed to the lifting mechanism 1, and can enter or exit the vertical furnace through the drive of the lifting mechanism 1. In this embodiment, the lifting mechanism 1 can be a hydraulic lifting mechanism. The crystal boat is fixed on the lifting platform, and the lifting platform is connected to the lifting rail. Under the power provided by the hydraulic cylinder, the lifting rail moves up and down, thereby driving the crystal boat 11 to move up and down.

[0023] The wafer carrier platform 3 is located on one side of the lifting mechanism 1, and has multiple positions for storing wafer carriers 31. In some examples, the wafer carrier platform 3 is a structure including a support shaft and multiple layers of support plates fixedly connected to the support shaft and spaced vertically, with each layer of support plate having multiple positions for wafer carriers 31. The support shaft can rotate and lift to transfer the wafer carriers to be loaded / unloaded to the loading / unloading positions. In other examples, the wafer carrier platform can also be a fixed support structure that cannot rotate or lift. To improve the cleanliness of the wafers, the wafer carrier platform 3 can be sealed by a housing, with opening and closing controlled by a gate valve located on the side of the housing. The top of the housing can be equipped with a filtration device 33, such as an FFU (Fan Filter Unit), to purify the internal space of the housing. In other examples, the top of the housing can also have an opening for transferring wafer carriers. This top-opening wafer carrier platform can be integrated with the OHT (Overhead Hoist Transfer) system in a semiconductor wafer fab. The wafer carrier 31 can be a cassette or a FOUP (front-opening wafer cassette). Furthermore, the wafer carrier 31 can be connected to a nitrogen purging system to further improve the cleanliness of the wafers within the carrier.

[0024] The transfer robot 2 is positioned adjacent to the lifting mechanism 1 and the wafer carrier platform 3, and is used to transfer wafers 5 between the wafer boat 11 of the lifting mechanism 1 and the wafer carrier 31 of the wafer carrier platform 3. For example, before the process begins, wafers 5 in wafer carrier 31 on the wafer carrier platform 3 are transferred to the wafer boat 11 of the lifting mechanism 1. After the transfer is completed, the lifting mechanism raises the wafer boat into the vertical furnace body, and the furnace door closes the vertical furnace body, after which the furnace tube process begins. After the process is completed, the furnace door opens, the lifting mechanism lowers the wafer boat to the unloading position, and the transfer robot transfers the wafers on the wafer boat back to the wafer boat on the wafer carrier platform. To reduce wafer contamination, the transfer robot is also located in an enclosed space, which is usually defined as the wafer loading and unloading area and is typically located at the bottom of the vertical furnace body.

[0025] In this embodiment, the transfer robot 2 includes a robot body 24, an arm 21, and fingers. One end of the arm is connected to the robot body 24, and the fingers are connected to the other end of the arm 21. That is, one end of the arm 21 is connected to the robot body 24, and the other end is connected to the fingers. The robot body 24 is equipped with a power structure connected to the arm 21, and the robot body 24 can move up and down. The arm 21 is a multi-joint robotic arm, which can rotate and extend under the drive of the main drive device to move the fingers arbitrarily within a set space. The arm 21 is usually made of metal materials such as stainless steel, while the fingers are preferably made of non-metallic materials such as ceramic to minimize metal contamination of the wafer 5 during transfer. In addition, in this embodiment, a wafer guide limit block 26 is provided on the end of the finger away from the arm 21, and a wafer guide block 27 is provided on the end of the finger near the arm 21. A retractable wafer pusher and clamping block 28 is provided at the connection between the arm 21 and the finger. The fingertip guide limiting block 26, the finger tail wafer guide block 27, and the finger tail wafer push clamping block 28 are located in different positions, which can clamp the wafer 5 from different directions.

[0026] An exemplary wafer retrieval process of the transfer robot in this embodiment is as follows: Through the movement of the robot body 24 and the arm 21, the finger moves to the predetermined wafer transfer position, that is, moves to the bottom of the wafer 5 and moves upward to lift and contact the wafer 5. The finger begins to perform a clamping action on the wafer 5. At this time, the wafer 5 is located on the wafer guide block 27 at the fingertip and the wafer guide limiting block 26 at the fingertip. Then, the wafer push clamping block 28 at the fingertip performs an action to clamp the wafer. The wafer 5 is pushed and clamped and blocked and limited by the wafer guide limiting block 26 at the fingertip. The finger completes the wafer clamping and center correction positioning. If wafer 5 needs to be transferred to crystal boat 11, after calibration and positioning, the transfer robot 2 will transfer wafer 5 to the predetermined loading position. The gripper will open, and the robot's fingers will smoothly drag wafer 5 into crystal boat 11, with a specified displacement value (theoretically just contacting the inner edge of crystal boat 11). The robot's fingers will then smoothly drag out of crystal boat 11 and transfer the next wafer 5. Wafer 5 will then be placed in the predetermined position on crystal boat 11.

[0027] The vertical furnace tube equipment provided in this embodiment, through structural improvements to its transfer robot 2, can perform centering and positioning of wafers during wafer transfer without the need for a separate calibration module. This helps simplify the equipment structure, reduce equipment costs, and the calibration process is simple, efficient, and convenient, which helps improve wafer transfer efficiency and yield, and increase equipment output.

[0028] Existing vertical furnace tube equipment can be divided into two types of wafer transfer methods: multi-wafer transfer and single-wafer transfer. In multi-wafer transfer, multiple hands are controlled uniformly, moving synchronously to transfer four, five, or even more wafers simultaneously. This multi-wafer insertion method requires sufficient insertion space and a low transfer speed to ensure smooth operation and prevent contact between wafers or between wafers and hands during insertion and placement. These characteristics limit and influence the structural dimensions of the slot pitch on the wafer boat, preventing its development towards a narrower and more compact design, and significantly restricting wafer transfer efficiency. In contrast, the single-wafer pick-and-place method, which can only transfer one wafer at a time, suffers from significantly limited transfer efficiency.

[0029] In a preferred embodiment of this invention, the fingers include an upper finger 22 and a lower finger 23, which are spaced apart and can be independently controlled. That is, the transfer robot in this embodiment has a two-finger structure, with both fingers movably connected to the arm 21 and capable of independent rotation. Therefore, the upper finger 22 and lower finger 23 are connected to the arm 21 via sheet metal parts, allowing them to move up and down under the drive of the robot body, and also to move in different radial spaces under the extension and rotation of the arm 21. Simultaneously, the upper finger 22 and lower finger 23 are also independently electrically connected to different finger-end drive devices, enabling them to rotate horizontally around the arm end for further fine adjustment of the transfer position. Therefore, in this embodiment, dual-wafer transfer operations can be performed simultaneously as needed, or a single finger can be used for single-wafer transfer operations, meeting diverse transfer requirements. For example, the transfer robot in this embodiment can simultaneously pick up two wafers 5 from the crystal boat 11 and move and place them simultaneously, or pick up one wafer 5 from the crystal boat 11 and move and place it simultaneously; or pick up two wafers 5 twice and move and place them simultaneously with two fingers. When picking up two wafers 5 from the crystal boat 11 simultaneously and moving and placing them simultaneously, the robot's upper and lower fingers move synchronously, insert into the crystal boat 11 synchronously, grab one wafer 5 synchronously, and move and place the two wafers 5 into the wafer carrier 31 simultaneously; when picking up one wafer 5 from the crystal boat 11 and moving and placing it simultaneously, the robot picks up one wafer from the crystal boat with its upper or lower finger and moves and places it into the wafer carrier 31; or pick up one wafer from the crystal boat once and move and place the two wafers twice with its upper and lower fingers simultaneously with two fingers. The robot design, with its single-arm, two-finger structure, enables the simultaneous transfer of two wafers at a time and the transfer of one wafer at a time. It combines the high efficiency of multi-wafer transfer with the flexibility of single-wafer transfer (the specific transfer method depends on the needs of the production process), thus meeting diverse production requirements.

[0030] In some examples, such as Figure 4As shown, the upper finger 22 and lower finger 23 have a flat U-shaped structure. Two through-beam sensors 25 are provided at the ends of the upper finger 22 and lower finger 23 away from the arm 21. The optical fibers of the through-beam sensors 25 can be embedded inside the fingers and led to the outside. That is, both fingers have a U-shaped interdigital structure, and the paired through-beam sensors 25 are located on the two interdigital ends of a single finger. The U-shaped ends provide a relatively large planar space for setting up the finger-tail wafer push-grip block 28 and the finger-tail wafer guide block 27. For example, in this embodiment, the two finger-tail wafer guide blocks 27 are symmetrically spaced on opposite sides of where the finger-tail wafer push-grip block 28 is located, which can provide multi-angle clamping for the wafer and further improve clamping stability. The inclusion of a through-beam sensor 25 allows the transfer robot to perform wafer mapping (calibrating the wafer's position within the carrier) and / or wafer mapping (calibrating the wafer's position within the wafer boat) during the wafer transfer process. This allows it to collect wafer position information before grasping the wafer, further improving transfer accuracy and yield. In other examples, to further ensure safety, the fingers, such as the interdigital fingertips, can be equipped with negative pressure suction ports connected to a negative pressure device to provide negative pressure suction for the wafer when needed, preventing the risk of wafer detachment during transfer.

[0031] In some examples, an AWC (Adaptive Wafer Centering) sensor column 32 is installed on the side of the wafer carrier platform adjacent to the transfer robot. The area between two parallel and spaced AWC sensor columns 32 is defined as the AWC functional area, which defines the wafer transfer position and helps to further improve the accuracy of wafer transfer. With the AWC sensor columns 32 installed, the transfer robot 2 moves by gripping and centering a wafer with its fingers. After centering, the gripper opens, and the robot's fingers smoothly drag the wafer into the wafer carrier 11, giving the fingers a specified displacement value (i.e., the position where it contacts the inner edge of the wafer carrier 11). The robot's fingers smoothly drag the wafer out of the wafer carrier 11, bringing it to the AWC functional area. As the wafer is dragged by the fingers through the AWC sensor columns 32, the AWC sensors collect relevant data. The collected data, combined with the AWC algorithm, determines the wafer's displacement and, based on this, the change in the wafer carrier 11, thereby calibrating the position of the wafer carrier 11.

[0032] To avoid wafer damage during the gripping process and to prevent particle contamination caused by wafer abrasion of the gripping structure, in some examples, the finger tip guide stop 26, the finger tail wafer guide block 27, and the finger tail wafer push gripping block 28 preferably employ a structure with a hard material block (e.g., a metal block) covered with a wear-resistant rubber layer. This ensures that each structure has good gripping function while effectively preventing wafer damage during gripping. The wear-resistant rubber layer includes, but is not limited to, a VITON material layer (fluororubber layer) or a PEEK (polyetheretherketone) material layer.

[0033] The finger-tail wafer pusher 28 can employ various structures and / or driving methods to achieve a retractable clamping function, such as adjusting the elasticity of the elastic telescopic member to achieve telescopic adjustment. In a preferred embodiment provided in this application, a telescopic rod connected to the finger-tail wafer pusher 28 is provided inside the arm, and the telescopic rod is connected to a driving device. The telescopic rod is preferably made of metal and is preferably also covered with a wear-resistant and corrosion-resistant rubber material layer to prevent contamination from metal or other particles during telescopic movement. The driving device can be an electrically driven device.

[0034] In a further example, a groove 29 is provided on the finger, and the wafer pusher block at the fingertip is located within the groove 29 to ensure that the wafer pusher block at the fingertip maintains linear movement during extension and retraction, preventing displacement.

[0035] In some examples, the wafer pusher block 28 at the fingertip is provided with a gas port (not shown) communicating with an inert gas source. Therefore, when needed, inert gas can be sprayed onto the surface of the wafer 5 through this gas port to clean the wafer surface and improve its cleanliness. In some examples, the inert gas can be cooled, so the wafer can be cooled simultaneously during the cleaning process. For example, during the process of removing a wafer that has completed its processing from a wafer boat, the wafer can be cleaned and cooled to accelerate wafer cooling and prevent wafer contamination.

[0036] In some examples, the conveying robot 2 is also equipped with a level sensor 6 for detecting the levelness of the fingers. When the distance between the upper and lower fingers is sufficient, the level sensor is preferably positioned on the lower surface of the upper and / or lower fingers to directly detect the levelness of the fingertips; that is, there may be more than one level sensor. The level sensor 6 can also be as described in this application. Figure 4 As shown, the level of the fingers is indirectly determined by detecting the level of the arm and / or the sheet metal part connecting the arm and fingers, and / or directly on the arm 21. When the level of the fingers exceeds a preset value, an alarm device connected to the level sensor can issue an alarm message.

[0037] In some examples, a camera 4 for detecting the surface condition of the wafers is installed on the transfer robot 2 or the wafer carrier platform 3. That is, the camera 4 can be mounted on the transfer robot 2, for example, on the top of the robot body 21 of the transfer robot 2, or on the gate valve of the wafer carrier platform 3. The camera 4 can be a CCD camera or a CMOS camera. By capturing images of the wafer surface, it can analyze the flatness and particle distribution of the wafer surface, preventing defective wafers from flowing into subsequent processes and causing greater losses. In other examples, other types of inspection devices can be installed to perform comprehensive inspection of the wafers during the wafer transfer process.

[0038] To make the solution and technical advantages of this utility model clearer, an exemplary description of the wafer transfer method for a vertical furnace tube device based on this utility model is provided below with reference to the accompanying drawings. This example specifically includes the following steps: Step 1: The finger of the transfer robot 2 is driven by the robot body 24 and arm 21 and moved to the wafer carrier 31 on the wafer carrier platform 3. The through-beam sensor 25 on the finger maps the wafer in the wafer carrier 31 and provides the status information of the wafer in the wafer carrier 31. Specifically, the finger collects the position information of the wafer through a pair of through-beam sensors 25, in conjunction with the robot's motion position data. After data processing, it provides the status information of the wafer in the wafer carrier 31. Step 2: The transfer robot 2 uses its fingers and the instructions given in Step 1 to grab the wafer in the wafer carrier 31; Step 3.1: The finger of the transfer robot 2 moves to the bottom of the wafer and moves upward to lift and contact the wafer. At this time, the wafer is located on the wafer guide block 27 at the end of the finger and the wafer guide limit block 26 at the tip of the finger. Step 3.2: The wafer push clamping block 28 at the tip of the finger extends to clamp the wafer. The wafer is pushed and clamped, and blocked and limited by the wafer guide limiting block 26 at the tip of the finger. The finger completes the clamping of the wafer 5 and center correction and positioning. After the correction is completed, the transfer robot 2 smoothly drags the wafer to the crystal boat 11 for process processing. Step 4: After the furnace tube process is completed, the finger of the transfer robot 2 moves to the crystal boat 11 and performs a mapping action on the wafer in the crystal boat 11 through the through-beam sensor 25, giving the status information of the wafer 5 in the crystal boat 11. Specifically, when the finger moves to the position of the crystal boat 11, the position information of the wafer 5 is collected by a pair of through-beam sensors 25 located on its head, in conjunction with the robot's movement position data. After data processing, the status information of the wafer 5 in the crystal boat 11 is given. Step 5: The transfer robot 2 uses its fingers and the instructions given in step 4 to grab the wafer in the wafer carrier 31; Step 6: Perform center alignment on wafer 5 using the alignment methods described in steps 3.1 and 3.2; Step 7: The transfer robot 2 drags the wafer out of the wafer boat and moves it towards the wafer carrier platform 3. When it passes the AWC sensor light bar 32, it determines the displacement of the wafer and determines the change of the wafer boat 11 accordingly. The position of the wafer boat 11 is then calibrated. Specifically, the robot's finger smoothly drags the wafer out of the crystal boat 11 and brings it to the AWC sensor light column 32. The finger drags the wafer through the AWC sensor light column 32, collects relevant data, and combines the collected data with the AWC algorithm to determine the amount of wafer displacement. Based on this, the amount of change in the crystal boat 11 is obtained, and the position of the crystal boat 11 is calibrated accordingly. Step 8: The transfer robot 2 moves the wafer according to instructions and places it into the wafer carrier 31; Step 9: Repeat the process from Step 1 to Step 8.

[0039] It should be noted again that the above process is only an example and can be adapted to the specific structure of the equipment.

[0040] In summary, the vertical furnace tube equipment provided by this utility model incorporates guide blocks and pushing / holding blocks on the fingers of the conveying robot. This allows for wafer clamping and centering calibration during wafer transfer. Furthermore, by integrating through-beam sensors and AWC sensor beams, a mapping function can be implemented on the fingers, enabling wafer calibration within the wafer carrier and wafer boat, as well as positional calibration of the wafer boat. This facilitates accurate wafer picking and placement by the fingers. Additionally, the two independently controllable fingers can move individually or synchronously, allowing for diverse wafer picking and placement methods to meet varied customer production needs. The equipment features a simple structure, convenient operation, high wafer transfer speed, and high accuracy. Adopting this vertical furnace tube equipment helps improve wafer transfer efficiency and yield, increases equipment output, and reduces equipment costs.

[0041] It should be noted that the above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of this utility model, and are not intended to limit this utility model. Any person skilled in the art can modify or alter the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of this utility model. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or alterations made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and technical concept disclosed in this utility model should still be covered by the claims of this utility model.

Claims

1. A vertical furnace tube device, characterized in that, The system includes a vertical furnace body, a lifting mechanism, a wafer boat, a transfer robot, and a wafer carrier platform. The wafer boat is erected on the lifting mechanism and can move in and out of the vertical furnace body under the drive of the lifting mechanism. The wafer carrier platform is located on one side of the lifting mechanism and has multiple positions for storing wafer carriers. The transfer robot is arranged adjacent to the lifting mechanism and the wafer carrier platform and is used to transfer wafers between the wafer boat of the lifting mechanism and the wafer carriers of the wafer carrier platform. The transfer robot includes a robot body, an arm, and fingers. One end of the arm is connected to the robot body, and the other end of the finger is connected to the arm. The end of the finger away from the arm is provided with a wafer guide limiting block at the finger tip, and the end closer to the arm is provided with a wafer guide block at the finger tail. A retractable wafer pusher / gripper block at the connection between the arm and the finger is provided.

2. The vertical furnace tube equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fingers include upper fingers and lower fingers that are spaced apart and can be controlled independently.

3. The vertical furnace tube apparatus of claim 2, wherein, The upper and lower fingers have a flat U-shaped structure, and photoelectric sensors are provided at the two ends of the upper and lower fingers that are away from the arm.

4. The vertical furnace tube equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The wafer carrier platform is equipped with an AWC sensor light column on the side adjacent to the transfer robot.

5. The vertical furnace tube apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The surfaces of the finger tip wafer guide limiting block, the finger tail wafer guide block, and the finger tail wafer push clamping block are covered with a wear-resistant rubber layer.

6. The vertical furnace tube apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The arm is equipped with a telescopic rod that connects to the wafer pusher and clamping block at the end of the finger, and the telescopic rod is connected to the drive device.

7. The vertical furnace tube equipment according to claim 6, characterized in that, The finger is provided with a sliding groove, and the wafer pusher block at the tail of the finger is located in the sliding groove.

8. The vertical furnace tube equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The wafer pusher block at the end of the finger is provided with a gas port that is connected to an inert gas source.

9. The vertical furnace tube equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conveying robot is also equipped with a level sensor for detecting the horizontality of the fingers.

10. The vertical furnace tube equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conveying robot or the wafer carrier platform is equipped with a camera for detecting the condition of the wafer surface.

Images