A molecular beam epitaxy pick-and-place apparatus

Abstract

This utility model relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, specifically to a wafer loading and unloading device for molecular beam epitaxy. This design uses a rotatable stage, along with multiple fixing blocks and support pillars at the outer edge, to securely place the tray on the stage with only edge contact, avoiding the risks of displacement of the support blocks and contamination introduced in traditional stacking methods. Simultaneously, the stage is rotatably connected to the support pillars via bearings, enabling smooth rotation of the tray. The angle can be adjusted without lifting the tray, greatly reducing the risk of substrate slippage, thereby significantly improving production efficiency and reducing yield loss.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, and in particular to a device for picking up and placing wafers for molecular beam epitaxy. Background Technology

[0002] In molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) processes for semiconductor manufacturing, wafer placement and loading are crucial steps. Existing MBE wafer placement and loading methods, by placing the substrate externally on a tray, achieve basic substrate placement and loading functions to a certain extent. This provides the fundamental operational conditions for the initial implementation of MBE, enabling the process to prepare the substrate and perform subsequent growth operations according to a predetermined flow. In the early stages of the semiconductor manufacturing industry, this met basic production needs and promoted the application and development of MBE technology in the semiconductor field.

[0003] However, molecular beam epitaxy requires placing the substrate on a tray externally. Currently, the tray is simply stacked up before placing the wafer, and the position of the support blocks is not fixed, consisting of only two Teflon blocks. During the wafer placement process, there is a risk of accidental displacement and contact with the tray. If there is dirt, the entire tray can be contaminated. If multiple wafers need to be placed, the tray needs to be lifted and rotated during the operation. During the rotation, there is a risk that the substrate will slip out. All of these risks during the operation can cause the epitaxial wafers to be scrapped, resulting in a loss of yield. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a device for picking up and placing wafers for molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). This addresses the existing technology where MBE wafer picking requires placing the substrate on a tray externally, simply stacking the tray before picking up and placing the wafer. The position of the support blocks is not fixed, consisting of only two Teflon blocks. This poses a risk of accidental displacement and contact with the tray during wafer placement, and contamination of the entire tray is easily caused by dirt. Furthermore, if multiple wafers need to be picked up and placed, the tray must be lifted and rotated during operation, posing a risk of the substrate slipping out. All these operational risks can lead to the scrapping of epitaxial wafers and a loss of yield.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model employs a device for loading and unloading wafers for molecular beam epitaxy, comprising a stage, a support column, and a base. Multiple fixing blocks are provided at the outer edge of the stage via multiple connectors. Multiple fixing pillars and an aluminum disk are provided on the stage, with the outer edge of the aluminum disk abutting between the fixing blocks and the fixing pillars. The stage is rotatably connected to the support column via bearings and is located on the support column. The support column is fixedly connected to the base and is located on the base.

[0006] The connector is a convex block, the outer side of the platform has multiple convex grooves, the convex block is fixedly connected to the fixing block and located below the fixing block, and the convex block is also slidably disposed in the corresponding convex groove.

[0007] Each of the convex blocks has a first arc-shaped platform on both sides, and each of the convex grooves has a second arc-shaped protrusion on both inner sides, with the first arc-shaped platform and the second arc-shaped protrusion abutting against each other.

[0008] The platform is provided with an annular positioning seat below it, and the annular positioning seat has a positioning groove. Multiple rollers are rotatably arranged in the positioning groove. An annular positioning block is provided above the base, and the multiple rollers abut against the annular positioning block.

[0009] This invention relates to a wafer loading and unloading device for molecular beam epitaxy. The design utilizes a rotatable stage, along with multiple fixing blocks and support pillars at the outer edge, to securely place the tray on the stage with only edge contact. This avoids the risks of substrate displacement and contamination introduced by traditional stacking methods. Simultaneously, the stage is rotatably connected to the support pillars via bearings, enabling smooth tray rotation. Angle adjustments can be made without lifting the tray, significantly reducing the risk of substrate slippage and thus substantially improving production efficiency and reducing yield loss. Attached Figure Description

[0010] 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 of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0011] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional perspective view of the molecular beam epitaxy wafer loading and unloading device of this utility model.

[0012] Figure 2 This is a front view of the molecular beam epitaxy wafer loading and unloading device of this utility model.

[0013] Figure 3 This is the utility model Figure 2 A cross-sectional view along line AA in the middle.

[0014] Figure 4 This is the utility model Figure 3 A magnified view of a section at point B.

[0015] Figure 5 This is the utility model Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the CC line.

[0016] Figure 6 This is the utility model Figure 5 A magnified view of a section at point D.

[0017] 1-Platform, 2-Support column, 3-Base, 4-Fixing block, 5-Fixing support column, 6-Aluminum disc, 7-Bearing, 8-Convex block, 9-Convex groove, 10-First arc-shaped platform, 11-Second arc-shaped boss, 12-Annular positioning seat, 13-Positioning groove, 14-Roller, 15-Annular positioning block. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The embodiments of this utility model are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain this utility model, and should not be construed as limiting this utility model.

[0019] Please see Figures 1 to 6 This utility model provides a device for loading and unloading wafers for molecular beam epitaxy, including a stage 1, a support column 2, and a base 3. Multiple fixing blocks 4 are provided on the outer edge of the stage 1 through multiple connectors. Multiple fixing pillars 5 and an aluminum disk 6 are provided on the stage 1, and the outer edge of the aluminum disk 6 abuts between the multiple fixing blocks 4 and the multiple fixing pillars 5. The stage 1 is rotatably connected to the support column 2 through a bearing 7 and is located on the support column 2. The support column 2 is fixedly connected to the base 3 and is located on the base 3.

[0020] In this embodiment, the platform 1 is circular and made of Teflon or other stable materials to avoid the introduction of contaminants. The size of the platform 1 is determined according to the size of the pallet used to ensure that the pallet can be placed and removed normally. In this design, the platform 1 has a diameter of 272mm and a thickness of 15mm. The base 3 is made of Teflon or other stable materials to avoid the introduction of contaminants. The size of the base 3 is larger than that of the platform 1, and the thickness of the base 3 must be greater than 35% of the diameter of the platform 1. For better stability and to prevent shaking, the base 3 is square, with a length and width of 290mm and a thickness of 10mm. Multiple fixing blocks 4 are used to place the pallet and only contact the edge of the pallet, which greatly reduces the contact area between the pallet and external objects and reduces the risk of dirt introduction. The fixing blocks 4 have no special size requirements, as long as they can ensure that the pallet can be placed and removed normally. Multiple fixing supports 5 are made of Teflon or other stable materials to avoid the introduction of contaminants. These supports have no size requirements and are mainly used to fix the pallet and prevent the pallet from sliding on the platform 1.

[0021] Furthermore, the connector is a convex block 8, the outer side of the platform 1 has multiple convex grooves 9, and the convex block 8 is fixedly connected to the fixing block 4 and located below the fixing block 4. The convex block 8 is also slidably disposed in the corresponding convex groove 9.

[0022] In this embodiment, the convex block 8 is used as a connector to securely install the fixing block 4 in the convex groove 9 on the outer edge of the platform 1, and the fixing block 4 can be flexibly adjusted through the sliding design, so that the damaged fixing block 4 can be quickly replaced.

[0023] Furthermore, each of the convex blocks 8 is provided with a first arc-shaped platform 10 on both sides, and each of the convex grooves 9 is provided with a second arc-shaped protrusion 11 on both inner sides, and the first arc-shaped platform and the second arc-shaped protrusion 11 abut against each other.

[0024] In this embodiment, the first arc-shaped platform 10 is disposed on both sides of the convex block 8 and abuts against the second arc-shaped protrusion 11 on the inner side of the convex groove 9, forming a stable mechanical locking structure.

[0025] Furthermore, an annular positioning seat 12 is provided below the platform 1, the annular positioning seat 12 has a positioning groove 13, a plurality of rollers 14 are rotatably arranged in the positioning groove 13, an annular positioning block 15 is provided above the base 3, and the plurality of rollers 14 all abut against the annular positioning block 15.

[0026] In this embodiment, this design not only achieves smooth rotation of the platform 1, but also reduces resistance during rotation and lowers the difficulty of operation through the low-friction contact between the roller 14 and the annular positioning block 15.

[0027] In this invention, the base 3 is securely placed on the operating table, and then the platform 1 is mounted on the support column 2 via bearings 7, ensuring that the support column 2 is fixedly connected to the base 3. Next, the tray is placed on the platform 1, and the edges of the tray are securely supported by multiple fixing blocks 4 and fixing pillars 5 at the outer edge of the platform 1, ensuring that only the edges of the tray contact the fixing components, reducing the introduction of dirt. When it is necessary to adjust the tray angle, a smooth rotation can be achieved by rotating the platform 1 without lifting the tray, avoiding the risk of the substrate slipping out. Throughout the entire operation, the device, through its stable mechanical structure and flexible rotation design, significantly improves the efficiency and safety of molecular beam epitaxy wafer loading and unloading.

[0028] The above-disclosed embodiments are merely preferred embodiments of the present utility model and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present utility model. Those skilled in the art can understand that implementing all or part of the above-described embodiments and making equivalent changes in accordance with the claims of the present utility model are still within the scope of the utility model.

Claims

1. A device for loading and unloading wafers in molecular beam epitaxy, characterized in that, The device includes a platform, a support column, and a base. The outer edge of the platform is provided with multiple fixing blocks through multiple connectors. The platform is provided with multiple fixing columns and an aluminum disk, and the outer edge of the aluminum disk abuts against the multiple fixing blocks and the multiple fixing columns. The platform is rotatably connected to the support column through a bearing and is located on the support column. The support column is fixedly connected to the base and is located on the base.

2. The molecular beam epitaxy wafer loading and unloading device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The connector is a convex block. The outer side of the platform has multiple convex grooves. The convex block is fixedly connected to the fixing block and is located below the fixing block. The convex block is also slidably disposed in the corresponding convex groove.

3. The apparatus for handling and loading wafers for molecular beam epitaxy as described in claim 2, characterized in that, Each of the convex blocks has a first arc-shaped platform on both sides, and each of the convex grooves has a second arc-shaped protrusion on both inner sides, with the first arc-shaped platform and the second arc-shaped protrusion abutting against each other.

4. The molecular beam epitaxy wafer loading and unloading device as described in claim 3, characterized in that, A ring-shaped positioning seat is provided below the platform, and the ring-shaped positioning seat has a positioning groove. Multiple rollers are rotatably arranged in the positioning groove. A ring-shaped positioning block is provided above the base, and the multiple rollers abut against the ring-shaped positioning block.

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