Wafer rotating device

Abstract

To provide a wafer rotating device that is designed for wafers with different sizes.SOLUTION: A rotation shaft tube 200 is installed to stand up straight and rotatable, and a pressure chamber 201 is formed in the rotation shaft tube 200. A rotary disc 210 is installed at an upper end of the rotation shaft tube 200. A driving mechanism 300 interlocks the rotation shaft tube 200 to drive to rotate the rotation shaft tube 200. A center suction cup 510 is installed on the rotary disc 210 and is made to communicate with the pressure chamber 201. Outer peripheral suction cups 520 are installed on the rotary disc 210 to surround the center suction cup 510, and the outer peripheral suction cups 520 are respectively made to communicate with the pressure chamber 201. A lifting mechanism 530 is installed on the rotary disc 210, and interlocks the plurality of outer peripheral suction cups 520 to drive to lift and lower at least part of the plurality of outer peripheral suction cups 520 relative to the center suction cup 510.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a wafer rotating device, and more particularly to a wafer rotating device that is combined with a robot arm and is applicable to operations on wafers of various sizes. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventional wafer fabrication processes typically involve rotating the wafer using a rotating disk, typically equipped with grippers that grip the wafer around its outer edge. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] However, conventional rotating disks are only applicable to wafers of a single size, and since the wafers being processed generally do not have a standard size, a corresponding rotating disk needs to be installed for each wafer, which increases the installation costs of the equipment and reduces the equipment operating rate.

[0004] Therefore, the present inventors believed that the above-mentioned drawbacks could be improved, and as a result of extensive research, they came to propose the present invention, which effectively improves the above-mentioned problems through rational design.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a wafer rotation device that can be used in combination with a robot arm for working on wafers of various sizes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, a wafer rotation device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a main body, a rotating shaft tube, a rotating disk, a driving mechanism, a central suction cup, and a plurality of peripheral suction cups. The rotating shaft tube is installed upright and rotatable, and a pressure chamber is formed within the rotating shaft tube. The rotating disk is installed at the upper end of the rotating shaft tube. The driving mechanism drives the rotating shaft tube to rotate by interlocking the rotating shaft tube. The central suction cup is installed on the rotating disk and communicates with the pressure chamber. The peripheral suction cups are installed on the rotating disk to surround the central suction cup, and each of the peripheral suction cups is communicated with the pressure chamber.

[0007] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a through hole is provided in the central suction cup and a pressure chamber is connected to the through hole and communicates with the central suction cup, and a pipe connected to the rotating shaft tube is provided in each of the outer circumferential suction cups, thereby communicating with the pressure chamber.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the wafer rotation device includes a valve stem extending through a rotating shaft tube and a first actuator linked to translate the valve stem in an axial direction, the valve stem being arranged to correspond to the through hole, and the first actuator being capable of moving the valve stem to block the through hole.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a communication chamber is pivotally attached to the bottom end of the rotating shaft tube, the rotating shaft tube is in communication with the communication chamber, and the communication chamber is fixedly disposed and in communication with a negative pressure source.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the wafer rotating device further comprises a ring frame mounted on the plurality of outer periphery suction cups.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the wafer rotation device further comprises a lifting mechanism that is mounted on a rotating disk and drives the plurality of outer periphery suction cups to move up and down at least a portion of the plurality of outer periphery suction cups relative to the central suction cup by linking the plurality of outer periphery suction cups.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the lifting mechanism includes an interlocking member and a second actuator, the second actuator is mounted on the main body, and the outer peripheral suction cups are both mounted on the interlocking member, and the lifting mechanism drives the interlocking member to lift and lower it by interlocking the interlocking member.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the center of the central suction cup is aligned with the central axis of the axle tube.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the peripheral suction cups are equidistantly spaced about the central axis of the axle tube. Effect of the Invention

[0015] The present invention is configured as described above and therefore provides the effects described below. The wafer rotation device of the present invention has a central suction cup and at least one set of peripheral suction cups arranged to correspond to wafers of different sizes, and the peripheral suction cups can be raised and lowered, and are combined with a robot arm to perform wafer pick-and-place operations.

[0016] Other features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention and the accompanying drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a top view showing a wafer rotation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a wafer rotation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] 1 is a top schematic diagram illustrating the use of a wafer rotation device in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention for small sized wafers; [Figure 4] 1 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram illustrating a wafer rotation device according to an embodiment of the present invention in use for small size wafers; [Diagram 5]1 is a top schematic diagram illustrating the use of a wafer rotation device in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention for small sized wafers; [Figure 6] 1 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram illustrating a wafer rotation device according to an embodiment of the present invention in use for small size wafers; [Figure 7] 1 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram illustrating a wafer rotation device according to an embodiment of the present invention in use for large size wafers. FIG. [Figure 8] 1 is a top schematic diagram illustrating a wafer rotation device according to an embodiment of the present invention in use for large size wafers; FIG. [Figure 9] 1 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram illustrating a wafer rotation device according to an embodiment of the present invention in use for large size wafers. FIG. [Figure 10] 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a wafer rotation device according to another embodiment of the present invention applied to a large size wafer; FIG. [Figure 11] 13 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram illustrating a wafer rotation device according to yet another embodiment of the present invention in use for large size wafers. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] In the present specification, the terms indicating orientations or positional relationships, such as "front", "rear", "left", "right", "front end", "rear end", "end", "longitudinal", "lateral", "vertical", "top", and "bottom", are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the attached drawings, and are merely intended to make the description of the present invention more convenient and simple, and do not indicate or imply that the indicated devices or components have a specific orientation, structure, or operation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the present invention.

[0019] As used herein and unless otherwise defined, terms such as "substantially" and "about" are used to describe and depict small variations. When associated with an event or circumstance, the term includes the exact time that the event or circumstance occurred, and the approximation to which the event or circumstance approaches after the event or circumstance occurred. For example, when associated with a number, the term includes a range of variation of up to ±10% of the number, such as up to ±5%, up to ±4%, up to ±3%, up to ±2%, up to ±1%, up to ±0.5%, up to ±0.1%, or up to ±0.05%.

[0020] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following examples, and can be modified as desired without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0021] A wafer rotating device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applicable to the processing and drying of wafers of various sizes (see Figs. 1 and 2). In this embodiment, the wafer rotating device according to the present invention includes at least a main body 100, a rotating shaft tube 200, a rotating disk 210, a driving mechanism 300, a central suction cup 510, a plurality of peripheral suction cups 520, and a lifting mechanism 530. The configuration of each member will be described below.

[0022] In this embodiment, the body 100 is a hollow cylinder, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0023] The rotating shaft tube 200 is pivoted to stand upright on the main body 100. In this embodiment, the rotating shaft tube 200 penetrates the main body 100, and a bearing 101 is sandwiched between the rotating shaft tube 200 and the main body 100, allowing the rotating shaft tube 200 to rotate relative to the main body 100. A pressure chamber 201 that communicates with a negative pressure source 110 is formed in the rotating shaft tube 200. A rotating disk 210 is installed at the upper end of the rotating shaft tube 200.

[0024] The driving mechanism 300 is accommodated in the main body 100, and the driving mechanism 300 drives the rotating shaft tube 200 to rotate by interlocking with the rotating shaft tube 200. In this embodiment, the driving mechanism 300 may include a stator 310 fixed to the main body 100 and a rotor 320 attached to the rotating shaft tube 200.

[0025] The central suction cup 510 is installed on the upper surface of the rotating disk 210, and the center of the central suction cup 510 is aligned with the central axis of the rotating shaft tube 200. A through hole 511 is provided through the central suction cup 510, and the through hole 511 is disposed at the center of the central suction cup 510, and the bottom surface of the central suction cup 510 is connected to the pressure chamber 201, so that the central suction cup 510 communicates with the pressure chamber 201 via the through hole 511. Specifically, a porous membrane 512 is installed on the upper surface of the central suction cup, and the porous membrane 512 communicates with the pressure chamber 201 via the through hole 511 and is available for suction.

[0026] The peripheral suction cups 520 are installed on the rotating disk 210 so as to surround the central suction cup 510, and the peripheral suction cups 520 are arranged at equal distances from the central axis of the rotating shaft tube 200. The peripheral suction cups 520 are selectively fixed to the rotating disk 210 according to the needs of the process. Each of the peripheral suction cups 520 is connected to the pressure chamber 201, and more specifically, each of the peripheral suction cups 520 is connected to the pressure chamber 201 by being provided with a pipe 521 connected to the rotating shaft tube 200.

[0027] In addition, all or a part of the plurality of outer periphery suction cups 520 are selectively movably fixed to the rotating disk 210 according to the needs of the process. In addition, the wafer rotation device according to the present invention may further include a lifting mechanism 530 that drives the plurality of outer periphery suction cups 520 to move at least a part of the plurality of outer periphery suction cups 520 up and down relative to the central suction cup 510 by interlocking the plurality of outer periphery suction cups 520. That is, the plurality of outer periphery suction cups 520 are all interlocked with the lifting mechanism 530 as shown in FIG. 9. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 10, a part (i.e., at least one) of the plurality of outer periphery suction cups 520 may be interlocked with the lifting mechanism 530 (the outer periphery suction cup 520 on the right side shown in FIG. 10), and the other part (for example, one or more) may be fixed to the rotating disk 210 so as not to be interlocked with the lifting mechanism 530 (the outer periphery suction cup 520 on the left side shown in FIG. 10). In this embodiment, the lifting mechanism 530 includes an interlocking member 531 and a second actuator 532, the second actuator 532 is installed on the main body 100, the plurality of outer circumferential suction cups 520 are both installed on the interlocking member 531, and the lifting mechanism 530 drives the interlocking member 531 to lift and lower by interlocking the interlocking member 531. The interlocking member 531 is installed on the rotating disk 210 or the second actuator 532. Specifically, a bearing 533 may be installed between the interlocking member 531 and the second actuator 532 to enable the interlocking member 531 to rotate following the rotating disk 210 and to be driven to lift and lower by the second actuator 532. Alternatively, the second actuator 532 and the interlocking member 531 are both installed on the rotating disk 210 and rotate following the rotating disk 210.

[0028] In this embodiment, the wafer rotating device according to the present invention further includes a switching valve 400 for switching communication between the central suction cup 510 and the negative pressure source 110. Specifically, the switching valve 400 includes a valve stem 410 and a first actuator 420. The valve stem 410 is inserted through the rotating shaft tube 200 and disposed to correspond to the through hole 511, and the first actuator 420 is interlocked to move the valve stem 410 in parallel in the axial direction. In this manner, the first actuator 420 can move the valve stem 410 to close or open the through hole 511. When the valve stem 410 closes the through hole 511, the central suction cup 510 is not connected to the negative pressure source 110. When the valve stem 410 moves away from the through hole 511 to open the through hole 511, the central suction cup 510 is connected to the negative pressure source 110. In this embodiment, the first actuator 420 is installed outside the pressure chamber 201, and the valve stem 410 penetrates into the pressure chamber 201. Specifically, the first actuator 420 is attached to the outside of the main body 100, and the valve penetrates the main body 100 and also penetrates into the pressure chamber 201. A bearing 411 may be installed between the valve stem 410 and the main body 100, which is capable of rotating following the rotating disk 210 even when the valve stem 410 blocks the through hole 511.

[0029] A communication chamber 102 is pivotally attached to the bottom end of the rotating shaft tube 200 and is located between the rotating shaft tube and the negative pressure source 110. Specifically, the communication chamber 102 is formed in the main body 100. The valve stem 410 penetrates the main body 100 and passes through the communication chamber 102 to enter the pressure chamber 201.

[0030] The wafer rotating device according to the present invention further includes a ring frame 21 mounted on the plurality of outer periphery suction cups 520 (see FIGS. 3 and 4).

[0031] The wafer rotating device according to the present invention is adapted to work on at least two different sizes of first wafer 10 (see FIGS. 3 to 6) and second wafer 20 (see FIGS. 7 to 9) in combination with a robot arm. The second wafer 20 is larger than the first wafer 10. In addition, multiple peripheral suction cups 520 are provided at different distances from the rotating shaft tube 200, making it possible to accommodate even more different sizes of second wafer 20. When the second wafer 20 is installed in the wafer rotating device, it must be fixed in a ring frame 21 that corresponds to the diameter (see FIGS. 7 to 9).

[0032] 3 and 4 again, when the first wafer 10 is processed, it is first disconnected from the negative pressure source 110, and the pressure of the central suction cup 510 and the peripheral suction cup 520 is released. Next, the ring frame 21 is placed on the peripheral suction cup 520 by the robot arm, and when the movable and fixed peripheral suction cups 520 are installed at the same time, the fixed peripheral suction cup 520 can be used as the positioning ring frame 21 (see FIGS. 5 and 6). The valve stem 410 closes the through hole 511 of the central suction cup 510, and the negative pressure source 110 is opened to suck the ring frame 21 to the peripheral suction cup 520, and the pressure of the central suction cup 510 is released. The ring frame 21 is lowered by the lifting mechanism 530, making it easier for the robot arm to place the first wafer 10 on the central suction cup 510 (preventing the ring frame 21 from interfering with the operation of the robot arm). By lowering the valve stem 410 to open the through hole 511 of the central suction cup 510, the central suction cup 510 is connected to the negative pressure source 110, and the first wafer 10 is sucked onto the central suction cup 510 and processing is performed. The ring frame 21 can block the peripheral suction cup 520 to reduce the process chemicals from contacting the peripheral suction cup 520, thereby reducing damage caused by the process chemicals to the peripheral suction cup 520.

[0033] 7 to 9, when processing the second wafer 20, first, the second wafer 20 is placed in the ring frame 21 corresponding to the diameter. The negative pressure source 110 is disconnected to release the pressure of the central suction cup 510 and the peripheral suction cup 520, so that the central suction cup 510 and the peripheral suction cup 520 are kept at the same height, and the valve stem 410 is separated from the through hole 511 of the central suction cup 510. Next, the ring frame 21 is placed on the peripheral suction cup 520 and the central suction cup 510 together with the second wafer 20 by the robot arm. Specifically, the second wafer 20 is placed on the central suction cup 510, and the ring frame 21 is placed on the peripheral suction cup 520. The negative pressure source 110 is opened to suck the second wafer 20 to the central suction cup 510, and the ring frame 21 is sucked to the peripheral suction cup 520 to carry out the process.

[0034] The wafer rotating device according to the present invention has a central suction cup 510 and at least one set of peripheral suction cups 520 arranged to correspond to wafers of different sizes, and the peripheral suction cups 520 can be raised and lowered, and are combined with a robot arm to perform a wafer pick-and-place operation. However, according to the needs of different processes (for example, the motion path of other types of robot arms does not interfere with the peripheral suction cups 520), the peripheral suction cups 520 may be fixedly installed as shown in FIG.

[0035] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0036] 10 First wafer 20 2nd wafer 21 Ring Frame 100 Body 101 Bearing 102 Communication room 110 Negative pressure source 200 Rotating shaft tube 201 Pressure Chamber 210 Rotating Disk 300 Drive mechanism 310 Stator 320 rotor 400 Switching valve 410 Valve stem 411 Bearing 420 First Actuator 510 Central suction cup 511 through hole 512 Porous membrane 520 Outer suction cup 521 Pipe 530 Lifting mechanism 531 Interlocking parts 532 Second Actuator 533 Bearing

Claims

1. The main body, a rotating shaft tube, the rotating shaft tube being pivotally mounted to the main body so as to stand upright, and a pressure chamber communicating with a negative pressure source being formed within the rotating shaft tube; A rotating disk disposed at an upper end of the rotating shaft tube; a drive mechanism for driving the rotating shaft tube to rotate by interlocking the rotating shaft tube; a central suction cup disposed on the rotating disk and communicating with the pressure chamber; a plurality of peripheral suction cups arranged on the rotating disk so as to surround the central suction cup, each of the plurality of peripheral suction cups being connected to the pressure chamber.

2. 2. The wafer rotation device according to claim 1, wherein the central suction cup is provided with a through hole, the pressure chamber is connected to the through hole and communicates with the central suction cup, and each of the peripheral suction cups is provided with a pipe connected to the rotation shaft tube, thereby communicating with the pressure chamber.

3. 3. The wafer rotation device of claim 2, further comprising a switching valve including a valve stem extending through the rotating shaft tube and a first actuator that moves the valve stem in a parallel axial direction, the valve stem being disposed to correspond to the through hole, and the first actuator being capable of moving the valve stem to close the through hole.

4. 2. The wafer rotating device according to claim 1, wherein a communication chamber is pivotally attached to a bottom end of said rotating shaft tube, said communication chamber being located between said rotating shaft tube and said negative pressure source.

5. 5. The wafer rotating device according to claim 4, wherein the communication chamber is formed in the main body.

6. 2. The wafer rotating device of claim 1, further comprising a ring frame mounted on the plurality of outer periphery suction cups.

7. 2. The wafer rotation device according to claim 1, further comprising a lifting mechanism that drives the plurality of outer periphery suction cups to move up and down relative to the central suction cup by linking the plurality of outer periphery suction cups.

8. 8. The wafer rotation device of claim 7, wherein the lifting mechanism comprises an interlocking member and a second actuator, the second actuator is installed on the main body, and the plurality of outer peripheral suction cups are both installed on the interlocking member, and the lifting mechanism drives the interlocking member to lift and lower it by interlocking the interlocking member.

9. 8. The wafer rotating device of claim 7, wherein the center of said central suction cup is aligned with the central axis of said rotating shaft tube.

10. 8. The wafer rotating device according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of outer peripheral suction cups are disposed equidistantly about the central axis of the rotating shaft tube.

Images