Wafer vacuum carrier

Abstract

To provide a wafer vacuum carrier.SOLUTION: A wafer vacuum carrier includes a connection portion arranged to be connected to a vacuum source, and a mounting portion adjacent to the connection portion and arranged to support a wafer, the mounting portion includes a plurality of through holes and a continuous closed path, the closed path communicates the through holes with the vacuum source, includes a plurality of connected rings and is arranged concentrically, the through holes are positioned above the closed path and arranged along the closed path, the closed path extends to the connection portion, and when the vacuum source is turned on, the mounting portion adsorbs the wafer by the closed path and the through holes.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a wafer vacuum carrier. [Background technology]

[0002] Typically, during the manufacture or inspection of a semiconductor wafer, a robot fork must transfer the wafer from a wafer cassette to a wafer chuck of a stage for the associated semiconductor manufacturing process or measurement, and after a step is completed, the robot fork must also transfer the wafer from the wafer chuck to the wafer cassette in order to move the wafer to a subsequent manufacturing process station for the subsequent step. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] However, for thin wafers, support by forks alone during transportation is likely to cause the wafer to move or shift in angle, resulting in abnormal wafer alignment. For example, the wafer may be warped, resulting in a low center and high edge, or a high center and low edge. Also, the wafer can be suctioned by a vacuum suction nozzle or O-ring, but the suction nozzle and O-ring themselves have thickness, so the height of each layer of the wafer cassette is limited. Alternatively, multiple robot forks may be designed to support different parts of the wafer together, but this significantly increases the cost and design difficulty. [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] One technical aspect of the present disclosure is a wafer vacuum carrier.

[0005] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a wafer vacuum carrier includes a connection portion arranged to connect to a vacuum source, and a mounting portion adjacent to the connection portion and arranged to support a wafer, the mounting portion having a plurality of through holes and a continuous closed path, the closed path communicating the through holes with the vacuum source, having a plurality of connected rings and being concentric, the through holes being located above and arranged along the closed path, the closed path extending to the connection portion, and when the vacuum source is turned on, the mounting portion adsorbs the wafer by the closed path and the through holes.

[0006] In some embodiments, the mounting portion includes a groove and a sealing plate, the sealing plate covering the groove to define a closed path.

[0007] In some embodiments, the through holes of the mounting portion are provided concentrically.

[0008] In some embodiments, the through hole has a smaller diameter closer to the center of the rest than closer to the edge of the rest, and the closed path has a smaller width closer to the center of the rest than closer to the edge of the rest.

[0009] In some embodiments, the through hole has a larger diameter closer to the center of the rest than closer to the edge of the rest, and the closed path has a larger width closer to the center of the rest than closer to the edge of the rest.

[0010] In some embodiments, the multiple rings of the closed path are concentric circles or concentric polygons.

[0011] In some embodiments, the diameter of the mounting portion is greater than the width of the connecting portion.

[0012] In some embodiments, the closed path closer to the center of the rest is upstream of the closed path closer to the edge of the rest.

[0013] In some embodiments, the closure path proximate the center of the rest is downstream of the closure path proximate the edge of the rest.

[0014] In some embodiments, the through-hole of the mounting portion has a diameter in the range of 0.5 mm to 5 mm.

[0015] In some embodiments, an edge of the rest is located between an outermost of the plurality of rings of the closed path and an edge of the wafer.

[0016] In some embodiments, the diameter of the mounting portion is greater than the diameter of an outermost of the plurality of loops of the closed path and less than the diameter of the wafer.

[0017] In some embodiments, the material of the mounting portion and the connecting portion includes metal, carbon fiber, ceramic, or engineering plastic.

[0018] In some embodiments, the diameter of the mounting portion is in the range of 50 millimeters to 190 millimeters. Effect of the Invention

[0019] In the above embodiment of the present disclosure, the closing path of the placement part of the wafer vacuum carrier communicates with the through hole, so that when the vacuum source communicating with the closing path is turned on, the placement part can suction the wafer located thereon. In addition, since the closing path is continuous and has multiple rings arranged concentrically, different areas of the wafer can be suctioned by the through hole of the placement part, and for thin wafers, the movement and angular deviation of the wafer during the transportation run can be avoided, and the wafer alignment accuracy can be improved. In this way, the wafer supported by the placement part of the wafer vacuum carrier is less likely to be in a state where the center is low and the outer edge is high, or the center is high and the outer edge is low, due to warpage, and the product yield can be improved. In addition, the wafer vacuum carrier omits the conventional vacuum suction nozzle or O-ring, and the overall thickness can be reduced, making the selection of the wafer cassette more flexible. In addition, the placement part of the wafer vacuum carrier can support the wafer over a wide range, and does not require multiple robot forks, which can effectively save costs. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0020] Aspects of the present disclosure may best be understood by the following embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: It should be noted that, in accordance with standard industry practice, various features have not been drawn to scale, and in fact may be arbitrarily increased or decreased in size for clarity of illustration. [Figure 1] FIG. 2 illustrates a top view of a wafer vacuum carrier according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the wafer vacuum carrier of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a side view of the wafer vacuum carrier of FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a top view showing the wafer vacuum carrier of FIG. 1 holding a wafer by suction. FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 illustrates a bottom view of a wafer vacuum carrier according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6]FIG. 13 illustrates a bottom view of a wafer vacuum carrier according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 illustrates a bottom view of a wafer vacuum carrier according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 illustrates a bottom view of a wafer vacuum carrier according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] The contents of the embodiments disclosed below provide many different embodiments or examples for implementing different features of the provided subject matter. In order to simplify the present application, specific examples of elements and arrangements are described below. Of course, these examples are merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. Also, the present application may repeat the symbols and / or alphabets of elements in each example. This repetition is for simplicity and clarity and does not itself specify a relationship between each embodiment and / or arrangement discussed.

[0022] Spatially relative terms such as "below," "under," "lower," "above," "top," and the like may be used herein for ease of description and to describe the relationship of one element or feature to another element or feature as depicted in the drawings. These spatially relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device during use or operation other than the orientation depicted in the drawings. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein may be interpreted accordingly.

[0023] FIG. 1 is a top view showing a wafer vacuum carrier 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a bottom view showing the wafer vacuum carrier 100 of FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 at the same time, the wafer vacuum carrier 100 includes a connection part 110 and a mounting part 120. The connection part 110 is arranged to connect to a vacuum source 200. The mounting part 120 is adjacent to the connection part 110 and can be used to support a wafer. The mounting part 120 has a plurality of through holes 121 and a continuous closed path 122. For clarity of illustration, FIG. 2 omits the sealing plate 124 of FIG. 3 and shows the closed path 122 with a solid line. The closed path 122 communicates the through hole 121 with the vacuum source 200. When the vacuum source 200 is turned on, the closed path 122 becomes negative pressure, and the through hole 121 has an adhesive force. The closed path 122 has a plurality of rings that communicate with each other and is arranged concentrically. The through holes 121 are arranged along a closed path 122. The closed path 122 extends to the connection portion 110.

[0024] In this embodiment, the multiple rings of the closed path 122 are concentric circles, but are not limited to circles and may be concentric polygons. In addition, the through holes 121 of the placement part are also arranged concentrically along the closed path 122. The diameter of the through holes 121 is in the range of 0.5 mm to 5 mm. The placement part 120 and the connection part 110 of the wafer vacuum carrier 100 may be integrally molded, and the material may include metal, carbon fiber, ceramic, or engineering plastic. In order to ensure that the wafer placement area is sufficient and warpage can be avoided, the diameter of the placement part 120 is larger than the width of the connection part 110. The connection part 110 of the wafer vacuum carrier 100 may be connected to a robot arm so that the wafer vacuum carrier 100 can replace a conventional fork.

[0025] 3 is a side view showing the wafer vacuum carrier 100 of FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 at the same time, the mounting portion 120 of the wafer vacuum carrier 100 may include a groove 123 and a sealing plate 124, and the sealing plate 124 covers the groove 123 to define a closed path 122. The through-hole 121 of the mounting portion 120 is located above and communicates with the closed path 122. In this embodiment, the closed path 122 close to the center of the mounting portion 120 is upstream of the closed path 122 close to the edge of the mounting portion 120, so that when the vacuum source 200 is turned on, it sequentially provides suction force from the center region of the mounting portion 120 along the closed path 122 to the edge region of the mounting portion 120, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0026] FIG. 4 is a top view showing a case where the wafer W is adsorbed by the wafer vacuum carrier 100 of FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 4 at the same time, the placement part 120 is arranged to support the wafer W. In this embodiment, the edge of the placement part 120 is located between the outermost one of the closed path 122 and the edge of the wafer W. That is, the diameter of the placement part 120 is larger than the diameter of the outermost one of the closed path 122 and smaller than the diameter of the wafer W. In some embodiments, the diameter of the placement part 120 is in the range of 50 mm to 190 mm, and the diameter of the wafer W is about 200 mm. The method of transferring the wafer may include a method of moving the placement part 120 of the wafer vacuum carrier 100 below the wafer W so as to contact the wafer W, and a method of turning on the vacuum source 200 communicating with the closed path 122 and drawing a vacuum in the closed path 122, so that the placement part 120 adsorbs the wafer W by the closed path 122 and the through hole 121.

[0027] Specifically, since the closing path 122 of the placement part 120 of the wafer vacuum carrier 100 communicates with the through hole 121, when the vacuum source 200 communicating with the closing path 122 is turned on, the placement part 120 can suction the wafer W located thereon. Also, since the closing path 122 is continuous and has a plurality of rings arranged concentrically, different areas of the wafer W can be suctioned by the through hole 121 of the placement part 120, and for a thin wafer W, the movement or angular deviation of the wafer W during the transportation run can be avoided, and the alignment accuracy of the wafer W can be improved. In this way, the wafer W supported by the placement part 120 of the wafer vacuum carrier 100 is unlikely to be in a state in which the center is low and the outer edge is high, or the center is high and the outer edge is low, due to warping, and the product yield can be improved. Also, the wafer vacuum carrier 100 omits the conventional vacuum suction nozzle or O-ring, reduces the overall thickness, and allows for more flexible selection of wafer cassettes. Furthermore, the placement portion 120 of the wafer vacuum carrier 100 can support the wafer W over a wide range, eliminating the need for multiple robot forks, and effectively saving costs.

[0028] It should be noted that the connection relationship, materials and effects of the elements described above will not be described repeatedly. In the following description, other types of wafer vacuum carriers will be described. For clarity of illustration, the sealing plate 124 in FIG. 3 and the vacuum source 200 in FIG. 2 are omitted in FIG. 5 to FIG. 8.

[0029] 5 is a bottom view of a wafer vacuum carrier 100a according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. The wafer vacuum carrier 100a includes a connecting portion 110 and a mounting portion 120. The mounting portion 120 has a through hole 121a and a closed path 122a. This embodiment differs from the embodiment of FIG. 2 in that the through hole 121a of the mounting portion 120 of the wafer vacuum carrier 100a has a smaller diameter near the center of the mounting portion 120 than the diameter near the edge of the mounting portion 120, and the closed path 122a has a smaller width near the center of the mounting portion 120 than the width near the edge of the mounting portion 120. That is, the diameters of the through hole 121a in different regions of the mounting portion 120 are different, and the widths of the closed path 122a in different regions of the mounting portion 120 are different. In this manner, by turning on the vacuum source 200 (see FIG. 2) in communication with the closed path 122a, it is possible for there to be a time difference when different areas of the wafer W are attracted, which can be determined according to design requirements.

[0030] 6 is a bottom view of a wafer vacuum carrier 100b according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure. The wafer vacuum carrier 100b includes a connecting portion 110 and a mounting portion 120. The mounting portion 120 has a through hole 121b and a closed path 122b. This embodiment differs from the embodiment of FIG. 2 in that the through hole 121b of the mounting portion 120 of the wafer vacuum carrier 100b has a larger diameter near the center of the mounting portion 120 than the diameter near the edge of the mounting portion 120, and the closed path 122b has a larger width near the center of the mounting portion 120 than the width near the edge of the mounting portion 120. That is, the diameters of the through hole 121b in different regions of the mounting portion 120 are different, and the widths of the closed path 122b in different regions of the mounting portion 120 are different. In this manner, by turning on the vacuum source 200 (see FIG. 2) communicating with the closed path 122b, it is possible for there to be a time difference when different areas of the wafer W are attracted, which can be determined according to design requirements.

[0031] 7 is a bottom view showing a wafer vacuum carrier 100c according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. The wafer vacuum carrier 100c includes a connection portion 110 and a mounting portion 120. The mounting portion 120 has a through hole 121 and a closed passage 122c. This embodiment differs from the embodiment of FIG. 2 in that the multiple rings of the closed passage 122c are concentric polygons such as a square or a rectangle, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. When the vacuum source 200 (see FIG. 2) communicating with the closed passage 122c is turned on, the mounting portion 120 adsorbs the wafer W by the closed passage 122c and the through hole 121.

[0032] FIG. 8 is a bottom view showing a wafer vacuum carrier 100d according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The wafer vacuum carrier 100d includes a connecting portion 110 and a mounting portion 120. The mounting portion 120 has a through hole 121 and a closed path 122d. This embodiment differs from the embodiment of FIG. 2 in that the closed path 122d close to the center of the mounting portion 120 of the wafer vacuum carrier 100d is downstream of the closed path 122d close to the edge of the mounting portion 120. With this design, when the vacuum source 200 (see FIG. 2) communicating with the closed path 122d is turned on, it sequentially provides suction force from the edge region of the mounting portion 120 along the closed path 122d to the center region of the mounting portion 120.

[0033] The foregoing outlines features of some embodiments to enable those skilled in the art to better understand aspects of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art should readily appreciate that the present disclosure may be used as a basis for designing or modifying other processes and structures to achieve the same purposes and / or advantages of the embodiments introduced herein. Those skilled in the art should further appreciate that such equivalent structures do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, and that various changes, substitutions and alterations may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0034] 100, 100a, 100b, 100c, 100d Wafer Vacuum Carrier 110 Connection 120 Placement section 121, 121a, 121b through hole 122, 122a, 122b, 122c, 122d Closed pathway 123 Groove 124 Sealing plate 200 Vacuum source W wafer

Claims

1. a connection portion arranged to connect to a vacuum source; a mounting portion adjacent to the connection portion and arranged to support a wafer; Including, The mounting portion has a plurality of through holes and a continuous closed path, the closed path connects the plurality of through holes to the vacuum source, has a plurality of connected rings and is arranged concentrically, the plurality of through holes are located above the closed path and arranged along the closed path, the closed path extends to the connection portion, and when the vacuum source is turned on, the mounting portion adsorbs the wafer using the closed path and the plurality of through holes, forming a wafer vacuum carrier.

2. The wafer vacuum carrier of claim 1 , wherein the mounting portion includes a groove and a sealing plate, the sealing plate covering the groove to define the closed path.

3. The wafer vacuum carrier according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plurality of through holes of the mounting portion are provided concentrically.

4. 3. The wafer vacuum carrier of claim 1, wherein the diameter of the plurality of through holes is smaller near the center of the mounting portion than near the edge of the mounting portion, and the width of the closed path is smaller near the center of the mounting portion than near the edge of the mounting portion.

5. 3. The wafer vacuum carrier of claim 1, wherein the diameter of the plurality of through holes is larger near the center of the mounting portion than near the edge of the mounting portion, and the width of the closed path is larger near the center of the mounting portion than near the edge of the mounting portion.

6. 3. The wafer vacuum carrier of claim 1 or 2, wherein the multiple rings of the closed path are concentric circles or concentric polygons.

7. 3. The wafer vacuum carrier according to claim 1, wherein the diameter of the mounting portion is greater than the width of the connecting portion.

8. 3. The wafer vacuum carrier of claim 1 or 2, wherein the closed path closer to a center of the rest portion is upstream of the closed path closer to an edge of the rest portion.

9. 3. The wafer vacuum carrier of claim 1 or 2, wherein the closed path closer to a center of the rest is downstream of the closed path closer to an edge of the rest.

10. 3. The wafer vacuum carrier according to claim 1, wherein the diameter of the plurality of through holes of the mounting portion is within a range of 0.5 mm to 5 mm.

11. 3. The wafer vacuum carrier of claim 1, wherein an edge of the rest portion is located between an outermost of the loops of the closed path and an edge of the wafer.

12. 3. The wafer vacuum carrier of claim 1, wherein a diameter of the mounting portion is greater than a diameter of an outermost one of the plurality of loops of the closed path and is smaller than a diameter of the wafer.

13. 3. The wafer vacuum carrier according to claim 1, wherein the material of the mounting portion and the connecting portion includes metal, carbon fiber, ceramic, or engineering plastic.

14. 3. The wafer vacuum carrier according to claim 1, wherein the diameter of the mounting portion is within a range of 50 mm to 190 mm.

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