Wafer reversing device and wafer reversing method

Abstract

To provide a wafer reversing device and a wafer reversing method with high versatility in which a wafer transfer position does not vary before and after reversing a wafer.SOLUTION: A first holding portion 1 and a second holding portion 2 facing the first holding portion 1, wherein the first holding portion 1 has three or more first holding portion bodies 11, the second holding portion 2 has a second holding portion body 21 facing each of the first holding portion bodies 11, each of the first holding portion bodies 11 includes a first contact portion 1s forming a first holding surface 11a, and each of the second holding portion bodies 21 includes a second contact portion 1s forming a second holding surface 2s different from the first holding surface 21a, the first holding portion 1 is configured to move the wafer W so that the wafer W held on the first holding surface 1 is held on the second holding surface 2, and the first holding surface 1s and the second holding surface 2s are formed at rotationally symmetric positions with respect to the rotation axis R of the rotation mechanism A.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a wafer inversion device and a wafer inversion method for safely inverting a semiconductor wafer. [Background technology]

[0002] In semiconductor manufacturing sites, devices and mechanisms for flipping semiconductor wafers (hereinafter referred to as wafers) are used for various purposes such as processing and cleaning.

[0003] Conventionally, wafer reversal has been performed using a robot equipped with a reversal option, or a reversal mechanism pre-installed in a manufacturing device (for example, Patent Document 2).

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a substrate processing apparatus including a transfer robot configured to be able to turn over a wafer from its front side to its back side by rotating a hand.

[0005] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 describes a substrate processing apparatus that includes a reversing unit that holds and reverses a wafer from the sides. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-007512 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-046631 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] Conventional inversion mechanisms, etc., were not very safe or versatile due to the risk of falling due to a power outage or emergency stop, the need to change the wafer transfer position and inversion sequence depending on the shape of the hand that transfers the wafer and the thickness of the wafer, and the load placed on the wafer before and after inversion.

[0008] In particular, fluctuations in the wafer transfer position (teaching position and access position) due to variations in hand shape and wafer thickness made it difficult to add a reversing mechanism to an existing line and to make the accompanying layout changes.

[0009] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-described circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a wafer inversion device and a wafer inversion method that are highly versatile and in which the wafer transfer position does not change before and after wafer inversion. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The present invention, which solves the above problems, is a technical concept shown in any one of the following [1] to [8].

[0011] [1] A wafer inversion device including a rotation mechanism that holds and rotates a wafer, the rotation mechanism comprising a first holding part and a second holding part facing the first holding part, the first holding part having three or more first holding part bodies, the second holding part having three or more second holding part bodies facing each of the first holding part bodies, each of the first holding part bodies including a first contact part that forms a first holding surface, each of the second holding part bodies including a second contact part that forms a second holding surface different from the first holding surface, the first holding part being configured to be able to move the wafer while held on the first holding surface so that the wafer is held on the second holding surface, and the first holding surface and the second holding surface are formed in positions rotationally symmetrical with respect to a rotation axis of the rotation mechanism.

[0012] [2] The wafer inversion device described in [1], wherein the first holding unit is configured to be able to move the wafer so that the wafer held on the first holding surface is further held on the second holding surface by moving the first holding unit main body so that it approaches the opposing second holding unit main body.

[0013] [3] The wafer inversion device described in [2], wherein the first holding unit maintains the first holding unit body in close proximity to the second holding unit body when the rotation mechanism rotates, thereby allowing the wafer to be held by both the first holding unit body and the second holding unit body.

[0014] [4] A wafer inversion device according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein each of the first holding unit bodies includes an arm unit and a rotation shaft, the arm unit including one end extending perpendicular to the first holding surface and the other end extending horizontally to the first holding surface, the first contact portion being provided at one end of the arm unit, and the rotation shaft for rotatably fixing the arm unit being provided between the one end and the other end of the arm unit.

[0015] [5] The wafer inversion device according to [4], wherein a weight portion is provided at the other end of the arm portion.

[0016] [6] A wafer inversion device described in any of [1] to [5], wherein the first contact portion is configured to contact a side of the wafer and one of the main surfaces of the wafer when the wafer is held on the first holding surface, and the second contact portion is configured to contact one of the main surfaces of the wafer when the wafer is held on the second holding surface.

[0017] [7] A wafer inversion method using a rotation mechanism, in which a first holding part and a second holding part are provided at opposing positions, and the first holding part and the second holding part form a first holding surface and a second holding surface, respectively, for holding a wafer at positions rotationally symmetrical with respect to the rotation axis of the rotation mechanism, the wafer inversion method including: a holding step for holding a wafer on the first holding surface; a moving step for moving the wafer so that the wafer held on the first holding surface is held on the second holding surface; and an inversion step for inverting the wafer by rotating the rotation mechanism.

[0018] [8] The wafer inversion method described in [7], wherein in the moving step, the first holding part is brought close to the opposing second holding part, thereby moving the wafer so that the wafer held on the first holding surface is further held on the second holding surface.

[0019] [9] The wafer inversion method described in [8], wherein in the inversion step, the first holding part is maintained in close proximity to the second holding part in the moving step, thereby causing the wafer to be held by both the first holding part and the second holding part.

[0020] In a wafer inversion device such as [1], the first and second holding surfaces are formed in rotationally symmetric positions in the rotation mechanism. Therefore, when a wafer held by the first holding surface is moved to the second holding surface and then inverted, the inverted wafer returns to its original position on the first holding surface. In other words, a wafer inversion device such as [1] is highly versatile because the position for receiving and transferring the wafer does not change before and after the wafer is inverted, and therefore wafer inversion and subsequent wafer transfer can be performed with the same settings regardless of the shape of the hand or the thickness of the wafer, etc.

[0021] A wafer inversion device such as [2] moves a wafer held on a first holding surface to a second holding surface in that state, thereby reducing the load on the wafer and the risk of it falling when the wafer is moved.

[0022] [3] A wafer inversion device such as this can perform the wafer inversion operation while both the first holding unit and the second holding unit are holding the wafer, thereby reducing the load on the wafer and the risk of it falling when the wafer is inverted.

[0023] A wafer inversion device such as [4] can reduce the risk of damage by rotating the arm part and opening it slightly even if a wafer is inserted that is not seated properly or has an unexpected diameter.

[0024] In a wafer inversion device such as [5], the weight balances the arm at the position of the rotation axis, so that the load on the wafer does not change before and after inversion.

[0025] In a wafer inversion device such as [6], the first contact part that holds the wafer before the inversion operation, which carries a risk of the wafer falling, can stably hold the wafer from the side as well, while the second contact part that holds the wafer after the inversion operation, which carries a low risk of the wafer falling, does not hold the wafer from the side, allowing for smooth wafer transfer.

[0026] In the wafer inversion method such as [7], the first and second holding surfaces are formed in rotationally symmetrical positions in the rotation mechanism. Therefore, when the wafer held by the first holding surface is moved to the second holding surface and then inverted, the inverted wafer returns to its original position on the first holding surface. In other words, the wafer inversion method such as [7] is highly versatile because the wafer transfer position does not change before and after wafer inversion, and therefore wafer inversion and subsequent wafer transfer can be performed with the same settings regardless of the shape of the hand or the thickness of the wafer.

[0027] The wafer inversion method such as [8] moves the wafer held on the first holding surface to the second holding surface in that state, thereby reducing the load on the wafer and the risk of it falling when it is moved.

[0028] The wafer inversion method such as [9] can perform the wafer inversion operation while both the first holding part and the second holding part are holding the wafer, thereby reducing the load on the wafer and the risk of it falling when the wafer is inverted. [Effects of the Invention]

[0029] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a wafer inversion device and a wafer inversion method that are highly versatile and in which the wafer transfer position does not change before and after wafer inversion. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0030] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a wafer inversion device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating a rotation mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating a first holding portion according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating a second holding portion according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating a rotation mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 4A to 4C are diagrams illustrating an internal mechanism of a first holding unit according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating a first contact portion and a second contact portion according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating a wafer inversion method according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating a wafer inversion method according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating a wafer inversion method according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating a wafer inversion method according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0031] Hereinafter, a wafer inversion device and a wafer inversion method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the embodiment shown below is an example of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment. Furthermore, the wafer inversion device according to the embodiment of the present invention is represented by the symbol X. In the accompanying drawings, omitted portions are indicated by double wavy lines.

[0032] <Wafer inversion device X> As shown in FIG. 1, the wafer inversion device X includes a rotation mechanism A and a control unit B. The rotation mechanism A can hold and rotate the wafer, and the control unit B can drive and control the rotation of the rotation mechanism A.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 2, the rotation mechanism A includes a first holding part 1 and a second holding part 2 provided at a position opposite to the first holding part 1. The rotation mechanism A can rotate around a rotation axis R indicated by a dashed line.

[0034] FIG. 3 is a view of the first holding part 1 seen from above downward as shown in FIG. 3, the first holding part 1 has three first holding part bodies 11. Each first holding part body 11 includes a first contact part 11a, and each first contact part 11a forms a first holding surface 1s indicated by a dashed line.

[0035] That is, the first retaining portion 1 has three first retaining portion bodies 11, and each first retaining portion body 11 includes a first contact portion 11a, so that one first retaining surface 1s is formed from the three first contact portions 11a. Note that, as long as one first holding surface 1s is formed, any number of first contact portions 11a and first holding portion bodies 11, three or more, may be provided on the first holding portion 1.

[0036] When the first holding part 1 receives a wafer to be turned over from the outside, each of the first contact parts 11a comes into contact with the side and one of the main surfaces of the wafer to hold the wafer on the first holding surface 1s.

[0037] The first holding unit 1 may further include an optical sensor PS. The optical sensor PS can optically detect information regarding the presence or absence of a wafer and the holding state, and transmit the information to the control unit B. The control unit B can drive and control the rotation of the rotation mechanism A based on this information as well.

[0038] FIG. 4 is a view of the second holding part 2 viewed from the bottom up as shown in FIG. 4, the second holding portion 2 has three second holding portion bodies 21 provided at positions (see FIG. 3) facing the respective first holding portion bodies 11. Each second holding portion body 21 includes a second contact portion 21a, and each second contact portion 21a forms a second holding surface 2s indicated by a dashed line.

[0039] That is, the second retaining portion 2 has three second retaining portion bodies 21, and each second retaining portion body 21 includes a second contact portion 21a, so that one second retaining surface 2s is formed from the three second contact portions 21a. Note that, as long as one second holding surface 2s is formed, any number of second contact portions 21a and second holding portion bodies 21, three or more, may be provided on the second holding portion 2.

[0040] When the second holding part 2 receives the wafer to be turned over from the first holding part 1, each second contact part 21a comes into contact with one of the main surfaces of the wafer to hold the wafer on the second holding surface 2s.

[0041] The second holding part 2 may further include an auxiliary holding part 22. The auxiliary holding part 22 can come into contact with the wafer held on the second holding surface 2s from the side and assist in positioning the wafer on the second holding surface 2s.

[0042] Fig. 5(a) is a diagram showing the rotation mechanism A before inversion, and Fig. 5(b) is a diagram showing the rotation mechanism A after inversion. For ease of explanation, the first holding unit 1 or the second holding unit 2 located above the rotation mechanism A is shown in a see-through view.

[0043] The rotation mechanism A can rotate around a rotation axis R indicated by a dashed line. The first holding surface 1s and the second holding surface 2s are formed at positions that are 180 degrees rotationally symmetrical about the rotation axis R, and when the rotation mechanism A is rotated 180 degrees from the state shown in Figure 5(a), it becomes the state shown in Figure 5(b).

[0044] That is, as shown in FIG. 5, when the rotation mechanism A is rotated by 180 degrees, the second holding surface 2s coincides with the position of the first holding surface 1s before the rotation.

[0045] 6 is a perspective view illustrating the internal mechanism of the first holding unit 1. For ease of explanation, illustrations of the first holding unit main body 11 and the second holding unit main body 21 other than one first holding unit main body 11 and the opposing second holding unit main body 21 are omitted.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 6, the first holding part 1 has a top surface it, a first holding part main body 11, and a lifting mechanism 12.

[0047] The first holding portion body 11 includes a first contact portion 11a, an arm portion 11b, a rotation shaft 11c, a weight portion 11d, and a spring 11s. Each of the first holding portion bodies 11, which are not shown in the drawing, also has the same configuration.

[0048] The arm portion 11b extends perpendicularly to the first holding surface 1s and includes one end provided with the first contact portion 11a, and the other end extends horizontally to the first holding surface 1s and includes the weight portion 11d. A rotation shaft 11c for rotatably fixing the arm portion 11b is provided between one end and the other end of the arm portion 11b.

[0049] With this configuration, even if a wafer is not seated properly or has an unexpected diameter, the arm portion 11b rotates and opens slightly, thereby reducing the risk of breakage. Furthermore, the weight portion 11d balances the arm portion 11b at the position of the rotation axis 11c, so that the load applied to the wafer before and after the inversion does not change.

[0050] The spring 11s is provided on the arm portion 11b on the opposite side of the rotation shaft 11c as viewed from the weight portion 11d, that is, between the first contact portion 11a and the rotation shaft 11c. When the wafer is inverted, it is held by sandwiching it between the first contact portion 11a and the second contact portion 21a (see Figure 7), and at that time, the spring 11s can lift the first contact portion 11a via the arm portion 11b, generating a holding force.

[0051] The lifting mechanism 12 includes a lift unit 12a and a drive unit 12b, and may further include a guide unit 12c.

[0052] The lifting portion 12a is connected to the arm portion 11b and the rotating shaft 11c. Therefore, when the lifting portion 12a moves up and down, the entire first holding portion main body 11 including the arm portion 11b and the rotating shaft 11c can move up and down.

[0053] The driving unit 12b has any configuration for driving the lift unit 12a to move up and down. In this embodiment, a pneumatic cylinder is preferably used as the driving unit 12b. Compressed air for driving the pneumatic cylinder can be supplied from the above-mentioned control unit B or from outside the device.

[0054] As shown in FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b), the lift part 12a and the first holding part body 11 connected thereto can be raised and lowered by air pressure generated by the intake and exhaust part g of the drive part 12b.

[0055] The guide portion 12c can guide the lift portion 12a in the ascending and descending direction, that is, the guide portion 12c adjusts the ascending and descending direction of the lift portion 12a to a fixed direction.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 6(b), the lifting mechanism 12 moves the first holding portion body 11 so as to approach the opposing second holding portion body 21. At this time, the first holding surface 1s coincides with the second holding surface 2s shown by the dashed line, so the first holding unit 1 can move the wafer held on the first holding surface 1s so that it is further held on the second holding surface 2s.

[0057] Furthermore, the first holding part 1 including the pneumatic lifting mechanism 12 can maintain the first holding part main body 11 in close proximity to the opposing second holding part main body 21 even when the rotation mechanism A is rotating. That is, when the rotation mechanism A rotates, the wafer can be held by both the first holding portion body 11 and the second holding portion body 21 facing thereto.

[0058] Figure 7 shows (a) a side view and (b) a front view of the first contact portion 11a and the second contact portion 21a when the first holding portion 1 and the second holding portion 2 are close to each other before the wafer is inverted, and (c) a side view and (d) a front view of the first contact portion 11a and the second contact portion 21a when the first holding portion 1 and the second holding portion 2 are separated from each other after the wafer is inverted.

[0059] As shown in Figures 7(a) and 7(b), the first contact portion 11a is configured to contact the side and main surface (front surface or back surface) of the wafer W when the wafer W is held on the first holding surface 1s (not shown as it overlaps the wafer W). In addition, the second contact portion 21a is configured to come into contact with the main surface (front surface or back surface) of the wafer W when the wafer W is held on the second holding surface 2s (not shown as it overlaps the wafer W).

[0060] With this configuration, as shown in Figures 7(a) and 7(b), the first contact portion 11a that holds the wafer before the inversion operation, which carries the risk of the wafer falling, can stably hold the wafer from the side as well. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 7(c) and 7(d), the second contact portion 21a that holds the wafer after the inversion operation, which has a low risk of the wafer falling, does not hold the wafer from the side, which allows for smooth transfer of the wafer to the outside.

[0061] <Wafer inversion method> A wafer inversion method using the rotation mechanism A will be described below.

[0062] First, as shown in FIG. 8(a), the hand H holding the wafer W is inserted between the first holding part 1 and the opposing second holding part 2, and the wafer W is moved to directly above the first holding surface 1s. Next, the hand H is lowered vertically downward from the state of FIG. 8(a) to hold the wafer W on the first holding surface 1s as shown in FIG. 8(b) (holding step).

[0063] At this time, any wafer holding method such as a backside suction method, an edge grip method, a Bernoulli method, or the like can be used. Also, any shape of the hand H can be used as long as it does not interfere with the first contact portions 11a shown in FIG.

[0064] Next, from the state shown in FIG. 8(b), the first holding unit body 11 and the second holding unit body 21 are brought closer together using the method shown in FIG. 6, and the wafer W held on the first holding surface 1s is moved so that it is further held on the second holding surface 2s, as shown in FIG. 9 (moving process).

[0065] Next, from the state shown in FIG. 9, the rotation mechanism A is rotated 180 degrees as shown in FIG. 10(a), the wafer W is inverted, and the first holding body 11 and the second holding body 21 are separated as shown in FIG. 10(b) (inversion process).

[0066] Since the first holding surface 1s and the second holding surface 2s are formed at positions that are rotationally symmetrical by 180 degrees about the rotation axis R, the wafer W that is flipped by the above operation and positioned on the second holding surface 2s is held at a position that coincides with the first holding surface 1s before flipping.

[0067] Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11, the inverted wafer W can be safely delivered to the hand H by following the reverse procedure at the same wafer delivery position as in the holding step. Specifically, the hand H is inserted between the first holding part 1 and the opposing second holding part 2 directly below the wafer W (FIG. 11(a)), and the hand H is raised vertically upward to transfer the wafer W (FIG. 11(b)).

[0068] The configurations and functions shown in the above embodiments are merely examples and can be modified in various ways based on design requirements and the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] X wafer inversion device A Reversal mechanism R rotation axis 1 First holding part 1s First holding surface 11 First holding part main body 11a First contact part 11b Arm part 11c Pivot shaft 11d Weight section 11s spring 12 Lifting mechanism 12a Lift section 12b Drive unit 12c Guide part 2 Second holding part 2s Second holding surface 21 Second holding part main body 21a Second contact part 22 Auxiliary holding part PS Optical Sensor B Control section W wafer H Hand

Claims

1. A wafer inversion device including a rotation mechanism that holds and rotates a wafer, the rotation mechanism includes a first holding portion and a second holding portion facing the first holding portion, The first holding portion has three or more first holding portion bodies, the second holding portion has three or more second holding portion bodies facing each of the first holding portion bodies, Each of the first retaining portion bodies includes a first contact portion that forms a first retaining surface; Each of the second retaining portion bodies includes a second contact portion that forms a second retaining surface different from the first retaining surface, the first holding unit is configured to be able to move the wafer so that the wafer held on the first holding surface is held on the second holding surface; The wafer inverting device, wherein the first holding surface and the second holding surface are formed at positions rotationally symmetrical with respect to the rotation axis of the rotation mechanism.

2. 2. The wafer inversion device according to claim 1, wherein the first holding unit is configured to be able to move the wafer so that the wafer held on the first holding surface is further held on the second holding surface by moving the first holding unit main body so that it approaches the opposing second holding unit main body.

3. 3. The wafer inversion device according to claim 2, wherein the first holding part maintains a state in which the first holding part body is in close proximity to the second holding part body during rotation of the rotation mechanism, thereby allowing the wafer to be held by both the first holding part body and the second holding part body.

4. Each of the first holding portion bodies includes an arm portion and a rotation shaft, The arm portion includes one end extending perpendicular to the first holding surface and another end extending horizontally to the first holding surface, The first contact portion is provided at one end of the arm portion, 2. The wafer inverting device according to claim 1, wherein the rotation shaft for rotatably fixing the arm portion is provided between one end and the other end of the arm portion.

5. 5. The wafer inverting device according to claim 4, wherein a weight portion is provided at the other end of said arm portion.

6. the first contact portion is configured to come into contact with a side of the wafer and any main surface of the wafer when the wafer is held on the first holding surface; 6. The wafer inversion device according to claim 1, wherein the second contact portion is configured to contact one of the main surfaces of the wafer when the wafer is held on the second holding surface.

7. A wafer inversion method using a rotation mechanism, in which a first holding part and a second holding part are provided at positions facing each other, the first holding part and the second holding part respectively forming a first holding surface and a second holding surface for holding a wafer at positions rotationally symmetrical with respect to a rotation axis of the rotation mechanism, a holding step of holding a wafer on the first holding surface; a moving step of moving the wafer held on the first holding surface so that the wafer is held on the second holding surface; an inverting step of inverting the wafer by rotating the rotation mechanism.

8. 8. The wafer inversion method according to claim 7, wherein in the moving step, the first holding part is moved closer to the opposing second holding part, thereby moving the wafer so that the wafer held on the first holding surface is further held on the second holding surface.

9. 9. The wafer inversion method according to claim 8, wherein in the inversion step, the first holding part is maintained in close proximity to the second holding part in the moving step, thereby causing the wafer to be held by both the first holding part and the second holding part.

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