Wafer Rotation 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 rotation device, and more particularly to a wafer rotation 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 by 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 standardized size, it is necessary to install corresponding rotating disks for each wafer, which increases the installation costs of the equipment and reduces the equipment's utilization rate.

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

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

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, one aspect of the present invention provides a wafer rotation device comprising a main body, a rotating shaft tube, a rotating disk, a drive 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 drive mechanism drives the rotating shaft tube to rotate by interlocking with 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 the pressure chamber is connected to the through hole and communicates with the central suction cup, and a pipe connected to the rotary 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 rotary shaft tube and a first actuator that moves the valve stem in parallel in the axial direction, the valve stem being positioned to correspond to the through hole, and the first actuator being able to move the valve stem to close 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 connected to the communication chamber, and the communication chamber is fixedly disposed and connected to 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 peripheral suction cups.

[0011] In a preferred example of the present invention, the wafer rotation device further includes an elevating mechanism that is installed on the rotating disk and that drives the plurality of outer circumferential suction cups in conjunction with each other to raise and lower at least a portion of the plurality of outer circumferential suction cups relative to the central suction cup.

[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 circumferential suction cups are both mounted on the interlocking member, and the lifting mechanism interlocks the interlocking member to drive it to move up and down.

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

[0014] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the peripheral suction cups are equidistantly spaced about the central axis of the rotating shaft tube. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] The present invention is configured as described above and therefore provides the following effects. 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 are movable up and down 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 description of this specification and the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a top view showing a wafer rotation device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a wafer rotation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic top view illustrating a wafer rotation device according to an embodiment of the present invention applied to a small size wafer; [Figure 4] 1 is a cross-sectional schematic view showing a wafer rotation device according to an embodiment of the present invention applied to a small-sized wafer; [Figure 5]1 is a schematic top view illustrating a wafer rotation device according to an embodiment of the present invention applied to a small size wafer; [Figure 6] 1 is a cross-sectional schematic view showing a wafer rotation device according to an embodiment of the present invention applied to a small-sized wafer; [Figure 7] 1 is a cross-sectional schematic view showing a wafer rotation device according to an embodiment of the present invention applied to a large-sized wafer; [Figure 8] 1 is a schematic top view illustrating a wafer rotation device according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a usage situation where the device is applied to a large-sized wafer. [Figure 9] 1 is a cross-sectional schematic view showing a wafer rotation device according to an embodiment of the present invention applied to a large-sized wafer; [Figure 10] 10 is a cross-sectional schematic view showing a wafer rotation device according to another embodiment of the present invention applied to a large-sized wafer; FIG. [Figure 11] 10 is a cross-sectional schematic view showing a wafer rotation device according to yet another embodiment of the present invention applied to a large-sized wafer; FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] In the present specification, terms indicating orientations or positional relationships, such as "front," "rear," "left side," "right side," "front end," "rear end," "end," "longitudinal," "lateral," "vertical," "top," and "bottom," are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are intended merely to facilitate and simplify the description of the present invention. They 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 connected to an event or circumstance, the term includes the exact time the event or circumstance occurred, and the approximation of the time the event or circumstance occurred. For example, when connected to a number, the term includes a variation range of ±10% or less of the number, such as ±5% or less, ±4% or less, ±3% or less, ±2% or less, ±1% or less, ±0.5% or less, ±0.1% or less, or ±0.05% or less.

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

[0021] A wafer rotation device according to one 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 rotation 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 component will be described below.

[0022] In this embodiment, the main body 100 is a hollow cylindrical body, but the present invention is not limited to this.

[0023] The rotating shaft tube 200 is pivotally mounted to the main body 100 so as to stand upright. 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 within 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 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 rotary disc 210, and the center of the central suction cup 510 is aligned with the central axis of the rotary shaft tube 200. A through hole 511 is formed in the central suction cup 510, and the through hole 511 is arranged 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 via the through hole 511, 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 outer suction cups 520 are installed on the rotary disk 210 so as to surround the central suction cup 510, and are arranged at equal distances from the central axis of the rotary shaft tube 200. The outer suction cups 520 are selectively fixed to the rotary disk 210 as required for the process. Each of the outer suction cups 520 is connected to the pressure chamber 201, and more specifically, each of the outer suction cups 520 is connected to the pressure chamber 201 by having a pipe 521 connected to the rotary shaft tube 200 installed therein.

[0027] In addition, all or a portion of the plurality of outer periphery suction cups 520 are selectively movably fixed to the rotating disk 210 as required by the process. The wafer rotation device according to the present invention may further include an elevator mechanism 530 that drives the plurality of outer periphery suction cups 520 to move up and down relative to the central suction cup 510 by interlocking the plurality of outer periphery suction cups 520. That is, all of the plurality of outer periphery suction cups 520 are interlocked with the elevator mechanism 530, as shown in FIG. 9. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 10, a portion (i.e., at least one) of the plurality of outer periphery suction cups 520 may be interlocked with the elevator mechanism 530 (the right outer periphery suction cup 520 shown in FIG. 10), and the other portions (e.g., one or more) may be fixed to the rotating disk 210 so as not to be interlocked with the elevator mechanism 530 (the left outer periphery suction cup 520 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, and the plurality of outer circumferential suction cups 520 are all installed on the interlocking member 531. The lifting mechanism 530 interlocks the interlocking member 531 to drive the interlocking member 531 to move up and down. 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 move up and down 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 rotation 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 is positioned to correspond to the through-hole 511. The first actuator 420 is interlocked with the valve stem 410 to translate the valve stem 410 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 in communication with the negative pressure source 110. When the valve stem 410 moves away from the through-hole 511 to open it, the central suction cup 510 is in communication with 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 through the main body 100 and also into the pressure chamber 201. A bearing 411 may be installed between the valve stem 410 and the main body 100, so that the valve stem 410 can rotate following the rotating disk 210 even when the through-hole 511 is blocked.

[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 placed on the plurality of outer peripheral suction cups 520 (see FIGS. 3 and 4).

[0031] The wafer rotation device according to the present invention is adapted to work with at least two different sizes of wafers, a first wafer 10 (see FIGS. 3 to 6) and a 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 installed at different distances from the rotation axis tube 200, making it possible to accommodate even more different sizes of second wafers 20. When the second wafer 20 is installed in the wafer rotation device, it must be fixed in a ring frame 21 corresponding to its diameter (see FIGS. 7 to 9).

[0032] 3 and 4, when processing the first wafer 10, the negative pressure source 110 is first disconnected, and the pressure on 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 a robot arm. If the movable and fixed peripheral suction cups 520 are simultaneously installed, 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, so that the ring frame 21 is attached to the peripheral suction cup 520 and the pressure on the central suction cup 510 is released. The lifting mechanism 530 lowers the ring frame 21, 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 robot arm's operation). By lowering the valve stem 410 and opening the through hole 511 of the central suction cup 510, the central suction cup 510 is connected to the negative pressure source 110, 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 contact of the process chemical with the peripheral suction cup 520, thereby reducing damage caused by the process chemical to the peripheral suction cup 520.

[0033] 7 to 9, when processing the second wafer 20, the second wafer 20 is first placed in a ring frame 21 corresponding to the diameter. The negative pressure source 110 is disconnected to release the pressure on the central suction cup 510 and the peripheral suction cup 520, maintaining the central suction cup 510 and the peripheral suction cup 520 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 together with the second wafer 20 is placed on the peripheral suction cup 520 and the central suction cup 510 using a 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 then opened to adsorb the second wafer 20 to the central suction cup 510, and the ring frame 21 is then adsorbed to the peripheral suction cup 520 to perform the process.

[0034] The wafer rotation device according to the present invention has a central suction cup 510 and at least one set of peripheral suction cups 520 arranged to accommodate wafers of different sizes, and the peripheral suction cups 520 are movable up and down and are used in combination with a robot arm to perform wafer pick-and-place operations. However, depending on the needs of different processes (for example, if the movement path of another type of robot arm does not interfere with the peripheral suction cups 520), the peripheral suction cups 520 may be fixed as shown in FIG.

[0035] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by 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 Second wafer 21 Ring Frame 100 units 101 Bearing 102 Communication room 110 Negative pressure source 200 Rotating shaft tube 201 Pressure Chamber 210 Rotating Disc 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 Peripheral suction cup 521 Pipe 530 Lifting mechanism 531 Interlocking members 532 Second Actuator 533 Bearing

Claims

1. The main body and a rotating shaft tube, the rotating shaft tube being pivotally mounted on the main body so as to stand upright, and a pressure chamber being formed in the rotating shaft tube and communicating with a negative pressure source; a rotary disk disposed at the upper end of the rotary shaft tube; a drive mechanism that drives the rotary shaft tube to rotate by interlocking the rotary shaft tube; a central suction cup that is installed on the rotary disk and communicates with the pressure chamber, the central suction cup having a through hole, the pressure chamber being connected to the through hole and communicating with the central suction cup; a plurality of outer circumferential suction cups, the plurality of outer circumferential suction cups being installed on the rotary disk so as to surround the central suction cup, each of the plurality of outer circumferential suction cups being in communication with the pressure chamber, and each of the outer circumferential suction cups being in communication with the pressure chamber by being provided with a pipe connected to the rotary shaft tube; a switching valve including a valve stem extending through the rotating shaft tube and a first actuator interlocking to move the valve stem in parallel in the axial direction, wherein the valve stem is arranged to correspond to the through hole, and the first actuator is capable of moving the valve stem to close the through hole.

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

3. 3. The wafer rotating device according to claim 2, wherein the communication chamber is formed in the main body.

4. 2. The wafer rotating device according to claim 1, further comprising a ring frame mounted on the plurality of outer peripheral suction cups.

5. 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 interlocking the outer periphery suction cups.

6. 6. The wafer rotation device of claim 5, 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 all installed on the interlocking member, and the lifting mechanism drives the interlocking member to lift and lower it by interlocking the interlocking member.

7. 6. The wafer rotating device according to claim 5, wherein the center of the central suction cup is aligned with the central axis of the rotating shaft tube.

8. 6. The wafer rotating device according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of outer peripheral suction cups are arranged equidistantly about the central axis of the rotating shaft tube.

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