Chuck for square substrate

Abstract

The present application provides a chuck for a square substrate, comprising a chuck body and two clamping devices uniformly distributed on the chuck body, the two clamping devices being respectively used for clamping two opposite vertex positions of a substrate. Each clamping device comprises a base, a support platform, a clamping member and position-limiting members; the base is fixed on the chuck body; the support platform is arranged on the base and used for supporting the substrate; the clamping member is movably connected to the base by means of a pin shaft and used for clamping or releasing the substrate, and the clamping member comprises clamping jaws and counterweight members connected to the clamping jaws; the position-limiting members are arranged above the counterweight members and used for limiting the height of upward movement of the clamping member around the pin shaft. The chuck has a simple structure, can stably fix a square substrate thereon, and can also reduce the risk of substrate damage.

Description

Chuck for square substrates Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and in particular to a chuck for square substrates. Background Technology

[0002] In single-wafer wet processing, the substrate is fixed to the chuck by a clamping device and rotates with the chuck. A chemical solution is sprayed onto the substrate surface for processing. During the process, it is crucial to ensure the substrate remains stably fixed to the chuck; otherwise, it may loosen during high-speed rotation, causing friction between the substrate and the clamping device, resulting in scratches on the substrate. Therefore, the clamping device is a very important component of the chuck. Different clamping methods are typically used to fix the substrate depending on its structure. Currently, traditional wafer clamping methods utilize centrifugal force to hold the wafer. For example, the wafer clamping device proposed in patent CN105529295A clamps the wafer using centrifugal force when the wafer chuck rotates at high speed, and resets itself using gravity when the chuck stops at a low speed. Generally, the larger the wafer size, the more clamping devices are installed on the chuck.

[0003] With the increasing popularity of advanced fan-out packaging technology and changes in substrate materials, the application of square substrates is growing. However, the shape and structure of square substrates differ significantly from traditional wafers, and their larger size makes it impossible to clamp them simply by increasing the number of clamping devices due to the centrifugal force. Therefore, it is necessary to design a clamping device suitable for square substrates. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this application is to provide a chuck for square substrates to solve the problem of difficulty in clamping square substrates in the prior art.

[0005] To achieve the above and other related objectives, this application provides a chuck for a square substrate, comprising a chuck body and two clamping devices evenly distributed on the chuck body, the two clamping devices being used to clamp two opposite apex corners of the substrate; wherein, each clamping device includes a base, a support platform, a clamping member, and a limiting member, the base being fixed on the chuck body, the support platform being disposed on the base for supporting the substrate, the clamping member being movably connected to the base via a pin for clamping or releasing the substrate, the clamping member including a jaw and a counterweight connected to the jaw, and the limiting member being disposed above the counterweight for limiting the height of the clamping member moving upward around the pin.

[0006] Furthermore, when the chuck rotates, the counterweight moves upward around the pin shaft under the action of centrifugal force and drives the gripper to hold the base plate; when the chuck is stationary, the counterweight is positioned below the pin shaft under the action of gravity, so that the gripper is in a released state.

[0007] Furthermore, the clamping member includes two clamping claws, which are respectively disposed on both sides of the support platform for clamping the two sides forming the top corner of the substrate.

[0008] Furthermore, the limiting member is a limiting protrusion, which is disposed at the bottom of the base.

[0009] Furthermore, the clamping device also includes two guide posts, which are disposed on the base and located on both sides of the clamping member, for guiding the substrate and limiting the two sides of the substrate, the two sides forming a apex.

[0010] Furthermore, the guide post includes an inclined surface at the top and a vertical surface extending downward from the bottom of the inclined surface. The inclined surface faces the interior of the chuck body and is used to guide the substrate. The vertical surface is used to limit the substrate. The extended surfaces of the vertical surfaces of multiple guide posts together form a square limiting ring. The size of the limiting ring is greater than or equal to the size of the substrate.

[0011] Furthermore, the guide post has a support portion protruding towards the center of the chuck body, and the height of the support portion is consistent with that of the support platform.

[0012] Furthermore, the distances between the two guide posts and the clamping member are equal.

[0013] Furthermore, the chuck also includes two clamping devices, and four clamping devices are disposed on the chuck body, respectively used to clamp the four apex positions of the substrate.

[0014] As described above, this application provides a chuck for square substrates, which has the following advantages: The chuck includes two clamping devices and a chuck body. The two clamping devices are evenly distributed on the chuck body and are used to clamp two opposite apex positions of the square substrate. Each clamping device clamps and fixes the apex position of the substrate with a clamping member, and a limiting member restricts the height of the clamping member's upward movement around the pin axis. This chuck has a simple structure, can stably fix the square substrate on the chuck, and can reduce the risk of substrate breakage. It also avoids the substrate from loosening and rubbing against the clamping devices during high-speed rotation, thus preventing scratches and improving product quality.

[0015] Overview of the attached figures

[0016] The features and performance of this application are further described by the following embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0017] Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of the chuck in an embodiment of this application;

[0018] Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of the clamping device in an embodiment of this application;

[0019] Figure 3 shows another schematic diagram of the clamping device in an embodiment of this application;

[0020] Figure 4 shows a top view of the clamping device in an embodiment of this application;

[0021] Figure 5 shows a schematic diagram of the substrate being held on the chuck in an embodiment of this application;

[0022] Figure 6 shows a cross-sectional view of the clamping device in an embodiment of this application.

[0023] Preferred embodiments of this application

[0024] The following specific examples illustrate the implementation of this application. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of this application from the content disclosed in this specification. This application can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and various details in this specification can also be modified or changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of this application.

[0025] It should be noted that the illustrations provided in this embodiment are only schematic representations of the basic concept of this application. Although the illustrations only show components relevant to this application and are not drawn according to the actual number, shape, and size of components in implementation, the shape, quantity, and proportion of each component in actual implementation can be arbitrarily changed, and the layout of the components may also be more complex. In addition, the same reference numerals in multiple figures represent the same or equivalent parts or components.

[0026] As shown in Figure 1, this application proposes a chuck for a square substrate. The chuck includes two clamping devices 1 and a chuck body 2. The two clamping devices 1 are evenly distributed on the chuck body 2 and are used to clamp the two opposite apex corners of the substrate w. As shown in Figure 2, each clamping device 1 includes: a base 11, fixed to the chuck body 2; a support platform 12, disposed on the base 11, for supporting the substrate w; two guide posts 13, disposed on the base 11, for guiding and limiting the two sides forming the apex corners of the substrate w; and a clamping member 14, movably connected to the base 11, for clamping the apex corners of the substrate w and fixing the substrate w after the substrate w has been guided and limited. In some embodiments, the shape of the chuck body 2 is the circumcircle of the square substrate w, and the clamping devices 1 are disposed on the edge of the chuck body 2.

[0027] Figures 2 to 4 are perspective views of the clamping device 1 in the embodiments of this application, taken from different angles. As can be seen from Figures 2 to 4, the support platform 12, guide posts 13, and clamping member 14 are all disposed on the base 11. The guide posts 13 are closer to the center of the chuck body 2 than the support platform 12 and the clamping member 14. Preferably, the distances between the two guide posts 13 and the clamping member 14 are equal.

[0028] As shown in Figure 3, the clamping member 14 is movably connected to the base 11 via a pin, allowing the clamping member 14 to rotate relative to the base 11. The clamping member 14 includes two jaws 141, which are disposed on both sides of the support platform 12 and are used to clamp the two sides forming the top corner of the substrate w. The clamping member 14 also includes a counterweight 142 connected to the jaws 141. The counterweight 142 is used to rotate upward around the pin axis under the action of centrifugal force when rotating with the chuck body 2, and drive the jaws 141 to rotate downward to press the substrate w. The weight of the counterweight 142 is greater than the sum of the weights of the two jaws 141. Therefore, when the chuck body 2 is stationary, the counterweight 142 is positioned below the pin under the action of gravity, so that the jaws 141 are in a released state.

[0029] Referring to Figures 3, 4, and 5, the substrate w is placed on the chuck and supported by the support platform 12 under the guidance of the guide post 13. When both the chuck and the substrate w are in a stationary state without rotation, due to the gravity of the counterweight 142, the jaws 141 are above the pin and the counterweight 142 is below the pin, and the jaws 141 are in a released state. When the chuck and the substrate w begin to rotate, the counterweight 142 moves upward around the pin under the action of centrifugal force, and correspondingly, the two jaws 141 move downward around the pin, clamping and fixing the apex position of the substrate w. When the chuck and the substrate w stop rotating, the counterweight 142 returns to its original position under the action of gravity, and correspondingly, the two jaws 141 move upward and release the substrate w.

[0030] Referring to Figure 6, the clamping device 1 further includes a limiting member 15 for limiting the height of the clamping member 14 moving upward around the pin axis. When the counterweight 142 rotates upward around the pin axis under the action of centrifugal force, the limiting member 15 limits the height of the upward rotation of the counterweight 142, thereby limiting the force of the jaw 141 pressing down on the substrate w. When the counterweight 142 rotates upward to the highest position, the jaw 141 also rotates to the lowest position accordingly. After that, the pressure applied by the jaw 141 to the substrate w remains unchanged, thus effectively preventing the jaw 141 from continuously pressing down and crushing the substrate w when the chuck speed is high. In some embodiments, the limiting member 15 is a limiting protrusion provided at the bottom of the base 11. When the counterweight 142 rotates upward around the pin axis at a certain angle, it will contact the limiting protrusion. The limiting protrusion prevents the counterweight 142 from continuing to rotate upward, thereby achieving the limiting.

[0031] As shown in Figure 2, the guide post 13 includes a sloping surface at the top and a vertical surface extending downwards from the bottom of the sloping surface. A support portion 131 protrudes from the center of the chuck body 2 onto the vertical surface. The sloping surface faces the interior of the chuck body 2 and is used to guide the substrate w. The vertical surface is used to limit the substrate w. The support portion 131 is at the same height as the support platform 12 and cooperates with the support platform 12 to jointly support the substrate w. Two guide posts 13 are disposed on both sides of the clamping member 14 and are used to limit the two sides forming the top corner of the substrate w, respectively. Therefore, the vertical surfaces of the two guide posts 13 are perpendicular to each other. The vertical surfaces of the multiple guide posts 13 form a square limiting ring, the size of which is equal to or slightly larger than the size of the square substrate w.

[0032] When placing the substrate w, if the robot arm has a positioning deviation, the substrate w is first guided to fall by the inclined surface of the guide post 13, and then the substrate w is positioned by the vertical surface. The guide post 13 and the substrate w adopt a linear contact method, which can ensure the positional accuracy of the substrate w when picking up and placing it.

[0033] Since the top corner of the square substrate w is easily damaged, it is preferable to increase the distance between the two grippers 141 so that there is a certain distance between the grippers 141 and the top corner of the substrate w, thereby reducing the risk of substrate w being damaged.

[0034] In some embodiments, the chuck further includes two clamping devices 1, and four clamping devices 1 are distributed on the chuck body 2, respectively used to clamp the four apex positions of the substrate w. As shown in FIG5, when the substrate w is square, each clamping device 1 is equally spaced on the edge of the chuck body 2, corresponding to the four apex positions of the square substrate w, which can clamp and fix the substrate w without affecting the robot's entry, exit and pick-up / drop of the substrate w.

[0035] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of this application and are not intended to limit this application. Any person skilled in the art can modify or alter the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or alterations made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and technical concept disclosed in this application should still be covered by the claims of this application.

Claims

1. A chuck for a square substrate, characterized in that, The device includes a chuck body and two clamping devices evenly distributed on the chuck body. The two clamping devices are used to clamp two opposite apex positions of a substrate. Each clamping device includes a base, a support platform, a clamping member, and a limiting member. The base is fixed to the chuck body, the support platform is disposed on the base and is used to support the substrate, and the clamping member is movably connected to the base via a pin and is used to clamp or release the substrate. The clamping member includes a jaw and a counterweight connected to the jaw, and the limiting member is disposed above the counterweight and is used to limit the height of the clamping member's upward movement around the pin.

2. The chuck for a square substrate according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the chuck rotates, the counterweight moves upward around the pin shaft under the action of centrifugal force and drives the jaws to clamp the base plate; when the chuck is stationary, the counterweight is positioned below the pin shaft under the action of gravity, so that the jaws are in a released state.

3. The chuck for a square substrate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The clamping member includes two clamping claws, which are respectively disposed on both sides of the support platform and are used to clamp the two sides forming the top corner of the substrate.

4. The chuck for a square substrate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The limiting component is a limiting protrusion, which is disposed at the bottom of the base.

5. The chuck for a square substrate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The clamping device further includes two guide posts, which are disposed on the base and located on both sides of the clamping member, for guiding the substrate and limiting the two sides of the substrate, which form a apex angle.

6. The chuck for a square substrate according to claim 5, characterized in that, The guide post includes a sloping surface at the top and a vertical surface extending downward from the bottom of the sloping surface. The sloping surface faces the interior of the chuck body and is used to guide the substrate. The vertical surface is used to limit the substrate. The extended surfaces of the vertical surfaces of multiple guide posts together form a square limiting ring. The size of the limiting ring is greater than or equal to the size of the substrate.

7. The chuck for a square substrate according to claim 5, characterized in that, The guide post has a support protruding towards the center of the chuck body, and the height of the support is the same as that of the support platform.

8. The chuck for a square substrate according to claim 5, characterized in that, The distances between the two guide posts and the clamping member are equal.

9. The chuck for a square substrate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The chuck also includes two clamping devices, and four clamping devices are disposed on the chuck body, respectively used to clamp the four apex positions of the substrate.

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