Patent Application
20230245915
The present disclosure relates to a field of semiconductor integrated circuit chip manufacturing equipment, more specifically, to a wafer transfer device, a transfer method and a cleaning module of a chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) machine.
The chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) machine usually includes a semiconductor equipment front end system (EFEM), a cleaning system and a polishing system. A wafer is transferred by a manipulator among different systems. There are several wafer cleaning units in the cleaning system, and the wafer is cleaned in each unit in turn; during such process, a wafer transfer device is required to complete the task of transferring the wafer. A claw clamping arm of the wafer transfer device puts the wafer to be cleaned into the cleaning module and takes out the cleaned wafer from the unit, and the entire wafer transfer device needs to be kept highly clean. In existing devices, the wafer transfer device is installed by hanging. However, during use, impurities or particles on the device suffering from wear or friction of the device may fall into the cleaning modules, which affect the wafer cleaning effect. Therefore, the wafer transfer device of the existing cleaning system need to be improved, so that the entire device can complete the function while minimizing the number and possibility of particles falling from the device.
The present disclosure provides a wafer transfer device, a transfer method and a cleaning module of a chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) machine. A X-transfer axis of the wafer transfer device of the cleaning module of the CMP machine is installed at a lower end of Z-transfer axis. It satisfies a wafer transfer among each of cleaning modules of the CMP machine while it effectively reduces impurities and particles falling down and improves a wafer cleaning effect.
In order to achieve above purpose, the present disclosure provides a wafer transfer device for a cleaning module of a CMP machine, the cleaning module of the CMP machine at least comprises an anterior cleaning channel module, a cleaning module and a drying module, the wafer transfer device comprises:
Further, the X-axis moving module comprises: a X-transfer axis; an X-axis driver; and at least one X-axis moving slider, wherein the X-axis driver drives the X-axis moving slider installed on the X-transfer axis to move in the X-axis direction along the X-transfer axis, and the X-axis moving slider is connected to at least one Z-axis moving module.
Further, the Z-axis moving module comprises: a Z-transfer axis; a Z-axis driver; and a Z-axis moving slider, wherein the Z-axis driver drives the Z-axis moving slider installed on the Z-transfer axis to move in the Z-axis direction along the Z-transfer axis, and the Z-axis moving slider is connected to at least one claw clamping arm module.
Further, the claw clamping arm module comprises a claw clamping arm, the claw clamping arm takes the Z-axis moving slider as an original point and rotates 360° on a plane formed by the X-axis and the Z-axis.
The present disclosure also provides a cleaning module of a CMP machine, comprising: at least one anterior cleaning channel module, at least one cleaning module, and at least one drying module and the wafer transfer device.
The present disclosure also provides a wafer transfer method of using the wafer transfer device:
Further, the X-axis driver drives at least one X-axis moving slider installed on the X-transfer axis to move in the X-axis direction along the X-transfer axis, and the X-axis moving slider drives at least one Z-axis moving slider to move in the X-axis direction along the X-transfer axis.
Further, the Z-axis driver drives at least one Z-axis moving slider installed on the Z-transfer axis to move in the Z-axis direction along the Z-transfer axis, and the Z-axis moving slider drives the claw clamping arm module to move in the Z-axis direction along the Z-transfer axis.
Further, the claw clamping arm takes the Z-axis moving slider as the original point and rotates 360° on the plane formed by the X-axis and the Z-axis.
The present disclosure has following advantages:
A wafer transfer device of a cleaning module of a chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) machine provided by the present disclosure is further described in detail below by combining the attached drawings and specific embodiments. According to description and the scope of claims, the advantages and features of the present disclosure are clearer. It should be noted that, the attached drawings adopt in simplified forms and imprecise scale, and they are only used to conveniently and clearly illustrate purposes of the embodiments of the present disclosure.
The present disclosure provides a wafer transfer device, which is used for a cleaning module of a CMP machine, the cleaning module of the CMP machine at least includes an anterior cleaning channel module, a cleaning module and a drying module. The wafer transfer device includes: at least one claw clamping arm, which is used for picking up and placing the wafer; at least one Z-axis moving module, which is connected to the claw clamping arm, which is used for performing a movement of the claw clamping arm in a Z-axis direction; at least one X-axis moving module, which is connected to a lower end of the Z-axis moving module, which is used for performing a movement of the claw clamping arm in an X-axis direction.
The X-axis moving module includes a X-transfer axis, an X-axis driver and at least one X-axis moving slider; the X-transfer axis is deposited on a side of the cleaning module of the CMP machine; the X-axis moving slider is fixedly installed on the X-transfer axis; the X-axis driver is deposited on an end of driving the X-transfer axis, which is used for driving the X-axis moving slider to move in the X-axis direction along the X-transfer axis.
The Z-axis moving module includes a Z-transfer axis, a Z-axis driver and at least one Z-axis moving slider; the Z-axis moving slider is fixedly installed on the Z-transfer axis; an end of the Z-axis driver is fixed on the X-axis moving slider, the other end is connected to the Z-transfer axis, which is used for driving the Z-axis moving slider to move in the Z-axis direction along the Z-transfer axis.
The claw clamping arm module is installed on the Z-axis moving slider, the claw clamping arm module includes a claw clamping arm, the claw clamping arm takes the Z-axis moving slider as an original point and rotates 360° on the plane formed by the X-axis and the Z-axis.
The installation manner of a plurality of the X-axis moving modules includes but not limited to overlapping installation along the Y-axis or parallel installation along the X-axis.
A wafer transfer method, includes:
Under a coaction of the X-axis moving module and the Z-axis moving module, the movement of the claw clamping arm module on the plane formed by the X-axis and the Z-axis is eventually performed. The X-axis moving module, the Z-axis moving module and the claw clamping arm module have the coaction to perform transferring, picking up and placing the wafer among each of modules of the cleaning module of the CMP machine, and then finish the cleaning of the wafer.
The present disclosure also provides a cleaning module of a CMP machine, including: at least one anterior cleaning channel module, at least one cleaning module, at least one drying module and the wafer transfer device; the anterior cleaning channel module is used for storing the wafer to be cleaned; the cleaning module is used for cleaning the wafer; the drying module is used for drying the cleaned wafer. The placement order of the anterior cleaning channel module, the cleaning module and the drying module can be arranged in sequence on the side of the wafer transfer device or be arranged in disorder on the side of the wafer transfer device.
For clarity, the cleaning module in the embodiments of the present disclosure includes an anterior cleaning channel module, a first cleaning module, a second cleaning module, a drying module, the anterior cleaning channel module, the first cleaning module, the second cleaning module and the drying module, which are arranged in sequence along the X-transfer axis direction, and each module has a wafer.
As shown in
In this embodiment, the wafer transfer method of the wafer transfer device is:
The X-axis driver 102 moves and drives the Z-axis moving module 2 fixed on the X-axis moving slider 103 to move, the Z-axis moving module 2 moves above the drying module 6, the Z-axis driver 202 drives the claw clamping arm module 3 installed on the Z-axis moving slider 203 to move upward and downward, the claw clamping arm 301 takes out the dried wafer from the drying module 6 and places the wafer into the following process of the CMP machine. Then, the Z-axis moving module 2 moves above the second cleaning module 502, the claw clamping arm 301 takes out the wafer from the second cleaning module 502. The Z-axis moving module 2 further moves above the drying module 6, the claw clamping arm 301 places the wafer taken from the second cleaning module 502 into the drying module 6. After that, the Z-axis moving module 2 further moves above the first cleaning module 501, the claw clamping arm 301 takes out the wafer from the first cleaning module 501. The Z-axis moving module 2 further moves above the second cleaning module 502, the claw clamping arm 301 places the wafer taken from the first cleaning module 501 into the second cleaning module 502. The Z-axis moving module 2 further moves above the anterior cleaning channel module 4, the claw clamping arm 301 takes out one wafer to be cleaned from the anterior cleaning channel module 4. The Z-axis moving module 2 further moves above the first cleaning module 501, the claw clamping arm 301 places the wafer taken from the anterior cleaning channel module 4 into the first cleaning module 501. Afterwards, the Z-axis moving module 2 moves above the drying module 6. Above operations are repeated.
As shown in
In this embodiment, the wafer transfer method of the wafer transfer device of the cleaning module of the CMP machine is:
The X-axis driver 102 moves and drives the Z-axis moving module 2 to move above the anterior cleaning channel module 4, the claw clamping arm 301 takes out one wafer to be cleaned from the anterior cleaning channel module 4. Then, the Z-axis moving module 2 and the first Z-axis moving module 21 move together. After the first Z-axis moving module 21 moves above the first cleaning module 501 and the first claw clamping arm 3011 takes out the wafer from the first cleaning module 501, the Z-axis moving module 2 further moves above the first cleaning module 501 and places the wafer taken from the anterior cleaning channel module 4 into the first cleaning module 501. Next, the Z-axis moving module 2 and the first Z-axis moving module 21 move together above the second cleaning module 502, the claw clamping arm 301 takes out the wafer from the second cleaning module 502, the first claw clamping arm 3011 places the wafer taken from the first cleaning module 501 into the second cleaning module 502. After that, the Z-axis moving module 2 further moves above the drying module 6, the claw clamping arm 301 places the wafer taken from the second cleaning module 502 into the drying module 6. Afterwards, the Z-axis moving module moves above the anterior cleaning channel module 4. Above operations are repeated.
As shown in
In this embodiment, the wafer transfer method of the wafer transfer device of the cleaning module of the CMP machine is:
The X-axis driver 102 moves and drives the second Z-axis moving module 22 to move above the anterior cleaning channel module 4, the third claw clamping arm 3013 takes out one wafer o be cleaned from the anterior cleaning channel module 4. Then, the second Z-axis moving module 22 further moves above the first cleaning module 501, the second claw clamping arm 3012 takes out the wafer from the first cleaning module 501, the third claw clamping arm 3013 places the wafer taken from the anterior cleaning channel module 4 into the first cleaning module 501. The Z-axis moving module 2 moves above the second cleaning module 502, the claw clamping arm 301 takes out the wafer from the second cleaning module 502. The Z-axis moving module 2 further moves above the drying module 6, the claw clamping arm 301 places the wafer taken from the second cleaning module 502 into the drying module 6. The second Z-axis moving module 22 further moves above the second cleaning module 502, the second claw clamping arm 3012 places the wafer taken from the first cleaning module 501 into the second cleaning module 502. Afterwards, the second Z-axis moving module 22 further moves above the anterior cleaning channel module 4. Above operations are repeated.
As shown in
In this embodiment, the wafer transfer method of the wafer transfer device of the cleaning module of the CMP machine is:
The X-axis driver 102 drives the Z-axis moving module 2 to move above the anterior cleaning channel module 4, the claw clamping arm 301 takes out one wafer to be cleaned from the anterior cleaning channel module 4. The first X-axis driver 1021 drives the first Z-axis moving module 21 to move above the first cleaning module 501, the first claw clamping arm 3011 takes out the wafer from the first cleaning module 501. Then, the Z-axis moving module 2 moves above the first cleaning module 501, the claw clamping arm 301 places the wafer taken from the anterior cleaning channel module 4 into the first cleaning module 501. The Z-axis moving module 2 further moves above the second cleaning module 502, the claw clamping arm 301 takes out the wafer from the second cleaning module 502. The first Z-axis moving module 21 further moves above the second cleaning module 502, the first claw clamping arm 3011 places the wafer taken from the first cleaning module 501 into the second cleaning module 502. The Z-axis moving module 2 further moves above the drying module 6, the claw clamping arm 301 places the wafer taken from the second cleaning module 502 into the drying module 6. Afterwards, the Z-axis moving module 2 moves above the anterior cleaning channel module 4. Above operations are repeated.
As shown in
In this embodiment, the wafer transfer method of the wafer transfer device of the cleaning module of the CMP machine is:
The second X-axis driver 1022 drives the second Z-axis moving module 22 to move above the anterior cleaning channel module 4, the third claw clamping arm 3013 takes out one wafer to be cleaned from the anterior cleaning channel module 4. The second Z-axis moving module 22 further moves above the first cleaning module 501, the second claw clamping arm 3012 takes out the wafer from the first cleaning module 501, the third claw clamping arm 3013 places the wafer taken from the anterior cleaning channel module 4 into the first cleaning module 501. The X-axis driver 102 drives the Z-axis moving module 2 to move above the second cleaning module 502, the claw clamping arm 301 takes out the wafer from the second cleaning module 502. The Z-axis moving module 2 further moves above the drying module 6, the claw clamping arm 301 places the wafer taken from the second cleaning module 502 into the drying module 6. Then, the second Z-axis moving module 22 further moves above the second cleaning module 502, the second claw clamping arm 3012 places the wafer taken from the first cleaning module 501 into the second cleaning module 502. Afterwards, the second Z-axis moving module 22 further moves above the anterior cleaning channel module 4. Above operations are repeated.
Cleaning modules of the cleaning module of the CMP machine provided in above embodiments are all vertically placed wafer. When one module of the cleaning modules is horizontally placed the wafer, the claw clamping arm module provided in this embodiment can rotate around the Z-axis moving slider to perform the switch of vertical placement and horizontal placement of the wafer. As shown in
In this embodiment, the wafer transfer method of the wafer transfer device of the cleaning module of the CMP machine is:
The X-axis driver 102 drives the Z-axis moving module 2 to move to a side of the drying module 6, the claw clamping arm 301 rotates 90° around the Z-axis moving slider 203, the claw clamping arm 301 takes out the completely dried wafer from the drying module 6 and places the wafer into the following process of the CMP machine. Then, the claw clamping arm 301 rotates -90° around the Z-axis moving slider 203, the Z-axis moving module 2 moves above the second cleaning module 502, the claw clamping arm 301 takes out the wafer from the second cleaning module 502. The Z-axis moving module 2 further moves to the side of the drying module 6, the claw clamping arm 301 rotates 90° around the Z-axis moving slider 203, the claw clamping arm 301 places the wafer taken from the second cleaning module 502 into the drying module 6. After that, the claw clamping arm 301 rotates -90° around the Z-axis moving slider 203, the Z-axis moving module 2 moves above the first cleaning module 501, the claw clamping arm 301 takes out the wafer from the first cleaning module 501. The Z-axis moving module 2 further moves above the second cleaning module 502, the claw clamping arm 301 places the wafer taken from the first cleaning module 501 into the second cleaning module 502. The Z-axis moving module 2 further moves above the anterior cleaning channel module 4, the claw clamping arm 301 takes out one wafer to be cleaned from the anterior cleaning channel module 4. The Z-axis moving module 2 further moves above the first cleaning module 501, the claw clamping arm 301 places the wafer taken from the anterior cleaning channel module 4 into the first cleaning module 501. Afterwards, the Z-axis moving module 2 moves to the side of the drying module 6. Above operations are repeated.
The present disclosure has following advantages:
In the present disclosure, the X-axis moving module of the wafer transfer device is installed at the lower end of the Z-axis moving module, it reduces the possibility that impurities and particles generated during the use of the wafer transfer device falling into the cleaning module of the CMP machine, and improves the wafer cleaning effect. Meanwhile, the X-axis moving module is installed at the lower end of the Z-axis moving module, it greatly lowers the overall center of gravity of the wafer transfer device, moves the claw clamping arm at a height closer to the cleaning module of the CMP machine, reduces the tremble of the claw clamping arm in the process of picking up and placing the wafer, and enhances the stability of the claw clamping arm module. Moreover, it increases the number of the X-axis moving module and Z-axis moving module, can flexibly configurate the wafer transfer method, and shortens the overall wafer transfer time.
Although the content of the present disclosure is introduced in detail through the above preferred embodiments, it should note that the above description shall not be considered as any limitation on the present disclosure. By reading the above description, those skilled in the art can develop obvious modifications and substitutions of the present disclosure. Therefore, the scope for which protection is sought of the present disclosure should be defined by the attached claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 202010373153.6 | May 2020 | CN | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/CN2020/120376 | 10/12/2020 | WO |
