JPH0639449Y2 - Wafer transfer mechanism - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION <Industrial field of application> This invention is a semiconductor manufacturing process in which a wafer is loaded into and unloaded from a loading table in a prober for inspecting an electronic circuit completed on the upper surface of the wafer. It relates to a delivery mechanism for.

<Prior Art> Since many circuits are formed on the upper surface of the wafer when the wafer is transferred in the prober, it is not desirable to contact the upper surface. Further, since the wafer is made of a material that easily breaks, it needs to be handled gently, and since the wafer is delivered in a predetermined direction, its posture needs to be transferred to the wafer table as it is. Therefore, as one of the conventional techniques, a method of holding and transferring the outer periphery of the wafer by a suction device called a Bernoulli chuck has been adopted, but it is not desirable because the upper surface of the wafer is sucked and operated.

Although a method of supporting a part of the wafer from below is adopted, it has a drawback that the mechanism for placing it on the table is complicated and expensive.

<Problem Solving Method of the Present Invention> FIG. 1 shows an outline of the configuration of the present invention. Since the wafer 3 is accurately and quietly transferred onto the stage table 1, the wafer 3 is placed on the belt transfer mechanism 2 as shown in FIG. A, the transfer mechanism 2 moves to the right, and at B. Carry the wafer to just above the table. At this time, the wafer supports the wafer at its central portion. Further, a plurality of vertically movable pins 4 are erected at positions where they do not interfere with the transfer mechanism of the table 1, and when the state shown in FIG. B is reached, as shown in C, the wafer is supported from below by the pins 4 to support the transfer mechanism. To float from. Then, in the next stage, the transfer mechanism is moved to the left side, the pins 4 are lowered, and the wafer 3 is gently placed on the table 1. The present invention relates to a vertical movement mechanism of the pin 4. In the conventional method, there is a method of sucking and holding the wafer on the lower surface and transporting the wafer onto the table, but at this time as well, the wafer is received from the sucking and holding mechanism by the pin 4 penetrating the table and lowered to the table surface.

<Embodiment> In FIG. 2, the central axis 5 below the center of the table 1 is rotatably contained in a vertical cylinder 6 of the fixed portion. A pulley 8 is laterally attached to the outside of the cylinder 6 so as to be rotatable, and the pulley 8 is swung by a drive motor 7.

Here, the connecting mechanism between the pulley 8 and the table 1 is shown in FIGS. A rod 10 is fixed to the table 1 downward, and a groove 11 having a margin is cut in the pulley 8, and the rod 10 penetrates the groove 11. A roller 12 for restricting the contact position of the rod is provided on the right side of the groove in FIG.
Then, a tension spring 13 is provided between the table 1 and the pulley 8.
To provide.

In FIG. 4, when the table 1 (not shown) is pulled upward by the spring 13 by the spring 13, the lowest turning position is erected from the fixed portion, and the stopper 14 that hits the lower end of the rod 10 causes the table to move. Restrict turning.

On the upper surface of the pulley 8, as shown in FIG. 5, inclined projections 15, 16 and 17 having the same shape in three directions are concentrically attached at equal intervals. A ring 18 surrounding the cylinder is allowed to move only up and down by the cylinder 6, and the ring 18 is provided with three rollers 19 radially at intervals of 120 °. Arrange to be related to 17. Then, a pin 4 whose lower end is located on the ring 18 and vertically penetrates the table 1 at an appropriate position is provided.

Next, referring to FIG. 5, consider the point where one roller 19 contacts the upper surface of the pulley 8. Here, since the contact point is always at the intermediate point a and the lower end of the rod 10 and the stopper 14 are distant from each other, if the motor is rotated (+) (-) around the point a, the table will be ( The + and (-) turns are performed to position the wafer. That is, the area between b and c is the wafer angle adjustment area. Then, when the contact point reaches C, the lower end of the rod 10 of the table hits the stopper 14 and the table stops, and when the motor is further rotated, the pulley 8 rotates and the spring 13 is extended, so that the rod 10 has a margin section of the groove 11. The three rollers of the ring 18 simultaneously climb the inclined surfaces 15, 16 and 17 to raise the ring 18 and cause the pin 14 located on the ring to project from the upper surface of the table 1. This receives the wafer. So if the motor 7 is reversed,
The rollers descend on the inclined surface, and the pins 4 descend all at once, so that the wafer is gently placed on the table. Then, it is further rotated to the point a to prepare for the precise alignment.

In the above, the ring was raised by the protruding inclined surface on the upper surface of the pulley, and the pin was raised via the ring.However, the ring is omitted here, and the lower end of the pin is placed on the inclined surface, and the pin is directly attached. You may move it up and down. At this time, the slanted protrusion is attached according to the position of the pin.

<Effect> In the present invention, since the mechanism of the table rotation motor provided in the table is used, the number of components is reduced and the manufacturing cost is improved as compared with the conventional table to which the pin up / down movement mechanism is added. Not only can the table weight be reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 is an explanatory view of a state in which the present invention is used, FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a constitution of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a connecting mechanism between a pulley and a table, and FIG. A plan view, FIG. 5 is an explanatory view of the upper surface of the pulley, and FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing the relationship between the ring and the pulley. 1 ... Wafer table, 2 ... Wafer loading / unloading mechanism 3 ... Wafer, 4 ... Support pin, 5 ... Cylindrical 7 motor,
8 …… Pulley, 10 …… Rod, 11 …… Groove, 13 …… Spring, 14 …… Stopper, 15,16,17 …… Inclined part, 18 ……
Ring, 19 ...

Claims (2)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A device for loading and unloading a wafer to and from a loading table capable of precisely feeding a predetermined plurality of partially inclined projections provided on an upper surface of a pulley which is rotated by a rotation driving motor of the table, and the projections. A wafer transfer mechanism including a ring that vertically moves up and down in relation to a part, and a plurality of pins that contact a lower end of the ring and vertically penetrate the table. 2. The wafer transfer mechanism according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of pins having their lower ends in contact with the inclined projections on the upper surface of the pulley and vertically penetrating the table.