阅读说明：本技术 承载装置、晶片转移装置、腔体装置、和晶片处理设备 (Bearing device, wafer transfer device, cavity device and wafer processing equipment ) 是由 蒋磊 米涛 于 2021-09-03 设计创作，主要内容包括：本公开提供相对于参照物能够伸缩的承载装置、晶片转移装置、在不同压力环境之间交换晶片的腔体装置、和晶片处理设备,所述承载装置包括：基部；可动平台,与所述基部相对设置；顶杆,配置成延伸穿过固定于所述基部的轴承并且联接至所述可动平台；以及驱动件,相对于所述参照物固定且配置成推抵所述顶杆相对于所述基部移位；所述承载装置还包括布置成包围所述顶杆的波纹管组件,所述波纹管组件包括套设于所述顶杆上的第一波纹管,所述顶杆与所述第一波纹管共同限定第一空间,所述第一空间通过所述顶杆与所述轴承之间的间隙联通至大气环境。(The present disclosure provides a carrier device that is retractable with respect to a reference, a wafer transfer device, a chamber device for exchanging wafers between different pressure environments, and a wafer processing apparatus, the carrier device comprising: a base; a movable platform disposed opposite the base; a ram configured to extend through a bearing fixed to the base and coupled to the movable platform; and a drive member fixed relative to the reference object and configured to urge the ram to displace relative to the base; the bearing device further comprises a corrugated pipe assembly arranged to surround the ejector rod, the corrugated pipe assembly comprises a first corrugated pipe sleeved on the ejector rod, the ejector rod and the first corrugated pipe jointly limit a first space, and the first space is communicated with the atmosphere environment through a gap between the ejector rod and the bearing.)

1. A load bearing device that is retractable with respect to a reference, comprising:

a base;

a movable platform disposed opposite the base;

a ram configured to extend through a bearing fixed to the base and coupled to the movable platform; and

a drive fixed relative to the reference and configured to urge the ram to displace relative to the base,

the bearing device further comprises a corrugated pipe assembly arranged to surround the ejector rod, the corrugated pipe assembly comprises a first corrugated pipe sleeved on the ejector rod, the ejector rod and the first corrugated pipe jointly limit a first space, and the first space is communicated with the atmosphere environment through a gap between the ejector rod and the bearing.

2. The carrier according to claim 1 wherein the bellows assembly further comprises an outer tube wrapped around the exterior of the first bellows, and the base, the movable platform, the first bellows and the outer tube collectively define a second space.

3. The carrier of claim 2, wherein the second space is in communication with a pressure environment at a side of the movable platform facing away from the base via a gas passage formed through the base.

4. The carrier according to claim 2 wherein the second space communicates to a source of internal gas pressure adjustable via a gas passage formed through the base.

5. The carrier according to claim 2 wherein a first surface of the movable platform facing towards the base and a second surface facing away from the base are both flat and perpendicular to the axis of the ram, the portion of the first surface between the first bellows and the outer tube having a smaller area than the second surface.

6. The carrier of claim 5, wherein the second surface has an area that is no greater than an area of the first surface.

7. The carrier according to claim 2 wherein the outer tube is an outer bellows that fits over and surrounds the first bellows.

8. The carrier according to claim 2 wherein the outer tube is an expandable elastic sleeve that is axially compressed to a maximum extent in an initial state, and a maximum extent of the elastic sleeve that can be elastically expanded in its axial direction is greater than a maximum extent of the first bellows.

9. The carrier according to claim 2, 7 or 8 wherein the bellows assembly is made of a metallic material comprising one of: nickel, nickel alloys, stainless steel, titanium alloys, or combinations thereof.

10. The carrier according to claim 1 wherein the drive comprises a prime mover comprising a trapezoidal lead screw linear stepper motor or one or more piezoelectric actuators.

11. The carrier according to claim 10 wherein the drive further comprises a displacement amplification mechanism coupled between the prime mover and the ram, the displacement amplification mechanism being driven by the prime mover and outputting an amplified amount of displacement compared to the amount of displacement of the prime mover only in a first direction of extension of the ram at an end of the displacement amplification mechanism connected to the ram.

12. The carrier of claim 11, wherein the displacement amplification mechanism comprises at least one of: a link mechanism and a lever mechanism.

13. Load carrying apparatus according to claim 12, wherein displacements of symmetrically arranged components of the linkage in opposite directions in a plane orthogonal to the first direction cancel each other out such that degrees of freedom of movement at the end of the displacement amplifying mechanism other than degrees of freedom of movement in the first direction are substantially constrained.

14. A load bearing device according to claim 12, wherein the components of the linkage mechanism are arranged to cause the degrees of freedom of movement at the end of the displacement amplification mechanism other than the degree of freedom of movement in the first direction to be substantially constrained, depending on the fit relationship and dimensional constraints between them.

15. The carrier according to claim 13 wherein the prime mover is the one or more piezoelectric actuators, the one or more piezoelectric actuators including two piezoelectric actuators arranged in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, and

the link mechanism includes:

a connecting member coupled to the carrier rod in the first direction;

a cross bar extending in the second direction and coupled with the connection member at a middle portion; and

two motion deviator, symmetrical arrangement in the horizontal both sides of connecting element and become transmission linkage with two piezoelectric actuator respectively, every motion deviator includes:

a pair of elongated deformable members symmetrically arranged on both sides of the respective piezoelectric actuator in the first direction and respectively capable of expanding and contracting in the second direction by deforming at respective middle portions, one of which has a middle portion coupled to the cross bar and the other of which has a middle portion fixed with respect to the reference object; and

two connectors, each connected to one end of the respective piezoelectric actuator via one connector at a respective proximal end relative to the connecting member and to an opposite end of the respective piezoelectric actuator via another connector at a respective distal end relative to the connecting member.

16. The carrier according to claim 14 wherein the prime mover is the one or more piezoelectric actuators, the linkage is configured in the form of a frame and includes a fixed portion fixed relative to the reference and a movable portion displaceable in a first direction, and a coupling portion between the fixed portion and the movable portion, and one end of the piezoelectric actuator is pivotably hingedly connected to the fixed portion of the frame and an opposite end of the piezoelectric actuator is attached to the movable portion of the frame, the piezoelectric actuator being disposed at an angle of between 2 ° and 45 ° to a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.

17. A wafer transfer apparatus, comprising:

load carrying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 16, arranged such that the first direction is a vertical direction, thereby acting as a first stage that is liftable in a vertical direction;

the second carrying platform can lift along the vertical direction;

the arm subassembly sets up between first microscope carrier and second microscope carrier, and includes:

a vertically suspended rotating shaft; and

a rotating arm including a rod-shaped main body rotatably mounted at a lower end of the rotating shaft about a vertical axis of the rotating shaft and extending along a longitudinal axis orthogonal to the vertical axis,

wherein the rotary arm further comprises two support portions formed at opposite ends of the main body and configured to rotate about a vertical axis to perform wafer transfer from a top of one of the first stage and the second stage to a top of the other by means of a supporting action of the two support portions.

18. The wafer transfer device of claim 17,

each support part comprises at least one plate-like support perpendicular to the vertical axis, a minimum distance between respective supports of the two support parts is greater than a minimum distance between respective top surface edges of the first and second stages, and a maximum distance between respective supports of the two support plates is less than a maximum distance between respective top surface edges of the first and second stages, and

each support is arranged to be out of contact with each of the first and second stages during rotation of the rotary arm about the vertical axis.

19. The wafer transfer device of claim 18, wherein the wafer transfer device is configured to:

when the rotary arm is rotated to a first position, the longitudinal axis is perpendicular to a first plane commonly defined by respective axes of the first stage and the second stage, and respective top surfaces of the first stage and the second stage are flush;

when the rotary arm is rotated to a second position rotated by 90 degrees from the first position, the longitudinal axis is coplanar with the first plane, and the first stage and the second stage are lowered so that the top surfaces of the first stage and the second stage are lower than the tops of the two support parts; and is

When the rotating arm is rotated to a third position rotated 180 degrees from the second position, the longitudinal axis is perpendicular to a first plane collectively defined by respective axes of the first stage and the second stage, and the first stage and the second stage are raised such that respective top surfaces are higher than top portions of the two support portions.

20. The wafer transfer device of claim 19,

the two support portions are of a planar configuration, configured as two curved plate-like supports extending respectively to opposite sides of the body in a support plane perpendicular to a vertical axis, each plate-like support being provided with an upper surface perpendicular to the vertical axis.

21. A chamber assembly for exchanging a first wafer and a second wafer between different pressure environments, the chamber assembly comprising:

the shell is also provided with an opening communicated between the first pressure environment and the second pressure environment; and

the wafer transfer device of any one of claims 17 to 20, disposed inside the vacuum chamber, and the first stage is arranged to at least partially overlap the opening;

wherein the wafer transfer device further comprises a valve plate coaxially disposed on the first stage and configured to be lifted and lowered with the first stage to close or open the opening.

22. A wafer processing apparatus, comprising:

a first housing defining a vacuum chamber in which a wafer processing apparatus or a wafer inspection apparatus is mounted;

the wafer transfer device according to any one of claims 17 to 20; and

a second housing disposed adjacent to the first housing defining a transition chamber;

wherein the content of the first and second substances,

the first shell is provided with an opening communicated with the second shell, the first carrier of the wafer transfer device is arranged to be at least partially overlapped with the opening, and the wafer transfer device further comprises a first valve plate which is coaxially arranged on the first carrier and is configured to be lifted with the first carrier to close or open the opening;

the transition chamber being in communication with the vacuum chamber via the opening at one side and with the atmosphere via a second valve at the other side; and

the electron beam inspection apparatus also includes a robot arm disposed outside the first housing and configured to move the wafer between the atmospheric environment and the transition chamber.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to the field of semiconductor technologies, and in particular, to a carrier device that can be extended and retracted with respect to a reference, a wafer transfer device, a chamber device for exchanging wafers between different pressure environments, and a wafer processing apparatus.

Background

With the development of semiconductor technology and the progress of process technology, increasingly refined processes depend on a vacuum dust-free processing environment; in turn, there is a great need in the semiconductor processing industry to improve the utilization of the clean processing environment for efficiency and cost considerations. However, in the wafer processing apparatus in the art, it is necessary to automatically feed and output wafers for continuous wafer processing and inspection, but a wafer transfer manner that uses a robot arm as a translation sheet transfer means, in other words, for example, a robot arm is used as a wafer transfer mechanism, and the whole apparatus occupies a large area. In addition, the mechanical arm has long wafer conveying time, and the conventional conveying valve, the vacuum mechanical arm and the vacuum pump have high prices. This results in greater space usage, lower efficiency and economy. Also, the valves between the different pressure environments, and the respective wafer transport mechanisms for wafer transfer in the different pressure environments are separately driven, resulting in a complicated control aspect design. And if the moving stage for the wafer is also multiplexed as a valve between different environments, the large driving force required to raise and lower the stage due to the air pressure difference on both sides of the stage needs to be taken into account.

Therefore, there is a need for a wafer transfer apparatus having a simple and compact structure and suitable for transferring wafers in a limited space, which can improve space occupation, accuracy, efficiency, mechanical reliability, control design simplification, and maintenance convenience of transferring wafers between different processing environments.

Disclosure of Invention

To solve at least one aspect of the above problems and disadvantages of the prior art, the present invention provides a carrier that is retractable with respect to a reference, a wafer transfer device, a chamber device for exchanging wafers between different pressure environments, and a wafer processing apparatus.

In order to achieve the purpose, the technical scheme is as follows:

according to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a load bearing device that is retractable with respect to a reference, comprising: a base; a movable platform disposed opposite the base; a ram configured to extend through a bearing fixed to the base and coupled to the movable platform; and a driving piece fixed relative to the reference object and configured to push the ejector rod to displace relative to the base. The carrier further comprises a bellows assembly arranged to surround the ram, the bellows assembly comprising a first bellows sleeved on the ram, the first bellows being sealingly bonded to the base at a lower edge and to the movable platform at an upper edge, respectively, and the ram and the first bellows together defining a first space, the first space being communicated to the atmosphere through a gap between the ram and the bearing.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the bellows assembly further includes an outer tube wrapped around an exterior of the first bellows, an inner wall of the outer tube being spaced apart from an outer wall of the first bellows, the outer tube being sealingly bonded to the base at a lower edge and the movable platform at an upper edge, respectively, and the base, the movable platform, the first bellows, and the outer tube collectively defining a second space.

According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the second space is in communication with the pressure environment at a side of the movable platform facing away from the base via a gas passage formed through the base.

According to an alternative embodiment of the present disclosure, the second space is communicated to an internal gas pressure adjustable gas pressure source via a gas passage formed through the base.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a first surface of the movable platform facing the base and a second surface facing away from the base are both flat and perpendicular to an axis of the ram, and an area of a portion of the first surface between the first bellows and the outer tube is smaller than an area of the second surface.

According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, the area of the second surface is not greater than the area of the first surface.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the outer tube is an outer bellows sleeved on the first bellows and surrounding the first bellows.

According to an alternative embodiment of the present disclosure, the outer tube is an elastic sleeve that is axially compressed to the maximum extent in an initial state, and a maximum extent of the elastic sleeve that can be elastically expanded in its axial direction is larger than a maximum extent of the first bellows.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the bellows assembly is made of a metallic material comprising one of: nickel, nickel alloys, stainless steel, titanium alloys, or combinations thereof.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the drive comprises a prime mover comprising a trapezoidal lead screw linear stepper motor or one or more piezoelectric actuators.

According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, the driving member further includes a displacement amplification mechanism coupled between the prime mover and the jack, the displacement amplification mechanism being driven by the prime mover and outputting an amplified amount of displacement compared to the amount of displacement of the prime mover only in a first direction in which the jack extends at an end of the displacement amplification mechanism connected to the jack.

As an example, the displacement amplification mechanism comprises at least one of: a link mechanism and a lever mechanism.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, displacements in opposite directions of symmetrically arranged components of the linkage mechanism in a plane orthogonal to the first direction cancel each other out such that degrees of freedom of movement at the end of the displacement amplifying mechanism other than degrees of freedom of movement in the first direction are substantially constrained.

According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, the prime mover is the one or more piezoelectric actuators, the one or more piezoelectric actuators include two piezoelectric actuators arranged in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, and the linkage mechanism includes: a connecting member coupled to the carrier rod in the first direction; a cross bar extending in the second direction and coupled with the connection member at a middle portion; and the two motion turning mechanisms are symmetrically arranged at the two transverse sides of the connecting component and are in transmission connection with the two piezoelectric actuators respectively. Each motion diversion mechanism includes: a pair of elongated deformable members symmetrically arranged on both sides of the respective piezoelectric actuator in the first direction and respectively capable of expanding and contracting in the second direction by deforming at respective middle portions, one of which has a middle portion coupled to the cross bar and the other of which has a middle portion fixed with respect to the reference object; and two connectors, the pair of elongated deformable members being connected to one end of the respective piezoelectric actuator via one connector at respective proximal ends relative to the connecting member and connected to the opposite end of the respective piezoelectric actuator via the other connector at respective distal ends relative to the connecting member.

According to an alternative embodiment of the present disclosure, the components of the linkage mechanism are arranged to cause other degrees of freedom of movement at the end of the displacement amplification mechanism other than the degree of freedom of movement in the first direction to be substantially constrained, depending on the fit relationship and dimensional constraints between them.

According to a further embodiment of the disclosure, the prime mover is the one or more piezoelectric actuators, the linkage is configured in the form of a frame and comprises a fixed part fixed relative to the reference and a movable part displaceable in a first direction, and a coupling part between the fixed part and the movable part, and one end of the piezoelectric actuator is pivotably hingedly connected to the fixed part of the frame, and the opposite end of the piezoelectric actuator is attached to the movable part of the frame, the piezoelectric actuator being arranged at an angle of between 2 ° and 45 ° to a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the displacement amplification mechanism includes only at least one lever directly coupled between the prime mover and the jack as the lever mechanism, the lever utilizing a principle of leverage to amplify a displacement amount in the first direction output by the link mechanism as a displacement amount in the first direction output by the displacement amplification mechanism.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the displacement amplification mechanism includes only at least one lever coupled between the link mechanism and the jack as the lever mechanism, the lever amplifying a displacement amount in the first direction output by the link mechanism as a displacement amount in the first direction output by the displacement amplification mechanism using a principle of leverage.

In addition, according to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a wafer transfer apparatus including: according to the aforementioned carrier device, the carrier device is arranged such that the first direction is a vertical direction, thereby serving as a first stage that is liftable in the vertical direction; the second carrying platform can lift along the vertical direction; the arm assembly is arranged between the first carrying platform and the second carrying platform. The arm assembly includes: a vertically suspended rotating shaft; and a rotating arm including a rod-shaped main body rotatably mounted at a lower end of the rotating shaft about a vertical axis of the rotating shaft and extending along a longitudinal axis orthogonal to the vertical axis. The rotary arm further includes two support portions formed at opposite ends of the main body, and is configured to rotate about a vertical axis to perform wafer transfer from a top of one of the first stage and the second stage to a top of the other by means of a supporting action of the two support portions.

According to an embodiment of the disclosure, each support comprises at least one plate-like support perpendicular to the vertical axis, a minimum distance between respective supports of the two supports being greater than a minimum distance between respective top surface edges of the first and second stages and a maximum distance between respective supports of the two support plates being less than a maximum distance between respective top surface edges of the first and second stages; and each support is arranged not to contact each of the first and second stages during rotation of the rotary arm about the vertical axis.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the wafer transfer device is configured to: when the rotary arm is rotated to a first position, the longitudinal axis is perpendicular to a first plane commonly defined by respective axes of the first stage and the second stage, and respective top surfaces of the first stage and the second stage are flush; when the rotary arm is rotated to a second position rotated by 90 degrees from the first position, the longitudinal axis is coplanar with the first plane, and the first stage and the second stage are lowered so that the top surfaces of the first stage and the second stage are lower than the tops of the two support parts; and when the rotating arm is rotated to a third position rotated 180 degrees from the second position, the longitudinal axis is perpendicular to a first plane defined by respective axes of the first stage and the second stage, and the first stage and the second stage are raised such that respective top surfaces are higher than top portions of the two support portions.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the two support portions are of a planar configuration, the two support portions being configured as two curved plate-like supports extending to opposite sides of the main body, respectively, in a support plane perpendicular to a vertical axis, each plate-like support being provided with an upper surface perpendicular to the vertical axis.

Additionally, according to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a chamber apparatus for exchanging a first wafer and a second wafer between different pressure environments, the chamber apparatus comprising: the shell is also provided with an opening communicated between the first pressure environment and the second pressure environment; and according to the aforementioned wafer transfer device, the first stage is disposed inside the vacuum chamber, and the first stage is arranged to at least partially overlap the opening. The wafer transfer device further includes a valve plate coaxially provided to the first stage and configured to be lifted and lowered with the first stage to close or open the opening.

In addition, according to still another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a wafer processing apparatus including: a first housing defining a vacuum chamber in which a wafer processing apparatus or a wafer inspection apparatus is mounted; the wafer transfer apparatus according to the foregoing; a second housing disposed adjacent to the first housing defining a transition chamber. The first shell is provided with an opening communicated with the second shell, the first carrier of the wafer transfer device is arranged to be at least partially overlapped with the opening, and the wafer transfer device further comprises a first valve plate which is coaxially arranged on the first carrier and is configured to be lifted with the first carrier to close or open the opening; the transition chamber being in communication with the vacuum chamber via the opening at one side and with the atmosphere via a second valve at the other side; and the electron beam inspection apparatus further comprises a robotic arm disposed outside the first housing and configured to move the wafer between the atmospheric environment and the transition chamber.

Drawings

Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings in which corresponding reference symbols indicate corresponding parts. The drawings are briefly described as follows:

fig. 1(a) shows a schematic view of a load-bearing device that is capable of telescoping, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

fig. 1(b) shows a schematic view of another load-bearing, telescoping device according to further embodiments of the disclosure, wherein the second space communicates to a pressure environment at a side of the movable platform facing away from the base;

fig. 1(c) shows a schematic view of another load-bearing telescopic device according to further embodiments of the present disclosure, wherein the second space is communicated to an internal air pressure adjustable air pressure source;

FIG. 2(a) shows a front view of the carrier as shown in FIG. 1 (b);

FIG. 2(b) shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the carrier as shown in FIG. 1 (b);

FIG. 2(c) shows an exploded view based on a longitudinal sectional view of the carrier shown in FIG. 2 (b);

fig. 3(a) and 3(b) schematically show the force-bearing schematic diagram of the carrying device shown in fig. 1(b) in two different working states respectively placed in a vacuum environment and in an atmospheric environment;

figure 4(a) shows a structural schematic block diagram of a driver according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

figure 4(b) shows a schematic structural diagram of a driver including a piezoelectric actuator, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4(c) shows a schematic structural diagram of a driver including a piezoelectric actuator according to further embodiments of the present disclosure;

fig. 4(d) shows a schematic view of a structure based on the driving member as shown in fig. 4(b) and 4(c), additionally provided with a lever for amplifying displacement;

fig. 5(a) shows a schematic structural view of a wafer transfer device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, which includes a carrier device as shown in fig. 1 (b);

FIG. 5(b) shows a schematic structural view of an arm assembly in the wafer transfer device shown in FIG. 5 (a);

fig. 6(a) to 6(d) respectively schematically show schematic views of a chamber apparatus for exchanging wafers between different pressure environments, including a wafer transfer apparatus as shown in fig. 5(a), according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, at respective steps in its workflow;

fig. 7 shows a schematic view of a wafer processing apparatus including a chamber device as shown in fig. 6(a) to 6(d), according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 8 shows a schematic layout of gas passages in the wafer processing apparatus as described in fig. 7, in which the arrangement of pumps and valves at various places is exemplarily shown.

Detailed Description

The technical solution of the present disclosure will be explained in further detail by way of examples with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the specification, the same or similar reference numerals and letters designate the same or similar components. The following description of the embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings is intended to explain the general inventive concept of the present disclosure and should not be construed as limiting the present disclosure.

The drawings are used to illustrate the present disclosure. The dimensions and shapes of the various components in the drawings are not intended to reflect the true scale of components used in carriers, wafer transfer devices, chamber devices used to exchange wafers between different pressure environments, and wafer processing equipment that are capable of telescoping relative to a reference.

The working principle on which the present disclosure is based is first explained.

Fig. 1(a) shows a schematic view of a load carrier 1 that is capable of telescoping, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, according to the general technical concept of the embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in fig. 1(a), in an aspect of the embodiment of the present disclosure, a carrier 1 capable of extending and retracting relative to a reference object Ref is provided, where the carrier 1 is used for carrying a specific carrier (e.g., a wafer W), for example, the carrier 1 includes: a base 10; a movable platform 11 provided opposite to the base 10; a ram 12 configured to extend through a bearing 14 fixed to the base 10 and coupled to the movable platform 11; and a driving member 13 fixed with respect to the reference object Ref and configured to push the top bar 12 to displace with respect to the base 10. The reference object Ref is for example the ground on which the carrier 1 is mounted, which is considered as a fixed reference.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the carrier 1 further comprises a bellows assembly 15 arranged to surround the carrier rod 12. More specifically, the bellows assembly 15 comprises a first bellows 151 mounted (sheared on) on the top bar 12, the first bellows 151 being sealingly joined (e.g. by welding) at its lower edge to the base 10 and at its upper edge to the movable platform 11, respectively, and whereby the top bar 12 and the first bellows 151 together define a first space V1, the first space V1 being open to the atmosphere through a gap between the top bar 12 and the bearing 14. The bellows allows for frictionless flexing of itself so that no friction is introduced during movement of the ram 12 with which it is nested, thereby eliminating particle generation due to friction.

Thus, with the above arrangement, in particular, the first space V1 communicated to the atmosphere, which is defined by the bellows assembly 15 and the ram 12 in the carrier 1 (of the same), the area of the portion of the movable platform 11 facing the base 10 (hereinafter referred to as "first surface S1") which is not exposed to the first space V1, and the area of the portion which is not exposed to the first space V1, for example, in the case where the carrier 1 is entirely exposed to a vacuum environmentIn the case where the entire area of the side of the movable platform 11 facing away from the base 10 (hereinafter referred to as "second surface S2") in the carrying device 1 is in the atmospheric environment, atmospheric pressure is applied to the area S of the first surface S1 exposed to the first space V1_1in(hereinafter referred to simply as "internal atmosphere side area"), and the internal atmosphere side area S of the second surface S2_1inCorresponding area (more specifically, the internal atmosphere side area S)_1inThe area of the projection onto the side of the movable platform 11 facing away from the base 10) is exposed to a vacuum so that no gas pressure is applied thereto (in other words, no atmospheric load acts on the corresponding area to counteract the driving force directed from the base 10 to the movable platform 11), so that the atmospheric pressure acts on the internal atmosphere side area S in addition to the driving force exerted by the driving member 13 on the first surface S1 of the movable platform 11_1inThe pressure thereon also acts as an auxiliary drive for driving the movable platform 11, thereby reducing the amount of driving force that needs to be applied.

Fig. 1(b) shows a schematic view of another telescopic carrier 1 according to further embodiments of the present disclosure, wherein the second space V2 is communicated to the pressure environment at the side of the movable platform 11 facing away from the base 10. And fig. 1(c) shows a schematic view of another telescopic carrier 1 according to other embodiments of the present disclosure, wherein the second space V2 is communicated to an internal air pressure adjustable air pressure source.

Alternatively or additionally, in embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in fig. 1(b) and 1(c), the bellows assembly 15 further includes an outer tube 152 wrapped around the exterior of the first bellows 151, as an example. More specifically, the inner wall of the outer tube 152 is spaced apart from the outer wall of the first bellows 151, the outer tube 152 is sealingly bonded (e.g., bonded by welding) to the base 10 at a lower edge thereof and to the movable platform 11 (e.g., bonded by welding) at an upper edge thereof, respectively, and the base 10, the movable platform 11, the first bellows 151 and the outer tube 152 define a second space V2 together.

In one embodiment, as shown in fig. 1(b), for example, the second space V2 is in communication with the pressure environment at one side of the first surface S1 of the movable platform 11 (shown in phantom lines) via a gas channel C1 formed through the base 10.

Thus, by this arrangement, particularly the second space V2 is communicated to the pressure environment at the first surface S1, in the case that the pressure environment is a vacuum environment, the structure shown in fig. 1(b) can be simplified to be equivalent to the structure shown in fig. 1(a) being placed in a vacuum environment in the case that the pressure environment is a vacuum environment, so that the atmospheric pressure acts on the internal atmosphere side area S in addition to the driving force applied by the driving member 13 to the first surface S1 of the movable platform 11_1inThe pressure thereon also acts as an auxiliary drive for driving the movable platform 11, thereby reducing the amount of driving force that needs to be applied.

Also, with this arrangement, especially the second space V2 is communicated to the pressure environment at the first surface S1, for example, the pressure environment is the atmospheric environment, in this case, the first space V1 and the second space V2 are both in the atmospheric environment, that is, the atmospheric pressure acts on the area of the first surface S1 of the movable platform 11 exposed to the first space V1 (i.e., the internal atmosphere side area S2)_1in) And an area exposed to the second space V2 (hereinafter referred to as "outer chamber side area"), while atmospheric pressure is also applied to the inner atmosphere side area S of the second surface S2_1inCorresponding area, and area S of the second surface S2 on the side of the outer chamber_1outThe corresponding areas result in an equalization of pressure across the movable platform 11, so that there is no pressure difference across the movable platform 11, thereby removing the additional air pressure load acting on the movable platform 11, thereby eliminating the need for an additional amount of driving force acting on the movable platform 11 in order to overcome the air pressure load, reducing the amount of driving force that needs to be applied.

Alternatively, in another embodiment, as shown in fig. 1(C), for example, the second space V2 is communicated to an internal gas pressure-adjustable gas pressure source via a gas passage C1 formed through the base 10.

Thus, by this arrangement, the pressure environment in the second space V2 can be adjusted by adjusting the gas pressure supplied by the gas pressure source, for example by pumping gas into the second space V2 or by evacuating the second space V2. Thereby, the outer chamber side area S applied to the movable platform 11 is selectively made_1outFor example, to equalize or exceed the area S of the side of the movable platform 11 opposite the outer chamber_1outThe air pressure over the corresponding area, thereby reducing the required driving force, facilitates a flexible and dynamic adjustment of the demand for driving force to be applied to the movable platform 11.

Fig. 2(a) shows a front view of the carrier 1 as shown in fig. 1 (b). Fig. 2(b) shows a longitudinal sectional view of the carrier 1 as shown in fig. 1 (b). Fig. 2(c) shows an exploded view based on a longitudinal sectional view of the carrier 1 shown in fig. 2 (b).

In a more specific embodiment, as shown, by way of example, in the carrier 1, the base 10 is, for example, a fixed flange connected to the bottom side of the bellows assembly 15, and the movable platform 11 is, for example, a movable flange connected to the top side of the bellows assembly 15. Also, for example, the jack 12 is connected to the movable platform 11 via screws, the bearing 14 is mounted to a bearing mounting plate, and the bearing mounting plate is connected to the base 10 via bolts, for example. The carrier rod 12 extends through the bearing 14, the bearing 14 is mounted on a bearing mounting plate, a driving part 13 such as a linear motor is fixed on the bearing mounting plate through a fixing column, and the motor is integrally coupled with the carrier rod 12 through a coupling.

In a specific embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in fig. 2(a) to 2(c), for example, the first surface S1 of the movable platform 11 facing the base 10 and the second surface S2 facing away from the base 10 are both flat and perpendicular to the axis of the ram 12, and typically, for example, the area of the portion of the first surface S1 between the first bellows 151 and the outer tube 152 (i.e., the outer chamber side area S)_1out) SmallArea of the second surface S2. For example, this is naturally true when the areas of the first surface S1 and the second surface S2 are equal (i.e., when the movable platform 11 has a flat plate shape with a rectangular longitudinal section as shown in the figure); instead, such an arrangement is necessary, for example, in the case where the first surface S1 is not equal to the area of the second surface S2 (i.e., alternatively, for example, in the case where the movable platform 11 has a truncated cone shape whose longitudinal section is a trapezoid or an inverted trapezoid), because it is possible to avoid the need to additionally consider an additional pressure difference introduced due to the unequal areas of the opposite side surfaces of the movable platform 11 to adjust the driving force to be applied.

In further embodiments, for example, the area of the second surface S2 is not greater than the area of the first surface S1. As an example, typically in the case where the movable platform 11 has a flat plate shape with a rectangular longitudinal section, for example, the area of the second surface S2 is equal to the area of the first surface S1; alternatively, in the case, for example, where the movable platform 11 is frusto-conical, then the longitudinal cross-section of the movable platform 11 is trapezoidal, avoiding the introduction of additional air pressure loads against the driving force, thereby also facilitating the avoidance of the introduction of additional amounts of driving force to overcome the additional pressure differential caused by unequal areas on the two side surfaces of the movable platform 11.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, for example, as shown in fig. 1(b) and 1(c), the outer tube 152 is an outer bellows sleeved on the first bellows 151 and surrounding the first bellows 151. Thereby facilitating simultaneous telescoping of two bellows provided in sleeves of different diameters (as an example, the two bellows are manufactured to be only different diameters, e.g., using the same material and similar processes).

In an alternative embodiment of the present disclosure, the outer tube 152 is an elastic sleeve that is axially compressed to the maximum extent in an initial state, and the maximum extent of the elastic sleeve that can be elastically expanded in its axial direction is greater than the maximum extent of the first bellows 151. By this arrangement, it is also possible to achieve a synchronous extension and retraction of the outer tube 152 with the inner first bellows 151, taking advantage of the respective elasticity of the elastic sleeve and the first bellows 151, and taking into account that they are both sealingly coupled to the first surface S1 of the movable platform 11.

By way of example, the bellows assembly 15 is made of a metallic material comprising one of: nickel, nickel alloys, stainless steel, titanium alloys, or combinations thereof.

Fig. 3(a) and 3(b) schematically show the force-bearing schematic diagram of the carrying device 1 shown in fig. 1(b) in two different working states, respectively, in a vacuum environment and in an atmospheric environment. Wherein atmospheric pressure is shown by the dashed arrows.

In a first operating condition, as shown in fig. 3(a), for example, the carrier 1 is placed vertically and the side of the movable platform 11 facing away from the base 10 is placed in a vacuum environment. And in this case, once the gas passage C1 leading to the second space V2 defined by the base 10, the movable platform 11, the first bellows 151, and the outer tube 152 together is closed and the second space V2 has been evacuated by the gas passage C1, the second space V2 becomes a closed space whose inside is also a vacuum environment. In practical applications, as an example, such a scenario may typically be: the carrier 1 is entirely placed in a vacuum environment, and only the first space V1 defined by the ram 12 and the first bellows 151 is communicated to the atmosphere through the gap between the ram 12 and the bearing 14. Thus, as shown in fig. 3(a), the stress condition of the carrying device 1 can be summarized as follows: a thrust (F1) applied to the movable platform 11 by the driving piece 13 via the jack 12, in a vertically upward direction; the internal atmosphere side area S of the movable platform 11 is acted on by the atmosphere_1inUpper atmospheric pressure, applied in a vertically upward direction; and the self-weight G of the movable platform 11, in a vertically downward direction.

With the foregoing arrangement, the area S on the side of the internal atmosphere due to the first surface S1 of the movable platform 11 facing the base 10 is divided by the area S on the side of the internal atmosphere_1inArea S of the other side of the outer chamber_1outAnd a deviation of said movable platform 11The second surface S2 of the base 10, both of which are exposed to a vacuum environment, is thus exposed to the atmosphere only in the interior atmosphere-side area S_1inBy applying an upward atmospheric pressure, whereby only a small pushing force of the driving member 13, e.g. an electric motor, is required, i.e. only in said inner atmosphere side area S_1inThe vertically upward applied atmospheric pressure cooperates to overcome the weight G of the movable platform 11 to maintain the movable platform 11 in equilibrium or even in a rest condition in this scenario.

In a second operating condition, as shown in fig. 3(b), for example, the carriage 1 is vertically positioned and the side of the movable platform 11 facing away from the base 10 is placed in the atmosphere. And in this case, once a gas passage C1 leading to a second space V2 defined by the base 10, the movable platform 11, the first bellows 151, and the outer tube 152 together is opened, and the second space V2 has been communicated to the atmosphere through the gas passage C1, the second space V2 becomes a space whose interior is also in the atmosphere. In practical applications, as an example, such a scenario may typically be: the carrier 1 is entirely disposed in the atmosphere, and the first space V1 defined by the ram 12 and the first bellows 151 is also communicated to the atmosphere through the gap between the ram 12 and the bearing 14. Thus, as shown in fig. 3(b), the stress condition of the carrying device 1 can be summarized as follows: a thrust (F2) applied to the movable platform 11 by the driving piece 13 via the jack 12, in a vertically upward direction; atmospheric pressure exerted by the atmosphere on the first surface S1 of the movable platform 11 facing the base 10 is exerted in a vertically upward direction; the atmospheric pressure exerted by the atmosphere on the second surface S2 of the movable platform 11 facing away from the base 10 is exerted in a vertically downward direction; and the self-weight G of the movable platform 11, in a vertically downward direction.

With the foregoing arrangement, since the first surface S1 of the movable platform 11 facing the base 10 and the second surface S2 of the movable platform 11 facing away from the base 10 are both exposed to the atmospheric environment, in the case where the first surface S1 and the second surface S2 have equal areas, the atmospheric pressures acting on the two from the atmospheric environment have the same magnitude and opposite directions, and the resultant force is zero. Thus, the movable platform 11 is only pushed by its own weight G and the driving member 13. That is, the driving member 13 only needs to apply a thrust greater than or equal to the self-gravity of the movable platform 11, so as to maintain the movable platform 11 in an equilibrium state or even a static state in such a scene.

It can be seen that, according to the carrier 1 of the arrangement of the embodiment of the present disclosure, particularly the bellows assembly 15 comprises a double-layer arrangement of the first bellows 151 and the outer tube 152 wrapped outside the first bellows 151, for example, a double-bellows arrangement nested with each other, for the first surface S1 facing the base 10 and the second surface S2 facing away from the base 10 of the movable platform 11 opposite to each other, due to the bellows assembly 15 of the double-layer arrangement, it is convenient to ensure the outer chamber side area S1 of the first surface S1_1outThe air pressures (if any) acting on the corresponding areas of the second surface S2 are always equal in magnitude and opposite in direction, and thus cancel each other out, thereby reducing the difference in air pressure between the upper and lower surfaces of the movable platform 11, and achieving as small a thrust force as possible for the carriage 1 under different operating conditions, resulting in lower energy consumption, improved stability and control of the movement accuracy of the driving member 13 as compared to the bellows assembly 15 of single-layer construction.

Fig. 4(a) shows a structural schematic block diagram of the driver 13 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the drive member 13 comprises a prime mover 130, as shown for example in fig. 4 (a).

As an example, the prime mover 130 includes a trapezoidal lead screw linear stepping motor, and such a motor has a mechanical self-locking function due to its trapezoidal lead screw structure. Thereby facilitating accurate and progressive driving of the movable platform 11 for extension and retraction by means of the ram 12 coupled between the driving member 13 and the movable platform 11, and enabling structural self-locking in case of mechanical failure, improving motion stability, robustness in case of failure, and control of motion accuracy.

Alternatively, the prime mover 130 is the one or more piezoelectric actuators, as an example. The piezoelectric actuator has the following advantages: has a relatively fast reaction time and a relatively long service life in terms of switching times.

However, the piezoelectric actuator can only be displaced by a small amount. To avoid the need for a very large stack of piezoelectric material, in a further embodiment, for example, the driver 13 further comprises a displacement amplification mechanism 131 coupled between the prime mover 130 and the ram 12, the displacement amplification mechanism 131 being driven by the prime mover 130 and outputting an amplified amount of displacement compared to the amount of displacement of the prime mover 130 only in a first direction extending along the ram 12 at an end of the displacement amplification mechanism 131 connected to the ram 12. Thus, the displacement amount output to the jack 12 can be increased by the displacement amplification mechanism 131 based on the motor 130 having a limited output displacement in a limited space, thereby saving space, making the structure compact and reducing the demand for the displacement output capability of the motor 130.

Fig. 4(b) shows a schematic structural view of the driver 13 including the piezoelectric actuator 130 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Fig. 4(c) shows a schematic structural view of a driver 13 including a piezoelectric actuator 130 according to further embodiments of the present disclosure. Fig. 4(d) shows a schematic diagram based on the structure of the driving member 13 as shown in fig. 4(b) and 4(c), additionally provided with a lever for amplifying the displacement.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, for example, as shown in fig. 4(b) to 4(d), the displacement amplification mechanism 131 includes at least one of: a link mechanism and a lever mechanism.

For example, as shown in fig. 4(b) and 4(c), a link mechanism is employed as the displacement amplification mechanism 131 shown. The linkage mechanism may be considered a range extender. As such, a relatively small piezoelectric actuator may be used to achieve a relatively large range of motion of the coupled ram 12. The use of piezoelectric actuators allows very precise positioning, has a power-off self-locking function, and is reliable over an extremely long service life; also, since the piezoelectric actuator is used and amplification is performed in conjunction with the link mechanism, the entire carrier device 1 has low thermal shock.

Also, the piezoelectric actuator is intended to be mounted outside the base 10 of the carrier 1, away from the stem 12, the movable platform 11, and the associated gap between said stem 12 and said bearing 14, the first space shown V1 and the second space shown V2. This is advantageous because the piezoelectric actuator frequently generates particles due to its ceramic nature. By keeping the piezoelectric actuator outside the aforementioned components and by virtue of the self-sealing structure of the bellows assembly 15, any particles generated during operation of the piezoelectric actuator will not enter these components or the channels or spaces defined therebetween.

In a specific embodiment of the present disclosure, for example, as shown in fig. 4(b), displacements in opposite directions of the symmetrically arranged components of the link mechanism 131A on a plane orthogonal to the first direction cancel each other out, so that the degrees of freedom of movement at the end of the displacement amplification mechanism 131 other than the degree of freedom of movement in the first direction are substantially restricted. Also, alternatively, the illustrated prime mover 130 may be other drive mechanisms, such as an electric motor, more specifically, for example, a lead screw linear motor or other micro-displacement mechanism, as examples.

In a more specific exemplary embodiment, as shown in fig. 4(b), the one or more piezoelectric actuators include two piezoelectric actuators arranged in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, and the link mechanism includes: a connection member 1311 coupled to the stem lifter 12 in the first direction; a cross bar 1312 extending in the second direction and coupled with the connection member 1311 at a middle portion; and two motion deviator mechanisms 1313 symmetrically arranged on both lateral sides of the connecting member 1311 and in transmission connection with the two piezoelectric actuators, respectively.

As shown in fig. 4(b), for example, each of the movement turning mechanisms 1313 includes: a pair of elongated deformable members 1314 symmetrically arranged on both sides of the respective piezoelectric actuator in the first direction and respectively capable of expanding and contracting in the second direction by deforming at respective midpoints thereof, wherein a middle portion of one of the elongated deformable members 1314 is coupled to the cross bar 1312 and a middle portion of the other is fixed with respect to the reference Ref; and two connectors 1315, the pair of elongated deformable members 1314 being respectively connected to one end of the respective piezoelectric actuator via one connector 1315 at respective proximal ends opposite to the connecting member 1311, and respectively connected to an opposite end of the respective piezoelectric actuator via the other connector 1315 at respective distal ends opposite to the connecting member 1311.

With this arrangement, both ends of each elongated deformable member 1314 are coupled to opposite ends of the corresponding piezoelectric actuator at the two connections 1315, respectively. When a potential difference is applied across the piezoelectric actuator, the piezoelectric actuator longitudinally expands, causing the two ends of the respective elongated deformable member 1314 to be pulled away from each other. Thus, the amount of displacement of the middle portion of each elongated deformable member 1314 in the first direction is larger than the amount of extension of the piezoelectric actuator itself, and the amplified amount of displacement is transmitted to the linking member 1311 via the cross bar 1312, and further to the jack 12 and the movable platform 11.

Also, it is considered that for each piezoelectric actuator, a respective pair of elongated deformable members 1314 are symmetrically disposed on both sides thereof in the first direction, with a middle portion of one of the elongated deformable members 1314 being coupled to the cross bar 1312 and a middle portion of the other being fixed with respect to the reference object Ref, such as the ground. As a result, with this arrangement, the amount of deformation of the piezoelectric actuator is amplified twice. Specifically, the first amplification is performed by bringing the elongated deformable member 1314 of the pair of elongated deformable members 1314, which is located at the lower side of the piezoelectric actuator, into deformation with respect to the fixed reference Ref after the piezoelectric actuator is deformed, thereby accordingly forcing the piezoelectric actuator to be lifted upward or lowered downward along with the elongated deformable member 1314 via the opposite ends coupled to the lower side of the elongated deformable member 1314, and then also forcing the elongated deformable member 1314 of the pair of elongated deformable members 1314, which is coupled to the piezoelectric actuator, located at the upper side of the piezoelectric actuator to be lifted upward or lowered downward along with the elongated deformable member 1314. The second magnification is due to deformation of the upper elongated deformable member 1314 itself. The principle of this multiplicative displacement amplification thus functions in the same way as a vehicle jack.

In fig. 4(b), for example, two piezoelectric actuators are provided. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art to operate with only one piezoelectric actuator or more than two piezoelectric actuators. The piezoelectric actuator is configured to expand and contract, i.e., to the left and right as shown, upon application of a potential difference in the direction indicated by the arrow.

A linkage is provided for converting the change in size of the piezoelectric actuator shown by the arrow into upward and downward movement (as shown) of the connecting member 1311 coupled to the ram 12.

Alternatively, in another specific embodiment of the present disclosure, for example as shown in fig. 4(c), the components of the link mechanism 131A' are arranged to cause the other degrees of freedom of movement at the end of the displacement amplification mechanism 131 other than the degree of freedom of movement in the first direction to be substantially restricted depending on the fitting relationship and the size restriction therebetween. Also, as an example, as shown, the prime mover 130 is the one or more piezoelectric actuators. Alternatively, the illustrated prime mover 130 may also be other drive mechanisms, such as an electric motor, more specifically, a lead screw motor, for example.

In a more specific exemplary embodiment, as shown in fig. 4(c), for example, the link mechanism is configured in the form of a frame and includes a fixed portion 1316 fixed with respect to the reference object Ref and a movable portion 1317 displaceable in a first direction, and a coupling portion 1318 between the fixed portion 1316 and the movable portion 1317, and one end of the piezoelectric actuator is pivotably hingedly connected to the fixed portion 1316 of the frame, and the opposite end of the piezoelectric actuator is attached to the movable portion 1317 of the frame; and the piezoelectric actuator is arranged at an angle to a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, the magnification being determined by the angle. The angle is for example an angle between 2 ° and 45 °. The smaller the angle at which the piezoelectric actuator extends with respect to the second direction, the greater the magnification of the movement of the link mechanism. In order to ensure sufficient magnification, the angle of the piezoelectric actuator with respect to the second direction is preferably 45 ° or less, preferably 20 ° or less.

Thus, as shown, the movable portion 1317 of the frame is capable of being displaced in a first direction (vertical direction) while being substantially constrained in a second direction (horizontal direction), and preferably also substantially constrained in a third direction (perpendicular to the plane of the paper) orthogonal to the first and second directions.

As an additional example, for example, at least one additional piezo actuator is provided, which is connected in the same way as the piezo actuator shown in the figures, and the piezo actuator and the at least one additional piezo actuator are arranged, for example, side by side (for example in a third direction perpendicular to the paper) or stacked (for example in a vertical first direction).

In the embodiment of the present disclosure, based on the illustrated embodiment of fig. 4(a), for example, the displacement amplification mechanism 131 includes only at least one lever directly coupled between the prime mover 130 and the jack 12 as the lever mechanism (not shown), which utilizes the principle of leverage to amplify the amount of displacement in the first direction output by the link mechanism as the amount of displacement in the first direction output by the displacement amplification mechanism 131.

In the embodiment of the present disclosure, based on the illustrated embodiment of fig. 4(B) and 4(c), for example, as shown in fig. 4(d), the displacement amplification mechanism 131 includes only at least one lever 1320 coupled between the link mechanism and the jack 12 serving as the lever mechanism 131B, which utilizes the principle of leverage to amplify the amount of displacement in the first direction output by the link mechanism as the amount of displacement in the first direction output by the displacement amplification mechanism 131. As an example, as shown in fig. 4(d), a link mechanism 131C transmits a lever coupled to the lever mechanism via an articulated rod that can pivot with respect to a reference object Ref (e.g., it is pivotally connected to the reference object Ref via a fixed articulated point), so that the link mechanism and the lever mechanism work in cooperation to amplify the output displacement amount using the principle of leverage.

The force from the piezoelectric actuator is applied via a linkage. This has the effect of amplifying the vertical (as shown) movement of the linkage as it is transmitted to the ram 12 at the output end of the lever. In an embodiment the lever is selected to extend in a direction perpendicular to the paper, for example, thereby providing stiffness against rotation in the paper.

Fig. 5(a) shows a schematic structural diagram of a wafer transfer device 2 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the wafer transfer device 2 comprises the carrier 1 shown in fig. 1 (b). Fig. 5(b) shows a schematic configuration of the arm assembly 30 in the wafer transfer device 2 shown in fig. 5 (a).

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, according to the general technical concept of the embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in fig. 5(a) and 5(b), in another aspect of the embodiment of the present disclosure, there is also provided a wafer transfer apparatus 2, the wafer transfer apparatus 2 including: according to the aforementioned carrier device 1, the carrier device 1 is arranged such that the first direction is a vertical direction, thereby serving as a first stage 20 that is liftable in the vertical direction; a second stage 21 that can be lifted in the vertical direction; the arm assembly 30 is provided between the first stage 20 and the second stage 21. In particular, the arm assembly 30 comprises: a vertically suspended rotating shaft 31; and a rotating arm 32 including a rod-shaped main body 33 rotatably mounted at a lower end of the rotating shaft 31 about a vertical axis Z of the rotating shaft 31 and extending along a longitudinal axis O orthogonal to the vertical axis Z. As an example, the rotary arm 32 further includes two support portions 34 formed at opposite ends of the main body 33, and is configured to rotate about the vertical axis Z to perform wafer transfer from the top of one of the first stage 20 and the second stage 21 to the top of the other by means of a supporting action of the two support portions 34. The first stage 20 is shown as an example, for example, the carrier device 1 described above or a part thereof.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, typically, for example as shown in the figures, the main body 33 of the rotating arm 32 is a straight rod and is rotatably mounted at its midpoint to the lower end of the rotating shaft 31 about the vertical axis ZZ.

In the embodiment of the present disclosure, for example, as shown in the drawings, the rod-shaped body 33 is rotatably mounted at a midpoint thereof to a lower end of the rotating shaft 31.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, for example, the wafer transfer device 2 further includes a first motor 38 in driving coupling with the spindle 31, configured to drive the spindle 31 to rotate; and at least one second motor 39 drivingly coupled to the first stage 20 and the second stage 21, and configured to drive the first stage 20 and the second stage 21 to perform a lifting motion.

Further, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, typically, for example, as shown in the figures, the arm assembly 30 is disposed between the first stage 20 and the second stage 21.

As an example, the first stage 20 and the second stage 21 are arranged, for example, in a cylindrical or columnar shape, more preferably, for example, as shown in the figure, the first stage 20 and the second stage 21 each include a cylindrical or columnar base T1 of a larger diameter and a telescopic rod T2 extending coaxially upward from the cylindrical or columnar base T1, and the vertical axis Z of the rotating shaft 31 of the wall assembly is arranged parallel to and equally spaced from the axis of the first stage 20 and the axis of the second stage 21.

Also, in a further embodiment, as an example, the two support portions 34 are located at opposite ends of the main body 33, respectively, and are each located at an equal distance from a midpoint of the main body 33.

Thus, with the above arrangement, the rotary arm 32 can be rotated clockwise or counterclockwise about the vertical axis Z, and it is facilitated to switch the wafer to be transferred from a state of being carried solely by the first stage 20 or the second stage 21 to a state of being carried solely by the support portion 34 adjacent to the stage carrying the wafer when the rotary arm 32 is rotated such that the longitudinal axis O of the main body 33 is coplanar with the first plane defined jointly by the respective axes of the first stage 20 and the second stage 21 of the wafer transfer device 2. Thereby, by achieving switching with the carrier for the wafer with a simple configuration, it is facilitated to replace switching of the wafer carrier by means of a supporting action of the supporting portion 34 at the end of the rotating arm 32, for example, by an adsorption action such as a suction force of a suction cup or a magnetic force in the related art, and further transfer of the wafer between different stages is achieved by further rotation.

As an example, to avoid interfering with each other, for example, the orthographic projection of the support portions 34 on the respective stage bases T1 falls within the planar envelope of the stage base T1. As such, as long as the rotating arm 32 is sufficiently spaced from the stage, it is convenient to ensure that the wafer, when supported by the stage, is spaced from the rotating arm 32 and does not intersect the path of the support portion 34 at the tip of the rotating arm 32, avoiding unintended collisions.

In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in fig. 5(b), for example, each support 34 includes at least one plate-shaped support perpendicular to the vertical axis Z, a minimum distance between respective supports of the two supports 34 is greater than a minimum distance between respective top surface edges of the first stage 20 and the second stage 21, and a maximum distance between respective supports of the two support plates is less than a maximum distance between respective top surface edges of the first stage 20 and the second stage 21. And each support is arranged spaced apart from each of the first stage 20 and the second stage 21 in any plane perpendicular to the vertical axis Z during rotation of the rotary arm 32 about the vertical axis Z. Thereby, it is ensured that each support is arranged out of contact with each of the first stage 20 and the second stage 21 during rotation of the rotary arm 32 about the vertical axis Z.

Thus, by the arrangement as described above, each support member is prevented from coming into contact with each of the first stage 20 and the second stage 21 during rotation of the rotary arm 32 about the vertical axis Z, so that the path of each support member during rotation does not intersect the first stage 20 and the second stage 21, and occurrence of interference and contact, collision between each support member of the arm assembly 30 and the first and second stages 21 with each other is prevented. Thereby, free rotation of the rotating arm 32 is facilitated, so that the wafer is smoothly transferred between the respective top portions of the first stage 20 and the second stage 21 with the supporting portion 34 of the rotating arm 32 as an intermediary (i.e., a transfer carrier) by means of the supporting action of the plate-shaped support.

The operation of the wafer transfer apparatus 2 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is schematically illustrated below based on the schematic structural diagram of the exemplary wafer transfer apparatus 2 illustrated in fig. 5 (a).

In an exemplary embodiment, when the rotary arm 32 is in a first position, i.e. a position in which the longitudinal axis O is orthogonal to a first plane collectively defined by the respective axes of the first and second stages 20, 21, the respective top surfaces of the first and second stages 20, 21 are flush. Thus, the wafer is supported by the top of only one of the first stage 20 and the second stage 21 and spaced apart from the rotary arm 32.

Then, in the exemplary embodiment, when the rotating arm 32 continues to rotate to the second position rotated by 90 degrees from the first position, i.e., the position in which the longitudinal axis O is coplanar with the first plane, the first stage 20 and the second stage 21 are lowered such that the respective top surfaces are lower than the top portions of the two support portions 34 for transferring the wafer from the above one of the first stage 20 and the second stage 21 to the one support portion 34. Thereby, the wafer is supported by the top of only one support 34 of the two supports 34 positioned below the wafer.

Furthermore, in the exemplary embodiment, when the rotary arm 32 continues to rotate to a third position rotated by 180 degrees from the second position, i.e. a position in which the longitudinal axis O is again orthogonal to the first plane collectively defined by the respective axes of the first stage 20 and the second stage 21, the first stage 20 and the second stage 21 are raised with their respective top surfaces higher than the top of the two support portions 34 for transferring the wafer from the one support portion 34 carrying it to the other of the first stage 20 and the second stage 21. Thereby, the wafer is transferred and supported only by the top of the other of the first stage 20 and the second stage 21. In this way, the transfer of the wafer between the first stage 20 and the second stage 21 is completed.

An embodiment of a specific construction of the arm assembly 30, in particular of the two supports 34 of the rotating arm 32 therein, is described in further detail below.

As an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the two supports 34 in the arm assembly 30 may typically be of planar configuration.

In a more specific embodiment, for example, as shown in fig. 5(b), in the case where the two support portions 34 are of a planar configuration, the two support portions 34 are configured as two curved plate-like supports extending to opposite sides of the main body 33 in support planes perpendicular to the vertical axis Z, respectively, each plate-like support being provided with an upper surface perpendicular to the vertical axis Z.

In an alternative embodiment, for example in the case where the two supports 34 are of a three-dimensional configuration (not shown), each support 34 comprises: a first support disc formed at a respective one end of the body 33; at least one pair of cantilevers, respectively in an L-shape depending from a lower surface of the first support disk and provided with tips directed inward in a radial direction of the first support disk; and at least one pair of plate-like supports formed at respective ends of the at least one pair of cantilevers, respectively, each plate-like support being provided with an upper surface perpendicular to the vertical axis Z.

The wafer transfer device 2 comprises the bearing device 1, and accordingly, the specific structure and the corresponding technical effect are similar, and are not described again.

Fig. 6(a) to 6(d) respectively show schematic views of respective steps in the workflow of the chamber apparatus 3 for exchanging wafers between different pressure environments according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and these figures respectively show schematic views of respective steps in the workflow thereof. The chamber device 3 includes a wafer transfer device 2 as shown in fig. 5 (a).

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, according to the general technical concept of the embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in fig. 6(a) to 6(d), in yet another aspect of the embodiment of the present disclosure, there is also provided a chamber apparatus 3 for exchanging a first wafer W1 and a second wafer W2 between different pressure environments, the chamber apparatus 3 including: a first housing 40 defining an internal vacuum chamber as a first pressure environment and defining an exterior of the housing as a second pressure environment, the housing further having an opening 50 communicating between the first pressure environment and the second pressure environment; and a wafer transfer apparatus 2 according to the foregoing, provided inside the vacuum chamber, and the first stage 20 is arranged to at least partially overlap with the opening 50. More specifically, for example, the wafer transfer apparatus 2 further includes a valve plate 60, the valve plate 60 being coaxially provided to the first stage 20 and configured to be lifted and lowered with the first stage 20 to close or open the opening 50.

In the embodiment of the present disclosure, for example, in the chamber device 3, the first wafer W1 and the second wafer W2 are simultaneously supported by the first stage 20 and the second stage 21, respectively, or simultaneously supported by the two support portions 34, respectively.

In the embodiment of the present disclosure, as an example, one of the first stage 20 and the second stage 21 that is at least partially overlapped with the opening 50 (i.e., one that is closer to the opening 50) is configured to be able to ascend such that the top thereof enters the second pressure environment.

As shown in fig. 6(a) to 6(d), the specific operation flow of the chamber device 3 is briefly discussed as follows.

As shown in fig. 6(a), first, the second pressure environment outside the housing is adjusted to pressure equalization with the first pressure environment (e.g., vacuum) inside the housing, for example, by a vacuum pump and/or an inflation valve. When the pressure requirement is met, the valve plate 60 is lowered as one of the first stage 20 and the second stage 21 to which it is mounted or fixed, which at least partially overlaps the opening 50, is lowered, thereby opening the opening 50 initially closed thereby, and thus opening the opening 50 that communicates the inside and the outside of the housing. Thus, the valve plate 60 and the opening 50 cooperate to act as a valve between the interior and exterior of the housing. In this case too, due to the lowering of one stage at least partially overlapping said opening 50, for example to be flush on top of each other with the other stage, it is used to load the wafers transferred by said wafer transfer device 2 from the wafers on top of the other stage for transfer outside the enclosure. Fig. 6(b) to 6(d) show the state in which the inside of the housing is communicated with the outside. The distribution thereof corresponds to the state of each step in the workflow of the wafer transfer apparatus 2 as described above, and will not be described in detail here. Thereby, the cavity device 3 is realized to cyclically exchange the wafers between different pressure environments by the wafer transferring device 2.

With this arrangement, the chamber body means 3 performs a function similar to that of the aforementioned wafer exchanging means by means of the aforementioned wafer transfer means 2 provided inside the vacuum chamber, exchanging wafers carried from a stage at the more inside of the vacuum chamber to a stage at least partially overlapping the opening 50; and in turn moves the wafer it carries further into a second pressure environment outside the housing by means of the jacking action of the stage at least partially overlapping said opening 50, thereby achieving the function of exchanging two different wafers between different pressure environments with a simple structure.

The chamber device 3 includes the wafer transferring device 2 and further includes the carrying device 1, and accordingly, the specific structure and the corresponding technical effect are similar, and are not described herein again.

Fig. 7 shows a schematic view of a wafer processing apparatus 4 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, said wafer processing apparatus 4 comprising a chamber device 3 as shown in fig. 6(a) to 6 (d). Fig. 8 shows a schematic layout of gas passages in the wafer processing apparatus 4 as described in fig. 7, in which the arrangement of pumps and valves at various places is exemplarily shown.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, according to the general technical concept of the embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in fig. 7 and fig. 8, in combination with the aforementioned fig. 3(a) to fig. 3(b), in a further aspect of the embodiment of the present disclosure, there is further provided a wafer processing apparatus 4, where the wafer processing apparatus 4 includes: a first housing 40 defining a vacuum chamber 41, the vacuum chamber 41 having a wafer processing device or wafer inspection device 70 (wherein the wafer processing device includes, but is not limited to, an exposure device, a developing device, a patterning device, etc., for example; the wafer inspection device includes, but is not limited to, a scanning electron microscope, etc., for example; the wafer processing device or wafer inspection device 70 processes or inspects a wafer to be processed on one of the stages, for example, the second stage 21, via, for example, a top cover on the first housing 40) mounted therein; the wafer transfer device 2 according to the foregoing; and a second housing 80 disposed adjacent the first housing 40 defining a transition chamber 42.

In the embodiment of the present disclosure, as an example, the first housing 40 is formed with an opening 50 communicating to the second housing 80, and the first stage 20 of the wafer transfer device 2 is arranged to at least partially overlap with the opening 50, and the wafer transfer device 2 further includes a first valve plate 60, the first valve plate 60 being coaxially provided to the first stage 20 and configured to be lifted and lowered with the first stage 20 to close or open the opening 50. Also, as an example, the transition chamber 42 communicates at one side with the vacuum chamber 41 via the opening 50 and at the other side with the atmosphere via a second valve. Also, by way of example, the electron beam inspection apparatus further includes a robotic arm disposed outside the first housing 40 and configured to move the wafer between the atmospheric environment and the transition chamber 42. For the sake of simplicity, the entire structure of the wafer transfer device 2 is not shown, and only the left-side stage provided with the valve plate 60 in the wafer transfer device 2 is shown.

In the embodiment of the present disclosure, by way of example, the aforementioned movable platform 11 essentially serves as the first valve plate 60 herein, and, more specifically, as shown in fig. 1(a) and 1(b), by means of an upper sealing ring provided on the upper surface of the movable platform 11, the transition chamber 42 is isolated from the vacuum chamber 41 when the movable platform 11 is in the high position (i.e., when the first valve plate 60 completely closes the opening 50 between the transition chamber 42 and the vacuum chamber 41); and as shown in fig. 1(a) and 1(b), the load carrier 1 of the present disclosure mounts the base 10 to the housing of the vacuum chamber 41 (e.g., the bottom inside thereof) by fixing bolts and a lower seal ring at the lower surface of the base 10.

As an example, the vacuum degree of the vacuum chamber 41 is adjusted by a vacuum pump connected to the vacuum chamber 41, the pressure environment inside the transition chamber 42 is adjusted by a gas charging valve and a vacuum pump connected to the transition chamber 42, so that the pressure inside the second housing 80 is equalized with the atmospheric environment when the transition chamber 42 needs to be connected to the atmospheric environment, and the vacuum environment inside the first housing 40 is equalized with the atmosphere inside the second housing 80 when the transition chamber 42 needs to be connected to the vacuum chamber 41.

With this arrangement, the wafer processing apparatus 4 achieves a function similar to that of the aforementioned wafer exchanging device by means of the aforementioned wafer transfer device 2 provided inside the vacuum chamber 41, exchanging wafers carried from a stage at the inner side of the vacuum chamber 41 to one stage at least partially overlapping the opening 50; and in turn moves the wafer carried by the stage, by means of the jacking action of the stage at least partially superposed with said opening 50, further into a second pressure environment outside the casing, thus achieving, with a simple structure, the function of automatically exchanging and transferring wafers between the vacuum chamber 41 and the transition chamber 42 in a limited space, by replacing the translational transfer manner customary in the art with a rotary transfer manner. And by virtue of the movement of the robotic arm, the functions of the wafer can in turn be exchanged and transferred between the transition chamber 42 and the atmosphere. Thereby facilitating automated serial wafer processing and inspection.

The wafer processing apparatus 4 includes the wafer transferring device 2 and further includes the carrying device 1, and accordingly, the specific structure and the corresponding technical effect are similar, and are not described herein again.

In the embodiment of the present disclosure, as an example, as shown in the schematic layout of the gas passage of fig. 8, in conjunction with the schematic configuration diagram of the wafer processing apparatus 4 including the chamber device shown in fig. 7, the movable stage 11 is provided with three stop positions, which are a high position, a middle position, and a low position, respectively. Wherein, at the high position, the isolation with the vacuum chamber 41 and the picking and placing of the atmosphere side are realized, the middle position realizes the communication between the transition chamber 42 and the vacuum chamber 41 and the picking and placing of the vacuum side, and the low position realizes the communication between the transition chamber 42 and the vacuum chamber 41 and the placing of the vacuum side, when the driving element 13 of the movable platform 11, such as a motor, obtains a signal, the ejector rod 12 is guided by the bearing 14, the movable platform 11 (such as a movable flange) of the bellows assembly 15 stops at the high position, the middle position and the low position respectively along the axial movement of the motor.

Regarding the variation of the atmospheric pressure environment of the specific chambers, and the wafer pick-and-place process, in the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in fig. 7 and 8 in particular, for example: firstly, taking a wafer from a wafer box, then preliminarily positioning the circle center position of the wafer, simultaneously inflating the transition chamber 42 by the valve C, at the moment, enabling the movable platform 11 to be in a high position, isolating the transition chamber 42 from the vacuum chamber 41 by utilizing an upper sealing ring, opening the second valve communicated with the atmospheric environment after the pressure requirement is met, taking the wafer finished in the last process out of the transition chamber 42 by the mechanical arm at the atmospheric side, simultaneously putting the wafer required to be processed into the mechanical arm at the atmospheric side, closing the second valve, opening the valve B, starting the main vacuum pump to vacuumize the transition chamber 42, closing the valve B after the certain vacuum degree requirement is met, opening the primary valve and the secondary valve, simultaneously vacuumizing the transition chamber 42 by the vacuum pump A, C, when the interlocking chamber 41 meets the set pressure requirement, under the action of the driving device 27 of the wafer conveying mechanism, the movable platform 11 of the wafer transfer mechanism moves downwards to the middle position, at this time, the transition chamber 42 is communicated with the vacuum chamber 41, the wafer W1 and the wafer W2 are at the same height and keep a certain safety distance with the rotating arm 32 of the arm assembly 30, a stage (for example, the aforementioned second stage 21) at the right side in the vacuum chamber 41 is at a wafer loading or unloading position, at this time, the rotating arm 32 is driven to rotate 90 degrees anticlockwise from the safety position to reach the lower sides of the wafer W1 and the wafer W2, at this time, the carrier device 1 and the second stage 21 respectively drive the wafer W1 and the wafer W2 to move downwards to the low position, so that the wafer W1 and the wafer W2 are respectively separated from the carrier device 1 and the second stage 21 and are carried on the upper surface of the rotating arm 32, and wafer taking is completed; then the rotating arm 32 rotates 180 ° counterclockwise again, the positions of the wafer W1 and the wafer W2 are exchanged, then the carrier device 1 and the second stage 21 respectively drive the wafer W1 and the wafer W2 to move upward to the middle position, so that the wafer W1 and the wafer W2 are respectively separated from the rotating arm 32 and carried on the upper surfaces of the movable platform 11 and the second stage 21, and the wafer placement is completed; after the above actions are completed, the rotating arm 32 rotates clockwise by 90 ° to reach the safety position, the carrying device 1 moves upwards to the high position, the transition chamber 42 is isolated from the vacuum chamber 41, the wafer W2 is in the processing stage, the valve C starts to inflate the transition chamber 42, and when the pressure requirement is met, the second valve is opened, and the next wafer conveying and processing flow is started.

Therefore, the embodiment of the present disclosure has the following advantageous technical effects:

the embodiment of the disclosure provides a bearing device 1, which utilizes a double-layer corrugated pipe assembly 15 to realize simultaneous inflation or vacuum pumping on two opposite sides of a movable platform 11 for bearing, ensures that the gas pressures on most areas of the two sides are equal and opposite in direction, and reduces the pressure difference between the upper part and the lower part of the movable platform 11 associated with the corrugated pipe assembly 15, thereby reducing the driving force, improving the reliability and maintainability of the driving displacement of the whole structure, having fewer parts, having compact structure due to simple connection and assembly relationship, and reducing the cost; and the control precision is high, the noise is low and the energy consumption is low in the motion process.

In addition, the embodiment of the present disclosure provides a wafer transfer device 2, a chamber device 3, and a wafer processing apparatus 4, in which a rotational wafer conveying manner is used to replace a translational wafer conveying manner that is commonly used in the art, and a valve plate 60 that is arranged on one of two lifters is used to close or open an opening 50 between different pressure environments, so as to implement an integrated design of a simple and compact vacuum chamber 41, enhance the strength of the vacuum chamber, make the layout of parts more compact, make the occupied area smaller, and improve the economy of the apparatus. Moreover, the vacuumizing, inflating and wafer transferring time is effectively shortened, that is, the equipment efficiency is improved (for example, the occupied area of the wafer processing equipment 4 using the wafer transferring device 2 is reduced by 30% and the vacuumizing, inflating and wafer transferring time is reduced by 50% in the present disclosure); meanwhile, the simple and compact structural layout and the automatic continuous film transmission process with few steps enable spare and accessory parts to achieve the conditions of self-design, production and processing so as to reduce the production cost. This enables a cycle between only three steps with a simple and compact configuration, thereby realizing an automatic transfer function of a wafer in a limited space and improving efficiency.

In addition, it can be understood from the foregoing embodiments of the present disclosure that any technical solutions via any combination of two or more of them also fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

It should be understood that the directional terms in the specification of the present disclosure, such as "upper", "lower", "left", "right", etc., are used to explain the directional relationships shown in the drawings. These directional terms should not be construed to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

The embodiments of the present disclosure are described in a progressive manner, each embodiment focuses on differences from other embodiments, and the same and similar parts among the embodiments are referred to each other.

The above description is only for the purpose of illustrating the preferred embodiments of the present invention and is not to be construed as limiting the invention, and any modifications, equivalents, improvements and the like that fall within the spirit and principle of the present invention are intended to be included therein.