Wafer grinding automation system and automated wafer grinding method

Abstract

A wafer grinding automation system is provided, which includes a frame, and a feeding unit, a first picking unit, a positioning unit, a reference wafer bearing unit, a second picking unit, a processing unit, a cleaning unit and a discharging unit that are arranged on the frame. Further included are an information collection unit configured to collect material and position information on wafers and reference wafers, and a control system for controlling the above units to transport and process wafers. Each unit is controlled by the information collection unit and the control system to implement automated transportation and processing of the wafers. An automated wafer grinding method is further provided, which adopts the above-mentioned wafer grinding automation system.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A wafer grinding automation system, comprising:
 a frame,   a feeding unit arranged on the frame,   a first picking unit arrange on the frame,   a positioning unit arranged on the frame,   a reference wafer bearing unit arranged on the frame,   a second picking unit arranged on the frame,   a processing unit arranged on the frame,   a cleaning unit arranged on the frame,   a discharging unit arranged on the frame;   an information collection unit configured to collect material and position information on wafers in the feeding unit and reference wafers in the reference wafer bearing unit; and   a control system configured to:
 receive the material and position information collected by the information collection unit, and acquire wafer processing information based on the material and position information; 
 control the feeding unit, the first picking unit, the positioning unit, the reference wafer bearing unit, the second picking unit, the processing unit, the cleaning unit and the discharging unit for transporting and processing the wafers based on the wafer processing information. 
   
     
     
         2 . The wafer grinding automation system according to  claim 1 , wherein the control system comprises:
 an information receiving subsystem configured to receive the material and position information collected by the information collecting unit;   an information management subsystem configured to store the wafer processing information, match material and position information with corresponding wafer processing information, and track the material and position information during the transportation and processing; and   a mechanism control subsystem configured to control the feeding unit, the first picking unit, the positioning unit, the reference wafer bearing unit, the second picking unit, the processing unit, the cleaning unit and the discharging unit for transportation and processing based on matched wafer processing information.   
     
     
         3 . The wafer grinding automation system according to  claim 1 , wherein the feeding unit comprises:
 a first feeding mechanism configured to store to-be processed wafers;   a first feeding buffer portion configured to buffer surplus wafers processed by the first feeding mechanism in a current time to release space of the first feeding mechanism and replenish new incoming wafers; and   a second feeding mechanism configured to store accompanying wafers.   
     
     
         4 . The wafer grinding automation system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a crack and hidden crack inspection unit. 
     
     
         5 . The wafer grinding automation system according to  claim 1 , wherein the reference wafer bearing unit comprises a reference wafer buffer mechanism, a reference wafer positioning mechanism and a reference wafer recycling mechanism. 
     
     
         6 . The wafer grinding automation system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a visual recognition mechanism and a pressing inspection mechanism arranged on the second picking unit, the visual recognition mechanism is configured to collect position information on processing positions of the processing unit and detect information on fragment residuals in the processing positions, and the pressing inspection mechanism is configured to confirm that the wafers and the reference wafers accurately enter the processing positions. 
     
     
         7 . An automated wafer grinding method, which adopts the wafer grinding automation system according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 S1: collecting the material and position information on the wafers in the feeding unit and the reference wafers in the reference wafer bearing unit by an information collection unit and transmitting the material and position information to the control system;   S2: acquiring the wafer processing information based on the material and position information by the control system, and tracking the material and position information during transportation and processing of the wafers and the reference wafers;   S3: controlling a first picking unit to transport the wafers from the feeding unit to the processing unit through the positioning unit by the control system based on the wafer processing information, and controlling the second picking unit to transport the reference wafers from the reference wafer bearing unit to the processing unit;   S4: outputting acquired wafer processing information to the processing unit by the control system;   S5: processing the wafers by the processing unit based on the wafer processing information output by the control system;   S6: transporting processed wafers to the cleaning unit by the first picking unit, and transporting the reference wafers to a reference wafer recycling mechanism of the reference wafer bearing unit by the second picking unit;   S7: cleaning the wafers by the cleaning unit;   S8: outputting corresponding transportation information to the first picking unit by the control system based on the material and position information on the wafers collected by the information collection unit;   S9: transporting the wafers to the discharging unit by the first picking unit based on the transportation information output by the control system; and   S10: repeating S1 to S9.   
     
     
         8 . The automated wafer grinding method according to  claim 7 , wherein the control system comprises:
 an information receiving subsystem configured to receive the material and position information collected by the information collection unit;   an information management subsystem configured to store the wafer processing information and match the material and position information with corresponding wafer processing information; and   a mechanism control subsystem   configured to control the feeding unit, the first picking unit, the positioning unit, the reference wafer bearing unit, the second picking unit, the processing unit, the cleaning unit and the discharging unit for transportation and processing based on the matched wafer processing information; wherein   in S1, the information collection unit collects the material and position information on the wafers in the feeding unit and the reference wafers in the reference wafer bearing unit and transmits the material and position information to the information receiving subsystem;   in S2, the information management subsystem acquires the wafer processing information based on the material and position information, and tracks the material and position information during transportation and processing of the wafers and the reference wafers;   in S3, the mechanism control subsystem controls the first picking unit to transport the wafers from the feeding unit to the processing unit through the positioning unit based on the wafer processing information, and controls the second picking unit to transport the reference wafers from the reference wafer bearing unit to the processing unit;   in S4, the information management subsystem outputs the acquired wafer processing information to the processing unit;   in S5, the processing unit processes the wafers based on the wafer processing information output by the information management subsystem;   in S8, the mechanism control subsystem outputs the corresponding transportation information to the first picking unit based on the material and position information on the wafers collected by the information collection unit; and   in S9, the first picking unit transports cleaned wafers to the discharging unit based on the transportation information output by the mechanism control subsystem.   
     
     
         9 . The automated wafer grinding method according to  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a crack and hidden crack inspection unit, the feeding unit comprising a first feeding mechanism configured to store to-be processed wafers and a second feeding mechanism configured to store accompanying wafers; wherein   in S3, before transporting wafers from the feeding unit to the positioning unit, the first picking unit first transports the wafers to the crack and hidden crack inspection unit for hidden crack inspection, qualified products are transported to the positioning unit based on the wafer processing information, and unqualified products are sent back to an original incoming position at the first feeding unit;   if the unqualified products are detected, the first picking unit determines to execute one of following two commands based on production requirements:   when a production order is not a final order, a first command is executed: continuing to pick up a next to-be-processed wafer from the first feeding mechanism;   when a production order is a final order or a process verification order, a second command is executed: picking up an accompanying wafer from the second feeding mechanism for replenishment; and   if only the unqualified products remain in the first feeding unit, the unqualified products are transported to a re-judging station for treatment.   
     
     
         10 . The automated wafer grinding method according to  claim 8 , wherein the positioning unit comprises a positioning station for mechanically positioning wafers;
 the reference wafer bearing unit comprises a reference wafer buffer mechanism, a reference wafer positioning mechanism and the reference wafer recycling mechanism;   a visual recognition mechanism and a pressing inspection mechanism are further comprised, the visual recognition mechanism is configured to collect position information on processing positions of the processing unit and detect information on fragment residuals in the processing positions, and the pressing inspection mechanism is configured to confirm that the wafers and the reference wafers accurately enter the processing positions;   in S3, the wafers are mechanically positioned by the positioning station in the positioning unit, the reference wafers are mechanically positioned by the reference wafer positioning mechanism of the reference wafer bearing unit, the first picking unit transports the positioned wafers above the processing positions of the processing unit, the second picking unit transports the positioned reference wafers above the processing positions of the processing unit, and based on the position information on the processing positions collected by the visual recognition mechanism, the wafers and the reference wafers are accurately placed in the processing positions; the pressing inspection mechanism performs pressing inspection on the processing positions in which the wafers or the reference wafers are placed, and confirms that the wafers or the reference wafers are in place; and   in S6, after the wafers and the reference wafers are moved out of the processing positions, the processing positions of the processing unit are recognized by the visual recognition mechanism to detect whether there are fragment residuals in the processing positions; if yes, the material and position information on all wafers is recorded, automated breakpoint saving is performed, an automatic state of the system is exited, notification is performed for manual processing, and after manual confirmation and cleaning, automated breakpoint restoration is performed and automatic operation is continued; and if not, a next step is continued.