JPS63141342A - Treatment for semiconductor wafer and device thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To contrive to convey a semiconductor wafer having no strain in and from the proper position on a plate by a method wherein a vacuum mechanism provided in the vacuum attracting hole of the treating stand is driven based on the output signals of vacuum mechanisms provided in the vacuum attracting holes of pins. CONSTITUTION:A semiconductor wafer 5 is approached over pins 6 and thereafter, vacuum sensors 1 and 2 connected to vacuum attracting holes 7 are turned-ON. That time is just a time when the semiconductor wafer 5 is delivered to the pins 6 from a conveying arm. A point when the vacuum sensors of the pins 6 are turned-OFF is a delivery point when the semiconductor wafer 5 is delivered to a plate (treating stand) 1 from the pins 6. The switch of the vacuum chuck of the plate 1 is turned-ON by the signal of this turned-ON pin vacuum sensors. Even when the vacuum chuck of the plate 1 is turned-ON, the pins 6 are descended leaving as the switches of the vacuum chucks of the pins 6 are turned-ON. Accordingly, the semiconductor wafer 5 is vacuum-chucked on the plate 1 immediately after being placed on the plate 1 and moreover, as the vacuum chucks of the pins 6 are left as they are turned-ON, the wafer comes to be fixed without being shifted its position on the plate 1.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a semiconductor wafer processing method and apparatus for processing a semiconductor wafer by, for example, light irradiation. The present invention relates to a semiconductor wafer processing method and apparatus for correctly aating a semiconductor wafer to a processing table.

[Background Art] In a semiconductor manufacturing process, a resist pattern is provided on a semiconductor wafer and various treatments are performed. The formation of the resist pattern is roughly divided into the following steps: resist coating, pre-baking, exposure, development, and post-baking. Thereafter, using this resist pattern, ion implantation or etching of the silicon oxide film, silicon nitride film, aluminum thin film, etc. previously formed on the surface of the semiconductor wafer before resist application is performed. After these steps, the resist is removed.

In recent years, as semiconductor devices have become more highly integrated and finer, resists with high resolution properties have come to be used, and in this case, the heat resistance of the resists tends to deteriorate. On the other hand, resist deterioration (film loss, etc.) during etching has become a problem.

As a method to improve the heat resistance and etching resistance of the resist, the resist applied to the semiconductor substrate is irradiated with synchrotron radiation from a high-pressure mercury lamp on a wafer processing table equipped with a heating means using a vacuum suction hole. There is a method of irradiating the semiconductor wafer with synchrotron radiation either at the same time as the semiconductor wafer is vacuum-sucked onto the wafer processing table or after a predetermined period of time, and then after a predetermined period of time, heating by the wafer processing table is started.

Figures 3 (a), (b), and (c) show the features of the main parts of conventional semiconductor wafer processing equipment.
B) is a perspective view schematically showing the processing table, and FIG. 3C is a sectional view thereof. In the figure, l is a processing table (hereinafter referred to as a plate), 2 is a groove provided in this plate l, 3 is a vacuum suction hole provided in this plate l, and 4 is a robot etc. that moves up and down in the groove 2. A thin support plate formed in the shape of a ladder for receiving the semiconductor wafer 5 transferred from the transfer arm of , M is a motor.

FIG. 4 shows the apparatus shown in FIG. 3, just before the semiconductor wafer 5 is placed on the plate 1, and just before it is taken out after processing. The same reference numerals as in FIG. 3 indicate the same or corresponding parts. shows.

3 and 4, the semiconductor wafer 5 is placed on the plate l.
The semiconductor wafer 5 is placed on the support plate 4 from a transport arm (not shown). After the support plate 4 protrudes somewhat from the upper surface of the plate l, when it receives the semiconductor wafer 5, it descends within the groove 2 of the plate l and fixes the semiconductor wafer 5 to the plate l. In this case, due to the operation of the vacuum chuck on the plate 1, even though the entire semiconductor wafer 5 is not in close contact with the plate 1, it is only brought close to the plate 1, and the semiconductor wafer 5, which is a thin plate, is partially strongly attracted as shown in FIG. may cause distortion.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] As described above, in the conventional apparatus, when the semiconductor wafer transferred from the transfer arm is placed on the plate, it is fixed on the plate via the support plate. However, there is a problem in that the transfer from the transfer arm to the plate via the support plate is not performed smoothly. That is, while the support plate on which the semiconductor wafer is placed is being lowered, the semiconductor wafer may shift to some extent.

Further, as described above, just before the support plate descends and the semiconductor wafer comes into contact with the plate, a portion of the semiconductor wafer, which is a thin plate, is strongly attracted due to the influence of the vacuum chuck of the plate, causing warpage in the thin plate.

Due to this warping, if the semiconductor wafer cracks or if the semiconductor wafer is misaligned and is fixed on a plate and subjected to semiconductor processing such as light irradiation or light irradiation and heating, the temperature may become uneven in some parts. Not only does this process not proceed smoothly, but a two-position correction process is required before the subsequent process, complicating the process and causing quality defects. Furthermore, there is a problem in that a similar problem occurs when the semiconductor wafer is unloaded after the semiconductor processing is completed.

The present invention has been made to solve these problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor wafer processing apparatus that can carry in and out a semiconductor wafer without distortion at the correct position on a plate.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention first provides a bottle having vacuum suction holes inside in order to transport a semiconductor wafer onto a processing table having vacuum suction holes inside. The semiconductor wafer is held in the bin, and the semiconductor wafer is placed on the processing table after moving the bin up and down. Drives the vacuum mechanism installed in the vacuum suction hole of the stand.

[Function] With the above configuration, the semiconductor wafers can be transferred smoothly from the transfer arm to the bin and from the bin to the plate without shifting their positions, and the semiconductor wafers can be delivered to the correct position on the plate without warping. , and can be transported without warping.

[Embodiment] FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of the semiconductor wafer processing apparatus of the present invention, in which 6 has a vacuum suction hole 7 inside to receive the semiconductor wafer from the transfer arm, and There are four bottles that move up and down, 7 is a vacuum suction hole provided inside the bottle 6, and the same reference numerals as in Fig. 3 are the same.
or a corresponding portion. FIG. 2 is a time chart showing the operation of the vacuum mechanism of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, and all operations are performed by a computer according to this time chart.

In the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, after a semiconductor wafer 5 is placed on a bin 6 from a transfer arm such as a robot.

The process until it is fixed to the plate 1 will be explained with reference to the time chart shown in FIG. Further, the following explanation regarding the vacuum mechanism will be divided into means for vacuum chuck and a vacuum sensor for detecting this vacuum chuck.

When the semiconductor wafer 5 currently being attracted to the transport arm comes near the bin 6, a switch (not shown) for the vacuum chuck of the bin 6 is turned on. After the semiconductor wafer 5 approaches the top of the tube 6, a vacuum sensor (not shown) connected to the vacuum suction hole 7 detects an increase in the degree of vacuum, indicating that the operation of the vacuum chuck has been confirmed (the vacuum sensor is turned on). )
.

At that time, the semiconductor wafer 5 is just transferred from the transfer arm to the bin 6. Upon the transfer, the semiconductor wafer 5 is moved from the vacuum chuck of the transfer arm to the vacuum chuck of the bin 6, and begins to be lowered by the drive of the motor M while being placed on the bin 6 at the correct position. As shown in the figure, the point at which the vacuum sensor of the bin 6 turns off is the transfer point (hereinafter referred to as the origin of the plate surface) at which the semiconductor wafer 5 is transferred from the bin 6 to the plate 1. Even after the semiconductor wafers 5 are transferred from the bin 6 to the plate l, the bin 6 continues to descend due to the drive of the motor, but a change in the degree of vacuum in the bin 6 is detected and the vacuum sensor is turned off. The vacuum chuck of plate l is switched on by the signal from the turned-off bottle vacuum sensor. Even when the vacuum chuck for the plate l is turned on, the vacuum chuck for the bottle 6 remains on and the bottle 6 continues to descend. Therefore, after the semiconductor wafer 5 is placed on the plate L, it is immediately vacuum chucked to the plate L, and since the vacuum chuck of the pin 6 remains on, it is fixed on the plate L without shifting its position. It turns out. And this plate
After the vacuum chuck is turned on, plate 1
The plate vacuum sensor senses the increase in vacuum level and turns on this sensor, and after this sensor turns on, the bottle 6
The vacuum chunk is switched off.

The above is the process of transporting the semiconductor wafer 5 in this embodiment.The feature of this embodiment is that the semiconductor wafer 5 having a smooth mirror surface is transported from the transport arm to the bin 6, from the bin 6 to the plate l, Since it is constantly held by vacuum suction during delivery, there is no positional shift immediately before or after delivery.

In addition, since the vacuum chuck of the bin 6 is turned off not by the signal of the pin vacuum sensor but by the signal of the vacuum sensor of the plate l, it is turned off only when the semiconductor wafer 5 is reliably placed on the plate 1. There is no risk of malfunction.

Incidentally, when removing this semiconductor wafer 5 from the plate 1,
Of course, it can be carried out by going through the process reverse to the above-mentioned carrying-in process.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, the present invention transfers semiconductor wafers from a transfer arm onto a plate having vacuum suction holes therein by moving a bottle having vacuum suction holes therein up and down. The method and apparatus for driving the vacuum mechanism provided in the vacuum suction hole of the plate based on the output signal of the vacuum mechanism provided in the vacuum suction hole of the bottle when placing the bottle on the plate. It is possible to confirm that the semiconductor wafer has been transferred to the correct position, and
There is an effect that the semiconductor wafer does not shift when it is transferred from the transfer arm to the bin and from the bin to the plate, and that the semiconductor wafer is not warped.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of the semiconductor wafer processing apparatus of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a time chart for performing the operation shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a main part of a conventional semiconductor wafer processing apparatus. FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view and side view of the semiconductor wafer shown in FIG. 3, showing the state immediately before and after the semiconductor wafer is delivered to the plate. In the figure. l Nibrate 3.7: Vacuum suction hole 5: Semiconductor wafer 6: Bin agent Patent attorney 1) Haru Kitatake Figure 1 Figure 2 (A) (0) (8) Figures 3 and 4 Prospects for writing procedural corrections May 28, 1986

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) In a semiconductor wafer processing method for processing a semiconductor wafer, the semiconductor wafer is held by pins having vacuum suction holes inside, and the semiconductor wafer is placed on a processing table having vacuum suction holes inside by moving the pins up and down. A semiconductor characterized in that it includes a step of driving a vacuum mechanism provided in a vacuum suction hole of the processing table based on an output signal of the vacuum mechanism provided in the vacuum suction hole of the processing table when placing the semiconductor. Wafer processing method. (2) A semiconductor wafer processing apparatus for processing semiconductor wafers, which is equipped with an internal vacuum suction hole that moves up and down by an elevating mechanism when the semiconductor wafer is placed from the transfer arm onto the processing table that has a vacuum suction hole inside. a pin, a means for controlling the degree of vacuum of this pin, a means for detecting this degree of vacuum and outputting a signal, a means for controlling the degree of vacuum of the processing table, and a means for detecting this degree of vacuum and outputting a signal. 1. A semiconductor wafer processing apparatus characterized by comprising means for: