JP2000195920A - Substrate carrying system and device for manufacturing semiconductor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a practical carrying system of substrate which can effectively reduce the time necessary for carrying substrates. SOLUTION: An autoloader which carries substrates 9 en block between an outer cassette 5 and a cassette 31 in a lock, which accommodate 25 sheets of substrate 9 by similar structures, is equipped with a first holding unit 44A which simultaneously holds 12 sheets of the substrate 9 and a second holding unit 44B for holding one sheet of the substrate 9. By driving the first holding unit 44A two times and driving the second holding unit 44B one time, 25 sheets of the substrate 9 are carried. The substrates 9 are temporarily moored on a mooring shelf 48 which is installed between the outer cassette 5 and a load lock chamber 3. By means of the second holding unit 44B, the substrates 9 are carried one by one to a positioning apparatus 43, and positioned.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus used for manufacturing various semiconductor devices, and more particularly to a configuration of a substrate transfer system used for the apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Various semiconductor devices such as LSIs are manufactured through many surface treatments for substrates. An apparatus for performing such a process is collectively referred to as a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and includes sputtering and chemical vapor deposition (CVD).
And a device for performing a surface treatment such as etching and impurity implantation. In such a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, a substrate is loaded into a processing chamber,
It is necessary to carry out the processed substrate from the processing chamber or the like, and in many cases, a substrate transfer system is provided. The substrate transfer system will be described using a multi-chamber type sputtering apparatus as an example.

FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view illustrating a conventional structure of a multi-chamber type sputtering apparatus. The sputtering apparatus shown in FIG. 4 has a chamber arrangement including a separation chamber 1 arranged at the center, a plurality of processing chambers 2 provided around the separation chamber, and two load lock chambers 3. Each of the chambers 1, 2, and 3 is a vacuum container that is evacuated by a dedicated or shared exhaust system.
A gate valve (not shown) is provided at a connection point between the chambers 1, 2, and 3.

[0004] The separation chamber 1 separates the processing chambers 2 from each other in a gas-tight manner to prevent cross-contamination of the internal atmosphere, and serves as a space for transporting substrates to the processing chambers 1 and the load lock chamber 3. is there. That is, the transfer robot 11 is provided in the separation chamber 1. The transfer robot 11
The substrates are taken out one by one from one of the load lock chambers 3 and sent to each of the processing chambers 2 to sequentially perform the processing. Then, after the last processing is completed, the processing is returned to one of the load lock chambers 1.

[0005] One of the processing chambers 2 is configured as a sputtering chamber 2A for performing predetermined sputtering. In the sputtering chamber 2A, there are provided a target made of a material to be formed into a film, a power application mechanism for sputtering the target, gas introducing means, a magnet mechanism for magnetron sputtering, a substrate holder for holding a substrate at a predetermined position, and the like. ing. Another processing chamber 2
One is configured as a preheat chamber 2B for preheating the substrate 9 before sputtering, and the other processing chamber is configured as a cooling chamber 2C for cooling the substrate 9 after sputtering. An autoloader 4 is provided outside the load lock chamber 3. The autoloader 4 includes an external cassette 5 provided outside the load lock chamber 3,
This is a mechanism for transporting the substrate 9 to and from the in-lock cassette 31 in the load lock chamber 3.

The substrate transfer system, which is the subject of the present invention, is a general term for a mechanism for transferring a substrate in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. Therefore, in the above-described apparatus, the transfer robot 11 provided in the separation chamber 1 and an external The autoloader 4 that transports substrates between the cassette 5 and the load lock chamber 1 corresponds to the substrate transport system. Of these, in the following description, the autoloader 4
An example will be described. Autoloader 4 shown in FIG.
Is composed of a holding finger 41 that holds one substrate 9 and a moving mechanism 42 that moves the holding finger 41. The holding finger 41 is a substantially U-shaped plate member, and is configured to hold the substrate 9 on the upper surface. In many cases, the moving mechanism 42 employs an articulated robot having an arm that can rotate around a vertical rotation axis.

The autoloader has a positioning device 43. The positioner 43 transfers the unprocessed substrate 9 from the external cassette 5 to the lock-in cassette 31 or unloads the processed substrate 9 from the lock-in cassette 31 to the external cassette 5. It is used for positioning.

When the center of the holding finger 41 of the autoloader 4 is displaced from the center of the substrate 9 when the substrate is taken out of the external cassette 5 by the autoloader 4 and conveyed, the deviation is caused by the conveyance of the substrate 9 in the separation chamber 1. It is also maintained when it is delivered to the robot 11. As a result, even when the substrate 9 is placed on the substrate holder in the processing chamber 2, the center of the substrate 9 is shifted from the center of the substrate holder. Here, in order to enhance the contact between the substrate holder and the substrate 9, a peripheral portion of the substrate 9 is pressed by a ring-shaped pressing member called a clamper. In this case, the substrate 9 is shifted from the center of the substrate holder.
Is mounted, the clamper also comes off the peripheral edge of the substrate 9 and does not normally press the peripheral edge, so that the contact property of the substrate 9 with the substrate holder becomes insufficient. Further, the clamper is mounted on the substrate 9.
The clamper and the substrate 9
Between the substrate 9 and the clamper, resulting in adhesion between the substrate 9 and the clamper. When the substrate 9 and the clamper adhere to each other, it becomes difficult to release the clamper.
Cannot be transported. Therefore, when the autoloader 4 conveys the substrate 9 from the external cassette 5 to the in-lock cassette 31, the autoloader 4 matches the center of the substrate 9 with a predetermined reference point (hereinafter, center reference point) (hereinafter, centering).
I do.

When the processed substrate 9 is collected in the load lock chamber 3 and the center of the substrate 9 is displaced from the center of the holding finger 41 of the autoloader 4, when the substrate 9 is stored in the external cassette 5, And rubs against the inner surface of the external cassette 5. For this reason, the centering of the substrate 9 is performed as necessary even when the substrate 9 is accommodated in the external cassette 5. In particular, the substrate 9
In some cases, the board ID number provided in the margin of the peripheral edge of the board 9 is read out after processing. The reading of the board ID number is performed by arranging the board 9 at a predetermined position with respect to the fixed image sensor. For this reason, not only centering,
In some cases, it is necessary to perform an operation (hereinafter, referred to as a rotational position determination) for matching a singular point on the periphery of the substrate 9 with a reference point in a predetermined rotation direction (hereinafter, referred to as a rotation reference point) after the processing.

[0010] Centering and rotational positioning of the substrate 9 (collectively referred to as positioning in this specification) are performed by the following configuration. FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a more detailed configuration of the positioner 43 shown in FIG. The positioner 43 includes a stage 431 on which the substrate 9 is placed.
And a support 432 supporting the stage 431, and a support 432
, A support 434 that integrally supports the stage 431, the support 432, and the rotation mechanism 433; an X-direction moving mechanism 435 that moves the support 434 in the X direction; Y to move in the direction
Direction moving mechanism 436, a sensor (not shown) for detecting the position of the substrate, and X direction moving mechanism 4 in accordance with a signal from the sensor.
35 and a control unit (not shown) for controlling the Y-direction moving mechanism 436.

The stage 431 has a disk shape smaller than the substrate 9. The holding finger 41 has a substantially U-shape whose inner width is larger than the diameter of the stage 431. When the substrate 9 is placed on the stage 431, the stage 431 is positioned inside the U shape of the holding finger 41. State.
When the substrate 9 is placed on the stage 431, the center of the holding finger 41 is aligned with the center axis of the stage 431 (stage 4).
31) (vertical line passing through the center of the line 31).

The center reference point is determined when the holding finger 41 places the substrate 9 on the stage 431.
Is set at a point passing through the surface of the substrate 9. Centering is performed when the substrate 9 is mounted on the stage 431.
By detecting how much the center point of the surface of the substrate 9 is shifted from the center reference point, by driving the X-direction movement mechanism 435 and the Y-direction movement mechanism 436 so that the center point coincides with the center reference point. Do. The position of the substrate 9 in the rotational direction is determined by a specific point formed on the periphery of the substrate 9 (hereinafter, referred to as a specific point).
This is performed by detecting the position of the peripheral singular point) and rotating the substrate 9 to position the peripheral singular point at a predetermined rotation reference point. This peripheral singular point is specifically the middle point of the orientation flat (hereinafter, orientation flat) of the substrate 9.

The driving of the X-direction moving mechanism 435 and the Y-direction moving mechanism 436 is performed based on the detection result of a sensor (not shown). The configuration of the sensor differs depending on the detection method, but is divided into a case where a plurality of photo sensors are used and a case where an image sensor such as a CCD sensor is used. this house,
When a plurality of photosensors are used, a plurality of photosensors (either a transmission type or a reflection type) are arranged evenly on a circumference centered on the central axis. The arrangement position of the photosensor is on the circumference having the same diameter as the substrate 9.

When the substrate 9 is placed on the stage 431,
The rotation mechanism 433 rotates the stage 431 via the support 432. The surface of the stage 431 is provided with a vacuum suction port for sucking the substrate 9 on the stage 431.
It rotates together with the rotation of. During this rotation, the periphery of the substrate 9 periodically shields or transmits the plurality of photosensors 437 in accordance with the shift between the center reference point and the center point. At this time, since it is known which photo sensor 437 is shielded or transmitted at what timing, the shift between the center reference point and the center point and the shift between the peripheral singular point and the rotation reference point can be calculated. .
The control unit (not shown) performs this calculation to obtain two shift amounts, and sends a drive signal to the X-direction moving mechanism 435 and the Y-direction moving mechanism 436 so as to correct the difference.

When a CCD sensor is used, the substrate 9
To capture an image of a specific area in the periphery of
Place the D sensor. Then, the CCD sensor is kept fixed, and the substrate 9 is rotated by the rotation mechanism 433. In accordance with the displacement between the center reference point and the center point and the position of the peripheral singular point such as the center of the orientation flat in the rotational direction, the peripheral image of the substrate 9 captured by the CCD sensor is shaken. From the information on the amount of the shake and the rotation angle of the substrate 9 when the shake occurs, the shift between the center reference point and the center point and the shift of the peripheral singular point with respect to the rotation reference point are calculated. Then, similarly, the X direction moving mechanism 435 and the Y direction moving mechanism 4
A drive signal is sent to 36 to make the center reference point coincide with the center point, and a drive signal is sent to the rotation mechanism 433 to make the peripheral singular point coincide with the rotation reference point.

After such centering, the holding finger 41 removes the substrate 9 from the stage 431 and transports the substrate 9 to the in-lock cassette 31 in the load lock chamber 3. In addition, as shown in FIG. 4, two autoloaders 4 as described above are provided. One positioning device 43 is provided between the two autoloaders 4.

[0017]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In a substrate transfer system for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, it is required to reduce the time required for transferring the substrate in order to increase the productivity of the apparatus. However, in the above-described conventional substrate transport system, since the substrates are transported one by one from the external cassette to the in-lock cassette, it is difficult to shorten the time required for transporting the substrates. That is, it is necessary to operate the autoloader by the number of substrates accommodated in the external cassette, and it has been difficult to reduce the time required for substrate transport. In addition, when the number of times of operation of the autoloader increases, the frequency of maintenance of the autoloader increases, and a mechanism with extremely high operation reliability is required, which causes an increase in running costs and equipment costs.

As a method of shortening the time required for transportation,
There is a method of increasing the operation speed of the autoloader, specifically, the moving speed of the holding finger. However, when the moving speed of the holding finger is increased, it is necessary to provide a vacuum suction port on the surface of the holding finger to vacuum suck the substrate in order to surely hold the substrate with the holding finger. In this case, the vacuum suction port is evacuated, so that the surrounding dust and dirt are collected, and foreign substances such as dust, dirt, particles and the like easily adhere to the substrate. For this reason, the surface state of the substrate may be contaminated, and the quality of the resulting device may be impaired.

As a configuration for solving such a problem, a configuration in which a plurality of substrates are collectively held and transported is considered. However, if the number of substrates accommodated in the cassette in the lock is to be transported at one time, the autoloader must carry a considerably heavy load. Recently, there has been a remarkable tendency to increase the size of the substrate, and when holding and transporting a large number of enlarged substrates, an excessive load is applied to the arm, the arm is bent, and in the worst case, the substrate falls. There is a risk that it will. Further, when the load increases, the inertia also increases, so that the configuration of the moving mechanism becomes large, which causes a problem in cost.

As described above, in the conventional substrate transfer system, the time required to transfer the substrate is likely to be long, and the method for solving the problem may cause another problem of increasing the cost and soiling the substrate. there were. The invention of the present application has been made to solve such a problem, and an object of the invention is to provide a practical substrate transport system that can effectively shorten the time required for transporting a substrate.

[0021]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the invention according to claim 1 of the present application is capable of accommodating a plurality of substrates, and the positional relationship among the substrates in the accommodated state is the same or similar. A substrate transfer system capable of simultaneously transferring a plurality of substrates between two cassettes, wherein the plurality of substrates can be simultaneously held in a structure suitable for the positional relationship between the substrates in the accommodated state. Holding unit, and a moving mechanism capable of moving the holding unit at least in the horizontal direction, the holding unit,
It is possible to transport at a time a number of substrates divisible by the number of substrates accommodated in the cassette, the moving mechanism,
A predetermined number of substrates are accommodated in the cassette by driving the holding unit a plurality of times.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention according to claim 2 can store a plurality of substrates between two cassettes that can store a plurality of substrates and have the same or similar positional relationship between the stored substrates. A substrate transport system capable of transporting all at once, wherein the substrate is held in a structure suitable for the positional relationship between the respective substrates in the accommodated state, and at least one of the substrates can simultaneously hold a plurality of substrates. A plurality of holding units, and a moving mechanism capable of moving the plurality of holding units at least in a horizontal direction, wherein the plurality of holding units have a number of substrates that each holding unit can hold at one time. The total or a multiple of the total is the number of substrates accommodated in the cassette, and the moving mechanism drives each holding unit once or a plurality of times to store the predetermined number of substrates. The substrate is configured to be accommodated in the cassette. According to a third aspect of the present invention, in order to solve the above problem, in the configuration of the first or second aspect, the plurality of holding units are provided so as to mount and hold the plurality of substrates on respective upper surfaces. The plurality of holding units are integrally held by a finger support, and the moving mechanism is configured to be able to move the finger support in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction. Further, in order to solve the above problem, the invention described in claim 4 is:
3. The configuration according to claim 2, wherein one of the plurality of holding units transports one substrate, and between the two cassettes, a rotation direction of a peripheral singular point with respect to a peripheral reference point. A position locator is provided for calculating the displacement and / or the displacement of the center point of the substrate surface with respect to the center reference point. When a substrate is taken out from one cassette and stored in the other cassette, the position locator is used. By doing so, in a state where the peripheral singular point of the substrate matches the peripheral reference point,
And / or a configuration in which the center point of the surface of the substrate is accommodated in a state in which the center point matches the center reference point. In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention according to claim 5 is based on claim 4.
Wherein the mooring shelf that can moor a plurality of substrates at a time when passing through the locating device is provided between the one cassette and the locating device. Have. Also, in order to solve the above problems,
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the configuration of the fifth aspect,
The number of substrates moored at one time on the mooring shelf is equal to or greater than the number of substrates accommodated in the one cassette. According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a semiconductor device comprising:
The described invention includes a processing chamber for performing a predetermined process on the substrate, and a load lock chamber connected to the processing chamber so that the substrate can be transferred in a vacuum. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus provided with an in-lock cassette capable of accommodating a plurality of substrates at the same time, wherein the positional relationship between the substrates disposed outside the load lock chamber and accommodated is the same as that of the in-lock cassette. Or a similar external cassette, and an autoloader capable of transporting a substrate accommodated in the external cassette to the lock-in cassette, wherein the autoloader is the same or the same as the lock-in cassette and the external cassette. A holding unit that holds a plurality of boards collectively with a structure that is similar to the positional relationship of each board in the accommodated state. The number of substrates that the holding unit can hold at one time is equal to a number that divides a predetermined number of sheets of the cassette in the lock, and the predetermined number of substrates is held by operating the holding unit a plurality of times. Can be accommodated in the cassette inside the lock. According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a processing chamber for performing a predetermined process on a substrate, and a load lock connected to the processing chamber so that the substrate can be transferred in a vacuum. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus comprising a chamber and a lock lock cassette capable of simultaneously storing a plurality of substrates in the load lock chamber, wherein each substrate disposed outside the load lock chamber and in a stored state is provided. An external cassette having the same or similar positional relationship as the cassette in the lock, and an autoloader capable of transporting the substrate contained in the external cassette to the cassette in the lock. A board having a structure adapted to the positional relationship of the boards in the housed state, which are the same or similar to each other in the lock inner cassette and the outer cassette At least one holding unit has a plurality of holding units capable of holding a plurality of substrates at the same time, and the total number of substrates that each holding unit can hold at a time or a multiple of the total number of substrates is the lock. It matches the predetermined number of sheets in the inner cassette,
By operating the plurality of holding units once or a plurality of times, the predetermined number of substrates can be accommodated in the cassette inside the lock. In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention according to claim 9 is
In the configuration according to claim 7 or 8, the holding unit integrally supports the plurality of holding fingers provided to mount and hold the plurality of substrates on respective upper surfaces thereof and the plurality of holding fingers. And a finger support, and a moving mechanism capable of moving the holding unit in the horizontal and vertical directions is provided. According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the configuration of the eighth aspect, one of the plurality of holding units transports a single substrate, and Between the inner cassette and the outer cassette, there is provided a positioner for calculating a shift in the rotation direction of the peripheral singular point with respect to the peripheral reference point and / or a shift of the center of the substrate with respect to the center reference point. Is removed from the cassette inside the lock and stored in the external cassette, by passing through the positioner, in a state where the peripheral singular point of the substrate coincides with the peripheral reference point, and / or the center point of the substrate surface is It is configured to be accommodated in a state that matches the central reference point. In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention according to claim 11 is the invention according to claim 10, wherein a plurality of the cassettes in the lock and the positioning device are provided when passing through the positioning device. A mooring shelf capable of mooring the substrates at a time. Also, in order to solve the above problems,
According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in the configuration of the eleventh aspect, the number of substrates moored at one time on the mooring shelf is equal to or greater than the number of substrates accommodated in the cassette in the lock.

[0022]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. In the following description, an autoloader 4 in a multi-chamber type sputtering apparatus will be described as an example of a substrate transfer system, as in the above-described conventional example. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view illustrating the configuration of an autoloader as an embodiment of the substrate transfer system of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of the autoloader illustrated in FIG. The autoloader shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 transports a substrate (specifically, a semiconductor wafer) 9 between the external cassette 5 and the cassette 31 inside the lock, similarly to the autoloader shown in FIG.

FIG. 1 shows two autoloaders. The two autoloaders are a pair of left and right. Each autoloader is provided with first and second two holding units 44.
A, 44B, a moving mechanism 45 for moving the holding units 44A, 44B, a positioner 43 for positioning the substrate 9, and a mooring shelf 48 to which the substrate 9 is moored when the substrate 9 is rotated. It is mainly composed of The positioner 43 is one and is also used for two autoloaders.

The first holding unit 44A includes twelve holding fingers 441 and a finger support 442 integrally supporting the twelve holding fingers 441. The second holding unit 44B includes one holding finger 443 and a finger support 444 that supports the holding finger 443. In the present embodiment, the outer cassette 5 and the lock inner cassette 31 are used.
Is configured to accommodate 25 substrates 9. Although FIG. 1 shows 12 sheets for convenience of illustration, it is actually 25 sheets.

The holding finger 441 has the same shape as the holding finger 41 shown in FIG. That is, the member is substantially U-shaped. The finger support 442 supporting the holding finger 441 is connected to the U of the holding finger 441.
The holding finger 441 is fixed at the part opposite to the tip of the letter "". In the configuration of the first holding unit 44A, the holding fingers 441 are arranged so as to overlap in the vertical direction at a constant interval. The arrangement positions of the plurality of holding fingers 441 in the horizontal direction are all the same, and therefore, when viewed in a plan view, they all appear to overlap. In addition, each holding finger 441 is provided with an electrostatic attraction mechanism for attracting the substrate 9 by static electricity as needed.

The moving mechanism 45 includes a first holding unit 44
A main drive unit that rotates the first drive unit 451 that moves the first drive unit 451, the second drive unit 452 that moves the second holding unit 44B, and the first drive unit 451 and the second drive unit 452. 453 mainly. The first drive unit 451 and the second drive unit 452 are configured by articulated robots driven independently of each other. The first drive unit 451 and the second drive unit 452 respectively position the first holding unit 44A and the second holding unit 44B at an arbitrary position in a horizontal plane and an arbitrary position in the vertical direction within the operation range of the robot. It has become possible. In addition, the main drive unit 453 rotates the first drive unit 451 and the second drive unit 452 as a whole or moves up and down in order to broaden the operation range of the first drive unit 451 and the second drive unit 452. Or let it. Note that the center of this rotation is set at a position exactly intermediate between the first drive unit 451 and the second drive unit 452.

The external cassette 5 and the in-lock cassette 31 have the same positional relationship among the substrates 9 in the accommodated state. That is, both cassettes 5 and 31 hold the substrates 9 in a horizontal posture so as to overlap one another at a predetermined interval. The spacing between the substrates 9 is the same in the two cassettes. Further, the first holding unit 44A also holds the plurality of substrates 9 while holding this positional relationship. That is, the spacing between the upper and lower substrates 9 and the spacing between the holding fingers 441 coincide with each other.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG.
Is disposed above the positioner 43. The mooring shelf 48 has a configuration in which a plurality of support plates in a horizontal position are provided at predetermined intervals vertically on a base plate in a vertical position. The mooring shelf 48 can accommodate and moor a predetermined number of substrates 9 in the same positional relationship as the external cassette 5 and the lock-in cassette 31. Therefore, the mooring shelf 48
Has 25 support plates, and can accommodate 25 substrates 9 at a time. Note that the mooring shelf 48 may have a larger capacity than the external cassette 5 and the lock-in cassette 31. For example, the mooring shelf 48 may have a capacity of 50 sheets, and may accommodate the substrates 9 for two external cassettes 5, or may have a spare capacity of about several more than the external cassettes 5. Is also good.

In this embodiment, when the processed substrate 9 is transported from the cassette 31 in the lock to the external cassette 5, the rotation position is determined. More specifically, when the storage of the twelve processed substrates 9 in the lock cassette 31 is completed, the first holding unit 44A
Times, the second holding unit 44B is driven once and a total of 25
The substrates 9 are stored in the mooring shelf 48 and moored. Then, the second holding unit 44B takes out the moored 25 substrates 9 one by one and transports them to the positioning device 43, thereby performing the rotation position determination of the substrates 9.
The configuration of the positioner 43 is the same as that of the conventional one, and the description is omitted.

Next, the overall operation of the substrate transport system according to the present embodiment having the above configuration will be described. In the following description, the external cassette 5 and the in-lock cassette 31 can accommodate 25 substrates 9 at a time, and each of the two external cassettes 5 accommodates 25 unprocessed substrates 9. It is explained that there is.

First, in order to transport the unprocessed substrate 9 stored in the one external cassette 5 to the one in-lock cassette 31, the moving mechanism 45 moves the holding fingers 441 of the first holding unit 44A to the one external unit. It is moved into the cassette 5 and stopped at a predetermined position. In this stop position, each of the holding fingers 441 is located slightly below each substrate 9.
In this state, the moving mechanism 45 slightly raises the finger support 442 so that the twelve substrates 9 are placed on the holding fingers 441. The twelve substrates 9 are electrostatically attracted to the holding fingers 441 as necessary.

Then, the moving mechanism 45 moves the holding finger 44
Is moved to one of the lock-in cassettes 31. After accommodating the twelve substrates 9 collectively in the cassette 31 inside the lock, the moving mechanism 45 slightly lowers the holding fingers 441, separates the respective holding fingers 441 from the respective substrates 9, and then retracts the respective holding fingers 441. Let it.

Next, the moving mechanism 45 includes the holding finger 44
1 is moved in the same manner as described above, and further 12 substrates 9 are transported from one external cassette 5 to one lock inner cassette 31 from the external cassette 5. Thereafter, the moving mechanism 45 moves the holding fingers 44 of the second holding unit 44B.
3 is moved, and the remaining one substrate 9 is transported from the external cassette 5 to one of the lock-in cassettes 31. In this way, the transfer of the 25 substrates 9 to one of the lock cassettes 31 is completed.

Next, the operation of unloading the processed substrate 9 from the in-lock cassette 31 to the external cassette 5 will be described. The processed substrate 9 is normally stored in the other cassette 31 in the lock. Therefore, of the pair of left and right autoloaders shown in FIG. 1, another autoloader different from that used at the time of loading is used.

First, the moving mechanism 45 includes the finger support 4
By moving the holding finger 441, the holding fingers 441 are positioned in the other cassette 31 in the lock. Then, the finger support 442 is slightly raised in the same manner as described above so that the twelve substrates 9
Are collectively held by the holding fingers 441. The moving mechanism 45 moves the finger support 442 to the mooring shelf 48, and accommodates and anchors the twelve substrates 9 in the mooring shelf 48 at a time. Similarly, the first holding unit 44A is operated again, and the twelve processed substrates 9 are transported from the in-lock cassette 31 to the mooring shelf 48 at a time to be moored. Further, the second holding unit 44B is operated, and the remaining 1
The processed substrates 9 are transported from the in-lock cassette 31 to the mooring shelf 48.

Next, the holding finger 443 of the second holding unit 44B moves, and the one substrate 9 on the mooring shelf 48 is moved.
Take out. The moving mechanism 45 moves the holding finger 443 to carry the single substrate 9 to the stage 431 of the positioner 43, and places the substrate 9 on the stage 431.
Incidentally, the other cassette 31 in the lock has an empty space for 25 sheets, and the processed substrates 9 are sequentially accommodated in this space.

The rotation of the stage 431 causes the substrate 9 to rotate, and the deviation between the peripheral singular point and the rotation reference point is determined by a signal from a sensor for detecting the peripheral edge of the substrate 9. That is, the deviation between the position of the notch formed at the middle point or the peripheral edge of the orientation flat and the rotation reference point is obtained. Next, the stage 431 rotates so as to compensate for this shift, and stops at a position where the peripheral singular point of the substrate 9 matches the rotation reference point. After that, the second holding unit 44B removes the substrate 9 from the stage 431 and transports the substrate 9 to the external cassette 5 to be stored therein.

When the center axis of the stage 431 is not aligned with the center of the substrate 9, a centering operation is performed as necessary. That is, a deviation between the center reference point on the center axis of the stage 431 and the center point of the substrate 9 is determined based on a signal from a sensor that detects the periphery of the substrate 9. When the second holding unit 44B removes the substrate 9 from the stage 431, the second holding unit 44B compensates for the displacement.
Activate B. Specifically, the second holding unit 44
An operation is performed to lift the substrate 9 at a position where the center of the holding finger 443 of B (the center of the region defined as the region held by the substrate 9) coincides with the center of the substrate 9.

In this way, the 25 substrates 9 are taken out of the mooring shelf 48 one by one, and the operation of detecting the deviation between the peripheral singular point and the rotation reference point and making the peripheral singular point coincide with the rotation reference point is performed. Then, it is stored in the external cassette 5. When the twenty-fifth substrate 9 is stored in the external cassette 5, the external cassette 5 becomes full. Thereafter, the operator takes out the external cassette 5 from the apparatus and takes it to the apparatus for the next process. Then, the empty external cassette 5 is placed at the original position. Then, similarly, the processed substrate 9
Is transported from the cassette 31 inside the lock to the external cassette 5 via the mooring shelf 48 and the positioning device 43.

The substrate transport system according to the present embodiment having the above-described configuration and operation can accommodate a plurality of substrates 9 and the external cassette 5 and the lock-in cassette 31 in which the positional relationship of the substrates 9 in the accommodated state is the same. It is possible to transfer the plurality of substrates 9 at once between them. Therefore, the time required for transporting the substrate 9 can be significantly reduced. Further, the number of operations of the moving mechanism 44 is dramatically reduced, and the operation speed may be low. Therefore, the frequency of maintenance of the moving mechanism 44 may be low, and a mechanism having extremely high operation reliability is not particularly required. . For this reason, running costs and equipment costs can be suppressed.

Since the predetermined number of substrates 9 are not transported at once, but are transported several times, even if the substrate 9 becomes large and heavy, the holding fingers 441 can be used.
The arm holding the arm does not bend. Further, since the load can be reduced, the inertia can be reduced, and the configuration of the moving mechanism does not become so large. Further, a predetermined number of substrates 9 in the cassette 31 inside the lock are once moored on the mooring shelf 48, and the substrate 9 is transferred from the mooring shelf 48 to the positioner 43 one by one.
Is carried out, the unprocessed substrates 9 can be immediately loaded into the cassette 31 in the lock while the processed substrates 9 are positioned one by one. Therefore, the throughput is increased, and the productivity is improved.

Because of these effects, the substrate transfer system of the present embodiment is suitably used for various devices that need to determine the center deviation of the substrate 9 and determine the rotational position during the transfer process. This greatly contributes to improving throughput and suppressing costs. It should be noted that, even for an apparatus that does not require the calculation of the center shift of the substrate 9 and the determination of the rotational position, the configuration in which the plurality of substrates 9 are collectively conveyed greatly contributes to an improvement in throughput. In this case, the positioner 43 and the mooring shelf 48
Is unnecessary.

Next, an embodiment of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention in which the substrate transfer system of the above embodiment is suitably adopted will be described. In the following description, a multi-chamber type sputtering apparatus is taken as an example, similarly to the conventional apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view illustrating the configuration of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the embodiment. This semiconductor manufacturing apparatus has a chamber arrangement including a separation chamber 1 disposed at the center, a plurality of processing chambers 2 provided around the separation chamber 1, and two load lock chambers 3, as in FIG. Each of the chambers 1, 2, and 3 is exhausted by a dedicated or shared exhaust system, and a gate valve (not shown) is provided at a connection point between the chambers 1, 2, and 3.

A transfer robot 11 is also provided in the separation chamber 1, and the substrates 9 are taken out one by one from one of the load lock chambers 3 and sent to each of the processing chambers 2 for sequential processing. Supposed to do. Then, after the last processing is completed, the processing is returned to one of the load lock chambers 3.

One of the processing chambers 2 is configured as a sputter chamber 2A for performing a predetermined sputtering, in which a target made of a material for forming a film, a power application mechanism for sputtering the target, gas introducing means, magnetron sputtering , A substrate holder for holding the substrate 9 at a predetermined position, and the like. One of the other processing chambers 2 is configured as a preheat chamber 2B for preheating the substrate 9 before sputtering, and another of the other processing chambers 2 is a cooling chamber 2C for cooling the substrate 9 after sputtering. And so on.

The substrate transfer system of the above embodiment is provided as an autoloader 4 outside the load lock chamber 3. The autoloader 4 is a mechanism for transporting the substrate 9 between the external cassette 5 provided outside the load lock chamber 3 and the lock cassette 31 in the load lock chamber 3 as described above.

Next, the operation of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the present embodiment having the above configuration will be described. First, as described above, one autoloader 4 operates, and the unprocessed substrate 9 is transferred from the one external cassette 5 to the one lock-in cassette 31.
Is transported. This transfer is performed twice for each 12 sheets, once for each sheet,
This is a transfer of a total of 25 substrates 9.

Then, the transfer robot 11 takes out the substrates 9 one by one from one of the cassettes 31 inside the lock, and sequentially carries them into the preheat chamber 2B. A heat stage (not shown) that is heated and maintained at a predetermined temperature is provided in the preheat chamber 2B, and the substrate 9 is placed on the heat stage and heated to the predetermined temperature. Thus, the substrate 9 is preheated (preheated), and the occluded gas in the substrate 9 is released.

Next, the substrate 9 is sent to the sputtering chamber 2A, and a sputter film is formed. Specifically, a target (not shown) provided in the sputtering chamber 2A is sputtered by a sputtering power source (not shown), and the sputtered target material reaches the substrate 9 to deposit a predetermined thin film. Thereafter, the substrate 9 is sent to the cooling chamber 2C as needed. The substrate 9 is heated to a certain temperature through the heating in the preheat chamber 2B and the sputter deposition in the sputtering chamber 2A. You. Specifically, a cooling stage (not shown) in which a coolant is circulated and cooled to a predetermined temperature is provided in the cooling chamber 2C, and the substrate 9 is placed on the cooling stage for a predetermined time. This cools down to a predetermined temperature.

Then, the transfer robot 11 takes out the substrate 9 from the cooling stage and stores it in the other cassette 31 in the lock. When 25 processed substrates 9 are stored in the other cassette 31 in the lock, the other autoloader 4 operates. At this time, as described above, the moving mechanism 45
The transfer of the substrates 9 via the mooring shelves 48 and the positioning device 43 is performed twice and once for each of 12 substrates, and a total of 25 substrates 9 are transferred to the other external cassette 5.

It should be noted that one of the cassettes 31 to 25 in the lock is provided.
When the substrates 9 are taken out and processed, the cassette 31 in one lock has an empty space for 25 substrates. Then, one of the autoloaders 4 operates again, and 2
The five unprocessed substrates 9 are transported from the external cassette 5 to the in-lock cassette 31. That is, the substrate 9 is transported twice and one by one for each of the 12 substrates, and a total of 25 substrates 9 are transported to the cassette 31 inside the lock.

In the configuration of each of the above-described embodiments, as a configuration for transporting 25 substrates 9 from the external cassette 5 to the lock-in cassette 31 (or from the lock-in cassette 31 to the mooring shelf 48), two 12-in. The transfer is performed once and once, but it goes without saying that there are other configurations. For example, it may be three times for eight sheets and once for one sheet, or four times for six sheets and once for one sheet. Alternatively, five sheets may be used five times. It is to be noted that the last transfer of one substrate is performed by transferring the substrates 9 to the positioner 43 one by one.
This is because a holding unit 44B for holding and transporting the sheets is required, and this holding unit 44B is used effectively. In addition, the external cassette 5 and the lock-in cassette 31
If the number of substrates 9 stored is a multiple of the number of substrates held by the first holding unit 44A, the external cassette 5 is transferred to the lock-in cassette 31 (or from the lock-in cassette 31 to the mooring shelf 4).
The transfer of the substrate 9 to 8) may be performed using only the first holding unit 44A.

As can be seen from the above description, the structure of the holding unit according to the present invention changes depending on the number of substrates 9 accommodated in the external cassette 5 and the lock-in cassette 31. More specifically, when one holding unit is used, the number of substrates 9 held by the holding unit at one time is a number that is divisible by the number of accommodated substrates. When a plurality of holding units are used, at least one of the holding units is assumed to be capable of holding a plurality of substrates 9 at the same time, and the total number or the number of substrates that each holding unit can hold at one time. The total number of multiples is equal to the number of stored images.

The mechanism in which the number of substrates 9 moored on the mooring shelf 48 is equal to or larger than the number of accommodated cassettes 31 in the lock is a mechanism in which the processed substrates 9 in the cassette 31 inside the lock are processed.
Can be collectively moored, and the cassette 31 in the lock can be moored.
Has the advantage of being empty at once. Therefore, for example, when the unprocessed substrates 9 are collectively loaded into the in-lock cassette 31, the loading can be performed immediately, and in this respect, the throughput is further improved.

In the above description, the cassette 31 inside the lock is used.
The position of the substrate 9 is determined when the processed substrate 9 is unloaded from the external cassette 5 to the external cassette 5, but may be determined when the unprocessed substrate 9 is transferred from the external cassette 5 to the lock-in cassette 31. . Further, it may be performed both at the time of loading and unloading.

In the above description, the substrate 9 is transferred from the external cassette 5 on one side to the lock-in cassette 31 on the same side.
Is carried in, and the substrate 9 is carried out of the lock inside cassette 31 on one side to the external cassette 5 on the same side. However, the substrate 9 can be carried in and out of the other side.
For example, the autoloader on one side is driven to carry out the substrate 9 from the external cassette 5 on one side and temporarily place it on the mooring shelf 48 or the positioner 43, and thereafter, the autoloader on the other side is driven. And the cassette 31 in the lock on the other side.
Alternatively, the substrate 9 may be loaded. In other words, not only is the locked cassette 31 on one side used for loading and the locked cassette 31 on the other side is used fixedly for unloading, but also both locked cassettes 31 are divided by time zone. In some cases, both may be used for carry-in during a time period, and both may be used for carry-out during a certain time period.

In the above description, a multi-chamber sputtering apparatus has been taken as an example of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. However, other film forming apparatuses such as a sputtering apparatus having another chamber arrangement such as an in-line type, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) apparatus, and the like. Various semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses such as an etching apparatus can be used as the embodiments. Further, as an application example of the above-described embodiment of the substrate transport system, in addition to a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, an application example can be considered to various apparatuses such as an apparatus for processing a liquid crystal substrate and an apparatus for processing a substrate for an information recording disk. .

[0058]

As described above, according to the first to sixth aspects of the present invention, the time required for transporting a substrate can be reduced. Therefore, when employed in a substrate processing apparatus that performs a predetermined process on a substrate, it is possible to contribute to an improvement in the efficiency of the process.
Further, according to the inventions of claims 4 to 6, since the positioning of the substrate is performed, the operation of reading the ID number of the substrate can be easily performed, and the collision of the substrate with the wall surface of the cassette can be prevented. There is a merit to do. In particular, claim 5
According to the inventions of the sixth to sixth aspects, when positioning the substrates, a plurality of substrates are moored on the mooring shelves, so that the throughput is further increased. According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, since the number of substrates accommodated in the mooring shelf is equal to or greater than the number of substrates accommodated in one cassette, one of the cassettes can be emptied immediately by mooring the substrate to the mooring shelf. In this regard, the throughput is further increased. According to the invention of claims 7 to 12,
Since the apparatus requires less time for substrate transfer, it can contribute to improvement in productivity in various semiconductor manufacturing processes. According to the tenth to twelfth aspects of the present invention, since the position of the processed substrate is determined, the operation of reading the ID number of the substrate can be easily performed, and the substrate collides with the wall surface of the external cassette. There is an advantage that can be prevented. In addition, according to the inventions of claims 11 and 12, a plurality of substrates are moored on the mooring shelves at the time of positioning the processed substrates, so that the throughput is further increased. Also,
In particular, according to the twelfth aspect, the number of substrates accommodated in the mooring shelf is equal to or greater than the number of substrates accommodated in the cassette in the lock. In this regard, the throughput is further increased.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a configuration of an autoloader as an embodiment of a substrate transfer system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of the autoloader shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view illustrating the configuration of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view illustrating a conventional configuration of a multi-chamber type sputtering apparatus.

FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a more detailed configuration of the positioner shown in FIG. 4;

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 separation chamber 11 transfer robot 2 processing chamber 3 load lock chamber 31 cassette in lock 4 autoloader 43 positioner 431 stage 433 rotation mechanism 435 X direction movement mechanism 436 Y direction movement mechanism 44A first holding unit 441 holding finger 442 finger support Body 44B Second holding unit 443 Holding finger 444 Finger support 45 Moving mechanism 451 First drive mechanism 452 Second drive mechanism 453 Main drive mechanism 48 Mooring shelf 5 External cassette 9 Substrate

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Nobuyuki Takahashi 5-8-1, Yotsuya, Fuchu-shi, Tokyo Anelva, Inc. F-term (reference) 5F031 CA02 FA01 FA07 FA09 FA12 FA15 GA03 GA09 GA43 GA48 GA49 GA50 JA06 JA14 JA15 JA17 JA28 JA29 JA34 JA40 KA06 KA08 KA11 KA13 PA08 PA18 PA30 5F045 AA19 BB08 DQ17 EB08 EJ04 EN04 HA25

Claims (12)

[Claims] A substrate capable of accommodating a plurality of substrates and capable of collectively transporting a plurality of substrates between two cassettes in which the positional relationship between the accommodated substrates is the same or similar. A transport system, comprising: a holding unit capable of simultaneously holding a plurality of substrates with a structure adapted to a positional relationship of the respective substrates in the accommodated state; and a moving mechanism capable of moving the holding unit at least in a horizontal direction. The holding unit is capable of transporting at once a number of substrates divisible by the number of substrates accommodated in the cassette, and the moving mechanism is configured to drive the holding unit a plurality of times to perform predetermined operations. A substrate transport system, wherein the substrate is accommodated in a cassette. 2. A substrate capable of accommodating a plurality of substrates and capable of collectively transporting a plurality of substrates between two cassettes having the same or similar positional relationship between the accommodated substrates. A transport system, comprising: a plurality of holding units capable of holding a plurality of substrates simultaneously while holding the substrates in a structure adapted to the positional relationship of the respective substrates in the accommodated state; and a plurality of holding units. A moving mechanism capable of moving the unit at least in the horizontal direction, wherein the plurality of holding units have a total number of substrates that each holding unit can hold at a time or a total multiple of the number of substrates. The number of substrates accommodated in the cassette is set, and the moving mechanism drives each holding unit one or more times to accommodate a predetermined number of substrates accommodated in the cassette. A substrate transport system characterized by being constituted. 3. A plurality of the holding units are provided so as to place and hold the plurality of substrates on respective upper surfaces, and the plurality of holding units are integrally held by a finger support. The substrate transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the moving mechanism is capable of moving the finger support in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction. 4. A method according to claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of holding units is for transporting one substrate, and a difference between the two cassettes in a rotational direction of a peripheral singular point with respect to a peripheral reference point. Alternatively, there is provided a positioner for calculating a shift of the center point of the substrate surface with respect to the center reference point, and when the substrate is taken out from one cassette and stored in the other cassette, it passes through the positioner. 3. The substrate transport according to claim 2, wherein the substrate is accommodated in a state in which the peripheral singular point of the substrate coincides with the peripheral reference point and / or in a state in which the center point of the substrate surface coincides with the central reference point. system. 5. A mooring shelf, which is capable of mooring a plurality of substrates at a time when passing through the positioning device, is provided between the one cassette and the positioning device. The substrate transport system according to claim 4, wherein 6. The substrate transport system according to claim 5, wherein the number of substrates moored at one time on said mooring shelf is equal to or greater than the number of substrates accommodated in said one cassette. 7. A processing chamber for performing a predetermined process on a substrate, and a load lock chamber connected to the processing chamber so that the substrate can be transferred in a vacuum. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus provided with an in-lock cassette capable of accommodating a plurality of substrates at the same time, wherein the positional relationship between the substrates disposed outside the load lock chamber and accommodated is the same as that of the in-lock cassette. Or a similar external cassette, and an autoloader capable of transporting a substrate accommodated in the external cassette to the lock-in cassette, wherein the autoloader is the same or the same as the lock-in cassette and the external cassette. A holding unit that holds a plurality of boards collectively with a structure that is similar to the positional relationship between the boards in a similar accommodated state The number of substrates that the holding unit can hold at one time is equal to a number that divides a predetermined number of sheets of the cassette in the lock, and the predetermined number of substrates is held by operating the holding unit a plurality of times. Characterized in that it is possible to store the data in a cassette inside the lock. 8. A processing chamber for performing a predetermined process on a substrate, and a load lock chamber connected to the processing chamber so that the substrate can be transferred in a vacuum. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus provided with an in-lock cassette capable of accommodating a plurality of substrates at the same time, wherein the positional relationship between the substrates disposed outside the load lock chamber and accommodated is the same as the in-lock cassette. And an autoloader capable of transporting a substrate contained in the external cassette to the cassette in the lock, wherein the autoloader is the same or similar to the cassette in the lock and the external cassette. Hold the board in a structure that matches the positional relationship of each board in the accommodated state and at least one It has a plurality of holding units capable of holding substrates at the same time, and the total number of substrates that each holding unit can hold at a time or a multiple of the total number of substrates is equal to the predetermined number of stored cassettes in the lock cassette. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is characterized in that the predetermined number of substrates can be stored in the cassette inside the lock by operating the plurality of holding units once or a plurality of times. 9. The holding unit includes: a plurality of holding fingers provided so as to place and hold the plurality of substrates on respective upper surfaces thereof; and a finger support that integrally supports the plurality of holding fingers. 8. A moving mechanism which is configured to move the holding unit in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction.
Or the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to 8. 10. A method according to claim 1, wherein one of said plurality of holding units transports one substrate, and a rotation of a peripheral singular point with respect to a peripheral reference point between said cassette inside said lock and said external cassette. A position locator is provided for calculating the deviation of the direction and / or the deviation of the center of the substrate with respect to the center reference point. When the processed substrate is taken out of the cassette in the lock and stored in the external cassette, the position locator is used By passing through, in a state where the peripheral singular point of the substrate coincides with the peripheral reference point, and / or, it is configured to be accommodated in a state where the center point of the surface of the substrate coincides with the central reference point. 9. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein: 11. A mooring shelf, which is capable of mooring a plurality of substrates at a time when passing through the positioning device, is provided between the cassette in the lock and the positioning device. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein: 12. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the number of substrates moored at one time on said mooring shelf is equal to or larger than the number of substrates accommodated in said cassette in said lock.