JP2002016055A - Semiconductor manufacturing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable processing of a large amount of wafer, while reducing the cost or occupied floor area. SOLUTION: Two process tubes 4 for processing a wafer W, two of ports 9 for holding the wafer and carrying the wafer into and out of the process tubes 4, and two-wafer transfer devices 35 for transferring the wafer to the ports 9 and wafer loading ports 23 are installed to a casing 2. A single-pod transfer device 26 is installed to the casing 2. The pod transport device 26 is arranged to transfer a pod 10 to a pod stage 11, a buffer shelf 14, two rotary shelves 17 and the wafer-loading ports 23. Thus since two of the process tubes, two of the ports and two of the wafer transfer devices are installed, a large number of wafers can be processed in a prescribed time and its occupied floor area can be reduced, as compared with the case where two CVD apparatus being provided side by side. Since there is only one pod-transfer device, its cost can be reduced, when compared with the case where two-pod transfer devices are installed.

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, and more particularly to a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter, referred to as "wafer") as a substrate on which a semiconductor integrated circuit including semiconductor elements is formed. The present invention relates to an apparatus which is effective when used in a batch type vertical diffusion / CVD apparatus for forming a film or diffusing impurities.

[0002] A batch type vertical diffusion C for forming a CVD film such as an insulating film or a metal film on a wafer or diffusing impurities.
A VD apparatus (hereinafter, simply referred to as a CVD apparatus) includes a process tube for processing a wafer, a boat for holding the wafer and carrying the wafer into and out of the process tube, and a wafer for transferring the wafer to the boat and the wafer loading port. A transfer device and a carrier transfer device that transfers a carrier that stores and transfers a wafer are provided one by one.

Generally, when a large number of wafers are processed within a predetermined time using this CVD apparatus, two CVs are required.
The D devices are implemented side by side.

[0004]

However, when two CVD apparatuses are arranged side by side, there are the following problems. First, the initial cost and running cost are double the cost of one CVD apparatus. Second, the occupied floor area in the clean room is increased by the gap generated between the adjacent CVD apparatuses.

An object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus capable of processing a large number of substrates while suppressing an increase in cost and occupied floor area.

[0006]

According to the present invention, there is provided a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus comprising: a process tube for processing a substrate; a boat for holding the substrate and carrying the substrate into and out of the process tube; and loading the substrate with the boat and the substrate. A plurality of substrate transfer devices for transferring to a port are provided in one housing, and a single carrier transfer device for transferring a carrier that stores and transfers the substrate is provided in the housing. It is characterized by having been done.

According to the above means, a plurality of process tubes, boats, and wafer transfer devices are provided in one housing, so that a large number of substrates can be processed within a predetermined time, The occupied floor area can be reduced by the amount that no gap is generated as compared with a case where a plurality of semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses are arranged side by side. Further, by providing only one carrier transfer device, the cost can be reduced as compared with a case where a plurality of carrier transfer devices are provided.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In this embodiment, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention is configured as a batch type vertical diffusion / CVD apparatus as shown in FIG. Hereinafter, a batch type vertical CVD apparatus (hereinafter, referred to as a CVD apparatus) will be described as an example. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the CVD apparatus 1 includes a casing 2 constructed in an airtight chamber structure, and has one end (hereinafter, referred to as a rear end) inside the casing 2.
In the upper part of the heater, two heater units 3, 3 are arranged side by side and are respectively installed in the vertical direction. A process tube 4 is arranged concentrically inside each heater unit 3. The process tube 4 includes a gas introduction pipe 5 for introducing a raw material gas, a purge gas, and the like into the process tube 4, and a process tube 4. An exhaust pipe 6 for vacuum exhaust is connected.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, two elevators 7, 7 are vertically arranged at the lower part of the rear end of the housing 2 so as to be arranged side by side. Numeral 7 is configured to vertically move two caps 8, 8 disposed horizontally below the two process tubes 4, 4, respectively, in the vertical direction. Each cap 8 is formed in a disk shape having a larger diameter than the lower end opening of the process tube 4, is configured to be able to seal the lower end opening of the process tube 4, and has the boat 9 standing upright. It is configured to be able to support. Each boat 9 is configured to hold a large number of wafers W as substrates to be processed in a state where the wafers W are arranged horizontally with their centers aligned, and the cap 8 is moved up and down by the elevator 7 to the processing chamber of the process tube 4. To be carried in and out.

As a carrier (transfer jig) for accommodating and transporting a wafer, a cassette formed in a substantially cubic box shape having a pair of opposing surfaces opened, and one surface provided as one. F having a substantially cubic box shape with an opening and a cap removably attached to the opening surface
OUP (front opening unified pod; hereafter referred to as pod). When a pod is used as a wafer carrier, the wafer is transported in a sealed state, so that the cleanliness of the wafer can be maintained even if particles are present in the surrounding atmosphere. it can. Therefore, it is not necessary to set the cleanliness in the clean room in which the CVD apparatus is installed so high, so that the cost required for the clean room can be reduced. Therefore, in the CVD apparatus according to the present embodiment, pod 10 is used as a carrier for a wafer.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a pod loading / unloading stage for loading / unloading a pod 10 as a carrier for transporting a wafer W into / from the housing 2 is provided at a lower portion in front of the housing 2. (Hereafter referred to as a pod stage.) 1
1 is set, and a front shutter (not shown) is provided at a position facing the pod stage 11 on the front wall of the housing 2.
The opening and closing opening 12 is opened and closed.
At a position facing the entrance 12 in the housing 2, a receiving stand 13 for receiving the pod 10 carried into the housing 2 through the entrance 12 from the pod stage 11 is installed.

A buffer shelf 14 for storing a plurality of pods 10 is laid horizontally in the upper part of the front wall of the housing 2 in the left-right direction. The buffer shelf 14 has a support plate 15 installed on the inner surface of the front wall of the housing 2, and a plurality of stages (four in the present embodiment, which are horizontally supported on the support plate 15 and horizontally supported by the support plate 15. In FIG. 1, three tiers 16 are shown.) A plurality of pods 10 are placed on each shelf 16 side by side in the left-right direction.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, a vertical wall 21 and a horizontal wall 22 which partition the internal space of the housing 2 up and down and front and rear are provided in the center of the housing 2 in the front and rear direction. Is constructed, and the horizontal wall 2 of the partition 20 is formed.
Two rotating shelves 17, 17 are arranged on the left and right on the left and right. One rotating shelf 17 is configured to store a plurality (eight in the present embodiment) of pods 10. That is, the rotating shelf 17 is formed by rotating the shelf 19 formed in a substantially swastika shape in a plurality of stages (two stages in the present embodiment), and is rotated in one direction by an intermittent rotation driving device (not shown) such as a motor. The pods 10 are vertically arranged on the rotating shaft 18 and fixed horizontally, and the pods 10 stored in each shelf 19 are sequentially fed to the front position by the pitch feed rotation of the rotating shaft 18.

A pair of ports (hereinafter, referred to as wafer loading ports) 23 for loading and unloading a wafer W is provided below the rotating shelf 17 in the casing 2 on the vertical wall portion 21 of the partition wall 20. In addition, a pair of upper and lower sides are installed, and an outlet 24 for loading and unloading the wafer W is opened at a position corresponding to each wafer loading port 23 of the vertical wall portion 21. Each wafer loading port 23 is provided with a pod opener 25 for opening and closing the pod 10 by attaching and detaching the cap 10a of the pod 10.

A pod transfer device 26 for transferring the pod 10 is provided between the pod stage 11 and the buffer shelf 15 and the rotary shelf 17 and the wafer loading port 23 in the housing 2. Pod stage 11, buffer shelf 14, left and right rotating shelf 17
The pod 10 is transported between the left, right, upper and lower wafer loading ports 23. The pod transfer device 26 includes a linear actuator 27 driven by a motor 27a, and the linear actuator 27 is laid on the bottom surface of the housing 2 substantially completely in the left-right direction.
An elevator 28 having a motor 28a as a drive source is vertically erected on the linear actuator 27, and the linear actuator 27 is configured to move the elevator 28 in the left-right direction. A lift 29 is supported by the elevator 28 so as to be lifted and lowered.
A pod handling device 30 for handling the pod 10 is installed at 9.

The pod handling device 30 is a scalar type robot (selective compliance assembly robot arm).
SCARA). That is, the pod handling device 30 includes a rotary actuator 31 vertically mounted on the elevating table 29, and the rotary actuator 31 moves a first arm 32, one end of which is fixed to a rotation shaft as an output shaft, in a horizontal plane. It is configured to rotate. One end of a second arm 33 is pivotally supported at the other end of the first arm 32, and the second arm 33 is configured to be rotated in a horizontal plane by a rotary actuator 31. A hand 34 is horizontally attached to the other end of the second arm 33, and the hand 34 is configured to scoop the pod 10 from below and support it horizontally.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, two wafer transfer devices 35 are provided in the lower space behind the partition 20.
The wafer transfer devices 35 are installed on the left and right, respectively.
Is configured to transfer the wafer W between the wafer loading port 23 and the boat 9 and transfer it to the pod 10 and the boat 9. That is, the wafer transfer device 35
Has a base 36, and a rotary actuator 37 is installed on the upper surface of the base 36. On the rotary actuator 37, a first linear actuator 38 is installed, and the rotary actuator 3
7 is configured to rotate the first linear actuator 38 in a horizontal plane. A second linear actuator 39 is provided on the first linear actuator 38, and the first linear actuator 38 is configured to horizontally move the second linear actuator 39. On the second linear actuator 39, a mounting table 40 is provided.
Is installed, and the second linear actuator 39 is configured to be horizontally moved on the mounting table 40. A plurality of (five in the present embodiment) tweezers 41 for supporting the wafer W from below are mounted on the mounting table 40 at equal intervals and horizontally. The wafer transfer device 35 is connected to the elevator 4 constituted by a feed screw mechanism.
2 to ascend and descend.

Although not shown, a notch aligning device is provided in a lower space behind the partition 20. The notch aligning device may be installed on one side of both of the wafer transfer devices 35, 35.
It may be installed between 5 and 35 and used as both. Although not shown, a clean unit is provided in a lower space behind the partition wall 20 so as to blow clean air to the boat 9 supported on the cap 8.

Next, the operation of the CVD apparatus having the above configuration will be described.

As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 4, the pod 10 supplied to the pod stage 11 is carried in from the inlet / outlet 12 and is temporarily placed on the receiving table 13 so that the two pods rotate. The pod is transported by the pod transfer device 26 to a designated position on the shelves 17, 17 or the buffer shelf 14, and is temporarily stored. Incidentally, in order to transport the pod 10 to the two rotating shelves 17, 17 and the buffer shelf 14 by one pod transfer device 26, the moving speed of the linear actuator 27 and the elevator 28 of the pod transfer device 26 is set to the normal CVD speed. It is set faster than that of the device.

The pods 10 stored on the two rotating shelves 17 and 17 and the buffer shelves 14 are appropriately picked up by a pod transfer device 26 and transferred to a designated one of four wafer loading ports 23. As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 5, it is transferred to the mounting table 23a.

Mounting table 2 for wafer loading port 23
The pod 10 transferred to 3a is opened with the cap removed by the pod opener 25. Pod opener 25 at this one wafer loading port 23
Of the other three locations, another pod 10 is picked up from the two rotating shelves 17, 17 and the buffer shelf 14 by the pod transfer device 26 and transferred to the predetermined wafer loading port 23 among the other three positions. . Therefore, the pod transfer device 26 is provided between the four wafer loading ports 23 and the two rotating shelves 17, 17 and the buffer shelf 14, and between the two rotating shelves 17, 17 and the buffer shelf 14 and the pod stage 11. It will move and operate very efficiently with the cradle 13.

For example, while the opening operation of the pod 10 is being carried out at the upper wafer loading port 23, the pod 1 is transferred to the lower wafer loading port 23.
If the transfer operation of the wafer W is simultaneously performed, the transfer of the wafer W to the pod 10 set in the lower wafer loading port 23 is performed simultaneously with the completion of the transfer operation of the wafer W in the upper wafer loading port 23. The transfer (loading) operation by the device 35 can be started. That is, the wafer transfer device 35 is connected to the pod 1
Since the wafer transfer (loading) operation can be performed continuously without wasting the waiting time for the 0 replacement operation, the throughput of the CVD apparatus 1 can be increased.

When the pod 10 is opened at the wafer loading port 23, a plurality of wafers W stored in the pod 10 are transferred (loaded) to the boat 9 by the wafer transfer device 35. At this time, the number of wafers W to be batch-processed by the boat 9 (for example, 100 to 150)
Is many times larger than the number of wafers W stored in one pod 10 (for example, twenty-five), so that a plurality of pods 10 are transferred to upper and lower wafer loading ports 23 by the pod transfer device 26. It will be supplied alternately and repeatedly.

When a plurality of wafers W specified in advance are transferred from the upper and lower wafer loading ports 23, 23 to the boat 9, the boat 9 is lifted by the elevator 7 and carried into the processing chamber of the process tube 4. . Boat 9
Reaches the upper limit, the periphery of the upper surface of the cap 8 holding the boat 9 closes the process tube 4 in a sealed state, so that the processing chamber is airtightly closed.

In a state where the processing chamber of the process tube 4 is closed in an airtight manner, the processing tube 4 is evacuated to a predetermined degree of vacuum by the exhaust pipe 6, heated to a predetermined temperature by the heater unit 3, and supplied with a predetermined source gas. 5 provides a predetermined flow rate. Thereby, a predetermined CVD film is formed on the wafer W.

Then, when a predetermined processing time has elapsed, the boat 9 is lowered by the elevator 7 and the boat 9 holding the processed wafer W is carried out to the original standby position. In addition, during the loading / unloading operation of the process tube 4 of the boat 9 into the processing chamber and the processing operation,
Pod stage 11, buffer shelf 14, and rotating shelf 17
In, the loading / unloading operation and the transfer operation of the pod 10 are simultaneously performed. Incidentally, depending on the type of film to be handled, for example, the processing time is about 1 hour to 2 hours.

The processed wafer W of the boat 9 carried out to the standby position is transported in advance to the wafer loading port 23, the cap 10a is removed, and the empty pod 1 is opened.
The wafer is transferred (unloaded) to 0 by the wafer transfer device 35. Then, Pod 10 is Pod Opener 2
After being closed by the pod 5, the pod 10 containing the processed wafer W is transported by the pod transfer device 26 to a designated position on the two rotating shelves 17, 17 or the buffer shelf 14, where it is temporarily stored. You.

In the transfer (unloading) of the processed wafers W, the number of the wafers W batch processed by the boat 9 is the same as that of the wafers W stored in one empty pod 10.
Since the number of pods is many times larger than the number of pods, a plurality of pods 10 are repeatedly supplied to the upper and lower wafer loading ports 23 by the pod transfer device 26 alternately. In this case as well, during the wafer transfer operation to one (upper or lower) wafer loading port 23, the transfer to the empty pod 10 and the preparation operation to the other (lower or upper) wafer loading port 23 are simultaneously performed. By proceeding, the wafer transfer device 35 can continuously perform the wafer transfer (unloading) operation without wasting the waiting time for the replacement operation of the pod 10, so that the throughput of the CVD device 1 is improved. Can be increased.

The pod 10 containing the processed wafer W is transferred from the rotating shelf 17 to the pod stage 11 by the pod transfer device 2.
6 transported. The pod 10 transferred to the pod stage 11 is transported to the next step.

Then, the pod 10 containing the new wafer W is supplied to the pod stage 11. Thereafter, the above-described operation is repeated, and the wafer W is batch-processed by the CVD apparatus 1.

In the present embodiment, the process tube 4, the boat 9, the wafer loading port 23
Since the wafer transfer device 35 is provided for each of the right and left sets, while the film forming process is being performed in one (left or right) set of process tubes 4, the other (right or left) set is used. The transfer (loading and unloading) of the pod 10 to the wafer loading port 23 and the wafer loading port 2
The transfer (loading and unloading) of the wafer W to the boat 3 and the boat 9 is performed simultaneously. Since the work is alternately performed between the left and right sets in this manner, the film formation process can be continued without interruption.
The throughput of the CVD apparatus 1 can be increased.

According to the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

1) Process tube 4 in one housing 2
And the boat 9, the wafer loading port 23, and the wafer transfer device 35 are provided one by one, so that a large amount of wafers W can be processed within a predetermined time, and two CVD devices are arranged side by side. The occupied floor area can be reduced by the amount that no gap is generated as compared with the case where the equipment is arranged side by side, so that the clean room can be effectively utilized.

2) The process tube 4, the boat 9, the wafer loading port 23, and the wafer transfer device 35 are provided one by one on the left and right, while the pod stage 11
By installing only one set of pod transfer device 26,
Since the initial cost and the running cost can be reduced as compared with the case where two CVD apparatuses are provided, the cost of the method for manufacturing a semiconductor device can be reduced.

3) A pair of wafer loading ports 2
3 and 23 are set up and down in two stages, and both wafer loading ports 23 and 23 have caps 1 of the pod 10.
By providing pod openers 25 for opening and closing the pod 10a, loading and unloading of the pod 10 to and from the other wafer loading port 23 during loading / unloading of the wafer W with respect to the pod 10 at one wafer loading port 23 (loading and unloading). Since the work and the preparation work for wafer loading or unloading can proceed simultaneously, the pod 10
It is possible to eliminate the waiting time at the time of replacing the data and improve the throughput.

4) A pair of wafer loading ports 2
By arranging the upper and lower parts 3 and 23 vertically, it is not necessary to increase the occupied area of the wafer loading port.
Throughput can be increased while avoiding an increase in the lateral width of the CVD apparatus 1.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it goes without saying that various changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

For example, the process tube 4, the boat 9,
Wafer loading port 23 and wafer transfer device 3
5 is not limited to equipping one set on the left and right in one housing 2, and three or more sets may be installed.

The wafer loading ports are not limited to two upper and lower stages, but may be only one stage, or three or more stages, such as upper, middle and lower stages.

The wafer carrier is not limited to the pod, but may be a cassette. If a cassette is used, the pod opener can be omitted.

In the above embodiment, the case of the batch type vertical CVD apparatus has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this.
The present invention can be applied to all semiconductor manufacturing devices such as a batch type vertical diffusion device.

[0044]

As described above, according to the present invention,
A large amount of substrates can be processed while suppressing an increase in cost and occupied floor area of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially omitted perspective view showing a CVD apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan sectional view passing through a rotating shelf.

FIG. 3 is a plan sectional view passing through a wafer transfer device.

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of the pod transfer device side.

FIG. 5 is a side sectional view of the wafer transfer device side.

[Explanation of symbols]

W: Wafer (substrate), 1: CVD equipment (semiconductor manufacturing equipment), 2: Housing, 3: Heater unit, 4: Process tube, 5: Gas introduction pipe, 6: Exhaust pipe, 7: Elevator, 8: Cap , 9 boat, 10 pod (substrate storage container), 10a cap, 11 pod stage (pod loading / unloading stage), 12 entrance / exit, 13
... Receiver, 14 ... Buffer shelf, 15 ... Support plate, 16 ... Shelves, 17 ... Rotating shelf, 18 ... Rotating axis, 19 ... Shelves, 20 ...
Partition wall, 21 vertical wall part, 22 horizontal wall part, 23 wafer loading port, 24 access port, 25 pod opener, 26 pod transfer device, 27 linear actuator, 28 elevator, 29 lift platform, Reference numeral 30: pod handling device, 31: rotary actuator, 32: first arm, 33: second arm, 34: hand, 35: wafer transfer device, 36: base, 37: rotary actuator, 38: first linear actuator 39: second linear actuator, 40: mounting base,
41: Tweezers, 42: Elevator.

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Hidehiro Yanagawa 3-14-20 Higashinakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo International Electric Co., Ltd. F term (reference) 4K030 CA04 CA12 GA13 KA04 KA05 5F031 CA02 DA08 DA17 EA14 FA01 FA03 FA07 FA09 FA11 FA12 GA02 GA03 GA43 GA47 GA48 GA49 HA61 LA12 MA03 MA15 MA16 MA28 NA02 5F045 AB31 BB08 DP19 DQ06 DQ14 EN04 EN05

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A process tube for processing a substrate, a boat that holds the substrate and carries the substrate into and out of the process tube, and a substrate transfer device that transfers the substrate to the boat and a substrate loading port. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, wherein a plurality of units are provided in a single case, and the case is provided with a single carrier transfer device that transfers a carrier that stores and transports the substrate.