JP2002231782A - Method for transferring semiconductor wafer, method for manufacturing semiconductor device, and processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method in which power consumption in high cleanliness is reduced and the running cost is further decreased, in processes of transferring and manufacturing a semiconductor wafer by use of a locally clean environment (mini-environment) system. SOLUTION: A fan 21 is in standby operation at normal time in a mini- environment, and only when a semiconductor wafer C is taken out from a pod P, the fan is rotated at a high speed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a fan filter unit (FF) for locally cleaning an atmosphere.
The present invention relates to a method for transferring a semiconductor wafer using U), a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, and a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When a large amount of dust or the like is present in a working environment in a semiconductor device manufacturing process, such dust adheres to the surface of a semiconductor wafer, thereby lowering the manufacturing yield. In particular, in today's narrower processing line width of semiconductor wafers, the minimum particle size of dust that needs to be removed is also smaller, and thus the necessity for maintaining an atmosphere of a working environment with higher cleanliness than before has been increasing. As a configuration of a clean room that keeps a working environment clean, a configuration in which a filter is installed on a ceiling and air is circulated through the filter by rotating a fan is widely known. To maintain high cleanliness, it is realized by rotating the fan at high speed and circulating air at high speed. However, since it is necessary to rotate the fan in proportion to the cube of the flow velocity of the circulating air, there is a problem that the power consumption increases and the cost increases as the cleanliness increases. In order to suppress such an increase in cost, a method of setting a so-called local clean environment (mini environment) has been devised. FIG. 7 shows a process apparatus 9 for realizing a local clean environment.
2 shows an example. As shown in FIG. 7, an FFU 94 is installed in a process device 92 separately from the clean room, and dust is reduced through a filter with respect to an air flow sent from the fan to realize a locally clean environment.

[0003] In such an environment, the operator performs work. Therefore, even when the operator sets and resets the semiconductor wafer in the processing apparatus, the probability that dust generated from a dust source such as wear of the operator adheres to the wafer. Can be reduced. In addition, an automatic machine for automatically setting a wafer (SMIF: Standard Machine)
In many cases, an FFU for realizing a local clean environment is applied to a process apparatus having an ICA (Ionic Interface). For example, JP-A-2000-82731 describes that
An intermediate chamber for transferring wafers between the clean room and the equipment room as a method for preventing contamination of wafers while suppressing an increase in the running cost of the clean room, and an intermediate chamber for setting the intermediate chamber to high cleanliness; A technical idea of disposing a pressure sensor in an apparatus room and controlling the number of rotations of a drive motor of an FFU so that the pressure value in an intermediate chamber becomes highest is disclosed.

[0004]

However, although the running cost has been reduced by adopting the mini-environment method compared with the conventional one, there is a demand for further reducing the running cost. Also,
When a semiconductor wafer is transferred by an automatic machine, if the flow rate of the fan filter unit is set so as to be optimal when the L / L door is open, the flow rate when the L / L door is closed becomes excessive. This causes vibration of the wafer during transfer. The inventors have found that the vibration may cause generation of particles, transfer error, collision with the robot hand, displacement, and damage to the wafer due to impact. An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, and to provide a method and the like that can reduce the running cost as compared with the conventional method in the transfer of a semiconductor wafer using a mini-environment method, the manufacturing process of a semiconductor wafer, and the like. It is an object.

[0005]

According to the present invention, there is provided an apparatus chamber opening step of opening an apparatus chamber of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and a sealing step of opening an airtight container containing a semiconductor wafer. In a method for transferring a semiconductor wafer, comprising: a container opening step; and a transfer step of transferring the semiconductor wafer from the closed container into the apparatus chamber, wherein the transfer step includes driving a fan filter unit to pass the semiconductor wafer. The semiconductor wafer is transferred while a clean gas is delivered at a predetermined speed to a transfer area to be transferred, and the speed of the gas during transfer is set to be higher than when the transfer is not performed. This is a method for transferring a semiconductor wafer. The apparatus chamber is a load lock chamber, wherein the semiconductor wafer is transferred. Further, the semiconductor is characterized in that a speed of the gas is controlled by using a sensor for detecting an opening of the closed container and driving the fan / filter unit based on a signal output from the sensor. This is a wafer transfer method. The method further comprises the step of sealing the apparatus chamber after transferring the semiconductor wafer into the apparatus chamber by the transfer step, and using the sensor for detecting the sealing to output the fan, filter, and the like based on a signal output from the sensor. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the speed of the gas is controlled by driving a unit.

In addition, the transfer of the semiconductor wafer is automatically performed by using a predetermined transfer device, the opening of the apparatus chamber is performed during the transfer of the semiconductor wafer, and the speed of the gas is: The method of transferring a semiconductor wafer, wherein the speed after the opening of the apparatus chamber is made higher than that before the opening. A step of accommodating the semiconductor wafer in a closed container and transporting the semiconductor wafer between semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses used in each step; a step of opening the transported closed container at a predetermined position and opening the closed container; An apparatus chamber opening step of opening an apparatus chamber of a manufacturing apparatus, a transfer step of transferring the semiconductor wafer into the apparatus chamber, a step of processing the semiconductor wafer using the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and the processing is completed. Storing the semiconductor wafer in the hermetically sealed container, wherein the transporting step comprises driving a fan / filter unit to pass a clean gas to a transport area through which the semiconductor wafer passes. The semiconductor wafer is transferred while being sent at a speed, and the speed of the gas during transfer is faster than when the transfer is not performed. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, characterized in that for the large.

[0007] An opening / closing device for opening and closing a sealed container accommodating a wafer cassette supporting a plurality of semiconductor wafers, and a process for processing the semiconductor wafer by removing the wafer cassette taken out of the sealed container opened by the opening / closing device. And a fan-filter unit for locally cleaning an area passing when transferring to a predetermined position in the semiconductor processing apparatus for performing the first operation. Sensors and
A second sensor for detecting the airtightness of the airtight container; and a third sensor for detecting the presence or absence of the wafer cassette in the airtight container. The fan based on the signal
A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus characterized in that the number of rotations of a motor for driving a fan provided in a filter unit can be varied. Further, an opening / closing device for opening and closing a closed container accommodating a wafer cassette supporting a plurality of wafers, a transfer device for transferring the wafer cassette into a load lock chamber provided in a semiconductor processing apparatus, and the transfer of the wafer cassette In a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus including a fan filter unit for locally making a passing region a clean atmosphere, the number of rotations of a fan provided in the fan filter unit is configured to be variable, and at least The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is characterized in that the number of rotations of the fan is increased while the transfer device is transferring the wafer cassette.

When the third sensor detects that the wafer cassette is present in the closed container, and when the first sensor detects an opening of the closed container, the third sensor detects the presence of the wafer cassette. The third sensor detects that the wafer cassette is present in the closed container, and the second sensor detects that the closed container is closed. In the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, the number of rotations of a fan provided in the fan / filter unit is reduced in such a case. In addition,
In the present invention, the apparatus room of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus refers to a processing chamber for performing a process process, a load lock chamber for carrying in / out a workpiece, and other general rooms that can be opened and sealed.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The present embodiment relates to a method of transferring a semiconductor wafer using a process apparatus 10 that makes a region where an operator transfers a wafer cassette C a locally clean environment. FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a process apparatus 10 according to the present invention and a clean room in which the process apparatus 10 is arranged. FIG. 1A is a front view, and FIG.
Is a side view. The process apparatus 10 includes a pod opening / closing device 12 for opening and closing a pod P containing a wafer cassette C, and a region where an operator takes out and transfers a wafer cassette C which can be separated from the pod P by the pod opening / closing device 12. A filter unit 21 (hereinafter referred to as "FFU") for cleaning the wafer, a load lock chamber 16 (hereinafter referred to as "L / L chamber") in which the wafer cassette C transferred to the operator is placed, A processing unit 18 for processing semiconductor wafers held in a wafer cassette C placed in the L / L chamber 16;
And a sensor 20 for detecting the presence of an operator in an area to be locally cleaned by the operator. A plurality of semiconductor wafers are held together by a wafer cassette C, and the wafer cassette C is stored in a closed container called a pod P. By sealingly storing the wafer cassette C in the pod P, contamination of the semiconductor wafers in the pod P from external dust is suppressed. The semiconductor wafer is transported between the apparatuses in each process while being sealed in the pod P. Therefore, there is no need to highly clean the transfer path between the devices,
For example, the class may be about 1000.

Next, each component of the process apparatus 10 will be described. The pod opening and closing device 12 has a function of opening the sealed pod P and a function of storing the wafer cassette C in the pod P and sealing it. That is,
Pod P at a predetermined position (hereinafter referred to as “load port”)
Is placed, the pod P is opened and can be separated from the wafer cassette C. Conversely, when the wafer cassette C is placed on the load port, the pod P stores and seals the wafer cassette C. The FFU 21 has a function of cleaning an area where the operator transfers the wafer cassette C. Specifically, the FFU 21 is a ULPA (Ultra Low Penetrate).
ionAir) filter 22 and ULPA filter 22
A fan 23 for sending out clean air, a motor (not shown) for rotating the fan 23, an inverter 24 for controlling the number of rotations of the motor,
And an inverter control unit 25 for controlling the control unit 4. Therefore, the rotation speed of the fan 23 can be controlled based on the control signal from the inverter control unit 25. The FFU 21 is disposed so as to send out air in the floor direction (vertical direction), and the air is discharged to the underfloor space as described later.

When an operator serving as a dust source approaches the process device 10, the fan 23 rotates at a high speed to keep the atmosphere clean, so that both ends of the process device 10, ie, the pod opening / closing device 12 and the L / L are connected to each other. Two optical sensors 20 are provided on the chamber 16 side. The output of each sensor 20 is sent to the inverter control unit 25, and when at least one of the sensors 20 outputs a detection signal of an operator, a control signal for increasing the rotation speed of the fan 23 is output. Configuration.
Further, the process processing unit 18 controls the L / L by the operator.
It has a function of processing semiconductor wafers held in the wafer cassette C placed in the chamber 16, and performs, for example, a film forming process and an etching process. Such a process device 10
Is placed in, for example, a downflow type clean room. As shown in FIG.
By cleaning the air in the space above the ceiling by installing
Along with supplying into the clean room with down flow,
The floor is changed to a grating floor 40, and the air in the clean room is discharged to the underfloor space. Then, the air is circulated again to the space above the ceiling via a circulation path space (not shown) provided outside the clean room.

The procedure for transferring a semiconductor wafer in the above configuration will be described below. Here, FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a temporal change of the fan rotation speed of the FFU 21. First, a pod P for hermetically storing a semiconductor wafer is placed on a load port by an operator. At this time, the sensor 20 senses the approach of the operator and outputs a detection signal to the inverter control unit 25. The inverter control unit 25 outputs a control signal for increasing the rotation speed of the fan 23 to a predetermined rotation speed in response to the detection signal to the inverter 24. The number of revolutions will increase from the standby time (T
1). Since the speed of air in the transfer area increases with an increase in the number of revolutions of the fan 23, dust from an operator or the like, which is a dust source, is discharged under the floor, and contamination of the semiconductor wafer is suppressed. The pod P placed on the load port is opened by the pod opening / closing device 12. The operator takes out the wafer cassette C and transfers it to the L / L chamber 16. At this time, since clean air is sent at a high speed to the transfer area, a locally clean environment is realized. The operator opens the L / L door 16a of the L / L chamber 16 and moves the wafer cassette C to the L / L position.
/ L Set in the chamber 16. L / L door 1 after setting is completed
6a is sealed and the operator moves away from the process device 10. Until then, the operator has been detected by at least one of the two sensors 20, but the detection signal is not output from any of the sensors 20 to the inverter control unit 25 when the operator moves away. Therefore, the inverter control unit 25 outputs a control signal for reducing the rotation speed of the fan 23 to the standby mode. In response to this control signal, the rotation speed of the fan 23 decreases and the FFU
The speed of the air delivered from 21 decreases (T2).

The processing section 18 includes a wafer cassette C
Are sequentially processed for each semiconductor wafer held in the semiconductor device.
When the processing is completed, the operator opens the L / L door 16a and takes out the wafer cassette C. At this time, since an operator is detected by the sensor 20 (T3), the fan 23 rotates at a high speed in the same manner as described above, the speed of the air in the transfer area increases, and the air is locally cleaned. The operator transfers the wafer cassette C and places it on the load port. The pod opening / closing device 12 hermetically stores the wafer cassette C in the pod P. The operator leaves the process device 10 (T
4), the fan 23 returns to the rotation speed in the standby state again, and the speed of the air also decreases. As described in detail above, the sensor 20
The configuration is such that the rotation speed of the fan 23 is controlled based on the detection signal from the controller. Therefore, even when the semiconductor wafer is exposed to the external atmosphere, the rotation speed of the fan 23 can be increased to prevent contamination by dust. Can be deterred. When the semiconductor wafer is less likely to be contaminated such as in a closed state, the power consumption of the FFU 21 can be reduced by reducing the rotation speed of the fan 23. In the present embodiment, the optical sensor 20 for detecting the approach of the operator is used as the sensor 20, but can be modified as appropriate. For example, using a sensor for detecting the opening and closing of the pod P and the presence or absence of the wafer cassette C in the pod P, the rotation speed of the fan 23 is synchronized with opening the pod P to take out the wafer cassette C in the pod P. Raise,
The rotation speed of the fan 23 may be reduced in synchronization with the accommodation of the wafer cassette C in the pod P. In addition, a sensor consisting of a transmitter and a receiver is installed,
When the pod P is placed on the load port, the rotation speed of the fan 23 may be controlled at a timing when a signal is interrupted. Alternatively, the weight of the placed pod P may be measured, and the FFU 21 may be controlled based on the weight. According to the weight, the presence or absence of the wafer cassette C in the pod P can be detected.

The timing for changing the rotation speed of the fan 23 may not be the same as the signal from the sensor 20. For example, when reducing the rotation speed, a thorough time lag may be provided to ensure thorough cleaning. Is also good. Further, the configuration may be such that the rotation speed of the fan 23 is changed in synchronization with the operation signal of the pod opening / closing device 12 without using the sensor 20. In addition, any configuration may be used as long as at least while the wafer cassette C is exposed to the external atmosphere, high-speed air is sent from the FFU 21 compared to other time periods. Further, the direction in which clean air is sent from the FFU 21 is not limited to the vertical direction. In addition, the present invention can be variously modified within the scope that does not change the gist, as in the other embodiments. Although the semiconductor wafer is conveyed between the devices used in the process in a state housed in the pod P in a sealed state, the power consumption of the FFU 21 can be reduced according to the present invention, so that the manufacturing cost of the semiconductor device is reduced. There is an effect of reducing it as a whole. Further, the FFU may have a configuration in which gas is delivered through a filter by rotating a fan, and various filters such as HEPA can be applied to the filter. (Second Embodiment) In the second embodiment, when a semiconductor wafer is transferred using the automatic transfer machine 32, the transfer of the semiconductor wafer is performed locally and in a limited time to clean the transfer area. It relates to methods and the like. An embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of a process apparatus 30 according to the present embodiment. The process apparatus 30 includes an automatic transfer device 32 that separates and stores the pod P and the wafer cassette C and transfers the wafer cassette C to the L / L chamber 34, and is disposed on a side surface of the automatic transfer device 32. F
An FU 40, an inverter control unit 41 for controlling an inverter 46 provided in the FFU 40, an L / L chamber 34 in which the wafer cassette C separated from the pod P is placed;
A processing unit (not shown) for processing semiconductor wafers held in the wafer cassette C placed in the L / L chamber 34;
A process control unit 38 for controlling the opening / closing of the door 36 and the automatic transfer machine 32; Hereinafter, each component will be described. The automatic transfer machine 32 has a load port on the upper surface and an FFU 40 on the side surface. When the pod P is placed on the load port, only the pod P is moved upward, so that the pod P and the wafer cassette C are separated. Since the load port is integrated with the side wall on which the FFU 40 is provided, the FFU 40 moves upward with the movement of the pod, and the fan 44 of the FFU 40 and the wafer cassette C face each other. Therefore, clean air sent from the FFU 40 is directly blown onto the wafer cassette C. Further, the separated wafer cassette C is transferred into the L / L chamber 34 by a robot arm (not shown), and is processed.

After the processing of the semiconductor wafer,
The wafer cassette C placed in the L / L chamber 34 is transferred to the automatic transfer device 32 using the robot arm. Thereafter, the pod P held above is written and has a function of automatically sealingly housing the wafer cassette C. The process control unit 38 has a function of controlling devices provided in the process device 30. Here, FIG.
4 shows the time change of the rotation speed of No. 4. In the case where semiconductor wafers before processing are stored in the processing apparatus 30 so that contamination of the wafer cassette separated from the pod can be suppressed, the fan control unit 41 controls the inverter control unit 41 almost simultaneously with the separation of the pod P and the wafer cassette C. 44, a control signal for increasing the rotation speed is output, and then L / L
At the same time when the door 36 is opened, a control signal for further increasing the number of revolutions is output, and when the wafer cassette C is stored in the L / L chamber 34 and the L / L door 36 is closed, the rotation of the fan 44 is almost simultaneously performed. It is configured to output a control signal for reducing the number to a standby state. On the other hand, in the case where the semiconductor wafer after the process processing is stored in the pod P, the L / L chamber 34 in which the wafer cassette C is placed is placed in the L / L chamber 34.
At the same time as opening the L door 36, a control signal for increasing the number of rotations of the fan 44 is output. Then, the wafer cassette C is taken out by the robot arm and the L / L door 36 is opened.
A control signal for slightly reducing the rotation speed of the fan 44 substantially at the same time as the shutter is closed, and further bringing the rotation speed of the fan 44 into a standby state substantially at the same time as the wafer cassette C is housed and sealed in the pod P, is provided by the inverter control unit. 41.

The clean room in which the process device 30 is installed has the same configuration as that shown in the first embodiment. The process is performed according to the following procedure based on the above configuration. First, a pod P containing a semiconductor wafer is placed on a load port (T1).
Here, the pod P may be placed by an operator,
Alternatively, it may be performed by a self-propelled machine that automatically transports between apparatuses. When the pod P is placed, the automatic transfer machine 32 moves the pod P upward, and is separated from the wafer cassette C. A control signal is output from the inverter control unit 41 to the inverter 46 in synchronization with the movement of the pod P, and the fan 44, which has been rotating at a low speed in the standby state until now, rotates at a medium speed. Therefore, the wafer cassette C is suppressed from being contaminated by the surrounding dust. The robot arm grasps the wafer cassette C and transfers the wafer cassette C, and the L / L door 36 opens based on a control signal from the process control unit 38 (T2). The rotation speed of the fan 44 is further increased in synchronization with the opening of the L / L door 36. That is, the area to be cleaned is different before and after the L / L door 36 is opened, and after the L / L door 36 is opened, it is necessary to clean the interior of the L / L chamber 34. It is a thing.

The wafer arm C is placed in the L / L chamber 34 by the robot arm, and the L / L door 36 is closed (T).
In synchronism with 3), the rotation speed of the fan 44 decreases and shifts to the standby state. Thereafter, processing of each semiconductor wafer is performed in the process device 30. After processing the semiconductor wafer, L /
The L door 36 opens and the wafer cassette C is gripped and transferred by the robot arm. L / L door 36 opens (T4)
In synchronization with this, the rotation speed of the fan 44 increases. The rotation speed at this time is substantially the same as the rotation speed when transferring the wafer cassette C into the L / L chamber 34 with the L / L door 36 opened. During the transfer, the rotation speed of the fan 44 slightly decreases to the medium speed state in synchronization with the closing of the L / L door 36 by the control command from the process control unit 38 (T5). Thereafter, when the wafer cassette C is placed on the load port, the pod P held above is lowered (T
6) The semiconductor wafer is stored and sealed together with the wafer cassette C. With the lowering of the pod P, the FFU 40 lowers, and the rotation speed of the fan 44 also shifts to a low rotation standby state. The pod P containing the semiconductor wafer is transported to an apparatus used in the next step. As described in detail above, the configuration is such that the fan 44 is rotated at a high speed when the semiconductor wafer is opened from the sealed state and is exposed to the external atmosphere, while the semiconductor wafer is standby at a low speed when the semiconductor wafer is stored in the sealed container. Therefore, power consumption can be reduced.

Further, the number of revolutions of the fan 44 is appropriately changed depending on whether the L / L door 36 is open or closed. That is, when the surrounding environment changes during the transfer of the semiconductor wafer, there is a demand to appropriately adjust the rotation speed of the fan 44 according to the change. In the present embodiment, since the area to be cleaned is expanded by opening the L / L door 36, there is a demand to increase the rotation speed of the fan 44 and increase the flow rate of the clean air. As a result, it is possible to prevent the semiconductor wafer from being vibrated or being transported during transport due to an excessive flow velocity, and to prevent collision between the semiconductor wafer and the robot fan 44. The rotation speed of the fan 44 can be controlled more finely. For example, the rotation speed may be gradually increased as the transfer position of the semiconductor wafer moves away from the fan 44. Further, since the sending direction of the fan 44 is from the pod P to the L / L chamber 34 (process device 30), there is an effect that the inside of the pod P can be suitably cleaned. However, the FFU 40 may be placed on the upper side to be a downflow type. Alternatively, the pod P itself may be of a mobile type. FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing this modified example. A wafer cassette C is housed in the movable pod P1. The movable pod P1 is connected to the L / L chamber 76, and the robot arm 74 disposed in the pod P1 holds the wafer cassette C, opens the shutter S, and places the wafer cassette C in the L / L chamber 76. Is done. Here, the FFU7 is placed on the ceiling of the L / L room 76.
0 is provided, and clean air is sent out in the downflow. For example, when the shutter S is opened, the FFU 70
The fan may be configured to rotate at a high speed. In this way, the fan is rotated at a high speed while the wafer cassette C stored in the pod P1 is being conveyed by the robot arm 74, while the fan is in a standby state while the shutter is closed. The power can be reduced. In the standby state, the fan may be completely stopped. FIG. 6 shows another modification, in which an intermediate chamber is provided in the middle of transferring a semiconductor wafer. Even in this case, the fan of the FFU 80 is driven at a high speed while the wafer cassette C or the semiconductor wafer is transferred from the pod P, which is a closed container, to the processing section 84, while the fan is in a standby state during other time zones. By driving, power consumption can be reduced. In addition, the present invention is not limited to the present embodiment, and can be variously modified as described in the other embodiments.

[0020]

According to the present invention, the rotation speed of the fan of the FFU is appropriately changed between the state where the semiconductor wafer is sealed in the pod and the other state, so that the contamination of the semiconductor wafer can be suppressed and Power consumption can be reduced as compared with the conventional case.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a process apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a change over time of the rotation speed of the fan according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a process apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a change over time in the rotation speed of a fan according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a modification of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a modification of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram of a conventional process apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 process equipment, 21 fan filter unit, 16 load lock chamber, 20 sensors, P pod, C wafer cassette.

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. An apparatus chamber opening step for opening an apparatus chamber of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, a closed container opening step for opening a closed container containing a semiconductor wafer, and the semiconductor wafer is moved from the closed container into the apparatus chamber. Transferring a semiconductor wafer, comprising: transferring a clean gas at a predetermined speed to a transfer area through which the semiconductor wafer passes by driving a fan filter unit. A method of transferring a semiconductor wafer, comprising transferring a semiconductor wafer and increasing the velocity of the gas during the transfer as compared to when the transfer is not performed. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus chamber is a load lock chamber. 3. The gas velocity is controlled by using a sensor for detecting the opening of the closed container and driving the fan filter unit based on a signal output from the sensor. The method for transferring a semiconductor wafer according to claim 1. 4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of sealing the apparatus chamber after transferring the semiconductor wafer into the apparatus chamber by the transfer step, and using a sensor for detecting the sealing to output the fan based on a signal output from the sensor. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the speed of the gas is controlled by driving a filter unit. 5. The transfer of the semiconductor wafer is automatically performed using a predetermined transfer device. The opening of the device chamber is performed during the transfer of the semiconductor wafer. The speed of the gas is: 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the speed after the opening of the apparatus chamber is made higher than that before the opening. 6. A step of storing a semiconductor wafer in a closed container and transporting the semiconductor wafer between semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses used in each step;
A closed container opening step of stopping the transported closed container at a predetermined position and opening the same, an apparatus chamber opening step of opening an apparatus chamber of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and a transfer step of transferring the semiconductor wafer into the apparatus chamber. And a step of processing the semiconductor wafer using the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and a step of storing the processed semiconductor wafer in the closed container, wherein the transferring step includes: The semiconductor wafer is transferred while a clean gas is delivered at a predetermined speed to a transfer area through which the semiconductor wafer passes by driving a fan filter unit, and the speed of the gas during the transfer is the transfer speed. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, wherein the speed is increased as compared with a case where the method is not performed. 7. An opening and closing device for opening and closing a sealed container accommodating a wafer cassette supporting a plurality of semiconductor wafers, and processing the semiconductor wafer by removing the wafer cassette taken out of the sealed container opened by the opening and closing device. And a fan-filter unit for locally cleaning an area passing when transferring to a predetermined position in the semiconductor processing apparatus for performing the first step. , A second sensor for detecting the airtightness of the airtight container, and a third sensor for detecting the presence or absence of the wafer cassette in the airtight container, and the fan, filter,
A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, wherein the unit is configured to be able to vary the number of rotations of a motor for driving a fan provided in the fan filter unit based on a signal from each of the sensors. 8. An opening and closing device for opening and closing an airtight container accommodating a wafer cassette supporting a plurality of wafers, a transfer device for transferring the wafer cassette into a load lock chamber provided in a semiconductor processing apparatus, and In a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus including a fan filter unit for locally setting a region through which a wafer cassette passes to a clean atmosphere, the rotation speed of a fan provided in the fan filter unit is configured to be variable. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus configured to increase the rotation speed of the fan at least while the transfer device is transferring the wafer cassette. 9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the third sensor detects that the wafer cassette is present in the closed container,
Is configured to increase the rotation speed of a fan provided in the fan filter unit when the sensor detects the opening of the closed container, and the third sensor includes the wafer cassette in the closed container. It is configured to detect the presence and to reduce the number of rotations of a fan provided in the fan filter unit when the second sensor detects the sealing of the closed container. Item 8. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to Item 7.