JP2003324145A - Wafer storage container and manufacturing method of semiconductor device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable cost reduction by reducing a storing space for a storage container by reducing the frequency of container replacement by using one wafer storage container in two kinds of ways in the wafer storage container used for the storage/carrying of a wafer. <P>SOLUTION: A wafer holder 3 constituting a storage container body 5 of the wafer storage container is provided with a first wafer holding part 2 and a second wafer holding part 10. The wafer holding container is used properly in two kinds of ways by selecting the first or the second wafer holding part. Furthermore, the wafer holding part is used properly by a process by providing a depth adjusting part of a positioning part. Thus, the frequency of replacement of the wafer storage container is reduced, and both the number of storage containers and a storage container storing space can be reduced. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a wafer storage container and a wafer storage method used for storing and transferring semiconductor wafers (hereinafter referred to as "wafers") in the process of manufacturing semiconductor devices.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventional semiconductor devices are manufactured through a plurality of steps. A wafer in which semiconductor chips (hereinafter, referred to as chips) that form a semiconductor device are manufactured is stored in a wafer storage container and transported to each location because each process is performed at a predetermined location separated from each other. FIG. 11 is a side view, a plan view and a perspective view of a wafer storage container used in a conventional semiconductor device manufacturing process. 11A is a side view of the storage container main body mounted on the mounting table, FIG. 11B is a plan view of the storage container lid for sealing the storage container main body, and FIG. 11C is a storage container main body. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a wafer holder incorporated in the. As shown in the figure, the wafer container comprises a container body 105 and a container lid 107 (FIG. 11B).
The storage container body 105 includes a wafer holder 10 having a wafer holder 102 that holds the wafer 101 when the wafer is stored.
3, a wafer holder 103, a container 104 having a shape that covers the entire wafer 101, and a positioning unit 106 that determines the mounting position of the storage container (FIG. 11A).
The plurality of wafer holders 102 are arranged at a predetermined pitch in the wafer holder 103 (FIG. 11C), and one silicon wafer 101 is housed in each wafer holder. ing.

An opening 110 is formed on the side surface (front surface of the drawing) of the container 104, and the wafer 101 can be taken in and out through the opening 110. And this opening 11
0 is closed by the storage container lid 107 to seal the container 104. The wafer storage container is transported to a predetermined position where a predetermined process is performed, and is placed at a predetermined position on the mounting table 109. Positioning pins 108 are attached to the mounting table 109. A bottom plate 116 having a positioning portion 106 is attached to the lower portion of the storage container body 105, that is, the bottom of the container 104. The positioning portion 106 is composed of a groove formed in the bottom plate 116. Positioning pin 1 is provided in the groove forming the positioning portion 106.
The wafer storage container is placed on the mounting table 10 by inserting 08.
Position at 9. Then, when the wafer storage container is arranged at a predetermined position, the stored wafer 101 is taken out by a robot arm or the like and processed one after another in the processing device at that location. At this time, since the wafer storage container is mounted on the mounting table, the wafer storage container always maintains a constant height during process processing.

[0004]

As described above, at a place where a semiconductor device is manufactured, wafers are processed in various steps, and the processed wafers are put into a wafer container and stored and transferred. Some processes require transfer and storage in a clean state at all times, including the wafer holder. In such a case, the wafer storage container is currently replaced by the process. In order to exchange the wafer storage container, it is necessary to transfer (transport) the wafer to the wafer exchange device that replaces the wafer. Therefore, the transfer (transportation) time to the wafer exchange device due to the storage container exchange is increased, and the workload of the worker is increased. It's a problem. Further, in recent years, the diameter of wafers has been increasing, and the size of storage containers has also increased. Since the space for storing the replacement storage container or the storage container after the replacement becomes enormous due to the wafer storage container replacement, the storage space for the storage container is also solved in a clean room (CR) of a limited size. It is one of the problems that need to be addressed. The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and in a wafer storage container used when storing and transporting wafers, by using one wafer storage container in two types of modes, it is possible to reduce container replacement. The present invention provides a wafer container capable of reducing the storage space of the container and reducing the cost, and a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device using the container.

[0005]

According to the present invention, a wafer holder is provided with a first wafer holder and a second wafer holder, and a wafer is accommodated by selecting the first or second wafer holder. It is characterized by using two types of containers. Further, a positioning depth adjusting section is provided so that the wafer holding section can be selectively used for each process. In addition, the wafer holder is properly used by using the two container lids for the wafer container having the two openings. Also, the first and second
The wafer holders are configured to be driven in the box-shaped container without interfering with each other, and the wafer holders are selectively used. In this way, the number of times the wafer storage container is replaced can be reduced, and the number of storage containers and the storage space for the storage containers can be reduced.

That is, the wafer container of the present invention is a wafer holder provided with a plurality of first wafer holders for holding semiconductor wafers and a plurality of second wafer holders for holding semiconductor wafers, and the wafer holder. A box-shaped container that covers the entire body and a positioning part that determines the mounting position of the storage container, and a storage container body having an opening through which the semiconductor wafer is loaded and unloaded, and a storage container body mounted on the opening part of the storage container body. It is characterized by including a storage container lid which forms a sealed space by interposing the second wafer holding portion between the arrangement pitches of the first wafer holding portions. The positioning section has a positioning depth adjusting section for adjusting the depth to two levels, and the positioning depth adjusting section adjusts the depth of the positioning section to the first wafer holding section and the second wafer holding section. The interval may be increased or decreased.

Further, the wafer storage container of the present invention holds a plurality of first wafer holding portions for holding semiconductor wafers and a plurality of semiconductor wafers, and a plurality of wafers are interposed between the arrangement pitches of the first wafer holding portions. And an opening through which the semiconductor wafer is taken in and out, which comprises a wafer holder having a second wafer holder, a box-shaped container that covers the entire wafer holder, and a positioning portion that determines the placement position of the storage container. A storage container body having a portion, and a storage container lid that forms a closed space by being installed in an opening of the storage container body, and the storage container body is mounted on a mounting table having positioning pins. The positioning part is attached to the bottom of the box-shaped container and has a positioning hole, and the positioning part moves horizontally in the bottom plate and has the same sectional shape as the positioning hole. When a wafer is stored in the first wafer holding part, the storage container main body aligns the through hole of the partition plate with the positioning hole, and the positioning pin. When the wafer is positioned in the mounting table so as to be deeply inserted into the positioning hole and the wafer is stored in the second wafer holding part, the storage container body is configured such that the through hole of the partition plate is moved from the positioning hole. A wafer storage container characterized by being moved so as to be removed and being positioned on the mounting table so that the positioning pin is shallowly inserted into the positioning hole up to the partition plate.

Further, the wafer container of the present invention is a wafer holder provided with a plurality of first wafer holders for holding semiconductor wafers and a plurality of second wafer holders for holding semiconductor wafers, and the wafer holder. A box-shaped container that covers the entire body and a positioning part that determines the mounting position of the storage container, and a storage container body having an opening through which the semiconductor wafer is loaded and unloaded, and a storage container body mounted on the opening part of the storage container body. A storage container lid that forms a closed space by means of the above, the opening comprises a first opening and a second opening, and the storage container lid is attached to the first opening. A first storage container lid and a second storage container lid attached to the second opening, and the positioning unit is used when loading and unloading a semiconductor wafer from the first opening. Positioning 1 Part and a second positioning part used when the semiconductor wafer is taken in and out from the second opening part. The positioning depth of the first positioning part and the positioning depth of the second positioning part are the same as those of the first positioning part. It is characterized in that the first wafer holding part and the second wafer holding part are different from each other only in the arrangement interval.

Further, the wafer container of the present invention includes a first wafer holder having a plurality of first wafer holders for holding a semiconductor wafer and a plurality of second wafer holders for holding a semiconductor wafer.
A second wafer holder having the wafer holder of
And a box-shaped container that entirely covers the second wafer holder, first driving means for vertically driving the first wafer holder, and second driving for vertically driving the second wafer holder. A storage container body having at least one opening through which the semiconductor wafer is loaded and unloaded; and a storage container lid that is attached to the opening of the storage container body to form a closed space. It is characterized in that the second wafer holder is interposed between the arrangement pitches of one wafer holder. The first
The wafer holder and the second wafer holder may drive the box-shaped container without interfering with each other. The first drive means and the second drive means are connected by a wafer holder connection part of a plate-like body, and the first wafer holder and the second wafer holder are both plate-like bodies. The plate-shaped members are connected so as to sandwich the wafer holder connecting portion, and when one end of the wafer holder connecting portion moves in one direction, the first wafer holder is driven in the same direction, and The second wafer holder is driven in the opposite direction, and when the other end of the wafer holder connecting portion moves in one direction, the first wafer holder is driven in the same direction, and the second wafer is moved. The holder may be driven in the opposite direction.

A semiconductor device manufacturing method according to the present invention comprises a step of performing a first process on a plurality of semiconductor wafers, and a step of performing the first process on the wafer storage container according to any one of the above. Holding the wafer by one wafer holding unit and then carrying it to a place where the next processing is performed;
The respective semiconductor wafers that have been subjected to the treatment of are taken out from the wafer storage container, and a photoresist is applied on them.
Performing a second process of patterning this,
A step of holding each of the semiconductor wafers subjected to the second processing in the second wafer holding part of the wafer storage container and then carrying the semiconductor wafer to a place for performing the next processing; and performing the second processing. Removing each semiconductor wafer from the wafer storage container and performing a third process; holding each semiconductor wafer that has been subjected to the third process in the second wafer holding part of the wafer storage container; Thereafter, a step of transporting the semiconductor wafer to a place where the next processing is performed, a step of taking out each of the semiconductor wafers subjected to the third processing from the wafer storage container, and performing a fourth processing of removing the photoresist, A step of holding the semiconductor wafer that has been subjected to the fourth processing in the first wafer holding portion of the wafer storage container, and then transporting the semiconductor wafer to a place where the next processing is to be performed. It is characterized in.

[0011]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. First, referring to FIG. 1 to FIG.
An example will be described. 1 is a perspective view of a storage container main body of a wafer storage container used in a semiconductor device manufacturing process, a perspective view of a wafer holder, and a plan view of a storage container lid for sealing the storage container main body. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the bottom plate on which the wafer holder is formed and a cross-sectional view of a box-shaped container that covers the wafer holder. FIG.
FIG. 4 is a side view of the storage container body mounted on the mounting table. As shown in the figure, the wafer container comprises a container body 5 and a container lid 7. Storage container body 5
Is a wafer holder 3 having a first wafer holder 2 and a second wafer holder 10 for holding the wafer 1 when the wafer is stored, and a box-shaped container covering the entire wafer holder 3 and the wafer 1. 4 and a positioning unit 6 that determines the mounting position of the storage container. The plurality of first wafer holders 2 and the plurality of second wafer holders 10 are alternately arranged in the wafer holder 3 at a predetermined pitch. Each wafer holder is configured to accommodate one wafer 1 such as silicon. The box-shaped container 4 has an opening 18 formed on the side surface (front surface of FIG. 4), through which the wafer 1 can be loaded and unloaded. The opening 18 is closed by the storage container lid 7 to hermetically close the box-shaped container 4. The wafer storage container is transported to a predetermined position where a predetermined process is performed, and is placed at a predetermined position on the mounting table 9.

Positioning pins 8 are attached to the mounting table 9. A bottom plate 16 having a positioning portion 6 is attached to the lower portion of the storage container body 5, that is, the bottom of the box-shaped container 4. The positioning part 6 includes a bottom plate 16
It is composed of a groove formed in. The wafer storage container is positioned on the mounting table 9 by inserting the positioning pin 8 into the groove that constitutes the positioning portion 6. Then, when the wafer storage container is placed at a predetermined position, the stored wafers 1 are taken out by the robot arm or the like and processed one after another in the processing device at that location. At this time, since the wafer storage container is mounted on the mounting table, the wafer storage container always maintains a constant height during process processing. In this positioning section 6,
A positioning depth adjusting unit 12 for adjusting the depth of the positioning unit is attached. The shape of the groove formed in the bottom plate 16 forming the positioning portion 6 is not limited to a circle, a square,
It may be an ellipse, etc., as long as the position can be determined.

2 and 3 show the positioning depth adjusting unit 12
It is a figure explaining. The positioning depth adjusting unit 12 can adjust the positioning unit depth in two stages. The depths at that time are the "first depth" and the "second depth (first depth)". Sa- (first wafer holder 2 and second wafer holder 10
Interval (pitch) = D)) ”. The positioning depth adjustment unit 12 is, for example, a partition plate that moves left and right in the bottom plate 6, and is configured to be adjustable by moving it. However, in the present invention, any mechanism that can adjust the depth may be used. Anything will do. Moreover, the space of the bottom plate in which the partition plate moves may be formed by hollowing out the inside, or the bottom plate may be formed by laminating two plates so as to form a space. Positioning depth adjuster 12 (partition plate)
Has a positioning portion 6, that is, a through hole 17 having the same shape and arrangement as the groove (see FIG. 3B).

Next, with reference to FIG. 4, a method of using the wafer container during the manufacture of the semiconductor device will be described.
When the wafer 1 is stored using the first wafer holding unit 2, the through hole 17 of the positioning depth adjusting unit 12 is adjusted to the positioning unit 6 and the positioning depth is adjusted to the “first depth” ( 2 (a) and 3 (a)). After adjusting the positioning depth, the wafer storage container is set on the mounting table 9 (see FIG. 4A), and the storage container lid 7 of the wafer storage container (FIG. 1C) is set.
Is opened to expose the opening 18, and the wafer 1 is accommodated in the first wafer holder 2 through the opening 18. After the wafer 1 is stored, the storage container lid 7 is attached to the storage container main body 5 to seal the wafer storage container. When taking out the wafer 1, the reverse operation is performed. When the wafer 1 is stored using the second wafer holding unit 10, the positioning depth adjusting unit 12 is moved to the left side (FIGS. 2A and 3B), and the positioning unit 6 and the positioning unit 6 are positioned. Since the through holes 17 of the depth adjusting unit 12 are displaced from each other, the positioning adjusting unit 12 is inserted into the groove serving as the positioning unit 6 so that the depth is adjusted to be shallower by the distance D (see FIG. )). After adjusting the positioning depth, set the wafer storage container on the mounting table 9 (see FIG. 4).
Then, open the storage container lid 7 (FIG. 1C) of the storage container,
The opening 18 is exposed, and the wafer 1 is exposed through the opening 18 to the second
The wafer holding unit 10 of FIG. After the wafer 1 is stored, the storage container lid 7 is attached to the storage container main body 5 to seal the wafer storage container. When taking out the wafer 1, the reverse operation is performed.

Since the depth of the positioning portion 6 is changed by D, the wafer can be taken in and out without adjusting the position of the wafer transfer machine. There is no problem in opening and closing the storage container lid 7 in the case of manual operation, but in the case of automatic operation, after raising or lowering the storage container lid opening / closing device or the mounting table 9 by a distance D,
Open and close the storage container lid. Although the lid opening / closing mechanism or the raising / lowering mechanism of the mounting table is not shown, any mechanism may be used as long as it moves up and down, such as an air cylinder and hydraulic pressure. Further, the lid opening / closing device or the mounting table can be moved up and down according to a command from the host computer based on the proper use of the storage container for the next process. By using this wafer storage container, the first wafer holding part and the second wafer holding part can be separately stored, and thus the two storage containers that have been replaced by the process up to now can be stored in one. It is possible to deal with it with a container. Therefore, replacement of the wafer storage container is reduced, the number of required storage containers can be reduced, and the required cost of the wafer storage container can be reduced. Further, the storage space of the wafer storage container can be reduced, and the space in the manufacturing process of the semiconductor device can be effectively used.

Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 5 is a sectional view and a bottom plan view of a storage container body and a storage container lid of a wafer storage container used in a semiconductor device manufacturing process, and FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a wafer storage container mounted on a mounting table. . As shown in the figure, the wafer storage container is composed of a storage container body 25 and first and second storage container lids 26 and 27. Storage container body 2
Reference numeral 5 denotes a wafer holder 3 having a first wafer holder 2 and a second wafer holder 10 for holding the wafer 1 when the wafer is stored, and a box-shaped container that covers the entire wafer holder 3 and the wafer 1. 29, and a positioning unit that determines the mounting position of the storage container. The positioning section is composed of a first positioning section 22 and a second positioning section 23. The plurality of first wafer holders 2 and the plurality of second wafer holders 10 are alternately arranged in the wafer holder 3 at a predetermined pitch. Each wafer holder is configured to accommodate one wafer 1 such as silicon. The box-shaped container 29 is formed with a first opening 24 and a second opening 28 facing the side surface, and the wafer 1 is taken in and out through these two openings. Then, the openings 24 and 28 are inserted into the storage container lid 2
The box-shaped container 29 is hermetically sealed by closing the container 6 and 27.

The wafer container is conveyed to a predetermined position where a predetermined process is carried out, and is placed at a predetermined position on the mounting table 9. Positioning pins 8 are attached to the mounting table 9. In addition, the first and second positioning portions 22, at the bottom of the storage container body 25, that is, at the bottom of the box-shaped container 29,
A bottom plate 21 having 23 formed therein is attached. First
The second positioning portions 22 and 23 are each formed of a groove formed in the bottom plate 21. The wafer storage container is positioned on the mounting table 9 by inserting the positioning pin 8 into the groove that constitutes the positioning portion. Then, when the wafer storage container is placed at a predetermined position, the stored wafers 1 are taken out by the robot arm or the like and processed one after another in the processing device at that location. At this time, since the wafer storage container is mounted on the mounting table, the wafer storage container always maintains a constant height during process processing.

In this embodiment, the positioning depth adjusting portion for adjusting the depth of the positioning portion is attached in the first embodiment, but in this embodiment, the first positioning portion 22 is provided.
Is a groove of the first depth, and the second positioning portion 23
Is composed of a shallower second depth groove.
The groove formed on the bottom plate 21 that constitutes the positioning portion is
The shape may be a circle, a square, an ellipse, or the like as long as the position can be determined. In this way, the first positioning portion 22
And the depth of the second positioning portion 23 are different, the depth of the first positioning portion 22 is the "first depth", and the depth of the second positioning portion 23 is the "second depth". (First depth- (second wafer holder 10 adjacent to first wafer holder 2)
Interval)) ". The first storage container lid 26 and the second storage container lid 27 are provided in directions facing each other.

Next, a method of using the wafer storage container will be described with reference to FIG. When the wafer 1 is stored using the first wafer holder 2, the wafer storage container is set on the mounting table 9 so that the first storage container lid 26 is in the transfer direction.
The storage container lid 26 is opened to expose the first opening 24, and the wafer 1 is stored in the first wafer holder 2 through the first opening 24. In this case, the positioning pin 8 of the mounting table 9 is inserted into the groove forming the first positioning portion 22. After the wafer is stored, the first storage container lid 26 is attached to the storage container body 25 to seal the wafer storage container. When taking out the wafer 1, the reverse operation is performed. Further, when the wafer 1 is stored using the second wafer holding unit 10, the wafer storage container is set on the mounting table 9 so that the second storage container lid 27 is in the transfer direction, and the second storage container lid is set. Open 27,
The second opening 28 is exposed, and the wafer 1 is accommodated in the second wafer holder 10 through the opening 28. in this case,
The positioning pin 8 of the mounting table 9 is inserted into the groove forming the second positioning portion 23. After the wafer is stored, the second storage container lid 27 is attached to the storage container main body 25 to seal the wafer storage container. When taking out the wafer 1, the reverse operation is performed. When the wafer 1 is stored using the second wafer holding unit 10, the storage container is rotated 180 degrees so that the second storage container lid 27 is in the transfer direction when the first wafer holding unit 2 is used.

As described above, in this embodiment, since the depth of the positioning portion is changed by the distance between the "first wafer holding portion 2 and the adjacent second wafer holding portion 10", the wafer transfer machine The wafer 1 can be taken in and out without adjusting the position of. There is no problem in opening and closing the first and second storage container lids manually, but in the case of automatically opening and closing the storage container lids, the storage container lid opening / closing machine or the mounting table is referred to as “first wafer holding unit 2”. These lids are opened and closed after being moved up and down by the distance between the adjacent second wafer holders 10 ″. Although the lid opening / closing mechanism or the raising / lowering mechanism of the mounting table is not shown, any mechanism may be used as long as it moves up and down, such as an air cylinder and hydraulic pressure. Further, the lid opening / closing device or the mounting table can be moved up and down according to a command from the host computer based on the proper use of the storage container for the next process. As described above, in this embodiment, by changing the orientation of the wafer storage container, it is possible to properly use the wafer holding portion to be used, and it is possible to reduce the number of required storage containers and the storage space of the storage container.

Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a storage container main body of a wafer storage container used in a semiconductor device manufacturing process, and FIG.
Is a plan view of the wafer holder showing the mounting position of the wafer,
FIG. 9 is a perspective view and a side view of the wafer holder. As shown in the figure, the wafer container comprises a container body 35 and a container lid. The storage container body 35 includes a first wafer holder 3 that holds the wafer 1 when the wafer is stored.
The first wafer holder 33 including the first wafer holder 33, the second wafer holder 34 including the second wafer holder 32, the first and second wafer holders 33 and 34, and the entire wafer 1. It is composed of a box-shaped container 4 that covers and a positioning unit 6 that determines the mounting position of the storage container.

In the first and second embodiments, one wafer holder is provided with two wafer holders, but in this embodiment, one wafer holder is provided with one wafer holder. Then, the first and second wafer holders 33,
The elements 34 are arranged so as to be overlapped with each other. At this time,
The plurality of first wafer holders 31 and second wafer holders 32 are arranged alternately at a predetermined pitch (see FIG. 9). Each of the wafer holders 31 and 32 is configured to accommodate one wafer 1 such as silicon (see FIG. 8). The box-shaped container 4 has an opening formed on the side surface (the front surface of FIG. 7) from which the wafer 1 can be taken in and out. Then, the opening is closed with a container lid to hermetically close the box-shaped container 4. The wafer storage container is transported to a predetermined position where a predetermined process is performed, and is placed at a predetermined position on a mounting table (not shown). In addition, the first and second holding bodies 33, 3
4 are connected by a holder connecting portion 36. Therefore, these holders maintain the relationship that when one of the holders rises, the other falls inside the box-shaped container 4.

However, according to the present invention, the two holding bodies do not necessarily need to be interlocked with each other, and the two holding bodies may be configured to move separately. Positioning pins (not shown) are attached to the mounting table. A bottom plate 16 having a positioning portion 6 is attached to the lower portion of the storage container body 35, that is, the bottom of the box-shaped container 4. In this embodiment, the positioning portion 6 is composed of a groove formed in the bottom plate 16. The wafer storage container is positioned on the mounting table by inserting the positioning pin into the groove forming the positioning portion 6. Then, when the wafer storage container is placed at a predetermined position, the stored wafers 1 are taken out by the robot arm or the like and processed one after another in the processing device at that location. At this time, since the wafer storage container is mounted on the mounting table, the wafer storage container always maintains a constant height during process processing. A positioning depth adjusting unit 12 for adjusting the depth of the positioning unit is attached to the positioning unit 6. The groove formed on the bottom plate 16 that constitutes the positioning portion 6 may have any shape, such as a circle, a square, or an ellipse, as long as the position can be determined.

Next, with reference to FIG. 9 and other drawings, a method of using the wafer container during the manufacture of the semiconductor device will be described. When the wafer 1 is stored using the first wafer holder 31, the first wafer holder 33 is raised. At this time, the second holding body 34 descends in conjunction with this. Then, set the wafer storage container on the mounting table,
The container lid of the wafer container is opened to expose the opening, and the wafer 1 is housed in the first wafer holder 31 through the opening. After the wafer 1 is stored, the storage container lid is attached to the storage container main body 35 to seal the wafer storage container. When taking out the wafer 1, the reverse operation is performed. Further, when the wafer 1 is stored using the second wafer holder 32, the second wafer holder 34 is raised. At this time, the 1st holding | maintenance body 33 descend | falls in conjunction with this. Then, the wafer storage container is set on the mounting table, the storage container lid of the wafer storage container is opened, the opening is exposed, and the wafer 1 is stored in the second wafer holder 32 through the opening. After the wafer 1 is stored, the storage container lid is attached to the storage container main body 35 to seal the wafer storage container. When taking out the wafer 1, the reverse operation is performed.

By using this wafer container,
Since the first wafer holding unit and the second wafer holding unit can be separately stored in the wafers, it is possible to deal with the two storage containers that have been replaced by the process up to now with one storage container. . Therefore, replacement of the wafer storage container is reduced, the number of required storage containers can be reduced, and the required cost of the wafer storage container can be reduced. Further, the storage space of the wafer storage container can be reduced, and the space in the manufacturing process of the semiconductor device can be effectively used.

As described above, when the wafer 1 is stored using the first wafer holder 31, the wafer holder 33 is pushed from the bottom of the container. As a result, the wafer holding units are arranged in the order of “first wafer holding unit 31 → second wafer holding unit 32 → first wafer holding unit 31 → 32 → 31 → ... The wafer 1 is stored in the wafer holder 31. Conversely, using the second wafer holder 32, the wafer 1
In order to store the wafer, the second wafer holder 34 is pushed from the bottom of the housing container. As a result, the “second wafer holder 3
2 → first wafer holder 31 → second wafer holder 32
The wafer holders are arranged in the order of → 31 → 32 → ..., and the wafer 1 is stored in the second wafer holder 32 at the upper portion. Since there is no change in the height direction of the wafer holding surface due to the interlocking of the wafer holder and the mounting height of the storage container does not change, the lid opening / closing and the wafer transfer machine can be performed at the same position. . Further, in this embodiment, the wafer holders are switched from the bottom direction of the storage container, but in the present invention, they may be switched from any direction such as the side direction or the top direction of the storage container. Further, the wafer holder is switched manually or by using a mounting table or a lid opening / closing machine.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment and includes various modes. For example, there is a case where a wafer storage container having a structure in which a fan is attached to the opposite surfaces of the opening of the box-shaped container to suppress the reaction of wafers being transferred is used. Can be applied. Also,
In the first to third embodiments, the holding portion is divided into two and one wafer storage container is used for two, but in the present invention, if the box-shaped container has room, the first, Using the second and third wafer holders, one wafer storage container
It can be used for individual pieces. Further, it can be used for a larger number. Next, with reference to FIG. 10, a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, which is carried out using the wafer container described in the above embodiment, will be described. In this manufacturing method, a process of forming a conductive film of aluminum or the like on a wafer of silicon or the like and patterning the conductive film will be described.

A first process (process A) is performed on a plurality of semiconductor wafers. Step A is, for example, a step of depositing a conductive film on a wafer. Next, each semiconductor wafer that has been subjected to the first processing is held by the first wafer holding portion of the wafer storage container described in the above embodiment, and then transported to a place where the next processing is performed. The respective semiconductor wafers subjected to the first treatment are taken out from the wafer storage container, a photoresist is applied onto them, and a second treatment (step B) is performed to pattern the photoresist. Next, each semiconductor wafer that has been subjected to the second processing is held by the second wafer holding portion of the wafer storage container, and then transported to a place where the next processing is performed. Each semiconductor wafer that has been subjected to the second processing is taken out from the wafer storage container, and the third processing (step C) is performed. This step is, for example, a step of patterning the conductive film into a predetermined pattern such as wiring.

Next, each semiconductor wafer that has been subjected to the third processing is held in the second wafer holding portion of the wafer storage container, and then transferred to a place where the next processing is performed. The respective semiconductor wafers subjected to the third treatment are taken out from the wafer storage container, and a fourth treatment (step D) for removing the photoresist is performed. Next, the semiconductor wafer that has been subjected to the fourth treatment is held by the first wafer holding portion of the wafer storage container, and then transported to a place where the next treatment (step E) is performed. As described above, the wafer storage container of the present invention is not used only for the photoresist attaching / detaching process, but may be used, for example, for storing a clean wafer and storing a wafer with contaminants. You can Resist is just one example of a contaminant. As described above, the present invention is not limited to those shown in the embodiments, but may include any examples within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention.

[0030]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to store a wafer twice as large as the conventional one. Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to accurately adjust the depth of the positioning portion. Further, by switching the depth of the positioning portion in two steps, it becomes easy to select which of the first wafer holding portion and the second wafer holding portion to use when the wafer is stored, and the wafer can be stored in the use process. It is possible to use different containers. As described above, replacement of the wafer storage container is reduced, the number of required storage containers can be reduced, and the required cost of the storage container can be reduced. In addition, the storage space of the storage container can be reduced, and the space in the manufacturing plant can be effectively utilized.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of a storage container body of a wafer storage container used in a semiconductor device manufacturing process according to a first embodiment of the present invention, a perspective view of a wafer holder, and a storage container lid for sealing the storage container body. Plan view.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a bottom plate having a positioning portion according to the first embodiment of the present invention and a cross-sectional view of a box-shaped container that covers a wafer holder.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a bottom plate having a positioning portion according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the storage container body mounted on the mounting table according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

5A and 5B are a sectional view and a bottom plan view of a storage container main body and a storage container lid of a wafer storage container used in a semiconductor device manufacturing process according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

6A and 6B are a sectional view and a bottom plan view of a storage container main body and a storage container lid of a wafer storage container used in a semiconductor device manufacturing process according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a container body of a wafer container used in a semiconductor device manufacturing process according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of a wafer holder showing a wafer mounting position according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view and a side view of a wafer holder according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a process flow chart illustrating a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a side view of a storage container body mounted on a conventional mounting table, a plan view of a storage container lid of a wafer storage container, and a perspective view of a wafer holder.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 101 ... Wafer, 2, 31 ... First wafer holder, 3 ... Wafer holder, 4, 29, 1
04 ... Box-shaped container, 5, 35, 105 ... Storage container main body, 6, 106 ... Positioning part, 7, 10
7 ... Storage container lid, 8, 108 ... Positioning pin, 9, 109 ... Mounting table, 10, 32 ... Second wafer holding part, 12 ... Positioning depth adjusting part,
16, 21, 116 ... Bottom plate, 17 ... Through hole,
18, 110 ... Opening part, 22 ... First positioning part, 23 ... Second positioning part, 24 ...
1st opening part, 26 ... 1st storage container lid, 27
... second storage container lid, 28 ... second opening, 33 ... first wafer holder, 34 ... second wafer holder, 36 ... wafer holder connection Department,
102 ... Wafer holder, 103 ... Wafer holder.

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    F term (reference) 3E096 AA06 BA16 BB05 CA02 CA08                       CB03 DA05 DA30 DB01 FA15                       GA04 GA05                 5F031 CA02 DA08 EA11 EA14 EA19                       EA20 KA20 LA15 NA02 NA10                 5F046 AA21

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A wafer holder having a plurality of first wafer holders for holding a semiconductor wafer and a plurality of second wafer holders for holding a semiconductor wafer, and a box-like shape covering the entire wafer holder. A storage container body including a container and a positioning portion that determines a mounting position of the storage container, and a storage container body having an opening portion for loading and unloading the semiconductor wafer; and a sealed space is formed by mounting the storage container body in the opening portion of the storage container body. A wafer container comprising: a container lid, wherein the second wafer holder is interposed between the arrangement pitches of the first wafer holders. 2. The positioning unit has a positioning depth adjusting unit for adjusting the depth to two levels, and the positioning depth adjusting unit adjusts the depth of the positioning unit to the first wafer holding unit and the first wafer holding unit. The wafer storage container according to claim 1, wherein the wafer storage container is configured to be increased or decreased by a distance between the two wafer holding portions. 3. A plurality of first wafer holders for holding a semiconductor wafer and a plurality of second wafer holders for holding a semiconductor wafer and interposed between arrangement pitches of the first wafer holders. A wafer holder provided, a box-shaped container that covers the entire wafer holder, and a storage container body that includes a positioning portion that determines the mounting position of the storage container, and that has an opening for loading and unloading the semiconductor wafer; A storage container lid that forms a closed space by mounting the storage container body in an opening of the storage container body, the storage container body is mounted on a mounting table having positioning pins, and the positioning portion is the box. A bottom plate attached to the bottom of the mold-shaped container and having a positioning hole, and a partition having a through hole that moves horizontally inside the bottom plate and has a cross-sectional shape that is the same as or larger than the positioning hole. When a wafer is stored in the first wafer holding part, the storage container body aligns the through hole of the partition plate with the positioning hole, and the positioning pin is deeply inserted into the positioning hole. As described above, when the wafer is positioned on the mounting table and the wafer is stored in the second wafer holder,
The storage container main body is positioned on the mounting table so that the through hole of the partition plate is moved so as to be removed from the positioning hole, and the positioning pin is shallowly inserted into the positioning hole to the partition plate. A wafer storage container characterized by the above. 4. A wafer holder provided with a plurality of first wafer holders for holding semiconductor wafers and a plurality of second wafer holders for holding semiconductor wafers, and a box shape covering the entire wafer holders. A storage container body including a container and a positioning portion that determines a mounting position of the storage container, and a storage container body having an opening portion for loading and unloading the semiconductor wafer; and a sealed space is formed by mounting the storage container body in the opening portion of the storage container body. A storage container lid, wherein the opening comprises a first opening and a second opening, and the storage container lid is a first storage container lid attached to the first opening. And a second attached to the second opening
And a positioning container which is used when the semiconductor wafer is taken in and out from the first opening and a semiconductor wafer is taken in and out through the second opening. The second positioning unit includes a second positioning unit, and the positioning depth of the first positioning unit and the positioning depth of the second positioning unit are different from each other by an arrangement interval between the first wafer holding unit and the second wafer holding unit. A wafer storage container characterized in that. 5. A first wafer holder having a plurality of first wafer holders for holding semiconductor wafers, a second wafer holder having a plurality of second wafer holders for holding semiconductor wafers, A box-shaped container that entirely covers the first and second wafer holders, a first drive unit that drives the first wafer holder up and down, and a second drive unit that vertically drives the second wafer holder. And a storage container main body having at least one opening for loading and unloading the semiconductor wafer, and a storage container lid forming a closed space by mounting the storage container main body in the opening of the storage container main body. A wafer storage container, characterized in that the second wafer holders are arranged between the array pitches of the first wafer holders. 6. The wafer container according to claim 4, wherein the first wafer holder and the second wafer holder drive the box-shaped container without interfering with each other. 7. The first drive means and the second drive means are connected by a wafer holder connection portion of a plate-like body,
Each of the first wafer holder and the second wafer holder is a plate-like body, and these plate-like bodies are connected so as to sandwich the wafer holder connecting portion, and one end of the wafer holder connecting portion is connected. Move in one direction, the first wafer holder is driven in the same direction and the second wafer holder is driven in the opposite direction, and the other end of the wafer holder connecting portion moves in one direction. 7. The wafer container according to claim 5, wherein the first wafer holder is driven in the same direction, and the second wafer holder is driven in the opposite direction. 8. The step of performing a first process on a plurality of semiconductor wafers, and each of the semiconductor wafers subjected to the first process of the wafer storage container according to claim 1. A step of holding the wafer by the first wafer holding part and then carrying it to a place where the next processing is performed; and taking out each semiconductor wafer having undergone the first processing from the wafer storage container and applying a photoresist on them. And applying a second process for patterning the semiconductor wafer, holding each of the semiconductor wafers subjected to the second process in the second wafer holding part of the wafer storage container, and then performing the next process. The step of transporting the semiconductor wafer having been subjected to the second processing from the wafer storage container to perform the third processing, and the step of performing the third processing. A step of holding the conductor wafer in the second wafer holding part of the wafer storage container and then carrying it to a place where the next process is performed; and each semiconductor wafer having been subjected to the third process is stored in the wafer storage part. Performing a fourth process of removing the photoresist from the container and removing the photoresist; holding the semiconductor wafer having been subjected to the fourth process in the first wafer holding part of the wafer storage container, and thereafter, And a step of transporting the semiconductor device to a place where the next processing is performed.