JP2010165883A - Carrying device for semiconductor wafer, and carrying method therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reliably hold and carry a semiconductor wafer, which has a projection portion formed along an outer edge, without damaging it. <P>SOLUTION: The carrying device 10 is provided so that the semiconductor wafer W having the projection portion W2 formed along the outer edge can be carried by making the semiconductor wafer thicker on the outer edge side than in other regions. The carrying device 10 includes: a contact body 11 which comes into surface contact with a tip surface W3 of the projection portion W2 of the semiconductor wafer W; a base 12 for supporting the contact body 11; a contact area-adjusting means of adjusting the contact area of the contact body 11 for the tip surface W3 thereof; and a moving means 14 of carrying the contact body 11 and base 12. The contact body 11 is viscous enough to support the semiconductor wafer W by coming into surface contact with the tip surface W3 and then contacting the tip surface while profiling its unevenness. The contact body 11 is provided having a plane shape which is small enough to be within the plane shape of the tip surface 3. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a semiconductor wafer transfer apparatus and transfer method, and more particularly, to a semiconductor wafer transfer apparatus and transfer method in which the thickness of the outer edge side is formed to be relatively larger than the thickness of other regions.

  Recently, semiconductor wafers (hereinafter simply referred to as “wafers”) tend to require ultra-thin grinding while the wafer diameter increases. For this reason, in transporting a wafer that has been ground to an extremely thin thickness, the wafer is transported in a state of being warped by its own weight, so that there is a disadvantage that the wafer is broken. Here, in order to avoid such inconvenience, a wafer having a form disclosed in Patent Document 1 is used. In this document, the concave portion is formed by grinding so that the thickness of the outer edge side of the wafer is relatively larger than the thickness of the other region, and the convex portion is formed along the outer edge of the wafer. It serves as a material to prevent the wafer from being damaged.

  By the way, as an apparatus for transporting a wafer, for example, Patent Document 2 discloses. In this document, in order to prevent the warping as described above, the entire surface of the wafer is sucked and held by the sucking surface.

JP 2007-19379 A JP 2003-133390 A

However, when the wafer having the concave and convex portions as in Patent Literature 1 is held by the transfer device as in Patent Literature 2, the space between the concave portion and the suction surface becomes negative pressure and the wafer Has the disadvantage of breaking.
Furthermore, since fine irregularities are formed on the front end surface of the convex portion of the wafer, an air leak occurs between the front end surface and the suction surface, and a sufficient suction force cannot be obtained during transfer. Has the disadvantage of falling.

[Object of invention]
The present invention has been devised by paying attention to such inconveniences, and an object of the present invention is to reliably hold and transport a wafer having convex portions formed along the outer edge without damaging the wafer. An object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor wafer transfer device and a transfer method.

In order to achieve the object, the present invention is a semiconductor wafer transfer device having a convex portion formed along the outer edge by making the thickness of the outer edge side larger than the thickness of the other region,
A contact body that has elasticity and has a viscosity capable of supporting a semiconductor wafer by making surface contact with the tip surface of the convex portion and a base that supports the contact body, and a contact that adjusts the contact area of the contact body with the tip surface Including an area adjusting means, and a moving means for conveying the contact body and the base,
The planar shape of the contact body is such that it is provided in a shape that fits within the planar shape of the tip surface.

  In the present invention, a configuration in which pressure adjusting means capable of adjusting the pressure in the space between the distal end surface and the contact body is further preferably employed.

Further, the transport method of the present invention is a method for transporting a semiconductor wafer having a convex portion formed along the outer edge by making the thickness of the outer edge side larger than the thickness of the other region,
A contact body having a viscosity capable of supporting a semiconductor wafer by being in surface contact with the front end surface of the convex portion, a base supporting the contact body, and a contact area adjusting means for adjusting a contact area of the contact body with respect to the front end surface; Using pressure adjusting means capable of depressurizing the space between the tip surface and the contact body,
Partially sinking the contact body;
A step of bringing the partially depressed contact body into contact with a tip surface of the convex portion and partially contacting the same;
Reducing the space between the tip surface of the convex part and the contact body;
Changing from partial contact of the contact body to total contact;
Releasing the reduced pressure;
Transferring the semiconductor wafer by moving the base and the contact body; and
And a step of separating the contact body from the semiconductor wafer by partially sinking the contact body at a transfer destination of the semiconductor wafer.

  According to the present invention, the contact body can be brought into contact with only the front end surface of the convex portion of the wafer to hold the wafer. As a result, it is possible to suppress negative pressure in the recess formed in the wafer as in the conventional case, and it is possible to prevent the wafer from being broken or damaged during transfer. In addition, since the contact body has elasticity, the contact body follows the unevenness on the front end surface of the convex portion and adheres with the viscosity thereof, so that air leaks between the contact body and the convex portion can be avoided. The wafer can be securely held.

  Moreover, since the pressure adjustment of the space between the front end surface of the convex portion and the contact body is performed by the pressure adjusting means, it is possible to further improve the adhesion.

The fragmentary sectional view of the conveying device concerning an embodiment. FIG. The principal part expanded sectional view of FIG. Sectional drawing similar to FIG. 3 which shows the state which reduced the contact area of the contact body. Sectional drawing similar to FIG. 3 which shows the state which the contact body and the wafer contacted partially. Sectional drawing similar to FIG. 3 which shows the state which the contact body and the wafer contacted entirely.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic front cross-sectional view of a transport apparatus according to the embodiment. In this figure, the transfer device 10 has elasticity and moves between a contact body 11 that can come into surface contact with the wafer W, a base 12 that supports the contact body 11, and the contact body 11 and the base 12. Thus, a moving means 14 capable of transporting the wafer W is provided. Here, the moving means 14 is composed of an articulated robot having a holding chuck 14A on the free end side, such as a robot main body 20 disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-149928, a general-purpose articulated robot, or the like. Detailed description will be omitted because it can be adopted.

  The wafer W includes a concave portion W1 formed by grinding the upper surface side in FIG. 1, and a convex portion W2 connected to the outer periphery of the concave portion W1. Accordingly, the convex portion W2 is formed along the outer edge of the wafer W by making the thickness of the outer edge side of the wafer W larger than the thickness of the other region, and is provided in a closed loop planar shape. Note that fine unevenness (not shown) is formed on the tip surface (upper surface in FIG. 1) W3 of the convex portion W2.

  The contact body 11 has elasticity and is provided in a closed loop planar shape that fits within the planar shape of the distal end surface W3. The contact surface 11 </ b> A of the contact body 11 has a viscosity capable of supporting the wafer W by being in surface contact with the tip surface W <b> 3 so as to closely adhere to the unevenness of the tip surface W <b> 3. Specifically, the contact body 11 is configured by using a sheet-like member made of a silicone-based, urethane-based, acrylic-based, or fluorine-based elastomer having excellent adhesiveness, flexibility, heat resistance, elasticity, and the like. ing. In the surface of the contact body 11, a hole 11 </ b> B is formed at a position overlapping a through-hole described later. The contact body 11 may be substantially the same as that disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 2006-304366 filed by the present applicant and disclosed as an adhesion layer.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the base 12 includes a plate member 12A having a substantially circular shape in plan view, and a frame 12B that supports the plate member 12A. A holding chuck 14A is provided on the base side of the frame 12B. 12C is provided so that the frame 12B is supported by the moving means 14. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the plate member 12 </ b> A is provided on the outer periphery in a substantially ring shape in plan view, and has an outer peripheral wall 17 set to the same outer diameter as the contact body 11, and the outer periphery. The inner wall 18 is provided in a substantially ring shape in plan view, and protrudes downward from the inner peripheral wall 18 set to the same inner diameter as the contact body 11 and the lower surface side of the plate member 12A. And a plurality of protrusions 20 having a height positioned substantially on the same plane as the lower end position of the inner peripheral wall 18.

  The contact body 11 is fixed to the lower end surfaces of the outer peripheral wall 17 and the inner peripheral wall 18, and in this state, the contact body 11 contacts each lower end of the protrusion 20. As a result, a space C <b> 1 is formed between the plate member 12 </ b> A and the contact body 11. As shown in FIG. 3, the space C <b> 1 communicates with a first through hole 22 as a contact area adjusting means formed in at least one place of the plate member 12 </ b> A. The first through hole 22 is connected to the pressurization pump and the decompression pump via the first electromagnetic valve V1.

  Further, the large-diameter protrusion 20A located near the right end in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the plate member 12A is formed with a second through hole 26 as pressure adjusting means that penetrates vertically and communicates with the hole 11B. The second through hole 26 is connected to the pressurization pump and the decompression pump via the second electromagnetic valve V2. The height of the large-diameter protrusion 20A is slightly lower than the height of the protrusion 20.

  Next, a method for transferring the wafer W by the transfer apparatus 10 will be described.

  First, as shown in FIG. 4, the electromagnetic valve V <b> 1 is operated, and the space C <b> 1 is decompressed by the decompression pump through the first through hole 22, so that the contact body 11 is deformed so as to sink into the space C <b> 1. As a result, the area of the contact surface 11A is reduced by the area depressed in a concave shape. Thereafter, the moving means 14 is actuated to move the base 12 and the contact body 11, and the depressed contact body 11 is brought into contact with the distal end surface W3 and partially contacted (see FIG. 5). At this time, a space C2 is formed between the distal end surface W3 and the contact body 11.

  In the state shown in FIG. 5, the second electromagnetic valve V <b> 2 is operated, and the space C <b> 2 is decompressed by the decompression pump through the through hole 26. At this time, since the height of the large-diameter protrusion 20A is formed slightly lower than the height of the protrusion 20, decompression in the space C2 is not hindered. When it is detected that the inside of the space C2 has reached a predetermined pressure by a decompression sensor (not shown), when the first electromagnetic valve V1 is operated to release the decompression, the contact body 11 comes into contact with the tip surface W3 as a whole. Then, the contact body 11 and the front end surface W3 come into close contact with each other (see FIG. 6). At this time, the electromagnetic valve V1 may be operated so that the space C1 is pressurized by the pressure pump through the first through hole 22 so as to assist the close contact between the contact body 11 and the tip surface W3. Then, after a predetermined time has elapsed, the operation of the second electromagnetic valve V2 releases (does not have to be released) the reduced pressure in the space C2 (which has actually disappeared). The wafer W that is in close contact with the contact body 11 is transferred to a separate process (not shown) by the moving means 14. At the transport destination, the first electromagnetic valve V1 is operated, the pressure in the space C1 is reduced by the pressure reducing pump, and the contact body 11 is deformed so as to sink into the space C1 (see FIG. 5). The close contact with the wafer W is released, and the contact member 11 is separated from the wafer W by the moving means 14 to complete the transfer. When the contact body 11 is separated from the wafer W, the second electromagnetic valve V2 is operated, and control is performed to assist the separation of the contact body 11 and the wafer W by ejecting gas from the hole 11B by a pressure pump. May be.

  Therefore, according to such an embodiment, the planar shape of the contact body 11 is provided so as to fit within the planar shape of the distal end surface W3, and the contact body 11 and the distal end surface W3 are brought into close contact with each other due to the adhesiveness of the contact body 11. Therefore, the wafer W can be transported without setting a negative pressure in the recess W1, and it is possible to prevent the wafer W from being cracked due to the negative pressure. In addition, since the contact body 11 has an elastic configuration, even if fine irregularities are formed on the front end surface W3, the adhesion between the contact body 11 and the front end surface W3 is maintained well, and the wafer W is stabilized. Can be conveyed.

As described above, the best configuration, method and the like for carrying out the present invention have been disclosed in the above description, but the present invention is not limited to this.
In other words, the present invention has been illustrated and described mainly with respect to specific embodiments, but without departing from the scope of the technical idea and object of the present invention, the shape, position, or With respect to the arrangement and the like, those skilled in the art can make various changes as necessary.
Therefore, the description limited to the shape disclosed above is an example for easy understanding of the present invention, and does not limit the present invention. The description by the name of the member which remove | excluded one part or all part is included in this invention.

  For example, the wafer W may be a silicon wafer or a compound wafer.

  The moving means 14 is not particularly limited as long as it can be driven and controlled, and may be constituted by an air cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, or the like.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Conveyance apparatus 11 Contact body 12 Base 14 Movement means 22 1st through-hole (contact area adjustment means)
26 Second through hole (pressure adjusting means)
W Semiconductor wafer W2 Convex W3 Tip surface

Claims (3)

A semiconductor wafer transfer device having a convex portion formed along the outer edge by making the thickness of the outer edge side larger than the thickness of the other region,
A contact body that has elasticity and has a viscosity capable of supporting a semiconductor wafer by making surface contact with the tip surface of the convex portion and a base that supports the contact body, and a contact that adjusts the contact area of the contact body with the tip surface Including an area adjusting means, and a moving means for conveying the contact body and the base,
2. The semiconductor wafer transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a planar shape of the contact body is provided so as to fit within a planar shape of the tip end surface.   2. The semiconductor wafer transfer apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising pressure adjusting means capable of adjusting a pressure in a space between the tip surface and the contact body. A method for transporting a semiconductor wafer having a convex portion formed along the outer edge by making the thickness of the outer edge side larger than the thickness of the other region,
A contact body having a viscosity capable of supporting a semiconductor wafer by being in surface contact with the front end surface of the convex portion, a base supporting the contact body, and a contact area adjusting means for adjusting a contact area of the contact body with respect to the front end surface; Using pressure adjusting means capable of depressurizing the space between the tip surface and the contact body,
Partially sinking the contact body;
A step of bringing the partially depressed contact body into contact with a tip surface of the convex portion and partially contacting the same;
Reducing the space between the tip surface of the convex part and the contact body;
Changing from partial contact of the contact body to total contact;
Releasing the reduced pressure;
Transferring the semiconductor wafer by moving the base and the contact body; and
A method for transporting a semiconductor wafer, comprising: a step of partially sinking the contact body at a transport destination of the semiconductor wafer to separate the contact body from the semiconductor wafer.

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