JP2011077204A - Separation processing apparatus and separation method for semiconductor substrate, separation mechanism and separation method for semiconductor substrate, carrier apparatus for semiconductor substrate, and nozzle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an apparatus and a method, capable of automatically separating semiconductor substrates from each other, which are in contact with each other in a wet state, at a high speed without breakage, and to provide an apparatus and a method, capable of safely carrying the separated semiconductor substrates without breakage. <P>SOLUTION: The separation processing apparatus for semiconductor substrates has: a loader section 10 which arranges a plurality of substrates, arrayed in contact with one another in the wet state, into liquid; a carrying section 20 which holds the substrate 2, arranged in the front row at the loader part 10, in the liquid, and carries it to an unloader section 30 outside the liquid; and the unloader section 30 which places the substrate 2 outside the liquid, and carries it to a taking-out section. In the separation processing apparatus for semiconductor substrates, the carrying section 30 has: a driving member 22 coupled to a rotary shaft 21 to perform rotational circular movement having a predetermined radius; a link arm 210 having one end side fixed rotatably to the driving member 22; a track path 201 on which the other end side of the link arm 210 slides to define a track thereof; and a chuck 100 fixed to the other end side of the link arm 210. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a semiconductor substrate separation device and a liquid adsorption device used in photovoltaic power generation devices such as solar power generation.

  Photovoltaic substrates currently used for applications such as solar cells are classified into crystalline, amorphous, compound and the like depending on the type of material used. Among these, single crystal silicon has been used in most cases because of its high efficiency. On the other hand, although there is a weak point that it is difficult to achieve high efficiency, polycrystalline silicon has been gradually accepted in the market in recent years because of the merit that it can be manufactured at low cost. However, the mainstream at present is still crystalline silicon.

  A crystalline silicon substrate is manufactured by a process similar to that of a semiconductor substrate used in a general semiconductor device, although the quality is superior or inferior. Generally, a semiconductor substrate (wafer) is manufactured by processing an ingot block grown by a pulling method (Czochralski method, CZ method) into a mirror-like thin plate.

  This silicon single crystal ingot manufactured by the CZ method is ground to a predetermined size, and further cut to a predetermined length. The column-processed ingot is fixed to a carbon base holder with, for example, an epoxy-based adhesive and sliced by a multi-wire saw. The sliced ingot is hung with the base holder facing upward while being bonded to the base holder, introduced into a cleaning tank, and a cleaning process called rough cleaning or pre-process cleaning is performed.

  Thereafter, necessary processing such as finish cleaning and etching in a later process is performed, and a semiconductor substrate is completed.

  By the way, after the rough cleaning, it is necessary to place or align the sliced semiconductor substrate in a tray cassette of a predetermined standard in order to move to the next process. However, the roughly cleaned semiconductor substrates taken out from the cleaning tank are in close contact with each other in a wet state, and it is very difficult to separate and align them one by one. Conventionally, this process has been performed manually by workers, which has been a major obstacle to automation of the entire manufacturing process and cost reduction. Moreover, if the fragile semiconductor substrates that are in close contact with each other in the wet state are forcibly peeled apart, they are easily damaged, which is a major factor that hinders automation.

  By the way, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-129587 discloses a sample holding method for holding a silicon wafer with a Bernoulli holder, a sample rotating method, a liquid processing method for a sample surface, and an apparatus thereof. Moreover, what is used for Bernoulli holders is described as fluid, and liquid is also described as an example of fluid. However, the Bernoulli holder disclosed in this document is used only to hold a wafer in a non-contact manner when cleaning a silicon wafer, and is used for a mechanism that moves while holding the wafer. It is not a thing. For this reason, the Bernoulli holder of this document is integrated with an apparatus and a mechanism for cleaning and etching, and is difficult to divert to a chucking apparatus. Moreover, only the gas is used for the Bernoulli holder in the examples, and there is no suggestion regarding use in the liquid.

  As described above, it is difficult for a device used in a conventional semiconductor manufacturing process to handle a semiconductor substrate adhered in a wet state as it is, and it is necessary to rely on human hands to separate and transport it. It was the current situation. Moreover, it cannot be said that an apparatus for appropriately holding or moving a semiconductor substrate in a liquid has been sufficiently studied, and in many cases, it is realized only with a complicated and expensive apparatus. Further, as for the conventional Bernoulli chuck, those using a gas are the mainstream, and those using a liquid are hardly studied. Moreover, the conventional Bernoulli chuck has a complicated mechanism and is expensive, and studies for reducing the amount of fluid used are insufficient.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-129487

The problem to be solved is to provide an apparatus and a method capable of automatically separating at high speed without damaging semiconductor substrates adhered in a wet state.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and a method that can safely transport a separated semiconductor substrate without damaging it.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism, apparatus, and method capable of safely separating semiconductor substrates that are in close contact with each other in liquid or air.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a nozzle that can safely hold a semiconductor substrate even in a liquid with an extremely simple configuration and uses a small amount of fluid, and a mechanism and apparatus using the nozzle.

The present invention has the following configuration in order to solve the above problems.
(1) a loader unit for storing and arranging a plurality of semiconductor substrates arranged in close contact with each other in a wet state;
A transport unit that holds the semiconductor substrate disposed in the front row of the loader unit in a liquid and transports the semiconductor substrate to an unloader unit outside the liquid;
An unloader part for placing the semiconductor substrate outside the liquid and transporting it to the take-out part;
The transport unit includes a drive member that is connected to a rotary shaft that is rotationally driven and performs a circular motion of a predetermined radius, a link arm that is rotatably fixed to the drive member, and a second end side of the link arm that slides. An apparatus for separating a semiconductor substrate, comprising: a track path that moves and defines a track thereof; and a chuck that is fixed to the other end of the link arm.
(2) The semiconductor substrate separation processing apparatus according to (1), wherein the transport unit transports the semiconductor substrate while maintaining a posture in which a projected area of the semiconductor substrate in the traveling direction in the liquid is minimized.
(3) In the vicinity of the front row of the loader portion, a separation mechanism for separating the substrates from each other by spraying a fluid from the substrate surface in a horizontal direction is disposed on the semiconductor substrate. Processing equipment.
(4) The semiconductor substrate separation processing apparatus according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the transport unit includes a chuck that applies Bernoulli's principle.
(5) It consists of two plate-like members in which only the outer edge portions are fixed to each other and closely arranged, one plate-like member has a fluid discharge port, and the other plate-like member is different from the fluid discharge port. A nozzle in which a fluid supply port is formed at a position where the openings do not overlap each other.
(6) It consists of two plate-like members in which only the outer edge portion is fixed to each other except in a partial region, and a fluid supply port is formed in any one of the plate-like members,
A nozzle that discharges fluid using the unfixed region as a discharge port.
(7) The nozzle according to (5) or (6), wherein the nozzle is a gap formed by deformation caused by the pressure of the fluid supplied to one or both of the two plate-like members.
(8) The nozzle according to (5) or (7), which is used for a chuck of the semiconductor substrate separation device according to any one of (1) to (4).
(9) The nozzle according to (6) or (7), which is used in the separation device according to (3).
(10) A semiconductor substrate separation method in which a semiconductor substrate placed in close contact is immersed in a liquid, and then a fluid is sprayed from a direction parallel to the substrate surface to separate the semiconductor substrates.
(11) A method for transporting a semiconductor substrate, in which the semiconductor substrate is held in a liquid by a chuck applying the Bernoulli principle, and the posture in which the projected area of the semiconductor substrate in the traveling direction is minimized is transported.
(12) One or two or more fluid discharge ports are arranged around the separation position of the closely arranged semiconductor substrate, and fluid is sprayed from the fluid discharge port to the semiconductor substrate in a direction parallel to the substrate surface. A semiconductor substrate separation mechanism that separates them from each other.

The apparatus and method of the present invention can automatically and rapidly separate semiconductor substrates that are in close contact with each other in a wet state without damaging them. Further, the separated semiconductor substrate can be safely transported without being damaged.
In addition, the mechanism, apparatus and method of the present invention can separate semiconductor substrates that are in close contact with each other in liquid or air without damaging or damaging them.
Further, the present invention has a merit that the slur or mechanism of the present invention and the apparatus including the same can be manufactured at low cost, can safely hold a workpiece in a fluid with a very simple configuration, and use less fluid.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention. Example 1 FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention. Example 1 FIG. 3 is a side view showing a detailed structure of the loader unit and the transport unit. Example 1 FIG. 4 is a side view showing a detailed structure of the transport unit. Example 1 FIG. 5 is a side view showing the operation of the transport unit on the track. Example 1 FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the trajectory of each member in the track of the transport unit. Example 1 FIG. 7 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the nozzle of the present invention. Example 1 FIG. 8 is a side view showing an embodiment of the nozzle of the present invention. Example 1 FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation sequence of the apparatus and method of the present invention. Example 1 FIG. 10 is a drawing-substituting photograph showing the operating state of the nozzle of the present invention. Example 1 FIG. 11 is a drawing substitute photograph in which a part of FIG. 10 is enlarged. Example 1

  The apparatus according to the present invention has a structure as shown in FIG. 1, for example, and stores and arranges a plurality of semiconductor substrates closely arranged in a wet state in the liquid, and the front row of the loader parts (10). The semiconductor substrate (2) disposed in the substrate is held in the liquid and transferred to the unloader unit (30) outside the liquid, and the semiconductor substrate is received from the transfer unit outside the liquid and placed. An unloader part (30) for conveying to the take-out part is provided, and a peeling part for blowing the fluid from the substrate surface and the horizontal direction to the semiconductor substrate (2) and separating the substrates from each other is arranged in the vicinity of the front row of the loader part. Has been.

  With the above configuration, semiconductor substrates stacked or stacked in a wet state can be automatically and safely separated and taken out individually, and the processes that have been performed manually can be automated at high speed. Can be processed.

  The loader unit is closely attached in a wet state, accommodates semiconductor substrates arranged or stacked, and conveys the substrates one by one to the chuck position. As a method for transporting the substrate as described above, various known mechanisms can be used. However, a belt may be disposed under the substrate and transported by this belt. When transporting by a belt, by adjusting the front surface of the belt to a position slightly higher than the bottom surface of the storage case of the semiconductor substrate, it is possible to prevent the lower end portion of the semiconductor substrate from slipping from the bottom surface of the storage case, thereby preventing damage to the semiconductor substrate. Further, if the lower part of the substrate is transported only by the belt, the upper part of the substrate is left behind and the substrate row collapses. Therefore, it is desirable to support the rear end portion of the arranged substrate by another mechanism. Specifically, a support mechanism such as a support that operates in conjunction with the belt may be provided.

  Substrates or substrate laminates in the loader part are easily separated from each other by being immersed in the liquid, and separation is facilitated. For this reason, depending on the means for chucking the substrate, it can be separated in the liquid as it is. However, if a separation mechanism for separating the adhered substrates to some extent is provided at the head portion of the substrate row, the separation becomes easier, and the subsequent holding and transporting of the substrate becomes extremely easy.

  Various methods are conceivable as the substrate separation mechanism. In the present invention, the following mechanism or method is preferably used. First, a fluid discharge port is arranged around the separation position of the closely arranged semiconductor substrate. Then, fluid is sprayed from the fluid discharge port to the semiconductor substrate in a direction parallel to the substrate surface. Since the sprayed fluid hits the end of the semiconductor substrate from the direction parallel to the substrate surface, it enters a slight gap between the closely attached substrates and enlarges the gap. By the same action, the gap is further enlarged and the semiconductor substrates are separated from each other. In this way, since the fluid is simply sprayed onto the semiconductor substrate from a direction parallel to the substrate surface, it can be easily separated without applying extra force to the substrate, and the substrate is not physically damaged. The number of the fluid discharge ports to be provided is not particularly limited, and is one or two or more, and the number necessary for separation may be provided.

  The transport unit holds the substrates one by one from the frontmost row of the substrates in the loader unit, transports the substrate from the liquid to the top, and then places the substrate at a predetermined position of the unloader. As a mechanism for performing such an operation, a belt mechanism, a robot arm, or the like known as a semiconductor transfer device can be given. However, the conveyance by the belt is not suitable because there are many resistance elements in the liquid, and it is difficult to generate an unnecessary liquid flow or to maintain the posture of the substrate. The robot arm can be used as long as it is waterproof, but the device and control are complicated, and quick operation is difficult, resulting in a significant increase in cost and size of the device.

  Therefore, in the present invention, the conveying operation is performed by combining the driving device that performs the rotation operation and the link or cam mechanism that operates thereby, or a mechanism derived therefrom. That is, a member that performs a circular motion of a predetermined size and a member that converts this circular motion into an operation of following the transport path are combined to form a transport mechanism. Therefore, the mechanism is relatively simple, there are few components, it can be provided at a very low cost, it is durable, and maintenance is easy. Further, the control only needs to control the rotating device, and the cost required for the control device can be reduced.

  Specifically, first, a drive member that is connected to the rotary shaft of the rotary drive device and performs a circular motion of a predetermined radius is provided. This drive member provides a drive fulcrum that rotates at a radius of rotation close to the transport locus. For this reason, the shape of the drive member is not limited as long as it can provide a fulcrum that gives a circular motion with a predetermined radius. The shape of the drive member may be a disc shape, one or more arms, a star shape, A corrugated plate or block may be used. And the one end side of a link arm is fixed to this drive member so that rotation is possible. The other end of the link arm is slidably fixed to the track. The link arm is a member for converting the rotational circular motion of the drive member into an operation that traces the trajectory of the track, and may have a rod shape, a plate shape, or another shape as long as it has such a function. . As described above, the link arm is interposed between the circular motion of the driving member and the transport track, and has a function of coupling by absorbing a shift between both tracks.

  The track path defines a transport path, and the other end side of the link arm slides to define the track. Therefore, if the track path is shaped along the transport path, the other end of the link arm can perform transport. If a chuck capable of holding the semiconductor substrate is disposed on the other end side of the link arm, the substrate can be held and transported. The track path only needs to accommodate a sliding guide roller or the like inside and form a slidable space and track, and a plate-like member is cut out at a portion corresponding to the track path, A rod-like member may be arranged with a sliding path therebetween. Alternatively, two rod-like and pipe-like members may be arranged in parallel in a rail shape to form a track, and the chuck support member and the member attached thereto may slide while sandwiching or gripping this.

  The chuck is not particularly limited as long as it can hold and transport a workpiece, and an optimum chuck can be selected from known chucking mechanisms for semiconductor substrates. Specifically, handling in a dry state includes a vacuum suction mechanism, a Bernoulli suction mechanism, a mechanical chuck using air pressure and electromagnetic force, a robot hand, and the like.

  In the present invention, since handling in a liquid is necessary, it is difficult to divert the chucking mechanism as it is. Both conventional vacuum suction mechanisms and Bernoulli suction mechanisms are based on the premise that gas is used as a fluid, and most are not considered to use liquid as a fluid. Further, the vacuum-type suction mechanism and the mechanical chuck are not realistic because they damage the semiconductor substrate. The robot hand can be diverted to some extent if waterproofing is provided to the operation mechanism, but the apparatus and control are complicated, which greatly increases the cost of the entire apparatus.

  Therefore, in the present invention, it is preferable to use a nozzle having the following configuration as a chuck applying the Bernoulli principle. This nozzle consists of two plate-like members arranged in close contact. The two plate-like members have a fluid supply port and a fluid discharge port formed in any one of the plate-like members. Further, the fluid supply port and the fluid discharge port are arranged at positions separated from each other in the plane of the plate-like member so that the respective opening portions do not overlap. For example, one plate-shaped member has a fluid discharge port formed near the center of the member, and the other plate-shaped member supplies fluid to a position that is different from the fluid discharge port and where the opening portions do not overlap each other. Mouth is formed.

  The two plate-like members are fixed to each other only at their peripheral portions, and the other portions, in particular, the region connecting the fluid supply port and the fluid discharge port are only in close contact with each other. As a fixing means, any known method may be used as necessary, for example, mechanical fixing by welding, welding, adhesion, screws, or the like may be used. Further, if necessary, a horn-shaped opening may be provided around the discharge port. This nozzle is completed only by the above configuration.

  When a fluid having a predetermined pressure is supplied to the fluid supply port, one or both of the two plate-like members are deformed by the pressure of the supplied fluid, and a gap is formed between the plates. When the fluid flows in, the gap is further widened to form a flow path. Then, the fluid blows out vigorously from the fluid discharge port. Further, with such a structure, the flow rate of the fluid necessary to obtain the pressure of the ejected fluid can be reduced. For this reason, it can also contribute to energy saving and resource saving.

  When the discharged fluid is applied to the substrate surface of the workpiece, the Bernoulli effect is generated at a position where the distance from the nozzle is a predetermined distance, and the workpiece can be held. That is, the workpiece can be held and transported in the liquid without contact.

  The nozzle can also be used for the separation mechanism. In this case, the nozzle may be used as it is, but the following configuration for the separation mechanism is preferable. In this configuration, the discharge port and the opening are not provided. Instead, a region where the two plate-like members are fixed to each other is provided with a region that is not partially fixed. In other words, in the two plate-like members, only the peripheral portions except for a part of the region are fixed to each other, and the other portions, particularly the region connecting the fluid supply port and the non-fixed peripheral portion are only closely arranged. It is in a state. And the peripheral part of this partial area | region which is not fixed functions as a discharge outlet.

  Then, when a fluid of a predetermined pressure is supplied to the fluid supply port as described above, one or both of the two plate-like members are deformed by the pressure of the supplied fluid, and a gap is generated between the plates. The fluid flows into and further widens the gap to form a flow path. However, in this configuration example, since the discharge port is not formed, the fluid is blown out vigorously from the peripheral portion which is not fixed. For this reason, by changing the size and area of the peripheral edge that is not fixed, the fluid can be allowed to flow out from a band-shaped or linear area having an arbitrary size. Thus, since the fluid can be sprayed in a band shape, the fluid can be applied to the semiconductor substrate over a wide region in parallel with the substrate surface, and separation can be performed more effectively.

  The semiconductor substrate transported by the transport unit is transported while maintaining a posture that minimizes the projected area with respect to the traveling direction in order to reduce the resistance of the liquid when transporting in the liquid. In other words, when the substrate is transported, it moves in a direction parallel to the substrate surface. Further, it may be slightly inclined with respect to the direction parallel to the substrate surface, but is preferably within 20 degrees with respect to the substrate surface at the transfer start position.

  Specifically, the substrates arranged in a stack state in which the substrate surfaces face the vertical direction are transported and moved in the vertical direction as they are after chucking. This can be realized by straightening a part of the rotation operation of the transport unit. When transported to the top of the liquid, it is now placed on the loader, so that the posture is changed by 90 ° and the substrate surface becomes horizontal. This can be easily performed by the rotation operation of the transport unit. Then, the transport operation is completed by transporting to the unloader unit with the designation as it is. At this time, it is desirable that the posture of the substrate on the unloader is slightly downward with respect to the transport direction. Specifically, it is about 0.5 to 10 °, preferably about 1 to 5 ° with respect to the transport direction. By adopting such a posture, the substrate can be placed safely and smoothly by soft landing on the unloader.

  Note that one or two or more link arms and chucks may be provided depending on the required tact time, the workpiece to be conveyed, and other required performance, and usually three or four are provided. In the case of providing a plurality, the control is facilitated by arranging them at an equal angle according to the number.

  In the apparatus of the present invention, a part of the loader unit and the transport unit are present in the liquid. For this reason, these components are stored in a watertight water tank. In addition, it is important to prevent metal contamination as much as possible from the nature of the semiconductor substrate to be handled. Therefore, it is preferable that 90% or more, more preferably 98% or more of the constituent elements existing in or in contact with the liquid, including the water tank, be formed of the resin material. The specific resin material is not particularly limited as long as it has necessary characteristics such as corrosion resistance and temperature resistance and can maintain strength as a device. Specific examples include resins usually used in semiconductor devices, such as PEEK (polyetheretherketone) resin, PVC (vinyl chloride), PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), and the like.

  The fluid in the present invention is generally recognized as a fluid, and may be a gas or a liquid. In particular, a fluid used in a semiconductor manufacturing process is preferable, and a liquid is more preferable. Examples of the gas include air, oxygen, nitrogen, an inert gas, or a mixed gas of these or other gases, and examples of the liquid include water, pure water, ultrapure water, alkaline ionized water, and alcohols. Examples thereof include liquids and liquids obtained by adding cleaning agents, acids, and alkali components to these. In addition, the chucking and transport target, that is, the workpiece in the present invention is a semiconductor substrate, and is preferably a semiconductor substrate used in a photovoltaic device. Such a semiconductor substrate needs to be manufactured in large quantities at a low cost, and a mechanism and apparatus that can be manufactured with a simple configuration as in the present invention are suitable.

  As a control device for controlling the device of the present invention, a control device that is normally used in an automatic machine can be used because it operates with a special mechanism or timing. For example, it can be easily controlled by a sequencer or a microcomputer. In addition, information necessary for processing such as the number of processed sheets and error information may be transmitted / received to / from other devices or a main control device such as a PC by wired or wireless communication means.

  In the present invention, when the chucking operation using the nozzle or the like is performed, the adsorption / separation fluid can be electrically controlled using the electromagnetic valve or the like by the control device as described above. However, control can also be performed by mechanical processing and structure. The transport unit of the present invention is operated by the rotation operation of the driving device. For this reason, in a rotation mechanism such as a drive shaft, the predetermined rotation position, rotation angle, and chuck position can be defined relatively. And the chucking start position and end position of the chuck are also determined. Therefore, it is only necessary to flow out fluid at a specific rotation position and stop the flow at another specific rotation position, which can be mechanically defined. For this reason, a rotary control valve may be provided in conjunction with the rotation shaft of the rotation driving device so as to control the fluid at a specific rotation position. Thus, the adsorption operation can be performed mechanically without performing special control, reducing the burden on the control device, simplifying the control, reducing the cost, and facilitating maintenance. .

  Next, specific examples of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view, FIG. 3 is a side view showing details of a loader unit and a transport unit, and FIG. 4 is a side view showing details of the transport unit. As shown in the figure, the device 1 of the present invention includes a loader 10, a transport unit 20, and an unloader 30. The loader 10 and the transport unit 20 are disposed in a water tank 40 attached to a housing 50. The water tank 40 is usually filled with a liquid such as water to facilitate separation of the semiconductor substrates. The loader 10 is located below the water surface in the water tank 40, and the transport unit 20 is disposed so that a part of the loader 10 is exposed on the water surface.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the loader unit 10 includes a pedestal 41 that places the tray 11 at a predetermined height in the water tank 40, and the semiconductor substrate 2 that is on the pedestal 41 and is accommodated in the tray 11. Are provided to a chucking position, which will be described later, and a support 12 that supports the rear end of the semiconductor substrate 2 to be conveyed.

  A plurality of semiconductor substrates 2 after rough cleaning and the like are stored in the tray 11 in a wet state. Therefore, the semiconductor substrates 2 are in close contact with each other by a liquid component such as water, and a predetermined number is arranged in a direction perpendicular to the substrate surface. When the tray 11 is disposed on the pedestal 41, the tray 11 is submerged in the liquid filled in the water tank 40.

  On the base 41, the belt 13 stretched between the pulleys 15 and 14 disposed at the front and rear ends thereof is disposed. The tray 11 is provided with a long hole or a notch-shaped escape hole or opening for the belt 13, and when the tray 11 is set, the belt 13 just enters this portion. At this time, the upper part of the belt 13 is positioned slightly above the lower end of the tray 11. For this reason, the belt 13 contacts the lower end portion of the semiconductor substrate 2, and the operation of the belt 13 is transmitted to the lower end portion of the semiconductor substrate 2. In other words, the semiconductor substrate 2 can be moved in the operation direction of the belt 13 by operating the belt 13.

  The belt 13 is driven by a driving device 19 such as a stepping motor. The motor 19 is fixed to a support member 191 having a cover 192 and is further disposed on the liquid surface by a mast 193. The pulley 15 is driven through a shaft (not shown). Or you may provide the roller only for a drive. Then, each time one semiconductor substrate 2 is transported from a chucking position, which will be described later, the substrate 2 is controlled to move by one substrate 2 in the chucking position direction. For this reason, it is preferable that the drive device can control fine movement, such as a stepping motor (pulse motor) or a servo motor. Or, a general AC motor such as a DC motor, an induction motor, or a synchronous motor may be combined with a transmission or the like to perform fine operation control.

  A support 12 is disposed on the pedestal 41 on the rear side of the tray 11. The support 12 supports the rear portion of the semiconductor substrate 2 when it is transported by the belt 13 and prevents the semiconductor substrate 2 from falling over. That is, the lower end portion of the semiconductor substrate 2 moves forward by the belt 13, but by itself, the upper portion of the substrate is left behind, and the entire substrate gradually tilts and falls. Therefore, as the belt 13 moves, the entire semiconductor substrate 2 can be moved by synchronously moving while supporting the rear portion of the substrate by the amount of movement of the belt 13. For this reason, the rear part of the tray 11 is formed with a hole for the support to enter or the following is formed.

  The support drive mechanism may be the same as that of the belt 13, or may be used as the drive mechanism of the belt 13 or may be driven by the belt 13 itself. Further, the transport position of the belt 13 and the support 12 is preferably set to be one semiconductor substrate before the chucking position. After the last sheet is chucked and transported, the last sheet is moved by its own weight so as to fall to a chucking position slightly lower than the transport position, and is independently held and chucked. As a result, it is possible to prevent accidents such as interference or contact between the belt 13 or the support 12 and the chucking mechanism, and damage to the semiconductor substrate involved in these mechanisms.

  In the vicinity of the chucking position, a substrate separating mechanism 18 for separating the closely adhered semiconductor substrate 2 is provided as shown in FIG. In the illustrated example, a substrate separation mechanism including nozzles 18 for ejecting liquid is provided on both sides of the tray 11, whereby the substrates that are in close contact with each other are peeled off and can be taken out one by one.

  The substrate separation mechanism 18 is not particularly limited as long as it has a discharge port or a nozzle shape that can deliver a predetermined flow rate of fluid at a predetermined pressure, and a suitable one is selected from commercially available products. Can be used. Moreover, a preferable result is obtained when the nozzle according to the present invention is configured for a separation mechanism. The fluid delivered from the substrate separation mechanism hits the semiconductor substrate from the horizontal direction of the substrate surface and tends to flow between the substrates. When the fluid that hits the substrate exceeds a certain pressure, the fluid also enters between the substrates, a gap is formed between the substrates that are in close contact, and the fluid enters and the substrates are completely separated.

  A specific installation position of the substrate separation mechanism 18 needs to be a position where fluid can be sprayed from a direction substantially parallel to the substrate surface of the semiconductor substrate 2 to be separated. Specifically, the position in the normal direction of the substrate surface is preferably 1 to 20 sheets, more preferably 5 to 10 sheets from the front row or the top row on the chucking side of the arrayed and stacked semiconductor substrates. It is good to arrange at an intermediate position. Further, the position parallel to the substrate surface is about 1/4 to 3/4, preferably 2/5 to 3/5 of the length of the substrate, particularly as in the apparatus of the present invention. When disposing and separating the substrate standing in the liquid, it is preferable to dispose it between the center of the length 1/2 to the upper length 1/4. Further, it is desirable that the substrate is separated to some extent from the substrate end. Specifically, it is a position that does not interfere with the tray or the like, and may be within a range of about 2 to 20 mm.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4, the transport unit 20 transmits a rotational shaft 21 rotatably connected to a rotational drive device (not shown) and the rotational force of the rotational shaft 21 to the link arm 23. And a link arm 210 that is driven by the drive member 22 and conveys the semiconductor substrate held by the chuck. As shown in FIG. 4, the rotation shaft 21 is arranged so that the center thereof is slightly in the liquid from the liquid surface S. The drive member 22 may have an arm shape as shown in FIG. 1 or a disk shape as shown in FIGS. The driving member 22 only needs to draw a circular orbit with a predetermined radius and drive one end of the link arm 210 to rotate.

  The link arm 210 is rotatably fixed to the drive member 22 by a support shaft 211 on one end side thereof, and a track shaft 212 on the other end side is fixed to the chuck support body 220 to be freely rotatable. A guide roller 111 is fixed to the chuck support 220 concentrically with the track shaft 212. Another guide roller 112 is fixed to the chuck support 220 and is fixed at two points by two guide rollers 111 and 112.

  The guide rollers 111 and 112 are disposed in the track 201. This track path 201 is an annular long hole formed continuously without an end, restricts the movement of the other end side of the link arm, and corrects it so as to draw a predetermined track. That is, the shape and size of the track formed by the track path 201 is determined by the trajectory required for the transport path within a range in which the guide roller 111 operated by the link arm 210 can slide. In order to form the track 201, a portion corresponding to the track 201 of a single plate may be cut out, or two plate-like or bar-like members are opposed to each other with a certain gap, and the track 201 It is good. The shape and size of the members constituting the track 201 may have a required strength and can be engaged with the guide rollers 111 and 112.

  5 and 6 are views showing the relationship between the track path 201, the support shaft 211a of the link arm 210, the track shaft 212a, the chuck 100, and the chuck support body 220. FIG. It can be seen that each orbital shaft 212a moving in the orbital path 201 is moving along the orbital path 201 in accordance with the circular rotation operation of each supporting shaft 211a that moves as in the illustrated example. That is, the circular rotation operation of the support shaft 211 a is converted into the movement of the locus along the track 201 by the link-arm 210. For this reason, the size of the track path and the size of the circular track drawn by the support shaft 211 need to be within a predetermined range that can be absorbed by the link arm.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the workpiece is chucked at the chuck start position (a), moved in parallel with the semiconductor substrate surface, transported to the position (b) on the liquid surface, and further the direction is changed by 90 °. Then, the chuck is released at the position (c) on the unloader section 30 and the semiconductor substrate 2 is placed on the unloader while slowly moving downward. In this way, by setting the trajectory of the trajectory path 201 to an optimum one, the semiconductor substrate can be transported without requiring a complicated mechanism or control.

  The chuck 100 is disposed on the chuck support 220. The chuck 100 is not particularly limited as long as it can hold and transport the workpiece 2, and an optimum chuck may be selected from known semiconductor substrate chucking mechanisms. However, in this embodiment, the nozzle 100 that operates suitably in the liquid as described below is used as the chuck mechanism. FIG. 7 is a side view showing a specific shape of such a nozzle 100, and FIG. 8 is a plan view.

  The nozzle 100 in this example is configured by bonding two plate-like members. At this time, the two plate-like members are fixed to each other by fixing means such as adhesion, welding, and fusion only at the outer edge portion. In other parts, the two members are simply in contact with each other. The two members include a nozzle member 110 that faces a workpiece that is a front plate, and a fluid supply member 120 on the side that supplies a fluid that is a back plate. The nozzle member 110 has a discharge port 112 having a predetermined diameter d at a substantially center thereof, and an opening 111 opened from the discharge port 112 in a horn or conical shape at an opening angle a1.

  A fluid supply port 121 is formed in the fluid supply member 120 at a position eccentric from the discharge port 112. Although two fluid supply ports 121 are provided in the illustrated example, an optimum number is provided according to the required flow rate and pressure of the fluid, and one or two or more may be provided. The position of the fluid supply port 121 is provided at a position away from the discharge port 112 as described above, and the discharge port 112 and the opening portion of the fluid supply port 121 do not overlap directly. Further, it is desirable that the discharge port 112 and the fluid supply port 121 be separated to some extent, and it is preferable to provide them between 2/10 and 8/10 between the center and the end of the fluid supply member.

  Here, the operation principle of the nozzle 100 of the present invention will be described. As described above, the discharge port 112 and the fluid supply port 121 are formed at different positions. In other portions, only two plates are in close contact with each other, and a flow path that connects the two is not formed. However, when a fluid is supplied from the fluid supply port 121 and a predetermined pressure is applied, either or both of the nozzle member 110 and the fluid supply member 120 are deformed and bent by the pressure. Then, a gap is generated between the nozzle member 110 and the fluid supply member 120. The gap serves as a flow path, and the fluid flows from the fluid supply port 121 toward the discharge port 112 and flows out from the discharge port 112.

FIGS. 10 and 11 are drawing-substituting photographs showing an operation state when water is supplied as a fluid to the nozzle having the structure shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, and FIG. 11 is an enlarged photograph of the vicinity of the nozzle of FIG. The plate-like member at this time was 40 mm square, and the overall plate thickness was 15 to 20 mm so that the ratio of the front plate to the back plate was about 2: 1 to 1.5: 1. Further, an opening as shown in the figure was provided in the vicinity of the discharge port. The supplied water had a water pressure of 0.5 MPa (5 kgf / cm ² ) and a water volume of 2.5 L / min. As is clear from these photographs, it can be seen that the fluid blows out from the protruding port with a small amount of water.

  In this way, the two plate-like members, that is, the nozzle member 110 and the fluid supply member 120 function as a pressure valve to supply a fluid having a predetermined pressure. By using such a structure, it is possible to obtain a high-speed and high-pressure jet flow with a small flow rate as compared with a nozzle using a normal annular channel, and to suppress the amount of liquid used. In addition, the shape and structure are simple, there are few parts used, the manufacturing cost is low, and it can be provided at a very low cost.

  When the nozzle of the present invention is used for the separation mechanism, the discharge port 112 and the opening 11 are not formed as described above, and the discharge port may be formed without fixing a partial region of the peripheral portion. Specifically, when the plate-like member is a quadrangle, only one side of the peripheral portion need not be fixed. Since no opening is formed in this nozzle, fluid flows out from a portion where the peripheral edge is not fixed, and functions as a discharge port. And since the discharge outlet of this example becomes slit shape, fluid also blows off in linear form or strip | belt shape.

  The nozzle member 110 has been described by exemplifying a liquid in the above example. However, the nozzle member 110 may be a liquid or a gas as long as it is a fluid. The environment of use may be liquid or air. Further, the use application is not limited to chucking, and good results can be obtained even if the application is used for spraying fluid. Specifically, good results can be obtained when used in the semiconductor substrate separation mechanism.

  The size and shape of the discharge port 112 and the opening 111 formed in the nozzle member 110 may be optimized depending on the flow rate and pressure of the fluid, the intended use, the shape of the workpiece, and the like. The opening angle a1 of the opening is usually about 40 to 160 °. The size and shape of the fluid supply port 121 may be optimized in accordance with the amount and pressure of the fluid to be supplied, the shape of the joint, and the like. Further, the number is not limited to two as in the illustrated example, but may be one or two or more.

The size and thickness of the fluid supply member 120 and the nozzle member 110 may be optimized in accordance with the size of the workpiece to be chucked, the holding force, the flow rate and pressure of the fluid to be supplied. The size of these two plates is usually about 5 to 100 mm ² . In particular, since the thickness is important in forming the jet airflow described later, it is necessary to carefully examine the thickness. The thickness of the nozzle member 110 depends on the shape of the opening 111 and is difficult to determine uniquely. However, the thickness of the fluid supply member 120 is usually about 2 to 20 mm. If the thickness is too thin, the pressure of the fluid is lost, and if it is too thick, it becomes difficult to secure a necessary water flow.

  When used for chucking, the pressure of the fluid supplied to the nozzle 100 is 0.1 to 1 MPa as the air pressure for gas, 0.1 to 1 MPa as the water pressure for liquid, and preferably about 0.3 to 0.7 MPa. Moreover, when using for a separation mechanism, it is about 0.1-0.8 Mpa as a pneumatic pressure in gas, and about 0.1-0.8 Mpa as a water pressure in a liquid. Further, the flow rate of the liquid is about 1.5 to 4 L / min when used for chucking, and about 0.5 to 3 L / min when used for the separation mechanism.

  The unloader 30 is provided with a belt 33 that is stretched between both end portions, that is, between the conveyance unit side pulley 34 and the takeout unit side pulley 35. The belt 33 is driven by the pulleys 34 and 35. Moreover, you may provide the pulley only for a drive. Further, these pulleys are driven by a driving device (not shown). The drive device may be the same as that mentioned in the loader section. Since the unloader unit does not require such a system for the control of the belt driving speed, operation / choking, etc., a simple driving device can be used from the loader side.

  In the unloader 30, the position (c) in FIG. 4 corresponds to the placement position 31 in FIG. 1, and the work supplied to this position from the transport unit 2 is transported to the take-out unit 32 by the two belts 33. Is done. The conveyed work is taken out by an operator or automatically taken out by an apparatus used in the subsequent process.

  Under the unloader 30, an unloader support member 54 protruding from the housing is provided to support the pulley 35 and the like. The unloader support member 54 also has a function of receiving liquid falling from the unloader. Further, a drain region 57 is formed between the water tank 40 below the unloader 30 and the rear end portion of the housing 50. The liquid dropped from the work to be conveyed, the liquid overflowed from the water tank, the unloader The liquid received by the support member 54 can be accommodated. The stored liquid can be filtered by a filter or the like and returned to the liquid circulation system again.

  In the case 50, a control console 52 is provided on the loader side, and operation switches and the like are arranged. The housing side portion 57 houses and arranges a driving device such as a motor for driving each portion, a liquid circulation pump, these control devices, a power supply device, and the like. A fixing leg 55 and a moving caster 56 are attached to the lower part of the casing 50, and can be easily moved by the caster 56 during transportation, and can be firmly fixed by the fixing leg 55 during installation. .

  Next, the operation of the device of the present invention will be described. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of the apparatus of the present invention. First, the tray 11 containing the semiconductor substrate 2 is set on the base 41 of the loader unit 10 in the water tank 40 (S1). Next, the start switch on the control console 52 is turned on to start the apparatus (S2).

  When the apparatus is activated, the loader unit 10 operates, the semiconductor substrate is sent out by the belt 13 and the support 12, and the substrate is transported to the chucking start position. At this time, the separation mechanism 18 also operates to spray liquid from the side surface of the semiconductor substrate 2 to separate the substrates (S3). Then, it is monitored whether or not the front row of the semiconductor substrate has reached the chucking position (S4), and when it reaches the chucking position, the chuck 100 of the transporting unit 20 sucks the substrate and performs a chucking operation (S5). ). On the other hand, at other times, the loader 10 is operated again to transport the semiconductor substrate 2 to the chucking position (S3).

  When the semiconductor substrate is chucked at the chucking position, the transport unit 20 operates to first transport the semiconductor substrate 2 in the liquid in the vertical direction to the liquid surface. Then, it rotates on the liquid surface, changes its direction by about 90 °, and transports to the unloader part while descending slightly in the horizontal direction in the air (S6). Next, when the semiconductor substrate is transported to the mounting portion 31 of the unloader, the chucking operation is released (S7). If the chuck 100 is moved while being slightly lowered, the semiconductor substrate 2 is transferred onto the belt 33 of the unloader 30 and unloaded from the transport unit 20 (S8).

  The semiconductor substrate 2 transferred to the unloader is taken out by an operator at the take-out section and stored in a storage tool such as a cassette for moving to the next process or automatically stored by an apparatus in the next process ( S9). On the other hand, the loader unit 10 detects the presence / absence of a semiconductor substrate in the tray, and repeats the above operation (S3) when there is still a substrate (S10). If the substrate is exhausted, the apparatus is stopped and the process is terminated (S11).

  As described above, a semiconductor substrate in a close contact state can be easily and safely separated with a simple configuration and operation. In addition, the driving device of the transport unit may use one motor that can be rotationally driven, and the structure and control of the drive system are easy.

  The apparatus and method of the present invention are suitable for close placement in semiconductor manufacturing processes, separation of stacked semiconductor substrates, particularly separation and transport of semiconductor substrates placed in close contact in a wet state. Further, separation and transport in a dry state are possible as required. Further, the apparatus, mechanism and nozzle of the present invention can be used not only as a semiconductor substrate but also as a chuck mechanism for various members, and can also be used as a nozzle for spraying fluid.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Semiconductor separator 2 Semiconductor substrate 10 Loader part 12 Support 13 Belt 14 Pulley 15 Pulley 18 Substrate separation mechanism (nozzle)
20 Conveying section 30 Unloader section 31 Placement section 32 Extraction section 33 Belt 40 Water tank 41 Base 50 Case 52 Control console 100 Chuck (nozzle)
201 Track 210 Link arm 220 Chuck support

Claims (12)

A loader unit for storing and arranging a plurality of semiconductor substrates closely arranged in a wet state in a liquid;
A transport unit that holds the semiconductor substrate disposed in the front row of the loader unit in a liquid and transports the semiconductor substrate to an unloader unit outside the liquid;
An unloader part for placing the semiconductor substrate outside the liquid and transporting it to the take-out part;
The transport unit includes a drive member that is connected to a rotary shaft that is rotationally driven and performs a circular motion of a predetermined radius, a link arm that is rotatably fixed to the drive member, and a second end side of the link arm that slides. An apparatus for separating a semiconductor substrate, comprising: a track path that moves and defines a track thereof; and a chuck that is fixed to the other end of the link arm.   The semiconductor substrate separation processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transport unit transports the semiconductor substrate while maintaining a posture in which a projected area of the semiconductor substrate in a traveling direction in the liquid is minimized.   3. The semiconductor substrate separation processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a separation mechanism for separating the substrates from each other by spraying a fluid from the substrate surface in a horizontal direction is disposed in the vicinity of the front row of the loader unit.   The semiconductor substrate separation processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transport unit includes a chuck that applies the Bernoulli principle.   It consists of two plate-like members that are fixed to each other only at the outer edge, and one plate-like member has a fluid discharge port, and the other plate-like member has a position different from that of the fluid discharge port. Nozzle with fluid supply ports formed at positions where the openings do not overlap. It consists of two plate-like members that are fixed to each other only in the outer edge except for some areas, and a fluid supply port is formed in one of the plate-like members,
A nozzle that discharges fluid using the unfixed region as a discharge port.   The nozzle according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the nozzle has a flow path formed by a deformation caused by the pressure of the fluid supplied to one or both of the two plate-like members.   The nozzle of Claim 5 or 7 used for the chuck | zipper of the separation apparatus of the semiconductor substrate in any one of Claims 1-4.   The nozzle according to claim 6 or 7, which is used in the separation apparatus according to claim 3.   A method of separating a semiconductor substrate, wherein a semiconductor substrate placed in close contact is immersed in a liquid, and then a fluid is sprayed from a direction parallel to the substrate surface to separate the semiconductor substrates.   A method of transporting a semiconductor substrate, wherein the semiconductor substrate is held in a liquid by a chuck applying the Bernoulli principle and transported while maintaining a posture in which the projected area of the semiconductor substrate in the traveling direction is minimized.   One or two or more fluid discharge ports are arranged around the separation position of the semiconductor substrate arranged in close contact, and the semiconductor substrate is separated from each other by spraying fluid from the fluid discharge port to the semiconductor substrate in a direction parallel to the substrate surface. Semiconductor substrate separation mechanism.