JP2013030654A - Substrate holding mechanism, semiconductor substrate separation processing apparatus, and separation method of semiconductor substrate - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a holding mechanism of a semiconductor substrate capable of safely and surely holding a semiconductor substrate even in a liquid with a very simple configuration, and to provide a holding device of a semiconductor substrate capable of automatically separating at a high speed for holding and transporting semiconductor substrates without damaging the semiconductor substrates that tightly contact each other in a wet state, along with a separation device and a separation method.SOLUTION: In the substrate holding mechanism, a chuck body 110 includes two or more liquid flow-in openings 113, and a nozzle body 120 which has a shape of hollow cylinder and is connected to the liquid flow-in opening. The nozzle body includes a lid 121 which closes its front end, and a discharge opening 122 which is opened and formed in radial direction at a position slightly away from the lid. A flow path for a fluid discharged from the discharge opening is provided with a liquid flow regulating part 119 which has a slope inclined by a predetermined degree. A flat part 118 parallel to a substrate surface is provided to the outer periphery of the liquid flow regulating part. A holding member 125 protruding so as to contact to a semiconductor substrate is arranged in a partial region of the flat part.

Description

  The present invention relates to a holding mechanism using a liquid of a semiconductor substrate used for a photovoltaic power generation apparatus such as a solar power generation, a separation apparatus and a separation method using the same.

  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. Further, only gas is used for the Bernoulli holder in the examples, and there is no suggestion regarding use in liquid or examples using liquid as fluid.

  Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-340522 prevents deformation and cracking of a wafer to be attracted and maintains a good main surface state without causing scratches or adhering particles on the main surface of the wafer. In order to provide a Bernoulli chuck that is easy to handle and is not destroyed even if high gas pressure is applied, the wafer has a disk-shaped wafer suction disk 4 that supports the wafer, and the wafer In the suction disk 4, a plurality of gas outlets 5 through which a gas for adsorbing a wafer by the Bernoulli effect flows out in a position different from the geometric center position of the wafer suction surface is distributed in the radial direction with respect to the center position. In addition, a gas supply branch arrangement directly extending from the gas supply pipe for supplying gas to the wafer suction surface side to each of the plurality of gas outlets 5 Bernoulli chuck is disclosed, wherein a is provided.

  However, the Bernoulli chuck of this document also uses gas as a medium, and there is no description using liquid. In addition, since the Bernoulli chuck has an inclined gas outlet, the machining is difficult and the cost increases. In addition, since the gas outlet is branched from one supply port, it is difficult to make the flow velocity and flow rate at each outlet constant when liquid is used as the medium. Note that the pins 6 only serve to prevent the wafer from jumping out of the Bernoulli chuck C.

  Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-181682 provides an ejection nozzle 23 for ejecting a fluid to a base 21 for the purpose of accurately measuring a vacuum pressure, and the fluid ejected from the ejection nozzle 23 is supplied with a Coanda. While guiding along the substrate or the object to be adsorbed by utilizing the effect, a vacuum layer is created by Bernoulli's theorem by the flow of the fluid, and a vacuum pressure detection port 29 is provided at a location outside the fluid outflow path. In addition, an adsorption device in which a vacuum pressure measuring device 30 is connected to the vacuum pressure detection port 29 is disclosed. Further, in paragraphs 0005 and 0006, “from the outlet 3a toward the inclined surface 2a of the recess 2 is vigorously ejected. The fluid ejected from the outlet 3a strikes the inclined surface 2a of the recessed portion 2 and the Coanda effect. As shown by the arrow a1, the fluid flows along the inclined surface 2a, and the fluid flowing along the inclined surface 2a flows out from the outside of the substrate 1 along the horizontal surface 4 ". It also describes the point that the fluid is deflected by the inclined surface by jetting out the outlet opening in the direction.

  However, the pressure fluid in this document is defined as “air, gas, etc.”, and liquid is also excluded from measuring the vacuum pressure. In addition, the connection port 3b of FIG. 2 is single, and there are a plurality of connection ports 23b in FIG. 1, but each is connected to the jet port 23a separately and opened to the surface of the base 21 separately to supply line 25. Connected with. For this reason, the structure is complicated and expensive, and maintenance is difficult. Further, there is no member for regulating the object to be attracted on the flat portion of the substrate.

  As described above, since the holding device used in the conventional semiconductor manufacturing process does not assume that the semiconductor substrate is held using the liquid, it is difficult to use the liquid as a medium for the Bernoulli effect or to use the liquid in the liquid. It is. Moreover, studies on holding mechanisms and devices that can handle semiconductor substrates for solar cells, which have been increasingly thinned in recent years, without damaging them are insufficient. Furthermore, it cannot be said that an apparatus for appropriately separating, holding and moving a semiconductor substrate in a liquid has been sufficiently studied, and in many cases, it has been realized only by a complicated and expensive apparatus.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-129487 JP 2005-340522 A JP 2006-181682 A

The problem to be solved is to provide a semiconductor substrate holding mechanism that can safely and reliably hold a semiconductor substrate even in liquid with a very simple configuration and that uses a small amount of fluid.
Also provided are a semiconductor substrate holding device capable of automatically separating, holding, and transporting semiconductor substrates that are in close contact with each other in a wet state at high speed, and a separation device and a separation method using the same. It is to be.

  Both the conventional vacuum type adsorption mechanism and Bernoulli type adsorption mechanism are based on the premise that gas is used as a fluid, and most of them do not consider using liquid as a fluid. Further, the vacuum suction mechanism and the mechanical chuck are not practical because they cause damage to a thin 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.

The present invention has the following configuration in order to solve the above problems.
(1) A substrate holding mechanism for holding a semiconductor substrate by a Bernoulli principle using a liquid,
The chuck body has two or more liquid inlets and a hollow cylindrical nozzle body connected to the liquid inlets.
The nozzle body has a lid arranged so as to close the front end thereof, and a discharge port formed in a radial direction at a position slightly away from the lid,
Around the nozzle body, there is a liquid flow restricting portion having a slope inclined at a predetermined angle in the flow path of the fluid discharged from the discharge port,
It has a flat part parallel to the substrate surface held on the outer periphery of the liquid flow regulating part,
A substrate holding mechanism in which a holding member protruding so as to come into contact with the semiconductor substrate is arranged in a partial region of the flat portion.
(2) The substrate holding mechanism according to (1), wherein the holding member protrudes from 0.05 to 0.3 mm with respect to the flat portion.
(3) The substrate holding mechanism according to (1) or (2), wherein the semiconductor substrate has a thickness of 180 microns or less.
(4) The substrate holding mechanism according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the inclined surface of the fluid regulating portion is 30 to 60 ° with respect to a chuck surface which is a held substrate surface.
(5) The substrate holding mechanism according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the discharge ports are a plurality of round holes formed at equal intervals in the radial direction.
(6) The substrate holding mechanism according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the discharge port formed in the nozzle body has a shape opened in a slit shape in a radial direction.

(7) a loader unit for storing and arranging a plurality of semiconductor substrates closely arranged in a wet state in the 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. A separation processing apparatus for a semiconductor substrate, comprising: a track path that moves and defines the track; and the substrate holding mechanism (1) to (6) fixed to the other end of the link arm.
(8) The semiconductor substrate placed in close contact is immersed in the liquid, and then the liquid is sprayed from the direction parallel to the substrate surface to separate the semiconductor substrates, and the semiconductor substrate is separated by the substrate holding mechanism described in (1) to (6) above. For separating a semiconductor substrate holding the substrate.

The holding mechanism of the present invention can provide a semiconductor substrate holding mechanism that can hold the semiconductor substrate safely and reliably even in liquid with a very simple configuration and that uses a small amount of fluid.
Also provided are a semiconductor substrate holding device capable of automatically separating, holding, and transporting semiconductor substrates that are in close contact with each other in a wet state at high speed, and a separation device and a separation method using the same. can do.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the basic configuration of the holding mechanism of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the basic configuration of the holding mechanism of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the basic configuration of the holding mechanism of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a rear view showing the basic configuration of the holding mechanism of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the flow of liquid in the holding mechanism of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of the transport device. (Example 3) FIG. 7 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the transport device. (Example 3) FIG. 8 is a side view showing a detailed structure of the loader unit and the transport unit. (Example 3) FIG. 9 is a side view showing a detailed structure of the transport unit. (Example 3) FIG. 10 is a side view illustrating the operation of the transport unit in the track. (Example 3) FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating the trajectory of each member in the track of the transport unit. (Example 3) FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the operation sequence of the apparatus and method of the present invention. (Example 3)

  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 suction mechanism and the mechanical chuck are not realistic because they cause damage to a thin 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.

  Accordingly, in the present invention, a chuck or holding mechanism having the following configuration is used as a holding mechanism that applies the Bernoulli principle that can be used even in an environment where a transport path of the held substrate partially exists in the liquid. The holding mechanism has two or more liquid inlets in the chuck body and a cylindrical nozzle body connected to the liquid inlet. The nozzle body has a lid disposed so as to close the front end thereof and a plurality of discharge ports formed in a radial direction at positions slightly away from the lid. A liquid flow restricting portion having a slope inclined at a predetermined angle is provided in the flow path of the fluid discharged from the outlet. In the present specification, the front part of the chuck body and the front part of the nozzle body mean the direction of the part that chucks the semiconductor substrate.

  Furthermore, the outer periphery of the liquid flow restricting portion has a flat portion parallel to the chuck surface which is the held substrate surface. A holding member protruding so as to come into contact with the semiconductor substrate is disposed in a partial region of the flat portion, and the thin substrate can be safely and reliably secured by sucking and holding the holding member and the semiconductor substrate in contact with each other. Can be held.

  The liquid is ejected from the discharge port of the nozzle body in a substantially horizontal range with respect to the chuck surface which is the substrate surface held. Then, the liquid flow restricting portion formed on the chuck body is deflected to some extent in the vertical direction of the chuck surface, and flows at an angle of about 10 to 60 °, which is an acute angle with respect to the chuck surface. For this reason, the flow velocity of the liquid can be increased as compared with the conventional method in which the fluid flow is formed in the direction perpendicular to the chuck surface, and the adsorption force by the Bernoulli effect can be increased.

  The holding mechanism of the present invention has two or more liquid inlets. When a liquid is used as a medium for chucking by the Bernoulli effect, the behavior of the liquid in the nozzle body becomes a problem unlike the substrate. When the liquid inflow port is single, the flow of the inflowing liquid is not stable, in particular, the flow rate and flow rate of the liquid discharged from the plurality of discharge ports are not stable, and as a result, the adsorptive power is significantly reduced. However, by using two or more liquid inflow ports, the flow velocity and flow rate of the liquid discharged from the discharge ports are stabilized. This is probably because the liquid flowing into the chuck body forms a vortex, the pressure distribution in the nozzle becomes uniform, and the flow rate and flow rate of the liquid discharged from the discharge port are stabilized. In addition, an increase in the number of inflow ports has an effect of facilitating securing the flow rate.

  The holding mechanism of the present invention includes a chuck body and a nozzle body. The chuck body is a base that supports the entire structure of the holding mechanism, and the nozzle body is attached to the chuck body. The nozzle body has a hollow cylindrical structure, and the front part of the cylinder to be chucked is closed by a lid material. The reason why the nozzle body is a cylindrical member is that it is optimal as a shape for ejecting liquid uniformly in the radial direction, that is, in a circular shape.

  The chuck body is provided with a liquid flow path that forms a continuous space with the inside of the attached nozzle body, and this liquid flow path is connected to the liquid inflow port so that the liquid supplied from the liquid inflow port smoothly To be guided to. The liquid inlet is provided with a joint to which a hose that normally supplies liquid can be connected.

  The nozzle body is formed with a discharge port that can eject liquid in a radial direction at a position slightly away from the lid of the cylindrical body, that is, a position slightly retracted from the front surface. The discharge port may have a plurality of round holes or square holes arranged uniformly in the radial direction, or may form a slit opened in the radial direction. In any case, any structure may be used as long as the liquid can be ejected uniformly in the radial direction, that is, in the cross-sectional direction of the cylinder. Here, the uniform liquid ejection does not have to be a structure that can obtain a completely uniform liquid flow, and if it is confirmed in detail, it can be recognized that it is uniform to some extent even if sparse. Good. Moreover, when providing the member which contacts a board | substrate so that it may mention later, you may make it the liquid flow which avoids such a member to some extent or flows. What is important is that the flow should be such that the suction force required to hold the semiconductor substrate can act uniformly on the substrate.

  The size of the discharge port of the nozzle is not particularly limited, and may be a size that can form a water flow that can provide a sufficient amount of adsorption. Specifically, the diameter of the round hole is about 0.1 to 1 mm. A square hole or a deformed shape may be formed according to the size. If the size is too small, it will cause clogging by impurities, and if it is too large, the adsorption operation will be adversely affected. When holes having the above-mentioned size are provided, it is preferable to arrange a plurality of holes at regular intervals. For example, the holes may be arranged in a range of 5 to 45 °, particularly 10 to 40 ° as the distribution angle with respect to the center of the nozzle.

  The nozzle body is preferably mounted so that its periphery is covered by the chuck body. That is, the nozzle body is attached so as to be embedded in the chuck body. The periphery of the discharge port of the chuck body has an opening shape inclined in a horn shape, and this portion serves as a liquid flow restricting portion to deflect and restrict the flow of the liquid discharged from the protrusion. The inclination angle of the liquid flow regulating portion is preferably 10 to 60 °, particularly preferably about 20 to 45 ° with respect to the chuck surface which is the held substrate surface.

  A flat portion having a surface parallel to the chuck surface is formed around the liquid flow restricting portion of the chuck body. The flat portion has a donut-shaped circular region so as to surround at least the nozzle body. As the liquid flows between the flat portion and the semiconductor substrate, an adsorption force due to the Bernoulli effect is generated, and the semiconductor substrate is adsorbed to the chuck body side. At this time, the holding member arranged in a partial region of the flat portion comes into contact with the semiconductor substrate to support the semiconductor substrate in a direction perpendicular to the chuck surface and to reduce local adsorption force to prevent damage due to deformation of the substrate. . Furthermore, the holding effect by the frictional force is generated in the direction parallel to the chuck surface, and the substrate holding effect can be enhanced.

  The front surface of the flat part and the front surface of the lid are preferably substantially on the same surface. Further, the thickness of the holding member, that is, the height t is preferably 0.05 to 0.9 mm, more preferably 0.1 to 0.6 mm, and particularly preferably 0.2 to 0 with respect to the front surface (upper surface) of the flat portion. About 5mm. The holding members are arranged in at least a partial region of the flat portion, and preferably a plurality of holding members are arranged in a distributed manner. Although the size is not particularly limited, it is preferably about 1/20 to 1/8 of the flat donut-shaped circular region area per one. The shape may be circular or square, or a shape obtained by deforming these. The holding members are preferably arranged evenly in 2-8 locations, more preferably 3-6 locations, preferably in a donut-shaped circular region of the flat portion.

  As a material of the holding member, an elastic member is preferable, specifically, an elastomer such as natural rubber, a thermoplastic resin, and a thermosetting resin is preferable, and other general resin materials, paper, pulp, and wood fiber are used. Natural materials can also be used. In addition, inorganic fine particles may be mixed with these materials in order to increase the friction coefficient. However, it is necessary to consider so as not to adversely affect the semiconductor substrate to be held. The holding member is usually processed by processing a film-like or sheet-like member into an appropriate size and shape, and is attached to the flat portion. The pasting may be performed using a known means such as an adhesive or welding. Moreover, adjustment of protrusion amount can be easily adjusted by changing the film thickness and board thickness of a member.

  The size of the holding mechanism may be set to an optimum size according to the size of the semiconductor substrate to be handled. Specifically, the maximum diameter of the donut-shaped region of the flat portion is 50 to 100%, preferably about 60 to 80% of the diameter in the case of a circular wafer. In the case of a square substrate, the diameter of the inscribed circle may be in the above range.

  The pressure of the liquid supplied to the holding mechanism is not particularly limited, and may be set to a pressure at which the adsorption operation is performed without any problem. Specifically, the water pressure is 5 to 1000 Kpa, preferably about 10 to 100 KPa. Further, the flow rate of the liquid is about 0.5 to 10 L / min as a water flow.

  The object to be held in the present invention is a semiconductor substrate, preferably a semiconductor substrate used in a photovoltaic device. By using the holding device of the present invention, such a semiconductor substrate can be held using a liquid, and a chucking operation in water is possible. Moreover, even a thin substrate having a plate thickness can be safely and reliably held. Specifically, a substrate of 180 microns or less, preferably 160 microns or less, particularly 140 microns or less can be handled. The lower limit of the substrate thickness is not particularly limited, but is about 120 microns.

  The holding device of the present invention can be variously modified and used as a holding mechanism for various devices. In particular, it is an apparatus that handles a thin semiconductor substrate of 180 microns or less, and can be suitably used for an apparatus in which a liquid is involved in processing such that the liquid exists in a transport path. Hereinafter, a specific example of the apparatus will be described.

  The apparatus using the holding mechanism of the present invention is exemplified by a configuration as shown in FIG. In this apparatus, a loader unit (10) for storing and arranging a plurality of semiconductor substrates closely arranged in a wet state in a liquid, and a semiconductor substrate (2) arranged in the front row of the loader unit (10) are liquidated. A transfer unit (20) that holds the substrate in the liquid and transfers it to the unloader unit (30) outside the liquid; In the vicinity of the front row of the loader part, a peeling part for spraying liquid from the substrate surface and the horizontal direction on the semiconductor substrate (2) to separate the substrates from each other is arranged.

  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 in this way, various known mechanisms can be used.

  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, by using a substrate holding mechanism using a liquid as a fluid as in the present invention, it is possible to separate the liquid as it is in the liquid. 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, but in the present invention, a separation structure in which a liquid discharge port is arranged around the separation position of the semiconductor substrate arranged in close contact is recommended. Then, liquid is sprayed from the liquid discharge port to the semiconductor substrate in a direction parallel to the substrate surface. Since the sprayed liquid hits the end of the semiconductor substrate from the direction parallel to the substrate surface, it enters a slight gap between the closely-contacted 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.

[Example 1]
Next, a specific configuration of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 to 4 are views showing an embodiment of the holding device of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA 'in FIG. 2, FIG. 2 is a plan view, and FIG. Sectional drawing and FIG. 4 are rear views. In these drawings, the front or front corresponds to the lower or lower part in FIG. 1, and the upper or upper part in FIG.

  In each figure, the holding mechanism 100 of the present invention has a chuck body 110 and a nozzle body 120. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the chuck body 110 has a planar shape such that a large circle is cut by parallel lines equidistant from the center, and its central portion projects into a circle concentric with the large circle to form a structure. Forming. A region other than the central portion forming the structure is made of a thick plate member, and a pair of mounting holes 117 are formed in this portion with the central portion interposed therebetween, and are attached to a device (not shown).

  The central structure is formed so as to protrude into a bottomed hollow cylinder, and the nozzle body 120 is mounted inside the cylinder. Further, an annular member 110 a that fixes the mounted nozzle body 120 is attached to the front surface of the chuck body 110 and is integrated with the chuck body 110. The annular member 110a is a donut-shaped flat plate member whose outer periphery is a circle having the same shape as the inner periphery of the central portion, and a relief hole having a size capable of accommodating the front portion of the nozzle body 120 is formed in the central portion. An inclined surface opening in a horn shape is formed from the inner periphery to the front surface of the annular member 110a, and constitutes a liquid flow restricting portion 119. The angle of the inclined surface is adjusted within the above range. The front end from the outer periphery of the inclined surface to the outer periphery of the annular member constitutes the flat portion 118.

  Screw holes 115 are formed at equal intervals in the annular member 110 a and are fixed to the nozzle body 110 by screws 116. Further, an O-ring 130 is disposed between the inner periphery of the chuck body 110 and the outer periphery of the nozzle body 120 to seal the inside of the chuck body and prevent leakage of liquid.

  The nozzle body 120 is formed of a hollow cylindrical member, and has a structure in which the front thereof is closed by a lid member 121 and greatly opened at the rear part. A plurality of discharge ports 122 are formed on the circumferential surface of the body of the nozzle main body 120 at predetermined intervals in the radial direction at positions slightly separated from the rear surface of the lid member 121 in the rear direction. The discharge ports 122 are round holes with a predetermined diameter, and are formed at regular intervals in the radial direction, that is, at regular angles from the center of the circle of the cylinder. In this way, a uniform liquid flow can be obtained by forming the plurality of discharge ports 122 at predetermined intervals. The shape of the discharge port 122 is not particularly limited, but a round hole is preferable in terms of easy processing.

  Further, the liquid flow direction can be set so as to avoid the holding member 125 described later, and the adverse effect of preventing the liquid flow caused by arranging the holding member 125 on the flat portion 118 can be minimized. . That is, in this embodiment, the holding member 125 is set to be disposed between two adjacent discharge ports 122, preferably at a position corresponding to the intermediate position.

  The rear portion of the nozzle body 120 has a flange portion having an enlarged diameter corresponding to the thickness of the O-ring 130. The outer periphery of the flange portion is in contact with the inner periphery of the chuck body 110, and the rear end of the flange portion is formed inside the chuck body. Thus, it is fixed in contact with the stepped portion. An inclined surface is formed from the opening of the enlarged flange portion to the inner peripheral surface of the nozzle main body 120 so that the inflowed liquid is smoothly guided into the nozzle main body.

  A joint attachment hole 113 is formed in the rear part of the chuck body as a pair of liquid inlets. This joint mounting hole 113 forms a flow path that penetrates into the inside of the chuck body and reaches the inside of the nozzle body 140, and is screwed into the male thread portion of the joint 150 by a female screw formed on the inner periphery, thereby making the joint 150 easy. It can be fixed to. The joint 150 body is provided with a hexagonal nut shape so that the screwing operation can be easily performed. In addition, a hose joint 152 is provided at the rear end portion so that a liquid supply hose (not shown) can be connected by a known method.

  When liquid is supplied from the liquid supply hose connected to the joint 150, the liquid 101 such as water passes through the joint 150 and is introduced into the internal space of the chuck body 110 communicating with the supply port 130 as shown in FIG. . At this time, the fluid introduced from the two inlets reaches the tip in the nozzle body 120 while rotating like a vortex, and is ejected from the discharge port 122. The ejected liquid 101a is regulated by the slope formed on the annular body 110a to change its direction and flows in an oblique direction along the slope. Then, when it comes into contact with the surface of the semiconductor substrate to be held, it flows in a direction parallel to the substrate surface and is attracted to the chuck body 110 by the Bernoulli effect.

  A plurality of holding members 125 are arranged on the smooth surface that is the front end surface of the chuck body 110. In the illustrated example, the holding member 125 is a circular sheet-like member, and the diameter thereof is equal to the width of the annular member 110a and is arranged at equal intervals or at equal distribution angles at three locations. Further, the arrangement position is arranged at a position corresponding to an intermediate position between the adjacent discharge ports 122 so as to avoid the position facing the discharge port 122 so as not to obstruct the ejected fluid as much as possible. With such an arrangement, it is possible to make the decrease in the adsorption force due to the provision of the holding member almost a negligible value.

The flow rate and pressure of the liquid applied to the holding mechanism of the present invention are preferably adjusted within the following range. Total flow rate: 1-5 L / min, especially 2-4 L / min, pressure: 0.1-1.0 Kgf / m ² , especially 0.3-0.8 Kgf / m ² .

[Example 2]
A holding mechanism 100 having the structure shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 and a holding mechanism 100 ′ having a similar structure except that the inlet 113 is formed on the back surface of the chuck body corresponding to the center of the nozzle are prepared, and a semiconductor substrate adsorption test is prepared. Went. As the semiconductor substrate, a general square substrate for solar cells was used.

  As a test method for the suction force, the holding device is fixed vertically so that the suction surface is vertical, the semiconductor substrate is sucked by changing the water pressure and flow rate, and a load is applied to the substrate in the vertical direction. The weight was recorded when started to move down. At this time, the flow velocity near the discharge port was also measured. In addition, since the sample with one inflow port was not able to adsorb | suck, it measured only about the sample with 2 inflow ports. The results are shown in Table 1.

  As is apparent from Table 1, it is possible to maintain a load of about 500 g by adjusting the water pressure and the flow rate. From this, it can be seen that the semiconductor substrate can be securely held, and even when a certain amount of load is applied.

  As described above, the semiconductor substrate can be safely and reliably held even with a chuck that uses a liquid medium with a simple configuration. For this reason, it becomes possible to perform the chucking operation of the semiconductor substrate even in the liquid, and application to various apparatuses becomes possible.

Example 3
As an apparatus provided with the holding mechanism of the present invention, a conveying apparatus as shown in FIGS. 6 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a transport apparatus using the holding mechanism of the present invention, FIG. 7 is a plan view, FIG. 8 is a side view showing details of a loader section and a transport section, and FIG. 9 is a detail of the transport section. FIG. As shown in the figure, the transport apparatus 1 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. 8, 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. For this reason, 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.

  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 separating mechanism 18 is not particularly limited as long as it is a discharge port or a nozzle that can deliver a predetermined flow rate of fluid, that is, a liquid at a predetermined pressure. A thing can be selected and used. The liquid 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 liquid that hits the substrate exceeds a certain pressure, the liquid also enters between the substrates, a gap is formed between the substrates that are in close contact, and the liquid further enters and the substrates are completely separated.

  A specific installation position of the substrate separation mechanism 18 needs to be a position where the liquid 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 edge of the substrate. 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. 6, 8, and 9, 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. 9, the rotation shaft 21 is arranged so that its center is slightly in the liquid from the liquid surface S. The drive member 22 may have an arm shape as shown in FIG. 6 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 track path 201 defines a transport path, and the other end side of the link arm 210 slides to define the track. Therefore, if the track path is shaped along the transport path, the other end of the link arm 210 can perform transport. If the holding mechanism of the present invention capable of holding the semiconductor substrate is arranged 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 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 may be opposed to each other with a certain gap to form the track 201. 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.

  10 and 11 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. 9, the workpiece is chucked at the chuck start position (a), moved in parallel with the semiconductor substrate surface, and transported to the position (b) on the liquid surface. 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.

  A holding mechanism 100 is disposed on the chuck support 220. The holding mechanism 100 is as described in the first embodiment. Although only the joint 230 is changed to an L-shaped joint, the straight tubular joint 150 of the first embodiment or another joint may be used.

  The number of link arms and holding mechanisms to be mounted is determined according to the required tact time, the work to be transported, and other required performance, and one or two or more may be provided. 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.

  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. That is, when the substrate is transported, it moves in a direction parallel to the substrate surface. The transport direction 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 transport 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.

  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. .

  In the transport device, the loader unit and a part of the transport unit are 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.

  As the control device for controlling the transport device, it is not necessary to perform an operation with a special mechanism or timing, and therefore, a control device used in a normal automatic machine or the like can be used. 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.

  Further, in the present invention, when the chucking operation using the holding mechanism is performed, the adsorption / separation liquid 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 transport device is operated by the rotation operation of the drive 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, the operation of the transport device will be described. FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the operation of the transport device. 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).

  Thus, even if the holding mechanism of the present invention is attached and operated to a transfer device in which a part of the transfer path exists in the liquid, it can be confirmed that the substrate can be stably held and can be transferred reliably. It was. Further, it was confirmed that even if a semiconductor substrate for a solar cell having the thinnest plate thickness, specifically 180 microns or less, is used, it can be transported without being damaged.

  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 Holding mechanism 110 Chuck body 120 Nozzle body 201 Track path 210 Link arm 220 Chuck support

Claims (8)

A substrate holding mechanism for holding a semiconductor substrate by a Bernoulli principle using a liquid,
The chuck body has two or more liquid inlets and a hollow cylindrical nozzle body connected to the liquid inlets.
The nozzle body has a lid arranged so as to close the front end thereof, and a discharge port formed in a radial direction at a position slightly away from the lid,
Around the nozzle body, there is a liquid flow restricting portion having a slope inclined at a predetermined angle in the flow path of the fluid discharged from the discharge port,
It has a flat part parallel to the substrate surface held on the outer periphery of the liquid flow regulating part,
A substrate holding mechanism in which a holding member protruding so as to come into contact with the semiconductor substrate is arranged in a partial region of the flat portion. The substrate holding mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the holding member protrudes from 0.05 to 0.3 mm with respect to the flat portion. 3. The substrate holding mechanism according to (1) or claim 2, wherein the semiconductor substrate has a thickness of 180 microns or less. The substrate holding mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the inclined surface of the fluid regulating portion is 30 to 60 ° with respect to a chuck surface which is a held substrate surface. The substrate holding mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the discharge ports are a plurality of round holes formed at equal intervals in the radial direction. The substrate holding mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the discharge port formed in the nozzle body has a shape opened in a slit shape in a radial direction. 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. A separation processing apparatus for a semiconductor substrate, comprising: a track path that moves and defines the track; and the substrate holding mechanism fixed to the other end of the link arm. A semiconductor substrate for holding a semiconductor substrate by the substrate holding mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor substrate placed in close contact is immersed in the liquid, and then the liquid is sprayed from a direction parallel to the substrate surface to separate the semiconductor substrates. Separation method.

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