JP3390183B2 - Wafer replacement system for diffusion furnace - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a wafer transfer system for a diffusion furnace, and more particularly to a wafer transfer system for transferring a wafer from a wafer cassette to a wafer boat for diffusion processing. 2. Description of the Related Art Conventional wafer processing for diffusion processing can be performed in a vertical diffusion furnace by a batch processing method using five wafers using a wafer handling arm, a single wafer processing method, or a combination of these methods. In some diffusion furnaces and vertical diffusion furnaces, there is a 25-package replacement system using a replacement robot. [0003] In this conventional wafer refilling method, first, a wafer handling arm is used.
In the batch or single wafer replacement system, for example, when replacing 100 wafers in a wafer boat for diffusion processing of 100 wafers, at least 20 repetitions are required, and the replacement requires a lot of time. When a wafer such as a dummy is already present in the wafer boat, the number of refilled wafers and the position of refilling are limited in the 5-packet reloading method.
In the case of a single-wafer or five-wafer replenishment system, these restrictions are eliminated, but there is a problem that a longer repatriation time is required. [0004] Next, in the case of the 25 wafer batch replacement system, the time required for the replacement can be shortened. However, in this case, if there is a wafer such as a dummy in the wafer boat, the number of replacement wafers and the replacement position are limited. There is a problem that it is added. An object of the present invention is to provide a wafer replacement system for a diffusion furnace in which the number of replacement wafers and the replacement position are not restricted. [0006] In order to achieve the above object, a wafer refilling system for a diffusion furnace according to the present invention comprises a data storing a position in a wafer boat of a wafer already loaded in the wafer boat. The storage unit and 10 or more wafers in the wafer carrier can be simultaneously extracted , and all or each of the extracted wafers is separately loaded to a position in the wafer boat other than the position where the wafers are already loaded in the wafer boat. and the wafer handling arm, the 10
It includes a wafer handling arm driving unit for operating more than two wafers handling arm all or each separately, and a wafer handling arm controller for controlling these wafers into the wafer in the carrier
If the wafers are contained continuously,
From the wafer carrier using all of the
Remove the wafer and place the wafer in the wafer carrier.
If the wafer is in a discontinuity,
Using only the necessary ring arm,
The wafer from the carrier and into the wafer boat.
According to the position of the wafer already loaded
The whole of the extracted wafers, or
Loading each wafer boat separately
Things . The wafer refilling system of the present invention has data in the boat of wafers already in the wafer boat, automatically judges an operator's input instruction and the position of the wafer already in the boat, and sets a wafer carrier. In this case, the whole wafers are collectively operated or each of them is separately operated. Next, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing a wafer transfer system mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing an entire wafer transfer system of the present invention. In FIG. 1, a wafer transfer system according to the present embodiment includes a wafer boat 5, a wafer carrier 6,
A wafer transfer system mechanism 7 is provided. Further, the wafer transfer system mechanism 7 according to the present embodiment stores the data in the wafer boat 5 in the data storage 4 for storing the position of the wafer already loaded in the wafer boat 5 and the wafer in the wafer carrier 6. Wafer handling arms 3 ₁ , 3 _2, ..., 3 _n− , which simultaneously extract 10 or more wafers and load all or each of the extracted wafers at a position in the wafer boat other than the position where the wafers are already loaded in the wafer boat 5. ₁ , _3n , and ten or more wafer handling arms 3 ₁ , 3 ₂ ... 3 _n-1 , 3 _{n -1} and 3 _{n -1} , 3 _{n -1} , and wafer handling arm drive unit 1 for operating each separately, and a wafer handling arm for controlling these And a controller 2. In the embodiment, the replacement of the wafer is performed from the wafer carrier 6 to the wafer boat 5 or in the opposite direction. If the wafer handling arms 3 _{1 to} 3 _n are 1
Consider the case of 0 sheets (that is, the case of n = 10). If containing the wafer at 10 sheets from the end contiguous to the wafer carrier 9 in the absence of the wafer to the position of the wafer boat 5 to be loaded wafer, 10 sheets of the wafer handling arm 3 _1, according to an instruction of the wafer handling arm controller 2 All three ₁₀ move at the same time,
Ten wafers are simultaneously pulled out from the wafer carrier 9 and loaded onto the wafer boat 8 at the same time. The reverse is performed in the same way. Next, a case where wafers are already loaded on the wafer boat 5 will be considered. For example, in the case where wafers are loaded in the first, second, fourth, fifth, sixth, ninth, seventeenth, and eighteenth slots of the wafer boat 8, ten wafers continuously enter the wafer carrier 9 from the end. If you are from wafer positional data and the wafer handling arm controller first ten by second indication wafer handling arm 3 ₁ to 3 ₁₀ wafer carriers 9 moving simultaneously in a wafer boat, which is stored in the data storage unit 11 10 wafers are taken out at the same time. [0013] Next, the wafers held in the wafer handling arm 3 _1, the third slot in the wafer boat 8 by operating only a motor for wafer handling arm 3 ₁ of the wafer handling arm driving unit 1 Load I do. Further, the wafer handling arm 3 ₂
And the wafer held by the wafer handling arm 3 _3, simultaneously loaded into the seventh and the eighth slot of the wafer boat by actuating wafer handling arm 3 ₂ and the wafer handling arm 3 ₃ for motors simultaneously . [0015] Finally, the wafer handling arm 3 ₄ ~
Each wafer held on 3 ₁₀ similarly loaded to a 10 th to the 16 th slot of the wafer boat 5 at the same time. Even when the wafer is discontinuous in the wafer carrier 6, the wafer can be similarly loaded by using only a necessary wafer handling arm. In addition, by increasing the number of wafer handling arms, even when all wafer carriers 6 contain wafers (usually 25 wafers), all wafer carriers can be simultaneously held on the wafer handling arm.
There is no need to move between the wafer boat 5 and the wafer boat 5 a plurality of times. The vertical diffusion furnace which does not particularly require vacuum suction on the wafer handling arm has been described above. However, by using vacuum suction and installing a vertical system so that the wafer handling arm faces downward, a horizontal type diffusion furnace can be used. It can also be applied to diffusion furnaces. As described above, according to the present invention, data on the position of a wafer already in the wafer boat is stored in the boat, and an input instruction from an operator and the position of the wafer already in the boat are automatically determined. Since all wafers in a wafer carrier are loaded into a wafer boat all at once using a wafer handling arm of 10 or more, a large number of wafers can be loaded into a wafer boat at the same time. It is possible to remove many wafers at the same time even if wafers such as dummy are already in the wafer boat,
Since the required number of wafers can be loaded at the required position of the wafer boat, there is an effect that there is no limit on the number of wafer replacements and the replacement position. Also,
There is also an effect that the replacement time can be reduced.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing a wafer transfer system mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing the entire wafer transfer system. [Description of Signs] 1 Wafer handling arm drive unit 2 Wafer handling arm controller 3 _{1 to} 3 _n Wafer handling arm 4 Data storage unit 5 Wafer boat 6 Wafer carrier

Claims (1)

(57) [Claim 1] A data storage unit for storing a position in a wafer boat of a wafer already loaded in the wafer boat, and 10 or more wafers in a wafer carrier can be simultaneously extracted . , the wafer boat in a location other than that already wafer into the wafer in the boat is loaded, and the wafer handling arm loading separately all wafer or each withdrawn, all or each of the ten or more wafers handling arm and the wafer handling arm driving unit for operating independently, and a wafer handling arm controller for controlling these wafer contains continuously to the wafer in the carrier
If all the wafer handling arms are
Use the to remove the wafer from the wafer carrier
The wafer is in a discontinuous state in the wafer carrier.
The wafer handling arm
A wafer from the wafer carrier using only
The wafer already loaded in the wafer boat
Depending on the position of the wafer, remove all the wafers
Collectively or separately into the wafer boat
A wafer refilling system for a diffusion furnace, which performs loading .