JP4598255B2 - Clean cover - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a clean cover that maintains the cleanness of a substrate inspection apparatus that performs macro inspection for visually inspecting the surface of a substrate to be inspected, such as a semiconductor wafer, and micro inspection for inspection using a microscope.
[0002]
[Prior art]
FIG. 4 is an external view of such a substrate inspection apparatus. The apparatus main body 1 is provided with a macro swing mechanism 3 for macro inspection that visually inspects the semiconductor wafer 2 and a microscope 4 for enlarging and micro-inspecting the semiconductor wafer 2. The eyepiece 4 a of the microscope 4 is disposed on the front side of the apparatus main body 1.
[0003]
An operation unit 5 for operating macro inspection and micro inspection is provided on the front side of the apparatus main body 1 and a monitor 6 for displaying an image of the semiconductor wafer 2 taken through the microscope 4 is installed. Has been.
[0004]
In such a substrate inspection apparatus, it is important to maintain the cleanliness of the entire apparatus. Therefore, a clean cover is used in which the entire apparatus is covered with a large-sized clean cover, or an opening for macro observation and an opening for projecting the eyepiece 4a of the microscope 4 are formed without covering the entire apparatus. . And the downflow airflow from the upper direction of a clean cover is supplied, and the cleanliness of a board | substrate inspection apparatus is maintained.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the clean cover in which the opening for macro observation and the opening for projecting the eyepiece 4a of the microscope 4 are formed, the opening is formed and the cleanliness cannot be maintained high. When micro-observation is performed with an enlarged image of the semiconductor wafer 1 through the portion 4a, a downflow air current is blown to the face of the observer through the opening through which the eyepiece 4a protrudes, which hinders the observer.
[0006]
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a clean cover that can cover the entire apparatus and maintain a high degree of cleanness, and can prevent a downflow airflow from being blown to the face of the observer during micro observation with an eyepiece.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention according to claim 1 is a clean cover that is mounted on a substrate inspection apparatus having at least a micro inspection function by a microscope, and maintains a degree of cleanliness by flowing a downflow airflow from above, at least of the substrate inspection apparatus. A cover main body that surrounds the surrounding four sides, an eyepiece opening provided on the cover main body for projecting the eyepiece lens portion of the microscope from the cover main body , and at least a part of the cover. A clean cover comprising an air shield member formed with a gap from a main body, and flowing the downflow airflow in a direction away from the eyepiece through the gap .
[0011]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0012]
FIG. 1 is an external configuration diagram of a substrate inspection apparatus equipped with a clean cover of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of the substrate inspection device in the clean cover. The substrate inspection apparatus includes an inspection unit 2 for performing a macro inspection and a micro inspection for a semiconductor wafer 1 (1a for an uninspected semiconductor wafer and 1b for an inspected semiconductor wafer), and an uninspection for the inspection unit 2. The semiconductor wafer 1a is supplied, and the loader unit 3 for discharging the semiconductor wafer 1b that has been inspected by the inspection unit 2 is provided separately and independently.
[0013]
The loader unit 3 is disposed on the back side of the inspection unit 2. The loader unit 3 is mounted so that the wafer transfer robot 5 moves in the left-right direction (arrow A direction) by driving the shift mechanism 4. The wafer transfer robot 5 supplies / discharges the semiconductor wafer 1 to / from the inspection unit 2 from the back side (in the direction of arrow B) of the inspection unit 2.
[0014]
In this loader unit 3, two wafer carriers 6 and 7 are placed on the back side of the loader unit 3. Among these wafer carriers 6 and 7, an uninspected semiconductor wafer 1 a is accommodated in the wafer carrier 6, and an inspected semiconductor wafer 1 b is accommodated in the wafer carrier 7.
[0015]
The wafer transfer robot 5 is an articulated type formed by connecting three connecting arms 8 to 10, and a hand 11 is provided on the connecting arm 10 at the tip. The hand 11 is formed by integrally forming a suction portion 14 in which a plurality of suction holes 13 for sucking the semiconductor wafer 1 are formed in a square-shaped relief portion 12. The wafer transfer robot 5 is configured to extend and contract each of the connecting arms 8 to 10 and to rotate about a shaft 15.
[0016]
A wafer transfer device (three arms) 16 is provided on the gantry of the inspection unit 2. This wafer transfer device 16 is provided with three transfer arms 16a, 16b, 16c provided at equal angles (for example, 120 degrees) around a rotation shaft 17, and each transfer arm 16a, 16b, 16c includes Hands 18a, 18b and 18c each having a U-shaped wafer chuck are provided. Each of the hands 18a, 18b, 18c has a shape in which one of the U-shaped fingertips is long and the other fingertip is short.
[0017]
The wafer transfer device 16 rotates around the shaft 17 in a counterclockwise direction (arrow direction) in the drawing, for example, so that each transfer arm 16a, 16b, 16c has a wafer transfer position (position) P with the transfer robot 5 respectively. _1. Positioning to _{one of} a macro inspection position (position) P ₂ and a micro inspection delivery position (position) P ₃ .
[0018]
Among the central position of the wafer transfer position P ₁ is the rear side wall and the left wall of the test section 2 equidistant relationship.
[0019]
The macro inspection position P _2, the macro inspection oscillating mechanism 19 for macro inspecting front and back surfaces of the semiconductor wafer 1 is provided by visual observers Q.
[0020]
A micro inspection unit 20 is provided on the frame of the inspection unit 2. The micro inspection unit 20, the hand 18a, which is positioning the micro inspection delivery position P _3, receives the semiconductor wafer 1 held on 18b or 18c, provided for the semiconductor wafer 1 to the micro inspection using a microscope 21 It is. The micro-inspection unit 20 can capture an image of the semiconductor wafer 1 magnified by the microscope 21 with a CCD camera or the like, or can observe it through an eyepiece unit 22 provided on the front side of the apparatus. Note that the eyepiece 22 is movable in the vertical direction so that the observer Q can easily observe it.
[0021]
In addition, an operation unit 23 for performing operations for macro inspection and micro inspection is provided on the front of the apparatus, and an enlarged image of the semiconductor wafer 1 captured through the microscope 21 is displayed on the left side of the front of the apparatus. The monitor device 24 is provided.
[0022]
The clean cover 30 attached to such a substrate inspection apparatus has the following configuration. The clean cover 30 is formed in a quadrilateral shape by four main cover bodies 30a to 30d surrounding the four sides around the substrate inspection apparatus. The clean cover 30 covers the substrate inspection apparatus except for the two wafer carriers 6 and 7, the operation unit 23, the eyepiece 22 of the microscope 21, and the monitor device 24, and is formed in a size slightly longer than the size of the device. It has been. The clean cover 30 is formed of a metal plate such as a stainless plate or an aluminum plate, or a smoke gray glass plate as a light shielding member.
[0023]
Moreover, the upper part of the clean cover 30 is opened, and from here, the downflow airflow F is always flowed into the cover to maintain the cleanliness.
[0024]
On the line-of-sight range R of the observer Q who performs the macro inspection on the cover body 30a on the front side of the clean cover 30, a light-transmitting window having an antireflection coating on its surface, for example, a glass surface. A glass window 31 with an antireflection coating is provided. The glass window 31 is a quadrangle or a circle, and is formed at a position and an area that do not hinder the line of sight for visually observing the semiconductor wafer 1 during macro observation. The coating of the glass window 31 eliminates unnecessary reflections on the surface of the glass window 31 during macro observation, thereby improving visual defect observation accuracy.
[0025]
The cover main body 30a on the front side of the clean cover 30 is provided with an eyepiece opening 32 that protrudes from the cover main body 30a so that the eyepiece 22 of the microscope 21 can be seen from the outside. A low dust generation air shield member 34 is interposed between the eyepiece lens opening 32 and the lens barrel portion 21a of the microscope 21 to prevent the downflow airflow F from flowing out to the eyepiece lens portion 22 side. Yes. FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of the air shield member 34. A gap 33 for insertion is formed between the air shield member 34 and the lens barrel portion 21a. The barrel portion 21a is provided with a substantially U-shaped air shield member 34 for allowing the downflow airflow F to flow out along the outer wall surface of the cover body 30a. The air shield member 34 is not limited to a U-shape, and may be configured with a flat frame and a flat frame as long as at least a portion is formed substantially parallel to the outer wall surface of the cover body 30a. In the air shield member 34, the edge of the cover main body 30a enters the U-shaped space, and the downflow airflow F is away from the eyepiece 22 through the gap between the air shield member 34 and the cover main body 30a. It comes to flow. The air shield member 34 has a two-part structure of a frame 34a having a substantially L-shaped section attached to the lens barrel portion 21a and a frame 34b having a flat section, and is provided around the entire periphery of the eyepiece lens opening 32. It is provided over.
[0026]
In addition, a gap 33 is formed between the eyepiece lens opening 32 and the air shield member 34, and the lens barrel 21a of the microscope 21 allows a slight positional deviation. Even if it swings on the shaking table, it is not affected by the shaking.
[0027]
Next, the inspection operation of the substrate inspection apparatus in the clean cover 30 will be described.
[0028]
The downflow airflow F is always supplied from the opening above the clean cover 30 into the cover, and a high cleanliness is maintained.
[0029]
In this state, the hand 18a of the wafer transfer device 16, 18b, the semiconductor wafer 1, respectively held adsorbed onto 18c, placing the semiconductor wafer 1, which is positioning the macro inspection position P ₂ to the macro inspection oscillating mechanism 19 Instead, the semiconductor wafer 1 is swung and a macro inspection is performed by an observer Q.
[0030]
This macro inspection is performed by the observer Q viewing the semiconductor wafer 1 through the glass window 31.
[0031]
Further, the semiconductor wafer 1 on the hand 18c that is positioning the micro inspection transfer position P ₃ is passed to the inspection stage of micro inspection unit 20, at the inspection stage is scanned in the XY directions objective lens of the microscope 21 The image is enlarged, and the image is captured by a CCD camera or the like, or micro inspection is performed through the eyepiece unit 22.
[0032]
When micro inspection is performed through the eyepiece unit 22, the downflow airflow F flows through the gap between the air shield member 34 and the cover main body 30a as shown in FIG. 3, and the downflow airflow F flowing out of the cover main body 30a is The frame 34b flows in a direction away from the eyepiece 22 along the wall surface of the cover body 30a. Therefore, when the micro inspection is performed through the eyepiece unit 22, the downflow airflow F is not blown to the face of the observer Q. Further, the eyepiece unit 22 can be moved in the vertical direction so that the observer Q can easily observe.
[0033]
When the above macro inspection and micro inspection are completed, the wafer transfer device 16 rotates about the shaft 17 counterclockwise, for example, counterclockwise in the drawing, and this time the transfer arm 16a is the macro inspection position P ₂ and the transfer arm 16b is the micro inspection delivery. The position P ₃ and the transfer arm 16 c are respectively positioned at the wafer transfer position P ₁ .
[0034]
Then, the wafer transfer robot 5 positions the hand 11 is extended in the direction of arrow B from the back side of the inspection unit 2 each connecting arm 8 to 10 to the wafer transfer position P _1. Then, the hand 11 receives the inspected semiconductor wafer 1b at the wafer transfer position _{P 1} from the transfer arm 18c.
[0035]
The wafer transfer robot 5 contracts each of the connecting arms 8 to 10 while holding the inspected semiconductor wafer 1b, moves to the right side by the shift mechanism 4, stops at a position corresponding to the wafer carrier 7, and again here. Each of the connecting arms 8 to 10 is extended to store the inspected semiconductor wafer 1 b in the wafer carrier 7.
[0036]
Subsequently, the wafer transfer robot 5 moves to the left side by driving the shift mechanism 4 in a state where the connecting arms 8 to 10 are contracted, and stops at a position corresponding to the wafer carrier 6. Here, the connecting arms 8 to 10 are stopped. holding the semiconductor wafer 1a untested accommodated in the wafer carrier 6 stretch, shrink the connection arms 8 to 10, then rotated 180 degrees counterclockwise for example, corresponds to the wafer transfer position P ₁ position positioned in and moves the hand 11 is extended in the direction of arrow B from the back side of the inspection unit 2 each connecting arm 8 to 10 to the wafer transfer position P ₁ again. The hand 11 delivers the uninspected semiconductor wafer 1a to the transfer arm 16c.
[0037]
At the same time, similarly to the above, the semiconductor wafer 1 positioned at the macro inspection position P ₂ is swung by the rocking mechanism 19 for macro inspection and subjected to macro inspection through the glass window 31 by the observer Q. is performed, the semiconductor wafer 3, which is positioning the micro inspection transfer position P ₃ is passed to the micro inspection unit 20, where or the image is magnified by the microscope 21 is picked up by the CCD camera or the like, ocular A micro-inspection is performed through 22.
[0038]
Thereafter, similarly to the above, in the wafer transfer position P ₁ passing between the inspected semiconductor wafer 1 and the semiconductor wafer 1 untested performed, the semiconductor wafer 1 transferred from the wafer transfer robot 5, the wafer transfer The apparatus 16 is circulated to the macro inspection position P ₂ and the micro inspection delivery position P ₃ .
[0039]
As described above, in the above-described embodiment, the cover main bodies 30a to 30d surrounding the four sides of the substrate inspection apparatus and the antireflection coating provided on the line of sight for performing the macro inspection in the cover main bodies 30a to 30d are applied. Direction of avoiding the eyeflow lens portion 22 with the downflow airflow F in the glass window 31 and the eyepiece opening portion 32 provided in the cover main bodies 30a to 30d and projecting the eyepiece portion 22 of the microscope 21 from the cover main body 30a. Since the clean cover 30 formed by the air shield member 34 that flows into the substrate inspection apparatus is mounted on the substrate inspection apparatus, it can be made compact and the entire space of the substrate inspection apparatus can be covered with the space-saving clean cover 30. It can be kept clean.
[0040]
In the macro inspection, since the observer Q views the semiconductor wafer 1 through the glass window 31, the vapor contained in the breath discharged from the observer Q, dust or the like does not flow into the apparatus, and the wafer contamination. Can be prevented satisfactorily. Further, since the glass window 31 is provided with an anti-reflection coating, adverse effects due to unnecessary reflection on the surface of the glass window 31 are reduced, and defect detection accuracy in macro observation can be improved. Since the glass window 31 is formed in a position and an area that do not obstruct the line of sight for visually observing the semiconductor wafer 1 on the line of sight R of the observer Q who performs the macro inspection, the semiconductor wafer 1 is easy to observe, and Can be manufactured at low cost.
[0041]
Further, even if the microscope 21 swings on the vibration isolation table, a gap 33 is formed between the eyepiece lens opening 32 and the air shield member 34 so that the microscope 21 is not affected by the swing, and a slight amount of the eyepiece 22 is formed. Even if the downflow airflow F flows out of the gap 33 while allowing the positional deviation, the downflow airflow F flows along the wall surface of the cover main body 30a according to the U-shaped air shield member 34. When micro inspection is performed through the lens unit 22, the downflow airflow F is not sprayed on the face of the observer Q. Further, the eyepiece unit 22 can be moved in the vertical direction so that the observer Q can easily observe.
[0042]
Further, since only the cover bodies 30a to 30d surrounding the four sides of the substrate inspection apparatus are combined, the substrate inspection apparatus can be covered with a simple operation, and the attachment and removal operations are easy.
[0043]
Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be variously modified without departing from the scope of the invention in the implementation stage.
[0044]
Furthermore, the above embodiments include inventions at various stages, and various inventions can be extracted by appropriately combining a plurality of disclosed constituent requirements. For example, even if some constituent elements are deleted from all the constituent elements shown in the embodiment, the problem described in the column of the problem to be solved by the invention can be solved, and is described in the column of the effect of the invention. If the effect is obtained, a configuration from which this configuration requirement is deleted can be extracted as an invention.
[0045]
【The invention's effect】
As described above in detail, according to the present invention, a clean cover is provided that can maintain a high degree of cleanness by covering the entire apparatus, and can prevent a downflow airflow from being blown to the face of the observer during micro observation with an eyepiece. it can.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an external configuration diagram of a substrate inspection apparatus equipped with an embodiment of a clean cover according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a substrate inspection apparatus in the cover according to the embodiment of the clean cover according to the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of an eyepiece lens opening in an embodiment of a clean cover according to the present invention.
FIG. 4 is an external view of a conventional substrate inspection apparatus.
[Explanation of symbols]
1: semiconductor wafer 2: inspection unit 3: loader unit 4: shift mechanism 5: wafer transfer robots 6, 7: wafer carrier 8-10: connecting arm 11: hand 16: wafer transfer device (three arms)
16a, 16b, 16c: Transfer arms 18a, 18b, 18c: Hand 19: Macro inspection swing mechanism 20: Micro inspection unit 21: Microscope 22: Eyepiece unit 23: Operation unit 24: Monitor device 30: Clean cover 30a 30d: Cover body 31: Glass window 32: Eyepiece opening 33: Gap 34: Air shield member

Claims (7)

In a clean cover that is mounted on a substrate inspection device equipped with at least a micro inspection function using a microscope, and maintains a cleanness inside by flowing a downflow airflow from above,
A cover body surrounding at least four sides of the substrate inspection device;
An eyepiece opening provided on the cover body for projecting the eyepiece of the microscope from the cover body;
An air shield member provided in the opening for the eyepiece, at least partly formed with a gap with the cover body, and flowing the downflow airflow in a direction away from the eyepiece through the gap ;
A clean cover characterized by comprising:   The clean cover according to claim 1, wherein the air shield member is provided over the entire circumference of the eyepiece lens opening. The clean cover according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least a part of the air shield member is formed along an outer wall surface of the cover main body. The air shield member, clean cover according to claim 3, characterized in that it comprises a frame portion formed along the outer wall surface of the cover body attached to the barrel.   The clean cover according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a gap is formed between the eyepiece lens opening and the air shield member. The air shield member, said eyepiece lens opening is provided between the barrel portion of the microscope, from claim 1, characterized in that to drain the downflow air stream around the direction of the eyepiece portion The clean cover according to any one of 5. The substrate inspection apparatus has a macro observation function for visually observing the surface of the substrate to be inspected,
The cover body is provided with a window having an antireflection coating on the line of sight for performing the macro observation,
The clean cover according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein:

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