JP5541716B2 - Wafer storage apparatus, wafer storage method, and wafer polishing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a wafer storage device and the like used in a semiconductor manufacturing process, and in particular, a wafer storage device, a wafer storage method, and the like, which store polished semiconductor wafers (hereinafter simply referred to as wafers) one by one and submerge them while rinsing. The present invention also relates to a wafer polishing apparatus provided with the wafer storage device.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a semiconductor manufacturing process, a technique for transporting or cleaning a wafer while storing it in a cassette and submerging it is widely known. For example, in an automatic cleaning apparatus that performs cleaning from wafer cleaning to drying, a technique is disclosed in which a device forming surface is inclined by a predetermined angle to perform cleaning and drying, and is conveyed between processing tanks in a state where the device is inclined by a predetermined angle. (See Patent Document 1). In addition, there is also disclosed a transfer device that pulls up from a processing tank in a state where a pattern surface of a wafer is held at a predetermined angle with respect to a horizontal direction (see Patent Document 2). Furthermore, in order to prevent the wafer and the cassette from coming into contact with each other during cleaning, a technique in which the wafer is tilted and immersed is also disclosed (see Patent Document 3). Also disclosed is a technique for performing etching, pure water cleaning, IPA drying and the like while tilting the wafer. By tilting the wafer in this way, it is possible to prevent dust from entering from the back surface of the wafer and the generation of watermarks (see Patent Document 4). In addition, a technique related to a mechanism for converting a wafer from a vertical posture to a horizontal posture at the time of cleaning and transporting the wafer is also disclosed (see Patent Document 5).

Japanese Patent No. 3167765. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-314677. JP-A-8-64570. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-177988. Japanese Patent No. 3066986.

  However, the automatic cleaning apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 is intended to prevent the device forming surface of the wafer from coming into contact with the wafer storage jig, and sequentially stores the wafers polished one by one in the cassette. Therefore, it cannot be used for a cassette mechanism that submerges them. Furthermore, even if it is assumed that the wafers that have been polished one by one can be stored in the cassette, it is necessary to immerse all the cassettes in the water each time or lift them from the water, and the process of operating the cassettes However, there are many cases of wasteful operation for storing each wafer. As a result, extra particles are often brought into the water, the inside of the water tank becomes dirty, and the throughput becomes very poor.

  In addition, since the transfer device disclosed in Patent Document 2 tilts the pattern surface of the wafer by a predetermined angle and pulls it up from the processing tank, it is possible to suppress the generation of watermarks. The robot cannot be transported and stored. Further, even if the wafer is tilted and pulled up, the wafer is submerged in a substantially vertical state, so that the pattern formation surface of the wafer may hit the slot and come into contact with the wafer storage jig due to the force of water. Moreover, since it has a complicated internal mechanism, when a polished wafer is stored in a cassette, the wafer may come into contact with components of the wafer storage jig.

  Moreover, although the technique disclosed in Patent Document 3 can stabilize the posture of the wafer in the cassette by tilting the wafer, it does not serve as a cassette mechanism that can easily store the polished wafer. . Further, in the technique of Patent Document 4, although the generation of a watermark can be suppressed, the polished wafer can be easily stored in a space-saving manner, the slurry can be completely washed away, or a separate transfer mechanism can be used. There are structural problems in taking out the wafer and storing it in a cassette. Further, in the technique of Patent Document 5, a mechanism for converting a wafer from a vertical posture to a horizontal posture becomes complicated, a space for changing the posture of the wafer increases, and a space utilization rate deteriorates. There is a problem that the inside of the tank tends to become dirty because there are many parts that operate greatly in conversion. Further, the wafers processed and conveyed one by one are not structured to be submerged safely and efficiently with a small amount of movement. Further, no consideration is given to how water existing on the wafer is retreated.

  That is, the conventional wafer storage rinsing apparatus has various problems as described below in the mechanism for storing a polished wafer in a wet state. That is, when the cassette is set up vertically and lifted from the water tank, the wafers may be tilted back and forth in the slot, or the tilt of adjacent wafers may be reversed, and the adjacent wafers may be rubbed due to water tension. is there. Further, when the cassette is lifted from the water tank, when the water flows down from the wafer, a line-shaped stripe is formed and flows down, so that a striped line is formed on the wafer. Even when the wafer is tilted slightly vertically, the line from which water flows can be striped in the same way, and it remains as a watermark, so it cannot be removed by subsequent cleaning, and the wafer surface becomes dirty. May remain.

  In addition, when a wafer is stored in the cassette by a robot with the cassette standing vertically, the wafer is tilted in various directions, and a sufficient interval between the wafers stored in the cassette cannot be secured. Therefore, when inserting a wafer, there is a possibility that the arm of the robot may hit the adjacent wafer. In addition, when the cassette is set up substantially vertically, the wafer must be submerged in the water tank between the time when one wafer is inserted and the time when the next wafer is inserted, but the diameter of the wafer is about 300 mm. In this case, it is necessary to raise and lower the wafer by about 300 mm every time in order to submerge the wafer. At this time, the working distance of the wafer is long because of the long lifting distance of the wafer. Further, since all the wafers are repeatedly raised and lowered from the water tank, a line for water to flow down is formed on the wafer each time, and as a result, a very large number of watermarks may be formed.

  Further, when the cassette in which the wafer is stored is horizontally lifted, the wafer may swim in the slot due to the surface tension of the water, and the wafer surface may be rubbed against the guide groove of the cassette and the wafer may be damaged. Furthermore, when the cassette is leveled and the wafer is submerged in the water tank as it is, the direction in which water enters the wafer is various for each wafer, so that the wafer may swim in the guide groove of the cassette. In addition, the wafer surface may rub against the cassette, scratching the outer periphery of the wafer, or rubbing the water tank to spread the powder and contaminate the water in the water tank. Furthermore, since it is not determined from which part the water flows out on the wafer, the watermark is in various states depending on the wafer. In particular, there is a portion where water accumulates between the guide groove of the cassette and the wafer, and a watermark may be formed there. Further, when the wafer is pulled up, the water adhering to the back surface of the wafer may flow down onto the lower wafer, and the water may form a watermark on the lower wafer.

  Therefore, in the process of submerging and transporting and cleaning the wafer, the inclination of the storage jig is set so that the wafer adjacent to the top and bottom is completely submerged with the water surface as a boundary, and the other does not touch the water. By setting the inclination to such a level that there is a case where it is divided into states, when wafers are taken in and out of the storage jig, they are already stored in the water in the water tank regardless of the wafers that are taken in and out in the gas phase one by one. Wafers are stored in water without being exposed to the atmosphere, preventing the formation of watermarks on the wafer surface. Prevents the wafer from getting into the edge of the storage jig by intrusion and prevents the wafer itself from being scratched. The storage jig can efficiently store a large number of wafers in a space-saving manner. It is possible to use a mechanism that can take out and put in wafers one by one, and can efficiently immerse and take out only wafers to be transferred. The technical problem which should be solved in order to make it the mechanism which does not go back and forth in a water tank and a gaseous phase arises, and this invention aims at solving this problem.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a wafer storage apparatus for storing a polished wafer, a storage jig for storing the wafer, and a plurality of the storage jigs. Each of the wafers can be individually stored in multiple stages in the vertical direction, the tilting means for tilting the storage jig into which the wafer is inserted by a predetermined angle, and the wafers stored in the storage jig one by one A water tank for submerging , an elevating means for moving the storage jig inclined by the inclination means relative to the water in the water tank, and the vicinity of the wafer near the landing point for submerging the wafer. mounted in a substantially vertical direction of the wafer, when to submerge the wafer is tilted by the tilting means, wafer receiving instrumentation, characterized in that it comprises a guide for guiding the water on the wafer surface in the vicinity of the landing point To provide.

According to such a configuration, the storage jig can efficiently store a plurality of wafers individually in multiple stages in the vertical direction. In addition, the stored wafer can be immersed and stored in water in the water tank at any time, and the next wafer that has already been transferred and immersed can be stored in an area that is not underwater without taking it out of the water while being stored in water. It becomes possible to prepare. Furthermore, the water is lifted slightly by the interfacial tension acting between the guide and the water. When the wafer comes there, the water lifted by the guide can be smoothly guided to the wafer surface as it is.

  Next, at the time of wafer immersion storage, the storage jig can be slightly tilted by the tilting means, so that water can be gently infiltrated onto the wafer. In the case of horizontal immersion, the surface tension of water during immersion does not cause initial immersion, and water suddenly enters the wafer surface, causing the wafer to rise and the wafer surface to collide with the edge of the storage jig. This situation will disappear. Even when immersing a wafer, by partially immersing the part where the wafer is stored without immersing the entire storage jig, the lifting and lowering operation of the unnecessary storage jig can be reduced to the minimum necessary. Thus, the wafer can be immersed. During immersion storage of the wafer, the abrasive or the like adhering to the wafer surface slides down along the inclined wafer surface, and the wafer becomes somewhat clean.

  When the wafer is lifted from the immersion state, water slowly moves back from the wafer surface. Thereby, water does not remain between wafers, and the wafers can be taken out with sufficient water breakage. Further, when the storage jig is raised, the wafer swims toward the opening, and the wafer does not spill out from the storage jig.

  Further, even when the wafer surface is water-repellent, when the storage jig is lifted while being slightly tilted, the waterfront retreating on the wafer slowly retreats as a group. Therefore, a water drop does not slide on the wafer surface and a streak line is not formed corresponding to the slipped portion. Similarly, the water droplets existing between the wafer and the storage jig are also drawn back to the surface of the water in the retreating water tank by the gentle inclination. As a result, no excess water remains between the wafer and the storage jig. As a result, water remains between the wafer and the storage jig, and the wafer does not adhere to the storage jig due to the surface tension of the water.

  Also, when removing wafers, it is possible to lift only the wafers that need to be removed one by one from the water without taking out all the wafers stored in the storage jig from the water. It becomes.

The invention according to claim 2 is a wafer storage apparatus for storing a polished wafer.
A storage jig for storing the wafer;
The storage jig is capable of individually storing a plurality of wafers in multiple stages in the vertical direction, and tilting means for tilting the storage jig into which the wafer is inserted by a predetermined angle;
A water tank for submerging the wafer stored in the storage jig;
Elevating means for raising and lowering the storage jig inclined by the inclination means relative to the water in the water tank,
When the tilting means of the tilting means tilts within the movable up and down of the storage jig, adjacent wafers are completely submerged with the water surface as a boundary, and the other does not touch the water. The wafer storage device according to claim 1 , wherein the degree of inclination is such that there is a case where the state is divided.

  According to such a configuration, in addition to the operation of the invention described in claim 1, the inclination degree of the storage jig by the inclination means is further set such that the wafers adjacent to each other vertically are completely submerged with the water surface as a boundary. When the wafer is taken in and out of the storage jig, it is not related to the wafers that are taken in and out one by one when the wafer is put in and out of the storage jig. The plurality of wafers already stored in the water in the water tank are stored in the water as they are without being exposed to the atmosphere, and the formation of watermarks on the wafer surface is prevented.

According to a third aspect of the invention of claim 1 or 2, wherein the predetermined angle at which tilting means tilts the housing jig is characterized in that from 1 ° in the range of 20 °.

  According to such a configuration, the inclination angle when the wafer is submerged is in the range of 1 ° to 20 ° with respect to the horizontal plane. Accordingly, water drops are not dropped from the upper wafer to the lower wafer, and there is no possibility that a watermark is generated.

Invention according to claim 4, claim 1, 2 or a wafer polishing apparatus, characterized in that it comprises a wafer receiving apparatus 3 described.

  According to such a configuration, a wafer polishing apparatus including a wafer storage device that has a predetermined tilt angle in a storage jig for storing a wafer and is immersed in a water tank for rinsing is realized. From submerged to submerged, washed and transported in a consistent process.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the wafer storage method for storing and rinsing the polished wafer, the transport mechanism includes a first step of inserting the wafers one by one into the storage jig, and the tilting means, A second step of tilting the storage jig storing the wafer by a predetermined angle; and a third step of lifting and lowering the storage jig relative to the water in the water tank. And the elevating means guides the wafer stored in the storage jig to the surface with a guide attached in the vertical direction of the wafer in the vicinity of the wafer near the landing point where the wafer is submerged. The wafer includes a fourth step of submerging in the water tank and a fifth step of rinsing the rinsing mechanism by injecting rinse water onto the surface of the wafer from the inclined upper portion of the storage jig. Provide storage method

According to such a wafer storing method, when the transfer mechanism inserts the wafers one by one into the storing jig, the tilting means tilts the storing jig storing the wafer by a predetermined angle, and the lifting means tilts the storing. The jig is moved up and down relative to the water in the water tank. Thus, the wafer stored in the storage jig can be effectively submerged in the water tank without damaging the wafer. At this time, the rinse mechanism sprays rinse water along the surface of the wafer from the inclined upper part of the storage jig to rinse the wafer (that is, rinse), so that the wafer can be efficiently cleaned. Furthermore, the water is lifted slightly by the interfacial tension acting between the guide and the water. When the wafer comes there, the water lifted up by the guide can be smoothly guided to the wafer surface as it is.

The invention according to claim 6 is a wafer storage rinsing step for storing and rinsing the polished wafer, wherein the transport mechanism includes a first step of inserting the wafers into the storage jig one by one, and an inclination means. A second step of tilting the storage jig in which the wafer is stored by a predetermined angle; and a third step of raising and lowering the storage jig relative to the water in the water tank. And a step in which the elevating means causes the wafer stored in the storage jig to spray water on the surface with a guide attached in a substantially vertical direction of the wafer in the vicinity of the landing point near the landing point where the wafer is submerged. A fourth step of immersing in the water tank while guiding and a fifth step of rinsing the rinsing mechanism by spraying rinsing water onto the surface of the wafer from the inclined upper part of the storage jig; Wafer to take out wafer In the unloading step, the elevating means is leveled with the step of relatively gently raising the inclined wafer storage jig, the step of leveling the wafer storage jig after lifting the wafer from the water surface, and And a step of taking out the wafer from the wafer storage jig by another transport mechanism.

According to such a wafer storing method , the water is slightly lifted by the interfacial tension acting between the guide and the water. When the wafer comes there, the water lifted up by the guide can be smoothly guided to the wafer surface as it is. Further, since the rinsing mechanism performs the process of rinsing the wafer by spraying the rinsing water along the surface of the wafer from the inclined upper part of the storage jig, the wafer can be cleaned more efficiently. According to such a wafer storing method, the rinsing mechanism performs the process of rinsing the wafer by spraying the rinsing water along the surface of the wafer from the inclined upper part of the storing jig, so that the wafer is further cleaned. Can be done efficiently.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, a plurality of polished wafers can be efficiently stored in multiple stages in the vertical direction in the storage jig. In addition, the wafer can be submerged efficiently without greatly operating the storage jig after storing the wafer, and the wafer posture is stable, so there is no risk of the wafer rubbing against the storage jig in the water tank. . Therefore, there is an advantage that the wafer itself can be prevented from being damaged.

  According to the invention described in claim 2, in addition to the effect of the invention described in claim 1, when the wafers are taken in and out of the storage jig, the wafers are placed in the water regardless of the wafers that are taken in and out one by one in the gas phase. Since a plurality of already stored wafers are stored in the water as they are without being exposed to the atmosphere, there is an advantage that the formation of a watermark on the surface of the wafer can be prevented.

  According to the invention described in claim 3, in addition to the effect of the invention described in claim 1, the polished wafers are transported to the storage jig in a horizontal state one by one by the transport mechanism and efficiently stored. In addition, when the wafers are taken out from the storage jig, the wafers that have been drained after being stored underwater by the transfer mechanism can be taken out one by one efficiently. When the wafers are taken in and out of the storage jig, a plurality of wafers already stored in the water in the water tank are not exposed to the atmosphere regardless of the wafers that are taken in and out in the gas phase one by one. Since it is stored in water, it is possible to prevent a watermark from being formed on the surface of the wafer. Furthermore, since the rinsing mechanism rinses the wafer by flowing rinsing water along the surface of the wafer from the inclined upper part of the storage jig (that is, rinsing), there is an advantage that the wafer can be cleaned efficiently. .

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, since the storage jig is inclined and submerged in the water tank so as to raise the wafer storage opening at the front of the storage jig, the wafer can be submerged efficiently. And there is no risk of damaging the wafer surface. Further, since the rinse water rinsed along the surface of the wafer by the rinse mechanism is drained from the lower inclined portion at the rear of the storage jig, there is an advantage that the wafer can always be rinsed with clean pure water.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, when the storage jig is inclined and submerged in the water tank, the wafer is not lifted because the wafer is not lifted because the wafer is immersed only for one interval. There is no risk of injury. Further, since the upper wafer does not drop droplets on the lower wafer, there is an advantage that there is no possibility that a watermark is formed on the surface of the wafer.

  According to the invention of claim 6, the nozzle bar of the rinsing mechanism moves to a position that does not hinder the conveyance of the wafer when the wafer is stored in the storage jig, and rinse water is applied to the wafer surface when rinsing the wafer. Since it moves to a place where it can be sprayed, there is an advantage that the wafer can be effectively rinsed.

  According to the seventh aspect of the invention, since the nozzle bar of the rinse mechanism is formed with a plurality of nozzles or discharge holes at a pitch interval of the wafers stacked and stored in the storage jig, one wafer at a time Can be reliably rinsed. Further, since the water cleaned by each wafer is discharged as a drain all along the inclination of the wafer surface, there is an advantage that the wafer surface can be always rinsed with pure water.

  According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, since water droplets are not dropped from the upper wafer to the lower wafer, there is an advantage that there is no possibility that a watermark is generated on the surface of the wafer.

  According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, since the wafer polishing apparatus including the wafer storage apparatus that has an inclination angle and is submerged in the water tank for cleaning is realized, the wafer polishing, cleaning, and conveyance are consistent. There is an advantage that it can be performed in a process.

  According to the invention of claim 10, since the wafer can be efficiently stored and immersed and washed, and then the wafer can be sent out sequentially to the transfer mechanism, so that the wafer is frequently removed from the water tank during the transfer. There is no need to put in and out, and immersion and cleaning can be performed in a stable state. At this time, since the rinse mechanism sprays rinse water along the surface of the wafer from the inclined upper part of the storage jig to rinse the wafer (that is, rinse), the wafer can be cleaned efficiently. There is.

  According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, the rinsing mechanism performs the process of rinsing the wafer by spraying the rinsing water along the surface of the wafer from the inclined upper part of the storage jig. There is an advantage that it can be performed efficiently.

FIG. 1 shows a wafer storage rinsing apparatus (wafer storage apparatus) according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The wafer storage rinse apparatus comprised in the wet cassette station is shown, (a) is a top view, (b) is a side view. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state which accommodates the wafer after grinding | polishing in the cassette of a wafer storage rinse apparatus, (a) is the upper side figure which looked at the rinse mechanism notionally from the upper part, (b) is a side view of a wafer storage rinse apparatus . It is explanatory drawing which shows the state immersed in a water tank, inclining and rinsing the wafer storage rinse apparatus in which the wafer was accommodated, (a) is the top view which looked at the rinse mechanism notionally from the upper part, (b) The side view of a wafer storage rinse apparatus, (c) is a top view which shows the state which attached the guide to the wafer vicinity of the water landing point vicinity in FIG. (A), (d) is a side view of figure (c). It is a figure for demonstrating the relationship between the space | interval of the wafers in the several wafer accommodated in the cassette, and the inclination degree at the time of immersing this wafer in water, (a) is the upper and lower sides where the inclination degree is set appropriately. The figure which shows the case where one of the wafers is completely submerged and the other is not in contact with water. (B) is a case where a plurality of wafers are immersed in water at once when the inclination is excessively steep. FIG. One of adjacent upper and lower wafers in a plurality of wafers stored in a cassette is completely submerged, and the other is immersed in water so that it is not in contact with water. It is a figure for demonstrating the relationship of inclination, (a) is a figure which shows the state of each wafer when this relationship is set appropriately, (b) is the diameter a of the said wafer, and the space | interval b between wafers. FIG. 6C is a diagram illustrating the inclination θ of the wafer to be properly set, and FIG. 5C is a diagram illustrating a state where a guide is attached in the vicinity of the wafer near the landing point in FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the case where the penetration | invasion assistance mechanism of the water to the wafer surface at the time of making a wafer incline and immersing is provided, (a) dripping water to the wafer edge part in the landing point of a wafer The figure which shows the state which provided the nozzle for dripping for FIG., (B) is a figure which shows the state which attached the guide to the wafer vicinity of the water landing point, (c) is water like FIG. (A), (b) FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining that when a wafer is simply tilted and immersed in water without providing an intrusion assist mechanism, water does not immediately enter the wafer surface due to surface tension near the landing point. The flowchart which shows the flow of a process from the robot conveyance of a wafer to rinse and submergence. It is a figure for demonstrating the behavior of the water etc. with respect to the wafer at the time of submergence, (a) is a figure which shows the aspect which immerses a wafer in water in a horizontal state, (b) is underwater in the state of (a). The figure which shows the state which water rises in the outer peripheral part of a wafer by the surface tension of water when it is immersed in (c), the figure which shows the state which immerses the wafer while inclining, (d) is the state of (c) The figure which shows that water permeates into the surface part of a wafer slowly when it is made to immerse in water. The flowchart which shows the flow of a process at the time of picking up a wafer from the state which stored the wafer in water, and taking out a wafer. It is a figure for demonstrating the behavior of the water etc. with respect to a wafer at the time of pulling up from a submerged state, (a) is a figure which shows the aspect which pulls up a wafer in an inclined state, (b) is when pulling up a wafer in the state of (a) The figure which shows that water slides down on the wafer surface gently, (c) is a figure which shows the aspect which pulls up a wafer in a horizontal state, (d) is water on a wafer when a wafer is pulled up in the state of (c). And (e) is a diagram showing a mode in which the wafer is pulled up in a steeply inclined state.

  The present invention prevents the formation of a watermark on the surface of a wafer in a process of submerging and transporting and cleaning the wafer. This prevents the wafer from colliding with the edge of the storage jig and scratching the wafer itself. A mechanism capable of storing a large number of wafers by submerging them efficiently in a space-saving manner. A system that can take in and out wafers one by one when loading and unloading wafers. In order to achieve the purpose of making it possible to efficiently immerse and take out only the wafer to be transported, and to make a mechanism that does not move back and forth between the water tank and the gas phase every time for wafers other than the transport target, A storage jig for storing the wafer, and the storage jig is capable of individually storing a plurality of wafers in multiple stages in the vertical direction, and storing the wafer into which the wafer is inserted. An inclination means for inclining the jig by a predetermined angle, a water tank for submerging the wafers stored in the storage jig one by one, and the storage jig inclined by the inclination means in the water tank This is realized by including elevating means for elevating and lowering relative to water.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the wafer storage device of the present invention will be described in detail. The wafer storage apparatus of this embodiment is also called a wafer storage rinse apparatus because it has a rinse function. In FIG. 1, two sets of wafer storage rinse apparatuses 2 are configured in the wet cassette station 1. Since all the wafer storage rinse apparatuses 2 have the same configuration, only the wafer storage rinse apparatus 2 on the right side of the figure will be described with reference numerals.

  The wafer storage rinsing apparatus 2 includes a cassette (storage jig) 4 for storing the polished wafer 3, a water tank 5 for submerging the wafer 3 stored in the cassette 4, and one wafer 3 at a time. 4, a transport mechanism 6 for storing the cassette 4, a cassette lifting / lowering mechanism (lifting / lowering means) 7 for lifting / lowering the cassette 4 relative to the water 5a in the water tank 5, an inclination means 8 for tilting the cassette 4 by a predetermined angle, and a nozzle bar 9 and a rinsing mechanism 9 including a turning mechanism 9b.

  As such a cassette 4, a stable cassette 4 that does not float even when immersed in water is used. For example, a Teflon (registered trademark) cassette 4 made of PTFE, PFA, or the like is desirable. The cassette 4 is more efficient because it can store a plurality of wafers 3 in multiple stages in the vertical direction because the storage space is reduced. Further, regarding the interval when the wafer 3 is stored in the cassette 4, when the wafer 3 is immersed in water, the details will be described later, but the entire cassette 4 is inclined and slowly immersed.

  The degree of inclination and the distance between the wafers 3 are important. For example, when the degree of inclination is steep, the plurality of wafers 3 are immersed in water 5a at a time as shown in FIG. Will be. Although the wafers 3 are taken in and out one by one, the plurality of wafers 3 are submerged in the water each time or taken out into the gas phase from the water 5a, and the wafer 3 is reciprocated between them. Opportunities for the formation of watermarks will be further increased. If possible, the wafer 3 already stored in the water 5a can be stored in the water 5a as it is without being exposed to the air, regardless of the wafer 3 transferred in the vapor phase during transfer. desirable.

  Therefore, when the wafer 3 is put in the cassette (storage jig) 4 and the cassette 4 is in a horizontal state, when the wafer 3 is stored in the cassette 4 by the transport mechanism 6, it is stored in the gas phase portion. The wafer 3 that has already been accommodated and immersed in the water 5a is not immersed in the water 5a. In order to keep the immersion state as it is, it is necessary to have a wafer interval that satisfies that condition. Further, even when the cassette 4 is tilted and the wafer 3 is tilted, as shown in FIG. 4A, in the adjacent wafers 3 and 3, one wafer 3 is completely immersed in water. It is important that the other wafer 3 is completely out of the water 5a and is not immersed at all.

  5A and 5B, if the distance between the wafers 3 can be widened, the angle θ at which the wafer 3 is tilted can be increased to some extent. Further, if the angle θ at which the wafer 3 is tilted is reduced, the distance between the adjacent upper and lower wafers 3 and 3 can be set relatively narrow, the number of stages to be increased can be increased, and the wafer 3 can be efficiently stored. It becomes possible. The distance b between the stored wafers 3 and 3 and the angle θ for tilting the cassette 4 must satisfy the following relationship at a minimum. Here, a is the diameter of the wafer 3.

このようにすることで、緩やかな傾斜を形成でき、水５ａに漬ける際もウェハ３の姿勢は安定させることができるとともに、その上でウェハ３を効率よく収納するスペースを形成することができる。また、一枚のウェハ３を浸漬したとしても、その隣り合うウェハ３は一切浸漬されずに済む。逆に、一枚のウェハ３を浸漬状態から大気下へ取出したとしても、その隣りのウェハ３は、浸漬状態を保ったままで一切大気に暴露されることなく、そのまま保持することができる。その結果、従来の公知例にある方法では、多段に収納できるウェハカセット内にウェハを一枚一枚収納して浸漬する際、毎回毎回全てのウェハないしは一部の他のウェハについて、出し入れしないにもかかわらず、ウェハを水中から取出し、そのまま沈めるということがあったが、こうした所定のウェハ間隔と傾斜角度を満たすことで、既に収納済みのウェハ３を水中から取出すこともなく、これから収納するウェハ３だけを静かに収納して、そのまま浸漬することができる。

By doing so, a gentle inclination can be formed, and the attitude of the wafer 3 can be stabilized even when immersed in the water 5a, and a space for efficiently storing the wafer 3 can be formed thereon. Even if one wafer 3 is immersed, the adjacent wafers 3 need not be immersed at all. On the contrary, even if one wafer 3 is taken out from the immersion state to the atmosphere, the adjacent wafer 3 can be held as it is without being exposed to the atmosphere while maintaining the immersion state. As a result, in the conventional method, when storing and immersing wafers one by one in a wafer cassette that can be stored in multiple stages, all wafers or some other wafers are not taken in and out each time. Regardless, there is a case where the wafer is taken out from the water and submerged as it is. However, by satisfying the predetermined wafer interval and the inclination angle, the wafer 3 which has already been stored is not taken out from the water, and will be stored in the future. Only 3 can be stored gently and immersed as it is.

  The cassette elevating mechanism 7 elevates and lowers the cassette 4 by a servo motor and ball screw mechanism, and the elevating speed at this time can be varied at a speed of 5 to 30 mm / sec. The tilting means 8 can tilt the cassette 4 by a predetermined angle by the mechanism of the air cylinder, but can tilt the cassette 4 by a servo motor.

  Further, when the newly stored wafer 3 in the gas phase (in the atmosphere) is immersed in the water 5a, the cassette 4 is inclined and immersed in order. Even if the cassette 4 is inclined, the subtle Depending on the inclination angle, the surface tension of the water 5a at the landing point of the wafer 3 may cause the water 5a not to be submerged on the surface of the wafer 3, and the wafer edge portion at the landing point may float on the water. For example, as shown in FIG. 8B, when the wafer surface is a water-repellent surface, the surface tension of water is very large. Even if the cassette 4 is inclined and the wafer 3 is inclined, the immersion of the wafer edge may not start. In preparation for such a case, it is desirable that there is a mechanism for locally supplying water to the surface of the wafer 3 where the wafer 3 is landed.

  When water is dripped onto the surface of the wafer 3 at the landing point, the dripped water and the water 5a that is about to enter from the landing point are combined to form water 5a from the landing point to the wafer 3 surface. As a result, the wafer 3 can be slowly and gently immersed without inadvertently floating the wafer edge on the water surface. Once the water 5a enters the surface of the wafer 3, the water that has entered naturally spreads on the surface of the wafer 3. As a result, the wafer 3 can be gently immersed without floating.

  The dropping supply mechanism may be the dropping nozzle 10 as shown in FIGS. 3B and 6A, and the nozzle diameter may be about 2 mm or less. When the wafer 3 is just immersed, a predetermined amount of water is dropped onto the wafer edge portion by moving the dropping nozzle 10 to a predetermined landing point or by hanging it at an angle. A drop amount of about 1 ml is sufficient. The water hung on the surface and the water 5a that has just entered and crawled up are combined to facilitate the entry of the water 5a.

  Moreover, it is necessary to prepare piping for that in addition to taking the place for the dripping nozzle 10 provided at the landing point. Moreover, every time the wafer 3 is submerged, the timing must be measured and a very small amount of water must be supplied pinpointly. Further, the position adjustment is delicate, and it is sometimes a little complicated to efficiently supply the extremely small amount of water to the landing point of the wafer 3.

  In such a case, as shown in FIGS. 3C, 3D, 5C, and 6B, a guide 11 is provided in the vicinity of the wafer 3 in the vicinity of the landing point in the substantially vertical direction of the wafer 3. May be attached. In such a configuration, the water is slightly lifted by the interfacial tension acting between the guide 11 and the water. Since the wafer 3 arrives there, it is possible to smoothly guide the water lifted by the guide 11 to the surface of the wafer 3 as it is, so that it is not necessary to devise extensive measures such as newly providing a dropping nozzle. . As the guide 11, for example, an acrylic shaft (φ3 mm or so), a nylon plate (t1 mm, w4 mm), or the like is preferably used.

Further, instead of the guide 11, a mesh-like material, a sponge, or a thin fibrous material may be provided in the vicinity of the landing point. Such a guide only needs to have the property of raising water by capillary action. Therefore, a member capable of raising water or automatically guiding water to a predetermined portion by capillary action is defined as a capillary structure. Examples of the capillary structure include the following specific configurations.
(1) A configuration in which nylon fibers are bundled in the longitudinal direction: nylon fibers having a diameter of 0.2 mm and an interval of 0.1 mm, and about 40. The wafer 3 is disposed near the landing point of the wafer 3 so as to be close to the wafer 3 and is perpendicular to the surface of the wafer 3. It is provided in each slot for the entire cassette 4.
(2) Nylon mesh width of about 10 mm: Nylon fiber diameter of 0.2 mm and a pitch of 0.5 mm. It is perpendicular to the wafer 3 surface at a position near the water landing point of the wafer 3.
(3) PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) sponge: It is 10 mm wide and perpendicular to the wafer 3 surface at a position near the landing point of the wafer 3.

  When a capillary structure is disposed near the landing point of the wafer 3, the apparent surface tension of water can be reduced. For this reason, the water near the landing point of the wafer 3 shown in FIG. 8B does not enter the surface of the wafer 3 and does not stay with a large surface tension near the wafer edge. It becomes possible to guide water smoothly and efficiently. Further, even if it is subsequently immersed, since water enters through the capillary structure, the wafer edge can be immersed without being lifted by being pushed by the water surface due to gentle water intrusion.

  As a result, when the wafer is simply inclined and immersed, as shown in FIG. 6C, even if the wafer 3 is inclined, water does not immediately enter the wafer surface due to the surface tension of the water near the landing point. As a result, there is a problem that buoyancy acts locally on the wafer edge, and the wafer edge rises rapidly. On the other hand, by disposing a capillary structure near the landing point of the wafer 3 and gently guiding water to the surface of the wafer 3 using the capillary phenomenon, such a concern is eliminated. Further, even in the process of immersing the wafer 3 in water gradually, the water 3 can be gently immersed without being lifted up in the middle because it helps the water to continuously enter the wafer 3.

  Although not shown in FIG. 1, the wafer storage rinsing apparatus 2 is not suitable for a drain valve for draining the water in the water tank 5, a publishing function attached to the pop-up prevention means of the drain valve, or a sealed container. A function of filling active gas or IPA gas is provided. Further, the wafer storage rinsing apparatus 2 includes a nozzle bar 9a and has a function of preventing the wafer 3 from swimming forward or rinsing water from the nozzle bar 9a to wash away the slurry on the surface of the wafer 3. . Further, the wafer storage rinsing apparatus 2 is configured to perform a stopper function of the nozzle bar 9a, and to set the water level of the water tank 5 by one wafer 3 below the running water cleaning portion.

  Next, a mechanism for rinsing the wafer 3 by the wafer storage rinsing apparatus 2 and a mechanism for immersing the cassette 4 in the water tank 5 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, the left side of the drawing is a wafer storage opening at the front portion of the cassette 4 for loading and unloading the wafer 3.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the cassette 4 is stored inside the cassette table 4a. When the polished wafer 3 is stored in the cassette 4, the cassette table 4a and the cassette 4 are placed in a horizontal state. . At this time, the cassette stand 4 a and the cassette 4 are placed above the water surface of the water 5 a inside the water tank 5. Further, as shown in FIG. 2A, the rinsing mechanism 9 rotates the nozzle bar 9 a to the rear part of the cassette 4 by a turning mechanism 9 b. In this state, as shown in FIG. 2B, the wafer storage opening at the front of the cassette 4 is open, so that the wafer 3 after polishing by the transfer mechanism 6 is put into the cassette 4 by one sheet. Can be stored one by one.

  Next, after all the wafers 3 are accommodated in the cassette 4 by the transport mechanism 6, as shown in FIG. 3A, the rinse mechanism 9 moves the nozzle bar 9a to the front part (front surface) of the cassette 4 by the turning mechanism 9b. Swivel to the opening). Furthermore, the tilting means 8 tilts the cassette base 4a and the cassette 4 by a predetermined angle. Then, the nozzle bar 9 a is slightly swung while rinsing water is ejected from the nozzle bar 9 a, and the cassette table 4 a and the cassette 4 are submerged in the water 5 a inside the water tank 5 by the cassette lifting mechanism 7 (see FIG. 1). In addition, it is desirable that the inclination angle by which the inclination means 8 inclines the cassette base 4a and the cassette 4 is in the range of 1 ° to 20 ° with respect to the vertical axis of the water surface of the water 5a in the water tank 5.

  Further, as a method different from the above embodiment, the wafer 3 may be cleaned in a state where the cassette table 4 a and the cassette 4 are submerged in the water tank 5. Also, when the cassette table 4 a and the cassette 4 are pulled up from the water tank 5, the cassette table 4 a and the cassette 4 are pulled up with the tilting means 8 tilted.

  In this way, the nozzle bar 9a of the rinsing mechanism 9 moves to a position that does not hinder the conveyance of the wafer 3 (the rear part of the cassette 4) when the wafer 3 is stored in the cassette 4, and the wafer 3 when the wafer 3 is rinsed. Since it moves to the position (front part of cassette 4) which can inject rinse water on the surface of 3, conveyance and rinse of wafer 3 can be performed efficiently.

  Further, since a plurality of nozzles or discharge holes are formed in the nozzle bar 9a at a pitch interval of the wafers 3 stacked on the tray of the cassette 4, the rinse water sprayed from the nozzles or discharge holes is for each sheet. It is sprayed on the surface of the wafer 3 and can be reliably rinsed. Furthermore, since the rinse water that has been rinsed flows out from the upper inclined portion of each wafer 3 along the lower inclined portion, the slurry on the surface of the wafer 3 is surely washed off and discharged from a drain port (not shown). In this way, each wafer 3 can be reliably rinsed.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the polished wafer 3 is stored in a horizontal state in a predetermined portion in the cassette 4 by the transport mechanism 6, and after the wafer 3 is stored, the wafer storage opening of the cassette 4 is set as the front surface. The front surface of the cassette 4a and the cassette 4 are inclined by a predetermined angle (1 ° to 20 °) by the tilting means 8. Then, while rinsing the wafer 3 with the nozzle bar 9a of the rinsing mechanism 9, the cassette raising / lowering mechanism 7 (see FIG. 1) lowers the cassette table 4a and the cassette 4 into the water 5a in the aquarium 5 to a predetermined amount (for example, The wafer 3 is cleaned by dipping it by an interval of one wafer 3).

  Next, the flow of processing from when the polished wafer 3 is transported by robot until it is submerged in the water tank of the wafer storage rinsing apparatus will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 7 and FIGS. First, the cassette 4 stands by horizontally on the water tank 5 (step S1). Next, the nozzle bar 9a is swung to the rear part of the cassette 4 by the swiveling mechanism 9b of the rinse mechanism 9 (step S2). Further, the wafer 3 is inserted into the slot of the cassette 4 by the robot (transfer mechanism 6) (step S3). Then, the front opening (wafer storage opening) at the front of the cassette 4 is slightly raised and inclined (step S4).

  Next, the nozzle bar 9a is swung to the front portion (front opening portion) of the cassette 4 by the swiveling mechanism 9b of the rinse mechanism 9 (step S5). Then, rinsing water is sprayed toward the surface of the wafer 3 by the nozzle bar 9a to perform rinsing (step S6), and the wafer 3 in the cassette 4 is slowly immersed in the water tank 5 (step S7). In this way, the cassette 4 is lowered into the water tank 5 by one slot at a time.

  That is, when the wafer 3 is immersed in the water 5a in a horizontal state as in the prior art (FIG. 8 (a)), the wafer 3 is lifted by the buoyancy of the water, and the surface of the wafer 3 comes into contact with the periphery of the cassette 4 3 may be damaged. Further, the surface tension of the water 5a may cause the water 5a to swell at the outer periphery of the wafer 3, and the water 5a may enter the surface of the wafer 3 from a random direction (FIG. 8B).

  Therefore, in order to eliminate such a problem, the direction in which the water 5a enters the wafer 3 is from the front opening side of the cassette 4 by immersing the wafer 3 in the water tank 5 while tilting the wafer 3 (FIG. 8C). It becomes a certain direction toward the rear surface. Furthermore, since the inclination angle of the wafer 3 is as gentle as 1 ° to 20 °, the water 5a slowly enters the surface portion of the wafer 3, so that there is no possibility that the wafer 3 is lifted (FIG. 8D). Further, since the water level rises along the groove of the cassette 4, the water 5 a rises smoothly onto the wafer 3. This makes it possible to cleanly immerse and clean the surface without damaging the wafer 3.

  Next, the flow of processing when the wafer 3 is lifted from the state stored in water and taken out will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 9 and FIGS. 10A to 10E. In the flowchart of FIG. 9, the wafer 3 is immersed in water while being rinsed in an inclined state (step S11). From this state, first, the nozzle bar 9 a turns and comes to be located outside the cassette 4. Next, the cassette elevating mechanism 7 slowly raises the cassette 4 while maintaining the inclined state (step S12). Then, the water deposited on the wafer 3 is slowly retracted from the surface of the wafer 3 when the wafer 3 rises (step S13). Thereby, water does not remain between the wafers 3 and 3, and the wafer 3 can be taken out with good drainage.

  Further, when the cassette 4 is raised, the wafer 3 swims toward the opening, and the wafer 3 does not spill out from the cassette 4. Further, even when the surface of the wafer 3 is water-repellent, when the cassette 4 is lifted while being slightly tilted, the waterfront retreating on the wafer 3 is slowly retreated as a group. Therefore, a water drop does not slide on the surface of the wafer 3 and a streak line is not formed corresponding to the slipped portion. Similarly, the water droplets existing between the wafer 3 and the cassette 4 are also drawn back to the surface of the water in the retreating water tank 5 by a gentle inclination. As a result, no excess water remains between the wafer 3 and the cassette 4. As a result, water remains between the wafer 3 and the cassette 4, and the wafer 3 does not adhere to the cassette 4 due to the surface tension of the water. In other words, since water slides down from the surface of the wafer 3 quickly, no trace (watermark) of water sliding down is formed.

  Next, after the wafer 3 is lifted from the water together with the cassette 4, the cassette 4 is returned to a horizontal state (step S14). At this time, the wafer 3 to be taken out is positioned higher than the water, but the next wafer 3 remains stored in the water. In this state, the wafer 3 in the cassette 4 is taken out by another robot transfer mechanism 6 (step S15). Then, the taken-out wafer 3 is transferred as it is and moved to the next process (step S16).

  At this time, by placing the wafer 3 in a horizontal state, the robot transport mechanism 6 can be easily taken out, and transport to the next process is facilitated. At this time, the wafers 3 may be taken out from the water by lifting only the wafers 3 to be taken out one by one from the top without pulling up all the wafers 3 contained in the cassette 4 from the water. By doing in this way, it is not necessary to carry out an inefficient method of pulling the wafer 3 out of water each time and immersing it again.

  Although the mechanism for raising and lowering the cassette 4 is shown here, the cassette 4 may be raised and lowered relative to the water surface. Therefore, the cassette 4 is fixed at that position and the water surface is raised and lowered. Good. Here, since raising and lowering of the cassette 4 also means raising and lowering relative to the water surface, the water surface may be raised and lowered by increasing or decreasing the amount of water.

  By doing so, it becomes possible to make it very easy to store the wafer 3 in the immersion process and to access the subsequent single wafer process. It becomes possible to wash. Incidentally, the method of relatively lifting the cassette 4 in which the wafer 3 is stored from the water may be a method of draining water instead of the cassette lifting mechanism.

  As described above, when the wafer 3 is pulled up from the submerged state, the wafer 3 is brought into a gentle inclined state (FIG. 10A), so that the water on the surface of the wafer 3 is the water in the retreating water tank 5. They slowly slide together as if dragged to the surface (FIG. 10B). Thereby, a watermark is not formed on the surface of the wafer 3. Further, a large force is not required for lifting the wafer 3. After the wafer 3 is pulled up onto the water, the wafer 3 is placed in a horizontal state, so that the robot transport mechanism 6 can be easily taken out and transported to the next process.

  On the other hand, when the wafer 3 is placed in a horizontal state when the wafer 3 is pulled up from the submerged state (FIG. 10C), the direction in which the water flows on the wafer 3 cannot be determined. Marks may be formed in various states. Further, since water is deposited on the wafer 3 and water is accumulated between the upper and lower wafers 3 (FIG. 10D), a large force is required for lifting the wafer 3.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 10E, when the wafer 3 is tilted suddenly when the wafer 3 is pulled up from the submerged state, the force of retreating water on the surface of the wafer 3 becomes difficult to work. In addition, a streak line may be formed on the surface portion of the wafer 3 from which water has flowed down. Further, since a very long operating range is required for lifting the wafer 3, it is not suitable for lifting the wafer 3 one by one.

  As described above, the wafer storage rinsing apparatus 2 according to this embodiment can efficiently store the wafers 3 that are polished and transported at regular intervals. Further, since the wafer storage rinsing apparatus 2 according to the present embodiment does not use a complicated mechanism, it is easy to access other transfer mechanisms. Furthermore, according to the wafer storage rinsing apparatus 2 according to the present embodiment, the wafer 3 can be efficiently submerged without large operation after the wafer 3 is stored. At this time, since the posture of the wafer 3 is stable, there is no possibility that the wafer 3 rubs against the cassette 4.

  According to the wafer storage rinsing apparatus 2 according to the present embodiment, when the wafers 3 are taken in and out of the cassette 4, a plurality of wafers already stored in water regardless of the wafers 3 that are taken in and out in the gas phase one by one. Since the wafer 3 is stored in the water as it is without being exposed to the atmosphere, it is possible to prevent a watermark from being formed on the surface of the wafer 3.

  According to the wafer storage rinsing apparatus 2 according to the present embodiment, the wafers 3 can be stocked sequentially in a space-saving manner, and the upper wafer 3 does not drop droplets on the lower wafer 3. There is no risk that a watermark will be formed. Furthermore, since the wafer 3 can be efficiently stored and immersed and washed, and then the wafer 3 can be sent out to the transport mechanism 6 in order, the wafer 3 is frequently taken in and out of the water tank 5 during the transport. And the immersion and cleaning can be performed in a stable state.

  When the wafer 3 is stored in the cassette 4 substantially vertically, when the water repellent surface is used when draining, streak lines and watermarks that are conspicuous when water flows down can be eliminated. Further, when the wafers 3 are stored in the cassette 4, it is possible to prevent the intervals between the wafers 3 from being varied and the wafers 3 from being rubbed. Further, the wafers 3 can be sequentially stored in the cassette 4 and submerged without repeatedly inserting and removing the wafers 3 from the water tank. At this time, when the wafer 3 is immersed, the surface of the wafer 3 does not hit the cassette 4 and can be immersed gently. Further, when the wafer 3 is taken out from the immersed state, the water gently moves back on the surface of the wafer 3, so that there is no possibility that a watermark is formed.

  According to the wafer storage rinsing apparatus 2 according to the present embodiment, since the rinsing mechanism 9 is provided, the rinsing water is uniformly sprayed on the surface of each wafer 3 from the nozzle bar 9a, thereby effectively rinsing. it can. In addition, the nozzle bar 9a can always be moved to the optimum position when the wafer 3 is carried into the cassette 4 and when rinsing is performed, so that the steps from the storing of the wafer 3 after polishing to the cleaning / conveyance are efficient. Can be done.

  The present invention can be variously modified without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and the present invention naturally extends to the modified ones.

  It is essential to efficiently store and store a large number of substrates in a space-saving manner, and to prevent the formation of watermarks on the substrate surface and prevent the substrate surface from being scratched during the cleaning process. It is possible to apply to.

1 Wet cassette station 2 Wafer storage rinse device (wafer storage device)
3 Wafer 4 Cassette (storage jig)
4a cassette stand 5 water tank 5a water 6 transport mechanism 7 cassette lifting mechanism (lifting means)
8 Inclination means 9 Rinsing mechanism 9a Nozzle bar 9b Turning mechanism 10 Nozzle for dropping 11 Guide

Claims (6)

In a wafer storage device for storing a polished wafer,
A storage jig for storing the wafer;
The storage jig can individually store a plurality of wafers in multiple stages in the vertical direction,
Inclining means for inclining the storage jig into which the wafer is inserted by a predetermined angle;
A water tank for submerging the wafers stored in the storage jig one by one;
Elevating means for elevating and lowering the storage jig inclined by the inclination means relative to the water in the water tank;
Mounted in a substantially vertical direction of the wafer to the wafer near the vicinity of landing point for submerged the wafer, when to submerge the wafer is tilted by the tilting means, the water on the wafer surface in the vicinity of the landing point A guide to guide ,
A wafer storage device comprising: In a wafer storage device for storing a polished wafer,
A storage jig for storing the wafer;
The storage jig can individually store a plurality of wafers in multiple stages in the vertical direction,
Inclining means for inclining the storage jig into which the wafer is inserted by a predetermined angle;
A water tank for submerging the wafer stored in the storage jig;
Elevating means for raising and lowering the storage jig inclined by the inclination means relative to the water in the water tank,
When the tilting means of the tilting means tilts within the movable up and down of the storage jig, adjacent wafers are completely submerged with the water surface as a boundary, and the other does not touch the water. The wafer storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inclination is such that there is a case where the state is divided. 3. The wafer storage apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined angle at which the tilting unit tilts the storage jig is in the range of 1 to 20 degrees . A wafer polishing apparatus comprising the wafer storage apparatus according to claim 1 . In the wafer storage method of storing and rinsing the polished wafer,
A transport mechanism, a first step of inserting the wafers one by one into a storage jig;
A second step in which the tilting unit tilts the storage jig storing the wafer by a predetermined angle;
A third step of lifting and lowering the tilted storage jig relative to the water in the water tank;
The elevating means guides water to the surface of the wafer stored in the storage jig with a guide attached in a substantially vertical direction of the wafer in the vicinity of the wafer near the landing point where the wafer is submerged. A fourth step of submerging in the aquarium;
A rinsing mechanism that performs rinsing by spraying rinsing water onto the surface of the wafer from the inclined upper part of the storage jig;
A wafer storage method comprising: In the wafer storage rinsing process for storing and rinsing the polished wafer,
A transport mechanism, a first step of inserting the wafers one by one into a storage jig;
A second step in which the tilting unit tilts the storage jig storing the wafer by a predetermined angle;
A third step of lifting and lowering the tilted storage jig relative to the water in the water tank;
The elevating means guides water to the surface of the wafer stored in the storage jig with a guide attached in a substantially vertical direction of the wafer in the vicinity of the wafer near the landing point where the wafer is submerged. A fourth step of submerging in the aquarium;
A rinsing mechanism includes a fifth step of performing rinsing by spraying rinsing water onto the surface of the wafer from the inclined upper part of the storage jig;
In the wafer removal process for removing the stored wafer,
The elevating means raises the inclined wafer storage jig relatively gently;
After lifting the wafer from the water surface, leveling the wafer storage jig;
A step of taking out the wafer by a separate transport mechanism from the horizontal wafer storage jig;
A wafer storage method comprising:

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