JP7411004B2 - Humidity reduction device for wafer container of load port module and semiconductor processing equipment equipped with the same - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a device for reducing humidity in a wafer container of a load port module and a semiconductor processing device equipped with the same, and more particularly, the present invention relates to a device for reducing humidity in a wafer container of a load port module, and more particularly, a device for reducing humidity in a wafer container in a load port module. The present invention relates to a humidity reducing device for a wafer container of a load port module that forms a gas film at the entrance and exit port through which wafers enter and exit, and a semiconductor processing device equipped with the same.

In the semiconductor manufacturing process, wafers and semiconductor devices formed thereon are high-precision items, and care must be taken to avoid damage from external contaminants or impacts during storage and transportation. In particular, during the process of storing and transporting wafers, it is necessary to manage the surfaces of the wafers so that they are not contaminated with impurities such as dust, moisture, and various organic substances.

Conventionally, wafers have been processed in a clean room in order to improve semiconductor manufacturing yield and quality. However, as devices become more highly integrated, miniaturized, and wafers become larger, it has become difficult to manage clean rooms, which are relatively large spaces, both in terms of cost and technology.

Therefore, instead of improving the cleanliness of the entire clean room, mini-environment cleaning methods have recently been applied that concentrate on improving the cleanliness of a localized space around the wafer. ing.

On the other hand, in a semiconductor manufacturing process, various unit processes such as etching, vapor deposition, and etching are sequentially repeated. During each process, foreign matter or contaminants remain on the wafer, causing defects or lowering the yield of the semiconductor process.

Therefore, in the semiconductor process, wafers are transferred to multiple process chambers or semiconductor processing spaces, and during the transfer of the wafers from one processing space to another, foreign objects or contaminants may be present on the wafers. Various means are provided to minimize fouling.

As shown in FIG. 1, semiconductor processing equipment including an EFEM (Equipment Front End Module) includes a load port module 110 (LPM: Load Port Module), a wafer container 120 (FOUF: Front Opening Unified Pod), and a fan filter unit 130 ( The wafer transfer chamber 140 includes a fan filter unit (FFU) and a wafer transfer chamber 140.

In order to store wafers in a highly clean environment, a wafer container 120 called a front-opening integrated pod (FOUP) is used, and a wafer transfer chamber 140 is located along the path for moving wafers from the wafer container 120 to the semiconductor processing space. The wafer transfer chamber 140 is maintained as a clean space by the fan filter unit 130.

A wafer transport means such as an arm robot provided in the wafer transport chamber 140 transports the wafers in the wafer container 120 into the wafer transport chamber 140 via the load port module 110, or unloads the wafers from the wafer transport chamber 140. It is configured to be housed within the container 120.

The door 111 of the load port module 110 and the door provided on the front surface of the wafer container 120 are opened at the same time in close contact with each other, and wafers are carried out or stored through the open area.

Generally, fumes generated after the process remain on the surface of a wafer that has undergone a semiconductor processing process, which causes a chemical reaction to occur and causes a decrease in the productivity of semiconductor wafers.

Further, when the door of the wafer container 120 is opened for carrying out or storing wafers, the concentration of the purge gas inside the wafer container 120 is controlled to be maintained at a constant level, and the concentration of the purge gas flowing into the wafer container is controlled to be maintained at a constant level. The outside air operates to be filtered.

However, due to the outside air flowing into the wafer container 120, some unfiltered air exists inside the wafer container 120, and although the atmospheric environment in the wafer transfer chamber 140 is clean air with controlled particulates. , oxygen, moisture, etc., and if such air flows into the inside of the wafer container 120 and the internal humidity increases, the surface of the wafer may be oxidized by the moisture or oxygen contained in the outside air. be.

Therefore, as a means to effectively block the outside air from flowing into the wafer container 120 from the wafer transfer chamber 140, conventionally, a double door opening/closing means is provided by opening and closing the lids of the load port module 110 and the wafer container 120. Although it was possible to shut off the outside air, there was a problem in that the structure of the rod port became quite complicated due to the provision of a door member that slid in the vertical direction.

In addition, moving the door member up and down to block outside air significantly increases the time required to unload and store wafers, which changes the internal humidity of the wafer container and reduces semiconductor manufacturing yield. There was a problem that would lead to.

In particular, if outside air flows into the wafer container 120 through the entrance and exit port through which wafers enter and exit the wafer container 120, and the internal humidity increases at the entrance and exit, the surface of the wafer will be damaged by the moisture or oxygen contained in the outside air, and the yield will decrease. There were also problems with the decline.

Korean Published Patent No. 10-2003-0011536 Korean Publication Practical No. 20-2017-0003211 Korean Patent No. 10-1924185

The present invention was devised to solve the conventional problems as described above, and includes a load port module that includes a main body, a blower, a partition, and a sprayer on the front surface of a wafer container. By forming a gas film at the entrance and exit of the container, a gas film is formed at the entrance and exit of the wafer container to block the inflow of outside air and reduce the humidity in the wafer container of the load port module. The object of the present invention is to provide a device and a semiconductor processing device equipped with the same.

Further, the present invention includes a first main body, a second main body, and a separating piece as the main body, so that the gas injected by the injection part is distributed into one side area, the middle area, and the other side area at the upper part of the main body. The wafer container of the load port module is capable of improving gas distribution and injection performance, forming multiple gas films to reduce interference with air flow in the wafer transfer chamber, and forming a gas film that blocks outside air. Another object of the present invention is to provide a humidity reduction device and a semiconductor processing device equipped with the same.

Furthermore, the present invention is equipped with a plurality of blowing fans as the blowing section, and the control section individually controls the blowing volume of each blowing fan. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a humidity reduction device for a wafer container of a load port module that can improve film maintenance performance and maintain a gas film uniformly in each region, and a semiconductor processing device equipped with the same. do.

Furthermore, the present invention includes a distribution pipe in which the end faces of a plurality of through holes are formed in a circular or honeycomb shape as an injection part, so that the gas can be evenly distributed and injected into the upper part of the inlet and outlet. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a humidity reducing device for a wafer container of a load port module that can maintain a gas film uniformly, and a semiconductor processing device equipped with the same.

Furthermore, the present invention further includes a filter section between the blowing section and the injection section, thereby filtering the gas supplied by the blowing section and removing impurities such as foreign matter or particulate matter contained in the air. The present invention provides a humidity reduction device for a wafer container of a load port module and a semiconductor processing device equipped with the same, which can prevent contamination of the distributed gas and improve the yield of the wafer container by using a blower section and an injection section. A further purpose is to provide.

To achieve the above-mentioned objects, the present invention provides a load port module which is provided in front of a wafer container and forms a barrier film at the entrance/exit where wafers enter and exit so as to reduce the humidity of the wafer container. A humidity reduction device for a wafer container of a module, which includes a main body provided at the upper front of the wafer container, an injection part provided on one side of the main body for injecting gas, and supplying gas to the inside of the main body. an air blowing section that blows air such that the air blowing area is divided into a plurality of sections, a partition section that is provided at a distance inside the air blowing section and divides the air blowing area of the air blowing section into a plurality of sections; It is characterized by including an injection section that uniformly disperses the gas supplied therein in a straight downward direction and discharges the gas so as to form a gas film.

The main body portion of the present invention includes a first main body formed in a vertically cylindrical shape, a second main body expanded at a lower part of the first main body and formed in a vertically cylindrical shape, and the first main body formed in a vertically cylindrical shape. The first body is characterized in that it includes a separating piece that is spaced apart from each other inside the main body and partitions the internal space of the first main body into a plurality of spaces.

The air blowing section of the present invention is characterized in that the air blowing section includes air blowing means provided inside the main body section in a plurality of air blowing areas partitioned by the partition wall section.

The air blowing means of the present invention includes a first air blowing fan provided in each air blowing area partitioned into one side surface of the main body, and a first air blowing fan provided in each air blowing area partitioned into a central area of the main body. It is characterized in that it includes a second blower fan and a third blower fan provided in each blower area partitioned on the other side surface of the main body.

The air blowing means of the present invention is characterized in that it consists of air blowing fans whose wind speeds are individually controlled.

The injection section of the present invention is comprised of a distribution pipe in which the end surfaces of a plurality of through holes are formed in a honeycomb shape or a circular shape so that the gas is evenly distributed and injected into the upper part of the entrance and exit port. 2. The device for reducing humidity in a wafer container of a load port module according to claim 1.

Alternatively, the present invention is characterized in that the device further includes a filter section that is provided between the blower section and the injection section and filters the gas supplied by the blower section.

Furthermore, the present invention provides a semiconductor processing apparatus comprising the humidity reducing device for a wafer container of the load port module described above.

As described above, the present invention provides a load port module that includes a main body section, a blower section, a partition wall section, and an injection section on the front surface of a wafer container, and forms a gas film at the entrance and exit port of the wafer container. A barrier gas film is formed in the wafer container to block the inflow of outside air and reduce the humidity in the wafer container.

In addition, by providing the first body, the second body, and the separation piece as the main body, the gas injected by the injection part is distributed into one side area, the middle area, and the other side area at the upper part of the main body part, thereby distributing the gas. In addition, the present invention provides the effect that it is possible to form multiple gas films to reduce interference caused by air flow in the wafer transfer chamber, and to form an outside air blocking gas film.

Furthermore, by equipping multiple fans as the ventilation unit and controlling the air volume of each fan individually using the control unit, the air volume can be finely controlled for each area at the top of the entrance and exit to maintain the gas film. The present invention provides the effect of improving the gas film and maintaining the gas film uniformly in each region.

In addition, by equipping the injection section with a distribution pipe in which the end faces of multiple through holes are formed in a circular or honeycomb shape, the gas can be evenly distributed and injected into the upper part of the entrance and exit to form an even gas film. Provides an effect that can be maintained.

Furthermore, by further providing a filter section between the blower section and the injection section, the gas supplied by the blower section is filtered, and impurities such as foreign matter or particulate matter contained in the air are removed by filtering. and the injection unit provide the effect of preventing contamination of the distributed gas and improving the yield of the wafer container.

1 is a configuration diagram showing a humidity reducing device for a wafer container of a load port module and a semiconductor processing device equipped with the device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a state diagram showing an installation state of a humidity reducing device for a wafer container of a load port module according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing a humidity reduction device for a wafer container of a load port module according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front cross-sectional view showing a humidity reducing device for a wafer container of a load port module according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing a first body of a humidity reducing device for a wafer container of a load port module according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing a humidity reduction device for a wafer container of a load port module according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view showing a ventilation section of a humidity reducing device for a wafer container of a load port module according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing an example of an injection unit of a humidity reducing device for a wafer container of a load port module according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram showing another example of the injection unit of the device for reducing humidity of a wafer container of a load port module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a humidity reduction device for a wafer container in a load port module according to an embodiment of the present invention and a semiconductor processing equipment equipped with the device, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing a humidity reducing device for a wafer container of a load port module according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a state diagram showing the installation state of a humidity reducing device. 5 is a front cross-sectional view showing a device for reducing humidity of a wafer container, FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram showing a first main body of the device for reducing humidity of a wafer container of a load port module according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a side sectional view showing a humidity reducing device for a wafer container in a load port module according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing an example of the injection unit of the humidity reducing device for a wafer container in a load port module according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows another example.

The semiconductor processing equipment of the present invention is a semiconductor processing equipment equipped with a humidity reduction device for the wafer container of the load port module of the present embodiment, and as shown in FIG. , a wafer container 120 (Front Opening Unified Pod), a fan filter unit 130 (FFU), and a wafer transfer chamber 140, and an EFEM (Equipment) equipped with a wafer container humidity reduction device of a load port module. Front End Module).

The load port module 110 (LPM) is a device that allows wafers to be transferred when opening and closing the door 111 of a wafer container 120 (FOUP) that stores wafers for semiconductor manufacturing.

When the wafer container 120 (FOUP) is attached to the stage unit, such a load port module 110 (LPM) injects nitrogen gas into the wafer container 120 to remove contaminants from the wafer container 120. This configuration prevents the wafers being discharged to the outside of the wafer container 120, placed in the wafer container 120, and transported from being damaged by contaminants.

The humidity reducing device for the wafer container of the load port module of this embodiment is provided at the front of the wafer container 120 between the wafer container 120 and the wafer transfer chamber 140, and is designed to maintain the internal humidity of the wafer container 120 at a set value. First, an outside air-blocking gas film or air curtain is formed at the entrance and exit where wafers enter and exit.

The wafer container 120 has a mounting space in which a plurality of wafers are mounted, and a door is opened so that the wafers can be taken out or stored. The wafer container 120 may be a front-opening unified pod (FOUP).

The wafer transfer chamber 140 is a space formed between the wafer container 120 in which a plurality of wafers are placed and a processing space (not shown) in which the wafers are processed in a semiconductor process. While the wafer is transferred from one processing space to another by a transfer means such as a transfer robot, the wafer is held in a clean space to minimize the adhesion of foreign matter or contaminants to the wafer.

The fan filter unit 130 is installed above the wafer transfer chamber 140, and removes molecular contaminants such as PUM and fine particles such as dust, thereby keeping the air within the wafer transfer chamber 140 clean. Typically, the air flow within the wafer transfer chamber 140 is formed from the top where the fan filter unit 130 is provided to the bottom.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the device for reducing humidity in a wafer container of a load port module according to this embodiment includes a main body part 10, an injection part 20, a blower part 30, a partition part 40, a filter part 50, and an injection part 60. In the load port module (LPM), the load port module (LPM) is provided at the front of the wafer container (FOUP), and a gas curtain or air is installed at the entrance and exit where wafers enter and exit so as to reduce the humidity in the internal space of the wafer container.・This is a humidity reduction device for the wafer container of the load port module that forms a gas barrier film such as a curtain.

In the load port module 110 (LPM), the main body part 10 is a main body member that is provided at the upper front surface of the wafer container 120 and is provided at the entrance and exit through which wafers enter and exit, and as shown in FIG. 11, a second main body 12, and a separating piece 13.

The first main body 11 is a cylindrical main body member formed in a rectangular box shape so as to vertically penetrate inside, and is provided at the upper part of the entrance and exit, and is provided between one end of the upper part of the entrance and the other end of the entrance. Of course, it is also possible to have a rectangular cylindrical member arranged in a straight line along the direction, and to allow purge gas or pure air flow from the fan filter unit 130 to flow in from the top and flow out to the bottom. be.

The second main body 12 is a cylindrical main body member formed in the shape of a rectangular box so as to be expanded in the lower part of the first main body 11 and penetrate in the vertical direction. It consists of a rectangular cylindrical member arranged in a straight line along the longitudinal direction between one end and the other end, and is injected from the upper first body 11 by a purge gas or pure air flow by the fan filter unit 130. Of course, it is also possible for the liquid to flow out to the bottom.

The separation piece 13 is a partitioning means that is provided at a distance inside the first main body 11 so as to partition the internal space of the first main body 11 into a plurality of spaces. It consists of two partition walls, a first separating piece 13a and a second separating piece 13b, so as to divide the space into three areas: one side area 11a, middle area 11b, and other side area 11c.

The first separating piece 13a is erected in one side area and the middle area of the first body 11 so as to divide the internal space of the first main body 11 into one side area and a middle area, and the second separating piece 13b is , is erected between the other side area and the middle area of the first body 11 so as to divide the internal space of the first body 11 into the other side area and the middle area.

The injection unit 20 is provided on one side of the main body 10 and is an injection means for injecting a gas such as purge gas or pure air into the interior of the main body 10, and as shown in FIG. It consists of a first injection port 21, a second injection port 22, and a third injection port 23, which are provided in three areas: one side area, a middle area, and the other side area.

The first inlet 21 is provided on the outer side of one side area of the first body 11 to inject gas into the one side area, and the second inlet 22 is provided on the outer side of the middle area of the first body 11. The third inlet 23 is provided on one of the outer sides of the other side area of the first body 11 and injects gas into the other side area.

The blower section 30 is a supply means that blows air to supply gas such as purge gas or pure air into the main body section 10, and is either provided inside the main body section 10 or connected to the outside via a communication pipe. It consists of installed ventilation means.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, such a ventilation means includes one or more first ventilation fans provided in each ventilation area divided on one side surface of the main body 10, and one or more second ventilation fans provided in each ventilation area divided in the central part of the main body 10; and one or more third ventilation fans provided in each ventilation area divided in the other side part of the main body 10. The fan is connected to each drive motor and control piece, so that the amount of air flow and air speed can be controlled individually or for each installation location.

The first blower fan is a blower means provided in each blower area divided by the partition wall 40 on one side of the first main body 11, and consists of an eleventh blower fan 31 and a twelfth blower fan 32. There is.

The eleventh blower fan 31 and the twelfth blower fan 32 are respectively provided at one end and the other end of the lower part of the one side area partitioned by the first separating piece 13a of the first main body 11. The air flow rate and air velocity can be controlled individually or for each installation site in the internal space of one side area of the air conditioner 11.

The second blower fan is a blower means provided in each blower area partitioned by the partition wall 40 at the center of the first main body 11, and includes a twenty-first blower fan 33 and a twenty-second blower fan 34.

The 21st blower fan 33 and the 22nd blower fan 34 are provided at one end and the other end of the lower part of the middle area defined by the first separation piece 13a and the second separation piece 13b of the first body 11, respectively. As a result, the amount of air blown and the air speed can be controlled individually or for each installation location in the inner space of the intermediate area of the first body 11.

The third blower fan is a blower means provided in each blower area partitioned by the partition wall 40 on the other side surface of the first main body 11, and consists of a 31st blower fan 35 and a 32nd blower fan 36. There is.

The 31st blower fan 35 and the 32nd blower fan 36 are respectively provided at one end and the other end of the lower part of the other side area partitioned by the second separation piece 13b of the first main body 11. In the internal space of the other side area of 11, the amount of air blown and the air velocity can be controlled individually or for each installation location.

The partition part 40 is a wall member provided at equal intervals inside the first body 11 of the main body part 10, and as shown in FIGS. The interior space is divided into a plurality of sections, each of which is provided with a blower fan, and the space blown by the blower fan can be individually controlled.

The partition wall portion 40 includes a first partition wall 41 and a second partition wall 42 which are divided into a plurality of parts at the lower part of one side area of the first body 11, and a plurality of partition parts which are divided at the lower part of the middle area of the first body 11. Of course, it is also possible to include a third partition wall 43, a fourth partition wall 44, and a fifth partition wall 45 that is divided into a plurality of sections at the bottom of the other side area of the first body 11.

The filter section 50 is provided between the blower section 30 and the injection section 60, and is a filtering means for filtering the gas supplied by the blower section 30, and filters impurities such as foreign matter or particulate matter contained in the gas. A filter member such as a ULPA filter or a HEPA filter is used to remove the particles.

Further, one side of the second main body 12 of the main body 10 is provided with a mechanism for opening and closing a part of the second main body 12 when replacing the filter member of the filter section 50 provided in the internal space of the second main body 12. Of course, it is possible that an opening/closing piece is provided.

The injection part 60 is provided at the lower part of the main body part 10, is provided at the lower part of the filter part 50, and uniformly disperses the gas supplied into the main body part 10 downward in a straight line, and forms a gas barrier film. It consists of dispersion means for discharging so as to form.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, this type of injection unit 60 has an end face with a honeycomb shape or a circular shape so as to inject the gas straightly and evenly into the upper part of the entrance and exit of the wafer container. Preferably, it consists of a distribution tube with a plurality of distribution holes formed therein.

Such a distribution pipe consists of a first distribution pipe 61 whose punched (perforated) end face is formed in a circular shape, or a second distribution pipe 62 whose punched (perforated) end face is formed in a honeycomb shape. Of course, it is possible that the

The discharge part 70 is provided at the lower part of the main body part 10, and is a discharge means for discharging the gas injected by the injection part 60. The discharge part 70 is provided in the lower part of the main body part 10 and is opened.

As explained above, according to the present invention, in the load port module, the main body, the blower, the partition, and the injection part are provided on the front surface of the wafer container, and a gas film is formed at the entrance and exit of the wafer container. A blocking gas film is formed at the entrance and exit of the container to block the inflow of outside air and provide the effect of reducing the humidity of the wafer container.

In addition, by providing the first body, the second body, and the separating piece as the main body, the gas injected by the injection part is distributed into one side area, the middle area, and the other side area at the upper part of the main body part. In addition to improving distribution and injection properties, the present invention provides the effect of forming multiple gas films to reduce interference caused by air flow in the wafer transfer chamber and forming an outside air blocking gas film.

Furthermore, by equipping multiple fans as the ventilation unit and controlling the air volume of each fan individually using the control unit, the air volume can be finely controlled for each area at the top of the entrance and exit to maintain the gas film. The present invention provides the effect of improving the gas film and maintaining the gas film uniformly in each region.

In addition, by equipping the injection section with a distribution pipe in which the end faces of multiple through holes are formed in a circular or honeycomb shape, the gas can be evenly distributed and injected into the upper part of the entrance and exit to form an even gas film. Provides an effect that can be maintained.

Furthermore, by further providing a filter section between the blower section and the injection section, the gas supplied by the blower section is filtered, and impurities such as foreign matter and particulate matter contained in the air are filtered out. and the injection unit provide the effect of preventing contamination of the distributed gas and improving the yield of the wafer container.

The invention described above can be implemented in various other forms without departing from its technical idea or main characteristics. Therefore, the above embodiments are merely illustrative in all respects and should not be construed as limiting.

10 Main body part 20 Injection part 30 Air blowing part 40 Partition part 50 Filter part 60 Injection part 70 Discharge part

Claims (7)

A humidity reducing device for a wafer container of a load port module, which is provided on the front side of the wafer container in the load port module, and forms a barrier film at an entrance/exit where wafers enter and exit so as to reduce the humidity of the wafer container.
a main body provided at the upper front of the wafer container;
an injection part provided on one side of the main body and for injecting gas;
an air blower that blows air to supply gas into the main body;
a partition wall section provided at a distance inside the air blowing section and dividing the air blowing area of the air blowing section into a plurality of sections;
an injection unit provided at a lower part of the main body, which uniformly disperses the gas supplied into the main body in a downward straight direction and discharges the gas so as to form a gas film ;
The main body portion is
a first body formed in a vertically cylindrical shape;
a second body formed in a vertically cylindrical shape and expanded below the first body;
a separation piece provided spaced apart inside the first body and partitioning the internal space of the first body into a plurality of pieces;
The humidity of the wafer container of the load port module is characterized in that the injection part is provided with a plurality of injection ports so as to inject gas into the plurality of internal spaces defined by the separation pieces of the first main body. Reduction device. 2. The load port module according to claim 1, wherein the air blowing section includes air blowing means provided inside the main body in a plurality of air blowing areas divided by the partition wall. Wafer container humidity reduction device. The air blowing means is
a first ventilation fan provided in each ventilation area partitioned on one side surface of the main body;
a second ventilation fan provided in each ventilation area divided in the central portion of the main body;
3. The device for reducing humidity in a wafer container of a load port module according to claim 2 , further comprising: a third blower fan provided in each blower zone defined on the other side surface of the main body. 3. The device for reducing humidity in a wafer container of a load port module according to claim 2 , wherein the blowing means includes blowing fans whose wind speeds are individually controlled. The injection unit is configured of a distribution pipe having a plurality of through holes with end surfaces formed in a honeycomb shape or a circular shape so as to uniformly distribute and inject the gas into the upper part of the inlet/outlet in a straight line. The device for reducing humidity in a wafer container of a load port module according to claim 1. The humidity of the wafer container of the load port module according to claim 1, further comprising a filter section that is provided between the blower section and the injection section and filters the gas supplied by the blower section. Reduction device. A semiconductor processing device comprising the device for reducing humidity of a wafer container of a load port module according to claim 1.