JPH0237742A - Semiconductor device manufacturing equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To shorten time required for conveying a wafer and improve the processing capacity of equipment for manufacturing semiconductor devices by providing a plurality of air lock chambers which make it possible to perform a simultaneous processing. CONSTITUTION:When the ascent of respective stages is complete, the first and second air lock chambers 8 and 9 are allowed to rise and an etched wafer 11 is taken out from the second air lock stage 3 to an unload cassette 7. Then, an unetched new wafer is delivered from a loaded cassette 6 to the first air lock stage 2 and further, etching sets in at an etching chamber 10. Two sheets of wafers are thus processed simultaneously at a branching robot arm 5 and then, this approach improves its processing capacity still more.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing semiconductor devices, and in particular, to a method for carrying a semiconductor wafer into a vacuum processing chamber such as a dry etching chamber,
The present invention also relates to an apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor device in which the means for transporting the device from the semiconductor device is provided with a shell.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, as shown in FIG. 3, this type of semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus includes an etching stage 1 in a transfer chamber 4.
, aerodynamic stage 2o, transfer stage 1
3 and a robot arm for 5 minutes that can move between each stage, and a load cassette 6 and an unload cassette 7 are provided outside the transfer chamber 4. In addition, etching stage 1 and aerodynamic stage 2
0, respectively, and the closed space ('P
Equipped with a removable etching chamber and an aerodynamic chamber. In this device, the work is carried out as follows.

■ The etched wafer is transferred from etching stage 1 to transfer stage 1 by robot arm 5.
3. ■ Transfer the wafer previously supplied onto the aerodynamic stage 2o to the etching stage 1 by the robot arm 5. ■ Transfer the wafer on the transfer stage 13 to the aerodynamic stage 20 by the robot arm 5. ■ The wafers on the airlock stage 20 are transferred to the unload cassette 7 by a transfer means (not shown). (2) The wafers in the load cassette 6 are transferred to the airlock stage 20 by the transfer means (not shown).

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] As described above, the conventional semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus has only one air section for loading and unloading wafers between the atmosphere and the vacuum chamber. The transport mechanism for this is: ■ The etched wafer had to be transferred from the etching stage to the transfer stage; the unetched wafer had to be transferred from the airlock stage to the etching stage; ■ The etching stage had to be transferred from the airlock stage to the etching stage Because etched wafers had to be transferred to the unload cassette, and unetched wafers had to be transferred from the load cassette to the aerodynamic stage, it took time to load and unetch wafers, and the processing capacity of the equipment was reduced. had become an obstacle to improving the

c. Means for Solving Problems] The semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus of the present invention includes a load cassette;
An airlock chamber for carrying in, a vacuum processing chamber, an airlock chamber for carrying out, and an unloading force set I are arranged in this order, and when each cassette or each chamber is opened, a wafer is transferred from the previous stage to the next stage. The system is equipped with a transport means that allows unprocessed wafers to be transported into the vacuum processing chamber immediately after unprocessed wafers are transported from the vacuum processing chamber. It has a configuration that allows wafers to be loaded and unloaded from the unloading airlock chamber at the same time.

[Example] Next, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

The first (2ff) shows an embodiment of the present invention, (a) is a top view thereof, (b) is a front view thereof, (c) is a side view thereof, and (d) is an explanation of its operation. In Fig. 1, the same parts as in Fig. 3 are given the same numbers.In Fig. 1, unlike the conventional example shown in Fig. 3, the first airlock A stage 2 and a second aerodynamic stage 3 are provided.Five etching chambers 10 are provided on the etching stage 1, and on the first and second aerodynamic stages 2.3, Each stage 1.2.3 is provided with a first and second aerodynamic chamber 8.9.When receiving and transferring wafers between each stage and the robot arm 5, It descends inside the transfer chamber as shown by the dotted line.Also,
When carrying a wafer from the load cassette 6 to the first airlock chamber 8 or when carrying out the wafer from the second airlock chamber 9 to the unloading cassette 7.

Each aerodynamic chamber rises as shown by the dotted line in the figure. The transfer chamber 4 is always kept empty, and the load cassette 6 and unload cassette 7 exist in the atmosphere.

Although not shown, three or more pins are actually installed on each stage, and the wafer is supported by these pins.

The apparatus of this embodiment operates as follows.

■ After the etching work is completed, the etching stage 1 descends and passes the etched wafer to the robot arm 5, which passes the wafer to the descending second aerodynamic stage 3, which receives and picks up the wafer. The robot arm 5 picks up the unetched wafer from the lowered first aerodynamic stage 2 and transfers it to the etching stage 1. Etching stage 1 and air port stage 2 are raised.

(The second airlock chamber 9 rises, and at this time the vacuum in this chamber is broken), and the etched wafer is transferred from the second airlock stage 3 to the unload cassette 7 by a transfer means (not shown, for example, a belt conveyor). .

The second aerodynamic chamber 9 is lowered and the chamber is evacuated again.

(The first aerodynamic chamber 8 rises and the vacuum in this chamber is broken), and a new wafer is transferred from the load cassette 6 to the first aerodynamic stage 2 by a transfer device (not shown).
Transport to. The first aerodynamic chamber 8 is lowered and the chamber is evacuated again.

Of the above steps, ■ and ■ or ■ and ■ are
Each can be run simultaneously.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 2, the same parts as in FIG. 1 are given the same numbers. In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the robot arm 5' has three branches of 120° each;
At each branch, wafers can be transferred.

Next, the operation of this embodiment device is shown in FIG. 2 (a>(b),
This will be explained with reference to (c).

(a): This figure shows a state in which each stage has been raised, and etching is being performed in the etching chamber, and an unetched wafer is being transferred from the load cassette 6 onto the first aerodynamic stage 2. It has been imported. In this standby state, the robot arm 5' is in a state in which each branch closes an intermediate position between each stage.

(b); This figure shows a state in which each stage has descended after etching has been completed. In this state, the etched wafer 11 is transferred from etching stage 1, and the unetched wafer 12 is transferred from etching stage 1 to etching stage 1. The first aerodynamic stages 2 are each transferred to a robot arm 5'.

(C): In this figure, the robot arm 5' rotates 120 degrees from the state shown in figure (b), and the robot arm 5' transfers the unetched wafer 12 to the etching stage 1 and the etched wafer 11. The state g3 shown in FIG. From this state, the robot arm 5' rotates approximately 60 degrees and each stage rises. At the end of each stage, the first
, the second airlock chamber is raised, and the etched wafers 11 are carried out from the second airlock stage 3 to the unload cassette 7, and new unetched wafers are transferred from the load cassette 6 to the unload cassette 7. 1 is transferred to the aerodynamic stage 2, and etching is started in the etching chamber, resulting in the state shown in Figure La).

According to this embodiment, two wafers can be handled at the same time by the three-branched robot arm, so that the waste processing capacity can be improved compared to the previous embodiment. Also, in this embodiment, the drive system of the robot arm can be made simple.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, the present invention can shorten the time required to transport one wafer by providing a plurality of air chambers that can perform simultaneous processing, thereby increasing the throughput of semiconductor device manufacturing equipment. can be improved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIGS. 1(a) to (d) and FIGS. 2(a) to (c) each show an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 shows a conventional example. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Etching stage, 2...First aerodynamic stage, 3...Second aerodynamic stage, 4.
...Transfer room, 5...Robot arm, 6
... Load cassette, 7... Unload cassette 8... First airlock chamber, 9... Second airlock chamber, 10... Etching chamber, 11... Etched wafer, 12... Unetched wafer.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A load cassette, a carry-in airlock chamber, a vacuum processing chamber, a carry-out airlock chamber, and an unload cassette are arranged in this order, and between the load cassette and the carry-in airlock chamber, the There are spaces between the carry-in airlock chamber and the vacuum processing chamber, between the vacuum processing chamber and the carry-out airlock chamber, and between the carry-out airlock chamber and the unload cassette, from the former to the latter. A semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus characterized by being provided with a transport means capable of transporting a wafer.