JPH0298136A - Sample base mounting and demounting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable immediate replacement of a sample base without leaving it cool by providing a mounting and demounting unit on an arm and providing a plurality of rotatable chuck claws on the forward end of the unit. CONSTITUTION:A sample mounting and demounting device 1 is formed of an arm 3 and a mounting and demounting unit 5 provided on the extremity of the arm 3. The arm 3 is capable of moving upwardly and downwardly, rotatably, and forwardly and backwardly, and the unit 5 is provided with chuck claws 7 each having an L-shaped extrimity. A plurality of chuck claws 7 are provided rotatably, and are curved in its horizontal 15 with a curvature equal to that of the sample base, and the lower end surfaces thereof are R-processed. Thus, the replacement of the sample base can immediately be carried out without leaving it cool, and the preparation is completed only by mounting a preheated sample base. Moreover, the throughput in the film formation work by a CVD device adjacent the outside can be improved.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a sample stage attaching/detaching device for exchanging a sample stage of a CVD apparatus. More specifically, the present invention relates to a sample stage attachment/detachment device that can significantly improve throughput.

[Prior Art] Chemical vapor deposition (CVD:
Chemical Vapor Depositio
There is n). CVD refers to turning a gaseous substance into a solid substance through a chemical reaction and depositing it on a substrate.

Characteristics of CVD are that various thin films can be obtained at deposition temperatures considerably lower than the melting point of the thin film to be grown;
The grown thin film has a high purity, and its electrical characteristics are stable even when grown on Si or a thermal oxide film on Si, so it is widely used as a padding film on semiconductor surfaces.

Thin film formation by CVD is performed, for example, by supplying a reactive gas (for example, s i H4+02. or S i H4+PH3+02) to a wafer heated to about 500°C. The reaction gas described in Section 1 is blown onto the wafer in the reactor to form a thin film of 5i02 or phosphosilicate glass (PSG) on the surface of the wafer. Also s S
Two-layer film formation of i02 and PSG may be performed.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] As methods for forming CVD films, there are a batch method in which a film is formed on a large number of silicon wafers at a time, and a single-wafer method in which a film is formed on each wafer.

In either type of equipment, CVDM is performed on the wafer sample stage.
: When the film is formed to a total thickness of about 40 μm, the sample stage must be replaced with a clean one in order to remove the flakes and oxide film attached to the sample stage. If you continue to use a sample stage with flakes and oxide film stuck to them, they will stick to the wafer surface, causing pinholes and reducing the uniformity of the film thickness distribution. However, the sample stage is 400℃
Since the sample stage is heated to a temperature close to that of
Unless the F is lowered to a low value for a few minutes, it will not be possible to replace the sample stage using the insert.

Furthermore, when replacing the sample stand with a new one, the film forming operation cannot be started unless the sample stand is heated to an appropriate temperature for film formation. Although it depends on the size of the sample stage and the capacity M of the reactor, approximately one hour is required for this preheating.

As described above, the cooling and preheating required when replacing the sample stage has been a major cause of reducing throughput.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a sample stand attachment/detachment device that does not require cooling or preheating the sample stand when replacing the sample stand.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, in the present invention, a sample stage attachment/detachment unit is attached to the tip of an arm that can rotate, move up and down, and move back and forth, and the sample stage (Yt detachment unit) The tip is L
1. A sample stage attaching/detaching device characterized in that a plurality of chuck claws each having a letter shape are provided, and the chuck claws are configured to be rotatable.

The underwater part of the L-shaped chuck jaw is curved six times with a curvature that is approximately the same as the outer peripheral curved surface of the sample stage, and the F end surface of the horizontal part is R.
Preferably, it is processed.

The sample stage attaching/detaching device of the present invention is preferably used for replacing the sample stage of a CVD apparatus.

[Function] As described above, according to the sample stand attachment/detachment device of the present invention, the sample stand can be replaced immediately without allowing the sample stand to cool.

Therefore, it is necessary to turn off the power to the thermal heater for heating the sample stage,
There is no need to restart the system. When the cleaned sample stage, which has been heated to 1000 P, is installed in the reactor, the necessary preparations for starting the film-forming process are completed.

Thus, according to the sample stage attaching/detaching device of the present invention, the throughput of CVD film forming operations can be significantly increased.

[Embodiment 1] Hereinafter, an example of the sample stage attaching/detaching device of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a partial schematic perspective view of the sample stage attachment/detachment device of the present invention.

The sample stage attachment/detachment device 1 has an arm 3 and an attachment/detachment unit 5 attached to the tip of this arm. Although not shown, the end of the arm 3 is connected to an X-Y-Z-0 table in order to enable the arm 3 to advance, move up and down, move forward and backward, and rotate.

Three chuck claws 7 each having an oval-shaped tip are arranged on the lower surface of the detachable unit. The number of claws may be four or five. Necessary for stably holding the sample stage
It is sufficient if the number is +/-.

- In the CVD apparatus for boat fishing, as shown in FIG. 2, a heater cover 9 is disposed adjacent to the sample stage 9. There is a gap 13 with a width of about 2 to 3 meters between the heater cover 11 and the sample stage 9.

The L-shaped tip 15 of the chuck claw 7 is inserted into the lower side of the sample stage 9 through the gap 13.

In order to make it easier for the L-shaped tip 15 of the chuck claw 7 to penetrate the gap 13, the inside of the horizontal portion 17 of the L-shaped tip is curved to match the outer diameter of the sample stage 9, as shown in FIG. It is preferable. Further, for the same reason, it is preferable that the lower corner of the horizontal portion 17 at the tip of the L-shape is rounded.

To direct the leading edge of the horizontal portion 17 of the L-shaped tip of the chuck jaw 7 inward in the radial direction of the sample stage 9, for example, the fourth
As shown in the figure, a gear 20 having an appropriate number of teeth is fixed to the end of the chuck jaw, and is engaged with a drive gear 22 for rotating each gear of the chuck jaw. Drive gear 22 is attached to motor 25. Another gear 27 for controlling the rotation speed may be interposed between the drive gear 22 and the individual gear 20 of the chuck claw. The chuck jaws can also be rotated by a method other than a gear (for example, a rank and pinion or a cam mechanism only). Such rotation mechanisms are well known to those skilled in the art.

Although the chuck claws may be rotated 360 degrees, the object of the present invention can be achieved even if the chuck claws are rotated only 90 degrees. In other words, if the state in which the sample stage 9 is not held is 0 degrees, it will be rotated 90 degrees to hold the sample stage 9, and when the sample stage 9 is completely attached and removed, it will be rotated 90 degrees to the original 0 degree state. Just reverse it and restore it.

The sample stage attaching/detaching device of the present invention can be used not only in a CVD apparatus in which a bell jar is fully opened, but also in a CVD apparatus in which wafers are taken in and out through a gate. In any type of apparatus, the sample stage attachment/detachment device of the present invention is used by being placed at an appropriate position adjacent to the outside of the CVD apparatus.

It is particularly preferable to use the sample stage attaching/detaching device of the present invention in combination with a cleaned sample stage P heating device.

Although the explanation has focused on the sample stage attachment/detachment device for CVD equipment in the following, the sample stage attachment/detachment device of the present invention can also be applied to other gas phase reaction devices other than CVD equipment that use the sample stage by heating. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that it can be used.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained below in 1-1, according to the sample stand (Yt desorption device) of the present invention, the sample stand can be replaced immediately in a high temperature state without having to let the sample stand cool. .

Therefore, it is necessary to turn off the power to the thermal heater for heating the sample stage,
1τ■) There is no need to perform “f”-cutting. If the cleaned sample stage, which has been preheated to 100%, is installed in the reactor, the necessary preparations for starting the film-forming process are completed.

Thus, according to the sample stage R removal apparatus of the present invention, the throughput of the CVr) film forming operation can be greatly improved.

[Brief Description of the Drawings] Fig. 1 is a partial schematic perspective view of the sample stage attachment/detachment device of the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a partial 1i-plane view showing the arrangement relationship between the sample stage and heater cover of the CVD apparatus. FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial perspective view of the chuck jaw inserted into the gap between the sample stage and the heater cover along the outer peripheral side wall surface of the sample stage, and FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial perspective view of the rotation mechanism of the chuck jaw. It is a schematic diagram showing an example of -. 1... Sample stage attachment/detachment device of the present invention, 3... Arm. 5... a removal unit, 7... chuck claw, 15...
・L'? Shaped tip end portion 7...water 1J, surface portion.

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) A sample stage attachment/detachment unit is attached to the tip of an arm that can be rotated, raised and lowered, and moved back and forth, and the sample stage attachment/detachment unit is provided with a plurality of chuck claws each having an L-shaped tip. A sample stage attachment/detachment device characterized in that a claw is configured to be rotatable. (2) The sample according to claim 1, wherein the horizontal portion of the L-shaped chuck claw is curved to approximately the same curvature as the outer peripheral curved surface of the sample stage, and the lower end surface of the horizontal portion is rounded. Table attachment/detachment device. (3) The sample stage attachment/detachment device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sample stage attachment/detachment device is arranged adjacent to the outside of the CVD apparatus.