JPH03244121A - Vertical type furnace - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable elimination of recovery and supply standby of device wafer cassettes by providing a buffer cassette rack that momentarily stores the cassettes for a next batch, etc., a transfer cassette rack, and a cassettes transfer mechanism. CONSTITUTION:A furnace body 1 incorporates a cassette rack 3 that can move the wafer transfer cassette right- and left-ward, a buffer cassette 2 rack that momentarily stores a next batch, etc., and a cassette transfer mechanism (robot) 4 that transfers cassettes between the furnace body exterior and the racks 2, 3. A part of the rack 2 stores next buffer cassettes by means of the robot 4 during treatment of the wafers in the cassette on the rack 3 side. The next step is to transfer cassettes containing treated wafers to another part of the rack 2 upon the end of treatment, to treat wafers after transfer of a next batch cassette from the rack 2 to the rack 3, and to recover and supply cassettes during wafer treatment by means of the robot 4. This process dispenses with deadtime due to recovery and standby supply of device cassettes without increases in the number of robots 4 and can improve the operation factor of devices.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a vertical furnace in semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and particularly to a method for efficiently transporting cassettes between the vertical furnace and an external cassette transport robot. Regarding vertical furnaces that can be used.

[Conventional technology and its issues]

Conventional vertical furnaces have a structure in which a cassette shelf that can accommodate only one batch of cassettes is provided in one furnace body, so after the wafers in the cassettes have been processed, the cassettes are transported outside the furnace body and then It is necessary to carry the cassettes for the next loft from outside the furnace body to the cassette shelf inside the furnace body.

In recent years, due to factory automation, the loading and unloading of cassettes into and out of cassette shelves has been carried out by cassette transport robots, etc. However, due to limitations on the speed at which cassettes can be transported by cassette transport robots, etc., clean rooms with many semiconductor manufacturing equipment In order to efficiently operate the device, a large number of cassette transport robots are required, and there are also problems in that the number of cassette stockers installed outside the device for storing cassettes increases or the capacity of the cassette stocker increases.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the vertical furnace of the present invention has a movable cassette shelf 3 for storing cassettes for transporting wafers in the furnace body l and a buffer for temporarily storing cassettes for the next batch, etc., as shown in the figure. A cassette transport mechanism 4 that transports cassettes between the cassette shelf 2, the outside of the furnace body, and the two shelves 2.3.
This is a configuration in which the following is provided.

[For production]

Since the vertical furnace of the present invention has such a configuration, while the wafers in the cassettes on the movable cassette shelf 3 are being processed, the cassette transfer mechanism 4 transfers the next batch of cassettes to a part of the buffer cassette shelf 2. Store it in. At the end of processing, the cassette containing the processed wafer is transported to another part of the buffer cassette shelf 2, and the cassette for the next batch is transported from the buffer cassette shelf 2 to the movable cassette shelf 3, after which the wafers are processed. By using the cassette transport mechanism 4 to collect and supply cassettes during this time, it is possible to eliminate the need for the apparatus to wait for collection and supply of wafer cassettes.

〔Example〕

The present invention will be explained in detail below with reference to the drawings.

The drawing is an explanatory perspective view showing the configuration of an embodiment of the vertical furnace of the present invention. This embodiment includes a movable cassette shelf 3 that can move cassettes for wafer transfer in the left and right direction in the furnace body l, and a temporary A fixed buffer cassette shelf 2 for storing cassettes for the next batch, etc., and a cassette transport robot 4 for transporting cassettes between the outside of the furnace body and the two shelves 2.3 are provided.

Since this embodiment has the above-described configuration, while the wafers in the cassettes on the movable cassette shelf 3 side are being processed, the cassette transfer robot 4 transfers the next batch of cassettes to a part of the buffer cassette shelf 2. Store it away. At the end of processing, the cassette containing the processed wafers is transported to another part of the buffer cassette shelf 2, and the cassette for the next batch is transported from the buffer cassette shelf 2 to the moving cassette shelf 3.
Performs wafer processing. By having the cassette transfer robot 4 collect and supply cassettes during this time, it is possible to eliminate the need for the apparatus to wait for collection and supply of wafer cassettes.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, the furnace body 1 includes a movable cassette shelf 3 that stores cassettes for transporting wafers and a buffer cassette shelf 2 that temporarily stores cassettes for the next batch, etc.
Since the structure includes a cassette transport mechanism 4 that transports cassettes between the outside of the furnace body and between the two shelves 2 and 3, the cassette collection of the device can be easily performed without increasing the number of external cassette transport robots. , it becomes possible to eliminate downtime due to waiting for supply, and it is possible to improve the operating rate of the device.

In addition, since the number of cassette transport mechanisms 4 and the number or capacity of cassette stockers to be installed outside the device can be reduced, costs can be reduced accordingly, operational software can be easily developed, and factory automation can be easily achieved. can be related.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawing is an explanatory perspective view showing the configuration of an embodiment of the vertical furnace of the present invention. 1... Furnace body, 2... Buffer cassette shelf, 3... Moving cassette shelf, 4... Cassette transport mechanism (robot).

Claims (1)

[Claims] A movable cassette shelf (3) that stores cassettes for wafer transfer inside the furnace body (1), a buffer cassette shelf (2) that temporarily stores cassettes for the next batch, etc. A vertical furnace equipped with a cassette transport mechanism (4) that transports cassettes between shelves (2, 3).