JPH04157751A - Wafer transport device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To eliminate the need for a clamrer by providing a wafer retainirg part which buries positive and negative electrodes which face each other and sucks the wafer electrostatically with Coulomb force and a transport fork which has a terminal for applying voltage to the electrode of the wafer-retaining part and carries the wafer along with the wafer-retaining part. CONSTITUTION:A wafer 3 is subjected to vacuum suction with a transport fork 2 which has a vacuum discharge pipe 1 and then it is carried to a wafer-retention part 5 which is on a second transport fork 4. Voltage is applied from a terminal 8 which is provided at the second transport fork 4 and is connected to a power supply 7 to an electrode 6 which is buried to the wafer-retention part 5, thus enabling the wafer 3 to be electrostatically sucked to the wafer-retention part 5. The second transport fork 4 carries the wafer 3 and the wafer-retention part 5 to a spare chamber 9, lifts a wafer pad 11 with a cylinder 10 and then receives the wafer 3 and the wafer- retention part 5, and then turns the spare chamber 9 into vacuum. When a second cylinder 14 is lowered, a second wafer pad 15 is also lowered by a force of a spring 16 and a nib 18 is inserted into a groove of the wafer-retention part 5 with a force of a second spring 17, thus enabling the wafer-retention part 5 and a wafer-supporting stand 13 to be fixed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a wafer transport device used in semiconductor manufacturing equipment.

[Conventional technology]

The operating procedure of a conventionally commonly used wafer transfer device will be explained using the cross-sectional views of FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b). In the atmosphere, as shown in Figure (a), there is a vacuum exhaust pipe 1 for sucking the wafer 3 and a transport fork 2 for transporting the sucked wafer 3, and in a vacuum, as shown in Figure (b). , a wafer support stand 13 that supports the wafer 3 from the back side, a clamper 20 that holds the wafer 3 from the front side by the force of a spring 16, and a wafer receiver 11 and a cylinder 10 that move the clamper 20 up and down when the wafer 3 is transported.

In the atmosphere, each time the wafer 3 is transferred from a certain position to a predetermined position, the transfer fork 2 is moved to a certain position, the inside of the vacuum exhaust pipe l is evacuated, the wafer 3 is adsorbed, and the wafer 3 is transferred to the predetermined position. do.

In a vacuum, the wafer 3 is placed between the wafer support stand 13 and the clamper 20 while the wafer receiver 11 is raised, and then the wafer receiver 11 is lowered and the wafer 3 is held by the force of the spring 16.

Wafer transportation within the LSI manufacturing apparatus is achieved through the steps described above.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

In this conventional wafer transport device, since the wafer is transported by a plurality of transport forks, particles are generated from the contact surface, and the contact surface is also contaminated, which adversely affects the devices. Furthermore, in the processing chamber, since the outer periphery of the wafer surface is held down by a ring-shaped clamper, there are problems in that particles adhere not only to the back surface but also to the wafer surface, and contamination occurs from the contact surface.

[Means to solve the problem]

The wafer transfer device of the present invention is equipped with a wafer holder that has opposing positive and negative electrodes buried therein and electrostatically attracts the wafer using Coulomb force, and a terminal that applies a voltage to the electrodes of the wafer holder. It is equipped with a transport fork that transports the entire wafer holding section.

〔Example〕

Next, the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a plan sectional view illustrating the operating procedure of a wafer transfer device according to an embodiment of the present invention. ...(Ta, Figure 2(a)
), (b), '(C), and (d) are A in Figure 1, respectively.
, B, C, and D are longitudinal cross-sectional views showing the structure of portions.

In part A of FIG. 1, that is, FIG. 2(a), a wafer 3 is vacuum-adsorbed by a transport fork 2 equipped with a vacuum exhaust pipe 1, and is transported to a wafer holding section 5 previously placed on a second transport fork 4. . A second electrode 6 embedded in the wafer holding part 5 made of an insulating material is connected to a power source 7.
A voltage is applied from a terminal 8 provided on the transport fork 4, and the wafer 3 is electrostatically attracted to the wafer holder 5.

Next, the second transport fork 4 transports the wafer 3 and the wafer holder 5 to the preliminary chamber 9, and transfers the wafer 3 and the wafer holder 5 to the B section in FIG.
As shown in b), the wafer receiver 1 is placed in the cylinder 10.
1 is raised and the wafer 3 and wafer holding part 5 are received, and then the preparatory chamber 9 is evacuated.

From the vacuumed preliminary chamber 9, the third transfer fork 12 in vacuum picks up the wafer 3 and wafer holder 5 placed on the wafer receiver 11 and transports them to the processing chamber 21.

In the processing chamber 21, as shown in section 6 in FIG. 1, that is, in FIG. Next, when the second cylinder 14 is lowered, the second wafer receiver 15 is also lowered by the force of the spring 16, and as shown in section D in FIG. 18 is inserted into the groove of the wafer holder 5, and the wafer holder 5 and the wafer support stand 13 are fixed.

Further, a voltage is applied to the electrodes of the wafer holder 5 from a second terminal 19 connected to the power source 7, and the wafer 3 is electrostatically attracted to the wafer holder 5.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, in the present invention, by transporting the wafer together with the wafer holding part while holding the wafer, the number of times the transport arm and the back surface of the wafer come into contact is only once, and a clamper is not required, so that the wafer surface is It does not come into contact with anything, and has the effect of minimizing particles generated from the contact surface between the wafer and the transport fork, as well as minimizing contamination from the contact surface.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a plan sectional view explaining the operation of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 2(a), (b), and (c). 3(d) is a vertical sectional view showing the structure of sections A, B, C, and D in FIG. 1, respectively, and FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b) are vertical sectional views showing a conventional wafer transfer device. 1... Vacuum exhaust pipe, 2... Transport fork, 3...
Wafer, 4... Second transport fork, 5... Wafer holding section, 6... Electrode, 7... Power supply, 8... Terminal, 9... Preliminary chamber, 10... Cylinder, 11...
Wafer receiver, 12...Third transfer fork, 13...
・Wafer support stand, 14...Second cylinder, 15・
...Second wafer receiver, 16...Spring, 17.
...Second spring, 18...Claw, 19...Second terminal, 20...Clamper, 21...Processing chamber.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A wafer holder that has opposing positive and negative electrodes buried therein and electrostatically attracts the wafer using Coulomb force, and a transport fork that is equipped with a terminal that applies voltage to the electrodes of the wafer holder and that transports the wafer together with the wafer holder. A wafer transport device comprising: