JPH053187A - Wafer cleaning device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable a wafer cleaning device to be lessened in size and enhanced in throughput by a method wherein a cleaning path is formed into a circle, and a transfer robot is made to rotate around the center axis of the circle. CONSTITUTION:A loader/unloader 1, a first chemical liquid processing tank 2a, a first pure water tank 3a, a second chemical liquid processing tank 2b, a second pure water tank 3b, a third pure water tank 3c, a chuck cleaning section 4, and a dryer 5 are arranged on a circle to form a circular cleaning path 14. A transfer robot drive section 6 is arranged at the center of the circular cleaning path 14, and a transfer robot is driven by the transfer robot drive section 6. The transfer robot 7 is capable of moving vertically and pivots on the cleaning path 14 holding a wafer carrier with a chuck 8 located at the tip of the robot 7. By this setup, a wafer cleaning device of this design can be lessened in useless space, narrowed in occupied area, and enhanced in throughput as it can dispense with a return action.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a wafer cleaning apparatus, and more particularly to a wafer cleaning apparatus for cleaning a wafer with at least a chemical solution and rinsing with pure water.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Cleaning of semiconductor wafers is an essential step in the manufacture of semiconductor devices, and conventionally, a wafer cleaning apparatus as shown in FIG. 5 has been often used for the cleaning. The wafer cleaning device includes a loader, a chuck cleaning unit,
The chemical treatment tank, the pure water tank, the chemical treatment tank, the pure water tank, the pure water tank, the chuck cleaning section, the dryer, and the unloader section are arranged in a straight line. That is, the cleaning path was provided on a straight line.

Since the loader section and the unloader section are separated from each other in this wafer cleaning apparatus, the carrier turn path for returning the wafer carrier a, which has been capable of carrying the semiconductor wafer in the unloader section, to the loader section, and the wafer carrier a. Keep,
Since a stocker to stand by is required, there is a problem that the area occupied by the device is large and the weight is heavy. Further, the distance between the loader section and the unloader section has been a factor that hinders smooth flow of the semiconductor wafer. Further, the fact that there are two transfer robots (robot a and robot b) for transferring the semiconductor wafer using the carrier a further complicates the apparatus, which causes a weight increase. b and c are transfer arms of each transfer robot.

Therefore, it has been proposed by JP-A-62-291939 to dispose the loader section and the unloader section in one place. In this way, if the loader section and the unloader section are gathered in one place, the total length of the wafer cleaning apparatus can be shortened as compared with the case where they are separately arranged, and further, the return path of the wafer carrier a and the stocker are not required. The occupied area can be reduced and the weight can be reduced. Then, the flow of the semiconductor wafer can be made smooth.

[0005]

By the way, JP-A-62-62
The wafer cleaning apparatus having the loader section and the unloader section arranged in the same place as shown in Japanese Patent No. 2991939 also has a problem. First, chemical treatment tank, pure water tank, dryer,
Since the loader / unloader section is arranged in a straight line, it cannot be said that the moving distance of the transfer robot is still short.
It is difficult to reduce the occupied area. In addition, the drive unit of the transfer robot, which is the place where dust is generated, which is the enemy of the semiconductor device, extends over substantially the entire length of the wafer cleaning device. Therefore, it is difficult to reduce the degree of contamination by dust. Next, since the cleaning path is straight, the return operation is required for the transfer robot, which becomes a factor that hinders improvement in throughput, and it is difficult to provide variations in the processing order and the like. Further, since the cleaning path is a straight line, each supply point of the chemical solution supply path, the power supply path (electric wire), the pure water supply path, and the gas N ₂ supply path for cleaning the atmosphere must be scattered on a straight line. The complexity of the device and the length of the maintenance zone remained, and the utility connection was complicated.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and it occupies a small area of the device and reduces the weight.
The purpose is to improve throughput, reduce dust, and simplify utility connection.

[0007]

A wafer cleaning apparatus of the present invention is characterized in that a cleaning path is formed on a circle and a transfer robot is rotated about its center.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The wafer cleaning apparatus of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the illustrated embodiments. 1A and 1B show one embodiment of the wafer cleaning apparatus of the present invention, in which FIG. 1A is a plan view and FIG. 1B is a longitudinal sectional view. In the drawing, reference numeral 1 denotes a loader / unloader section which receives a semiconductor wafer to be cleaned from the outside and sends out the cleaned semiconductor wafer. Reference numeral 2a is a first chemical liquid treatment tank, and 3a is a first pure water tank for performing a rinse treatment. 2b is a first chemical treatment tank, 3b is a second pure water tank, 3c is a third pure water tank,
A check cleaning unit 4 cleans a chuck that holds a wafer carrier that accommodates a large number of semiconductor wafers. A dryer 5 dries the semiconductor wafer that has undergone chemical cleaning and rinsing.

These 1 to 5, that is, the loader / unloader section 1, the first chemical liquid treatment tank 2a, the first pure water tank 3a, the first
Chemical treatment tank 2b, second pure water tank 3b, third pure water tank 3
c, the chuck cleaning unit 4 and the dryer 5 are arranged on one circle, and form a circular cleaning path 14.

A transfer robot drive unit 6 is arranged at the center of the circular cleaning path 14, and the transfer robot 7 is driven by the transfer robot drive unit 6. The transfer robot 7
Is movable up and down, and the chuck 8 at the front end grasps the wafer carrier and rotates it on the cleaning path 14. The wafer carrier 9 containing the wafer is moved by a combination of the vertical movement and the rotation operation. , A loader / unloader unit 1 carries it to the first chemical liquid treatment tank 2a, soaks it therein, then pulls it up, carries it to the first pure water tank 3a, and soaks it in a certain sequence. Can be performed sequentially.

Reference numeral 10 is a drain line, 11 is a chemical supply line, and 12 is an exhaust line. In this wafer cleaning apparatus, utilities such as chemical solution supply, pure water supply, and electric power supply are supplied to each part of the cleaning path 14 from the center side (inner side) of the circular cleaning path. Also,
Exhaust gas and drainage liquid are discharged from each part of the cleaning path toward the central part thereof. A nitrogen gas supply unit 13 supplies nitrogen gas from above in order to maintain the atmosphere inside the wafer cleaning apparatus in a nitrogen atmosphere. The exhaust is the above exhaust line 1
It is done through 2.

According to the present wafer cleaning apparatus, the cleaning path 14
Is formed in a circular shape, so that the wasted space can be reduced and the occupied area of the wafer cleaning device can be reduced as compared with the conventional wafer cleaning device in which the cleaning path 14 is formed in a straight line. Further, since the transfer robot 7 rotates to transfer the semiconductor wafer, the location of the abrasion that causes the transfer is limited to the center of rotation of the transfer robot 7. Therefore, the location of the dust is reduced and the dust is removed. It will be easier to do. Therefore, it is possible to reduce dust, reduce failures, and shorten the life of the wafer cleaning device.

Since the semiconductor wafer can be transferred by rotating the transfer robot 7, the transfer robot 7
There is no need to perform reverse operation, the throughput is improved, and the work sequence can be simplified. Further, since the cleaning path 14 is circular, the supply of chemicals, pure water, electric power, etc. can be performed from the central portion side of the cleaning path to each part of the cleaning path 14, and the supply pipe for supplying the chemicals and pure water, the electric power, etc. The wiring length can be shortened. Further, by exhausting exhaust gas and drainage liquid from each part of the cleaning route to the central portion side of the cleaning route, the length of the exhaust gas and drainage pipe can be shortened. That is, the connection point of the utility line can be localized inside the circular cleaning path, and the material cost of the device, the number of assembly steps, and the maintenance cost can be reduced.

Of course, this wafer cleaning apparatus is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 62-2.
Since the loader and the unloader are located in the same place as in the wafer cleaning apparatus introduced in Japanese Patent No. 91939, space saving can be achieved, workability can be improved, and the structure of the apparatus can be simplified. It also has the advantage that it can.

FIGS. 2A and 2B show a second embodiment of the wafer cleaning apparatus of the present invention, FIG. 2A being a plan view,
(B) is a sectional view. Note that FIG. 2A is an enlarged view of FIG. In this embodiment, a plurality of, for example, three circular cleaning paths 14a, 14b, 14 having different radii are used.
c are arranged on concentric circles, and a plurality of, for example, three transfer robots 7 for transferring semiconductor wafers are also provided.
a, 7b, 7c are provided, and the transfer robots 7a, 7a
b, 7c operate independently and have three cleaning paths 14a, 1
The cleaning can be performed in parallel with 4b and 14c, and the mass productivity can be remarkably improved.

FIGS. 3A to 3C are shown in FIG.
It is sectional drawing which shows another each modified example of the wafer cleaning apparatus shown to (B). The wafer cleaning apparatus shown in FIG. 3 (A) includes two of the three transfer robots 7a, 7b, 7c 7a, 7a.
The drive unit 6ab of the robot b is provided in the center of the ceiling, and the drive unit 6c of the remaining transfer robot 7c is provided in the center of the lower part.

The wafer cleaning apparatus shown in FIG. 3B is provided with a drive unit 6 for driving the three transfer robots 7a, 7b and 7c at the center of the ceiling. In the wafer cleaning apparatus shown in FIG. 3C, the processing tanks are arranged so that the outer cleaning path has a higher stepwise shape.

FIGS. 4A and 4B show a third embodiment of the wafer cleaning apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 4A is a sectional view,
FIG. 6B shows an example of another horizontal movement mechanism of the transfer robot. The present wafer cleaning apparatus is different from the wafer cleaning apparatus shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B in that there are a plurality of circular cleaning paths 14, for example, three 14a, 14b, 14c.
The wafer cleaning apparatus is the same as the wafer cleaning apparatus shown in (A) to (C), but is different in that it has only one transfer robot 7 and that the wafer carrier 8 can be moved in the horizontal direction by an expansion / contraction operation or the like.

Therefore, according to the present wafer cleaning apparatus, the same semiconductor wafer is cleaned by the chemical solution treatment tank, the deionized water tank and the like in different cleaning paths by the combination of the rotation, vertical movement and horizontal movement of the transfer robot 7. Therefore, it is possible to greatly vary the cleaning sequence. Therefore, it is possible to flexibly cope with the tendency of high-mix low-volume production. It should be noted that FIG. 4B shows a combination of links and rotary knitting, and a combination of laps and pinions as machine axes for moving the wafer carrier in the horizontal direction. Can be considered.

If the number of transfer robots 7 in the wafer cleaning apparatus shown in FIG. 4 is increased to, for example, three, the number of variations of the cleaning sequence can be increased and the mass productivity can be improved. As described above, the present invention can be implemented in various modes, and various variations can be considered.

[0021]

The wafer cleaning apparatus of the present invention is provided with a chemical treatment tank,
A cleaning path including a deionized water tank, a dryer, a loader / unloader section, etc. is formed on a circle, and a wafer is transferred by a transfer robot that rotates about the center of the circle as a rotation axis so that the chemical solution processing tank, the pure water tank, and the dryer. Etc., and the loader / unloader unit loads / unloads the data. Therefore, according to the wafer cleaning apparatus of the present invention, the cleaning path is formed in a circular shape, the space of the apparatus can be reduced, the occupied area can be reduced, the weight can be reduced, and the return operation is unnecessary. Therefore, the throughput can be improved.

Moreover, since the wafer is transferred by the rotation of the transfer robot, the dust generation source due to friction is limited to the center of rotation, and the amount of dust generated can be reduced.
And since the cleaning path is formed in a circular shape, the chemical solution,
Net profit can be supplied from the center side of the loader / unloader section to each part of the cleaning path, and exhaust and drainage can be performed from each part of the cleaning path to the center side of the cleaning path. The pipes, exhaust and drainage pipes can be shortened and the utility connections can be localized. This becomes a factor that facilitates the assembly and maintenance of the wafer cleaning device.

[Brief description of drawings]

1A and 1B are first views of a wafer cleaning apparatus of the present invention.
2A shows an embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a plan view and (B) is a sectional view.

2 (A) and 2 (B) are second views of the wafer cleaning apparatus of the present invention.
2A shows an embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a plan view and (B) is a sectional view.

3A to 3C are cross-sectional views showing different modifications of the wafer cleaning apparatus shown in FIG.

4 (A) and 4 (B) are third views of the wafer cleaning apparatus of the present invention.
2A is a cross-sectional view, and FIG. 6B is a view showing another example of a transfer robot horizontal movement mechanism.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Loader / Unloader 2a, 2b Chemical Treatment Tank 3a-3c Pure Water Tank 5 Dryer 7 Transfer Robot 14 Chemical Treatment Tank

Claims (1)

Claims: 1. A cleaning path in which a chemical solution treatment tank, a pure water tank, a dryer, a loader / unloader section, and the like are arranged is formed on a circle, and an axis on the center of the circle is set as a rotation center. A wafer cleaning apparatus in which a wafer is transferred by a rotating transfer robot, processed in the chemical solution processing tank, the pure water tank, and a dryer, and loaded / unloaded by a loader / unloader section.