JPH0533012Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed explanation of the invention] [Industrial application field] This invention is an SOR in the semiconductor device manufacturing process.
The present invention relates to a handling device used in an X-ray exposure apparatus.

[Conventional technology and its issues]

As is well known, in the semiconductor device manufacturing process, it is necessary to align the relative positions of a mask pattern and a wafer pattern. This is called mask alignment or mask alignment, and after this process,
Exposure by irradiating with ultraviolet rays, electron beams, or X-rays.
The device that performs this mask alignment and exposure is called an exposure device.

By the way, in response to the demand for ultra-miniaturization and high density semiconductor devices, patterns with a width of 1 μm or less have come into existence. For this reason, an X-ray exposure apparatus with a short wavelength has become promising for exposure (see Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 56-5307). That is, for ultra-precise exposure with a line width of 0.25 μm, X-ray exposure using an SOR as a light source is considered particularly desirable.

In exposure equipment that uses such an SOR as an X-ray source, in addition to the high X-ray brightness, the light is almost parallel, so it is difficult to use conventional X-ray sources (electron beam excitation source or plasma X-ray source). Although it has the advantage that the penumbra blur and runout errors that were problems are not a problem at all, the SOR ring is large and the light is emitted horizontally, so there are new constraints such as the wafer table surface being formed vertically. It is occurring in

On the other hand, in general exposure equipment that prints mask patterns on wafers, the direction of light incidence is vertically downward, that is, the wafer is placed on a horizontal wafer table.
Vacuum adsorption (e.g. Utility Model 60-41727)
Publication No. 59-23413, Publication No. 58-295
(see Japanese Patent Publication No. 2003-11102), the wafers were easy to handle.

More specifically, a conventional handling device for placing a wafer on a wafer table is as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. That is, the handling arm 20 has a large number of vacuum suction ports (not shown), and has a rod insertion notch 20a at the tip thereof, and is adapted to suction and transport the wafer 1. This wafer 1 has a cutout (orientation flat) 10 formed by a dividing line to indicate the crystal direction of the semiconductor in a disk forming the wafer. A wafer mounting table 22 has a vacuum suction port (not shown). Reference numeral 23 denotes a lifting rod which passes through the center of the wafer mounting table 22 and moves up and down.

The operation is as follows. That is, the wafer 1 is vacuum-adsorbed by the handling arm 20 on the opposite side to the exposed surface and is carried to a position directly above the wafer mounting table 22 . Next, the lifting rod 23 moves onto the wafer mounting table 22.
The handling arm 20
The rod passes through the notch 20a for rod insertion, contacts the back surface of the wafer 1, and supports the wafer 1. Next, when the handling arm 20 is swung in the direction of the arrow t and evacuated, the wafer 1 is lifted up and down by the lifting rod 23.
Since the wafer 1 is transferred to the end surface of the wafer mounting table 22, when the lifting rod 23 is lowered, the wafer 1 is transferred to the wafer mounting table 22.

However, since the handling arm 20 in the prior art contacts only the back side of the wafer, it does not scratch the exposed surface, but as described above, the wafer mounting table surface of the SOR exposure apparatus forms a vertical surface. Therefore, the conventional handling arm 20 cannot hold the wafer.
If means were added to clamp the wafer from both sides, the exposed surface would be scratched.

[Means to solve the problem]

Therefore, the present invention was devised with a focus on solving such problems.In particular, it is possible to remove the exposed wafer from the vertical wafer mounting table surface without touching the exposed surface of the wafer, and to remove the exposed wafer from the exposed surface. The purpose is to attach the previous wafer to this table surface, and its gist is to form a vertical surface and open two systems, a vacuum suction line and a vacuum adsorption line, to the table surface. This device is used in an exposure apparatus equipped with a wafer mounting table equipped with a built-in wafer suction conduit for vacuum suctioning the backside of the wafer, and a A wafer suction conduit built into the sub-plate, comprising a sub-plate that can be freely mounted, and a handling arm that is capable of clamping the sub-plate and has a vacuum conduit that can communicate with the wafer suction conduit. The wafer exposure handling apparatus is characterized in that the wafer exposure handling apparatus is switchably connected to a vacuum suction line installed on the wafer mounting table and a vacuum line installed on the handling arm.

〔Example〕

The structure and operation of the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side view of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along arrow E in FIG.
FIG. 4 shows an enlarged detailed view of the main part of FIG. 2, and FIG. 5 shows a piping system diagram.

Therefore, this embodiment is suitable for application to the manufacturing process of micron-order semiconductor elements such as VLSI.
This is a handling device used in an SOR (synchrotron orvit radiation) exposure device, and in these figures, 1 indicates a wafer, and this wafer 1 has an orientation flat 10. Reference numeral 2 denotes a handling arm, and a gripping portion for clamping a sub-plate 5, which will be described later, is provided at the tip of the handling arm. 3 is the wafer table, base table 4
(This is also referred to as a wafer mounting table in this specification) and a sub-plate 5, and as shown in FIG. 2, the table surface is formed vertically. These base table 4 and sub-plate 5 are removably superposed together by vacuuming.

Reference numeral 6 denotes a B-system solenoid valve integrated into the sub-plate 5, which is provided in the middle of the wafer vacuum suction line used when attaching the wafer 1 to the wafer table 3; and 7, integrated into the sub-plate 5. The built-in A-system solenoid valve is provided in the middle of a wafer suction conduit used when handling the wafer 1 and suctioning the wafer 1 to the sub-plate 5. Here, the A system is composed of a wafer adsorption conduit and a vacuum conduit equipped with the handling arm 2.

Next, regarding the grip part, reference numeral 9 is a bell crank-shaped swinging finger, one end of which comes into contact with the convex part 5a of the sub-plate 5, and the other end of which is pivotally supported by the handling arm 2. , its intermediate portion is pivotally supported by the rod 10a of the air cylinder 10. The base of this air cylinder 10 is pivotally supported at the middle part of the handling arm 2.

Reference numeral 11 denotes a step-shaped fixed finger formed at the tip of the handling arm 2, and is provided opposite to the swing finger 9.

13 is a flexible tube of A system, and vacuum source 14
and the switching valve 1 in the air tank 15 (see Figure 5).
6, and the swing finger 9 and the fixed finger 11 clamp the protrusion 5a, and at the same time constitute an air conduit with the A-system solenoid valve 7 via the fixed finger 11. . 17 is a flexible tube of B system, vacuum source 1
4 and an air tank 15 via a switching valve 18. 19 is a flexible tube of C system,
It communicates with a vacuum source 14 and an air tank 15 via a switching valve 20. A part of this C system is composed of a vacuum suction pipe line installed on a wafer mounting table.

In addition, 8 is a ring, 12 is the said switching valve 16,1
8 and 20 are shown.

Since this embodiment has the above configuration, the following operation is performed. That is, when removing the wafer 1 from the wafer table 3, the handling arm 2
After clamping the sub-plate 5, by separating the sub-plate 5 from the base table 4,
The sub-plate 5 and the wafer 1 are removed in an integrated state.

In addition, when attaching the wafer 1 to the wafer table 3, the wafer 1 and the sub-plate 5 are integrated, and the sub-plate 5 is clamped by the handling arm 2 to position the sub-plate 5 on the base table 4. After that, vacuum adsorption is performed.

To explain this in detail in terms of vacuum evacuation and pressurized peeling operations, when removing the wafer 1 on the wafer table 3, the B and C systems are in a vacuum state, so the wafer 1 is placed on the sub-plate 5.
is attracted to the base table 4, and the sub-plate 5 is also attracted to the base table 4. Note that the A system is not evacuated. In this state, the sub-plate 5 is clamped by the handling arm 2. Immediately after clamping, the A system is also evacuated. Then, the solenoid valves 6 and 7 switch the vacuuming of the B system to only the vacuuming of the A system. Next, evacuation of the C system is stopped by the switching valve 16 to enable the sub-plate 5 to be separated from the base table 4. After that, operate the handling arm 2,
The wafer 1 and the sub-plate 5 are removed in an integrated state.

Next, when attaching the wafer 1 to the wafer table 3, the above procedure is reversed. However, when adsorbing the sub-plate 5 to the base table 4,
Due to the need for accurate positioning, although not shown, positioning is performed using means for fitting a positioning taper pin and a tapered hole, or by using a non-contact position detector (such as a photocell).

In addition, in order to shorten the time required to attach and detach the wafer 1 from the wafer table 3, the wafer 1 before exposure may be placed in a horizontal position on the sub-plate 5 during standby and aligned with precision. . Therefore, in such a case, two or more sub-plates 5 are required.

Note that the A system of this embodiment has a fixed finger 11.
However, the present invention is not limited to this.
The system may be attached to an auxiliary handling arm that operates independently.

[Effect of idea]

According to the present invention, the following excellent effects can be expected. That is, since a sub-plate that vacuum-chucks the back side of the wafer and a handling arm that clamps this sub-plate are provided, there is no need to directly clamp the wafer, and therefore the wafer mounting table forms a vertical surface. Since the wafer is mounted on the wafer, the handling arm does not come into contact with the exposed surface of the wafer even if the wafer is transported vertically. Moreover, when positioning and mounting a wafer on a wafer mounting table that has a vertical surface, even if the sub-plate and wafer mounting table are vertical, unlike when directly mounting the wafer, various problems occur. Since a sub-plate to which a positioning means can be easily attached is attached to the wafer mounting table, the wafer can be positioned easily and accurately.
As a result, the wafer can be easily and accurately positioned on the wafer mounting table.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a side view of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along arrow E in FIG.
Figure 4 is an enlarged detailed view of the main parts of Figure 2, Figure 5 is a piping system diagram, Figure 6 is a front view of the conventional example, and Figure 7 is the
Figure shows a side view. 1...Wafer, 2...Handling arm, 3
...Wafer table, 5...Subplate.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] Used in an exposure apparatus equipped with a wafer mounting table that forms a vertical surface and is equipped with two systems, a vacuum suction pipe and a vacuum suction pipe, opened on the table surface. a sub-plate which has a built-in wafer suction conduit for vacuum-chucking the backside of the wafer and is removably attached to the wafer mounting table; and the sub-plate is capable of being clamped; and a handling arm having a vacuum conduit that can communicate with the wafer suction conduit, the wafer suction conduit built into the sub-plate being connected to the vacuum suction conduit installed on the wafer mounting table. A handling device for wafer exposure, characterized in that the handling arm is switchably connected to a vacuum pipe line provided therein.