JPH0774229A - Position detection device of semiconductor substrate - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To shorten the operating time and to enhance the operating efficiency of a device by a method wherein the position of a semiconductor substrate is detected automatically in a teaching operation which sets the position of a substrate transfer machine. CONSTITUTION:A jig 1 whose size is equal to that of a wafer and in which a pin 2 has been installed vertically in the center of a circular plate 10 is placed on a cassette 4 and a boat 5 in a cassette shelf 3, and a reflection-type distance detection sensor 8 which can measure a distance is installed in a substrate transfer machine 7.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a semiconductor substrate position detecting device in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIGS. 4A and 4B are a plan view and a side view showing an example of a structure around a substrate transfer machine in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention includes a boat 5 for holding wafers 9 in multiple stages in a large number of grooves provided at a required pitch, and a cassette shelf 3 for placing cassettes containing the wafers 9 on the multi-stage shelf. A substrate transfer machine 7 for transferring the wafer 9 between the cassette shelf 3 and the boat 5 is provided. To transfer the wafer, the tweezers 7A of the substrate transfer machine 7 are used for the cassette shelf 3 The wafer 9 in the cassette 4 placed on the
It is necessary to set the position of the substrate transfer machine 7 (register it in the controller) so that it is placed at the center of the boat 5 placed in the rotated place.

Conventionally, as a teaching work method for setting the position of the substrate transfer machine, first, the order of the teaching work for transferring the wafer 9 from the cassette shelf 3 to the boat 5 is determined for each cassette shelf 3. It is assumed that the arbitrary wafer 9 in the cassette 4 placed on the first cassette shelf 3 is moved in the direction of the broken line arrow by advancing the tweezers 7A in the direction of the broken arrow, and the wafer 9 is adsorbed at the center of the tweezers 7A. Then, pull out from the cassette 4 and move the transfer machine 7 180 °
The wafer 9 is rotated and transferred to the center of the boat 5 in the same manner as described above, depending on the human visual sense and feeling. This is a method of finely adjusting the teaching of the remaining cassette shelves 3 based on the positions of the boat 5 and the cassette 7.

[0004]

However, the wafer position detection in the above-mentioned conventional teaching work relies on human vision, feeling, etc., and the boat 5 is polished by cleaning or the like, or due to thermal expansion or the like. Since the mechanical accuracy may be gradually lost, the teaching work may have to be redone when the boat 5 is attached or detached, and the accuracy of this alignment work depends on the skill level of the operator. There is a problem that it is greatly affected, and there is a problem that workability is poor and time is required because many trials are required until the accuracy is achieved.

[0005]

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and improves the teaching workability for setting the position of the substrate transfer machine and can improve the work efficiency. An object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor substrate position detecting device. That is, the device of the present invention is used in the cassette shelf 3
Jig 1 in which pins 2 are hung vertically from the center of a plate 10 having the same shape as the semiconductor substrate 9 placed on the cassette 4 and the boat 5, and a reflection type distance detection sensor provided on the substrate transfer machine 7 and capable of measuring distance. It consists of eight.

[0006]

Since the apparatus of the present invention has the above-described structure, when the position of the substrate transfer machine 7 is set, the jig 1 is held so as to be placed in the cassette 4 of the cassette shelf 3 and in the center of the boat 5. Put. The reflection type distance detection sensor 8 capable of reading the distance to the object mounted on the substrate transfer machine 7 by vertically shifting and scanning the substrate transfer machine 7 and the reflection type distance detection sensor 8 provided therein. The vertical position of the semiconductor substrate is read by detecting the side surface of the jig 1. Next, the substrate transfer device 7 is vertically shifted by a certain amount so that the pin 2 can be detected, and then the substrate transfer device 7 is scanned in the left-right rotation direction. By detecting the center of the pin 2 with the reflection type distance detection sensor 8,
The feed amount of the semiconductor substrate 9 is detected by detecting the position of the substrate transfer machine 7 in the left-right angular direction and the distance to the pin 2. By performing this operation on both the cassette shelf 3 and the boat 5, the position of the substrate transfer machine 7 can be set.

[0007]

1 (A) and 1 (B) are a plan view and a side view, respectively, showing the structure of an embodiment of the device of the present invention. 1 is a pin 2 at the center of a circular plate 10 equivalent to a wafer 9. Is a jig, 8 is a reflection type distance detection sensor which is attached to the substrate transfer machine 7 and can measure the distance, and 6 is a cap. When the position of the substrate transfer machine 7 is set, the jig 1 is held and placed in advance in the cassette 4 of the cassette shelf 3 and the center of the boat 5. First, as shown in FIGS. 2 (A) and 3 (A), the substrate transfer machine 7 and the reflection type distance detection sensor 8 attached thereto
Is vertically shifted and scanned, and the side surface of the jig 1 is detected by the sensor 8 to read the vertical position of the wafer 9. Next, the substrate transfer device 7 and the distance detection sensor 8 attached thereto are vertically shifted by a certain amount as shown in FIG. 3A so that the pin 2 can be detected. 7 and the distance detection sensor 8 in FIG.
Scanning is performed in the left-right rotation direction as indicated by a, b, c or D, E, F in (A). FIG. 3B is an explanatory diagram of the waveform of the sensor output with respect to the sensor detection direction. By detecting the center of the pin 2 by the distance detection sensor 7, the position of the substrate transfer machine 7 in the left-right angular direction or by detecting the distance to the pin 2, the feed amount of the wafer 9 is detected.
By performing this operation on both the cassette shelf 3 and the boat 5, the position setting (positioning) of the substrate transfer device 7 can be performed. This position is registered in the controller. By inserting the jig 1 into the upper and lower portions of the boat 5 at the position already registered in the controller, it is possible to detect deformation and inclination of the boat 5 from the upper portion to the lower portion.

[0008]

As described above, according to the present invention, the cassette of the cassette shelf, the jig mounted on the boat and having the pins hanging down from the center of the plate having the same shape as the semiconductor substrate, and the jig provided on the substrate transfer machine. Since it consists of a reflection type distance detection sensor capable of measuring the distance, it can automatically detect the semiconductor substrate position in the teaching work for setting the position of the substrate transfer machine using a jig and a sensor. The position of the loading machine can be set in a short time (the teaching work time can be shortened), and the deformation of the boat due to thermal expansion, polishing, etc. can be found early, and the work efficiency can be improved. And performance can be improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

1A and 1B are a plan view and a side view, respectively, showing the configuration of an embodiment of the device of the present invention.

2A and 2B are a side view and a plan view, respectively, for explaining the operation of the jig and the sensor in the present invention.

3 (A) and 3 (B) are respectively a perspective view for explaining the operation of the jig and the sensor and a waveform explanatory view of the sensor output with respect to the sensor detection direction.

4A and 4B are a plan view and a side view showing an example of a configuration around a substrate transfer machine in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 jig 2 pin 3 cassette shelf 4 cassette 5 boat 7 substrate transfer machine 8 reflection type distance detection sensor 9 semiconductor substrate (wafer) 10 plate

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A cassette on a cassette shelf, a jig mounted on a boat and having pins hung at the center of a plate having the same shape as a semiconductor substrate, and a reflection type distance detection sensor provided on a substrate transfer machine and capable of measuring distance. And a semiconductor substrate position detecting device. 2. A jig is inserted above and below a boat position already registered in the controller, and a substrate transfer machine and a reflection type distance detection sensor provided on the substrate transfer machine are shifted in the left and right direction and in the up and down direction for scanning. 2. The semiconductor substrate position detecting device according to claim 1, further comprising a scanner.