JPH08153774A - Electronic parts stocker and storing method of electronic parts - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To improve productivity of electronic parts by suppressing the adhesion of foreign matters to the parts due to the static electricity generated when the parts are stored in, taken out from, or put in an electronic stocker and simultaneously cleaning the parts and removing the electrostatic electricity. CONSTITUTION: An electronic parts stocker which keeps electronic parts 11 which are apt to be easily damaged by foreign matters adhering to the parts in a clean atmosphere is provided with ionizers 2-1 to 2-6 as non-contacting static electricity removing means for electronic parts at a plurality of locations near and around the parts 11.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a construction of a stocker for electronic parts such as semiconductor wafers, which is insensitive to the adhesion of dust and particles, and particularly suppresses the adhesion of dust and particles due to static electricity during storage and storage. In addition, the present invention relates to an electronic component stocker and an electronic component storage method that achieve cleaning and static electricity removal at the same time to improve productivity.

In the field of electronic parts in recent years, as the performance and size of the electronic parts have become smaller, the adherence of dust during the manufacturing process and during storage has become particularly disliked. Therefore, the electronic parts stored in the stocker A major issue is how to suppress adhesion of dust and particles (hereinafter referred to as particles in the text) to the.

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 3, which illustrates a case where an electronic component is a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as a wafer), is a diagram for explaining a conventional wafer stock state together with a stocker, and (3-1) is storage. It is a diagram for explaining the wafer holding state at the time with the carrier (3-2) is a diagram for explaining the stocker,
(3-3) is a diagram showing a state at the time of stock.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining the ionizer used in the present invention. In FIG. 3 (3-1), a wafer carrier (hereinafter referred to as a carrier) 11 made of a wear-resistant material such as quartz has a slender "B" in plan view, and a plurality of wafer carriers 11 are formed on the inner sides of both side walls in the width direction. The wafer 1 of the jig 11
Is formed with a corrugated insertion groove 11a that can be inserted from the upper opening at a constant interval in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the wafer. It is formed so as to be held in part.

Further, by closing the door 12a as shown by arrow A, the stocker 12 shown in (3-2) can be a storage tank having a plurality of stages.
High efficiency filter "HEPA: High Efficiency Particul" for blowing clean air to the upper part and the back
arity Air "12b is installed, and the clean air blown out from each of the filters 12b passes through, for example, a net-like shelf plate 12c, and an air discharge hole 12d provided in the lower side area of the door 12a. Is to be discharged from.

This means that when the door 12a is closed, clean air from the filters 12b flows inside the stocker 12 as shown by arrows B ₁ and B ₂ and the inside of the stocker is filled with clean air. It has been shown that.

Therefore, the carrier 11 in which the wafer 1 is inserted is set on the stocker 12 as shown by an arrow C, and then the door 12a is closed so that the carrier 11 and thus the wafer 1 are indicated by (3-3). It can be stored in a clean atmosphere.

Therefore, it is possible to suppress the adhesion of particles to the carrier 11, that is, the wafer 1.

[0009]

However, if the carrier 11 or the wafer 1 located in the stocker is charged with static electricity, when the worker takes out the wafer 1, that is, the carrier 11, from the stocker, the worker's clothes or the like may be worn. Dust and particles that have adhered (hereinafter simply referred to as foreign matter)
However, there is a problem that they may adhere to the carrier 11 or the wafer 1.

[0010]

An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic component stocker for storing electronic components in which a foreign substance is disliked in a clean atmosphere, and to store the electronic components at a plurality of locations in the vicinity of each of the accommodated electronic components. This is solved by an electronic component stocker provided with static electricity removing means that is not in contact with the components.

[0011]

[Operation] If static electricity charged on electronic parts such as carriers and wafers located in the stocker can be removed in the stocker without touching the electronic parts, the above-mentioned foreign substances can be prevented from adhering when the operator takes out the work. can do.

On the other hand, an ionizer has been put into practical use for removing such static electricity. Fig. 4 shows an example of such an ionizer, and (4-1) shows the appearance.
(4-2) shows its structure and action.

That is, in the figure, the ionizer 2 is a high voltage line 21a.
The discharge section 24 via the filter 23 is provided with a tip nozzle 25 on the tip side of the ion gun 22 connected to the above, and the opening area of the earth electrode 26 surrounding the tip nozzle 25 with an opening is the above discharge. It is designed to act as part 24.

In such an ionizer 2, the ionizer 2
When a high voltage electric field of alternating current is applied to the ion gun 22 through the high voltage line 21 by the high voltage transformer 27 located outside of, the positive and negative ions "+" and "-" are generated in the discharge part 24, and tungsten (W)
The static electricity can be neutralized without touching the charged object 28 such as an electronic component, because it is ejected from the tip nozzle 25.

In this case, the ionizer 2 is a signal line.
By using, for example, a relay 29 connected to 21b, the operation and stop as an ionizer can be realized.

Therefore, in the present invention, the ionizer 2 is arranged around each of the carrier arrangement positions in the stocker so that the tip nozzle 25 faces the carrier to form a stocker.

This means that at least the static electricity of the electronic components such as carriers and wafers located in the direction in which the tip nozzle 25 faces is neutralized by the ions emitted from the tip nozzle 25 and disappears.

Therefore, it is possible to eliminate the above-mentioned adherence of foreign matter at the time of taking out work by the worker, and it is possible to expect an improvement in productivity.

[0019]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of an electronic component stocker according to the present invention, (1-1) is a front view of the stocker when the door is opened, and (1-2) is a wafer insertion state. It is the figure which showed the arrangement position of the ionizer with respect to the carried carrier.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a circuit configuration applied to the stocker shown in FIG. In the figure,
Since the electronic parts are the same wafer as in FIG. 3 and the ionizer of FIG. 4 is attached to the stocker described in FIG. 3, the same reference numerals are attached to the same target members and parts as in FIGS. 3 and 4. Descriptions that are the same as those described above and will not be repeated will be omitted.

FIG. 1 (1) for explaining the configuration as a stocker
-1) In the electronic component stocker 4 according to the present invention, the adjacent carrier in the lateral direction at each carrier arrangement position in the stocker 12 described in FIG. 3 is partitioned by a partition wall 411 such as a resin plate to form a private room. The ionizer 2 described in FIG. 4 is attached as 2 _-1 to 2 _-5 at each position corresponding to the carrier 11 on the five sides around each of the individual compartments, and further in the vicinity of the ionizer 2 _{-5 on} the back wall, for example. a stocker housing 41a fitted with the light emitting element 412, with mounting the ionizer 2 described in FIG. 4 in a position substantially corresponding to the ionizer 2 _-5 above the back wall in the same configuration as the door 12a in FIG. 3 as 2 _-6 Door 41b with light receiving element 413 attached at a position corresponding to the light emitting element 412
It consists of and.

The light emitting element 412 and the light receiving element 413
Are configured so that they are connected to each other by an optical signal when the door 41b is closed. This means that when the carrier 11 explained in FIG. 3 is set as shown by the broken line C in the state where the door 41b is opened, the carrier 11 has five ionizers 2 ₋₁ 〜.
2 _-5 thing now surrounded by light-emitting element described above further simultaneously close the said door 41b carrier 11 is surrounded by six ionizer 2 _-1 to 2 _-6, including ionizer _2-6 of said door 41b 412 and the light receiving element 413 face each other to form a circuit as an optical sensor.

However, if the carrier 11 is set as described above, the light-emitting element 412 and the light-receiving element 413 are shielded by the carrier 11 and by extension the wafer 1, so that a circuit as an optical sensor is not formed, resulting in Therefore, the presence / absence of the wafer 1 can be detected by the presence / absence of a circuit configuration as an optical sensor.

(1-2) shows the state at this time centering on the carrier 11, and the six ionizers 2 _-1 to 2 _-1 to
It is shown that 2 _-6 is located around the carrier 11 and the circuit of the optical sensor consisting of the light emitting element 412 and the light receiving element 413 is blocked by the carrier 11 and by extension the wafer 1.

Therefore, for example, the door 41b is provided with a switching element capable of switching the circuit as the ionizer 2 by opening and closing the door 41b, and each of the above-mentioned regions is provided with a circuit intermittent signal as an optical sensor obtained by the light emitting element 412 and the light receiving element 413. By performing the circuit connection and disconnection of the ionizer 2 in (1), it is possible to easily obtain a required electronic component stocker capable of simultaneously cleaning the carrier 11 and the wafer 1 and removing static electricity.

FIG. 2 schematically showing the circuit configuration in this case.
In the switching element 31 shown by a broken line D ₁ are those provided in a door opening and shutting part of a stocker 4 in FIG. 1, dashed line D ₂
The high voltage transformer 27 indicated by is the one described in FIG.

The high-voltage line 21 connected to the high-voltage transformer 27
Areas indicated by broken lines D ₃ connected to the series in a indicate the individualized areas described in FIG. 1, and each area is composed of the light emitting element 412 and the light receiving element 413, When the optical signal is connected by an optical signal, the high voltage line 21a connected to the high voltage transformer 27 becomes "disconnected", and when the optical signal between the respective elements is disconnected, the high voltage line 21a becomes "continuous". The switching circuit 32 and the above-mentioned six ionizers 2 _-1 to 2 _-6 are included.

The switching circuit 32 corresponds to the relay 29 or the like individually mounted on the ionizer 2 described with reference to FIG. Therefore, by closing the door 41b and closing the switching element 31 into a closed circuit, when the carrier 11 is located in the above-described compartmented area, the light emitting element is
Since the optical signal from 412 does not reach the light receiving element 413, the switching circuit 32 causes the high voltage line 21a to be "continuous" and the ionizers 2 _-1 to 2 _-6 operate, but the carrier 11 is located in that region. If not, the optical signal from the light emitting element 412 reaches the light receiving element 413.
The high voltage line 21a becomes "disconnected" by 32, and each ionizer 2 _-1
~ _2-6 does not work.

This means that only the ionizer in the carrier 11 of the plurality of individual chambers and thus the region in which the wafer 1 is accommodated operates, and the operation of the ionizer continues until the door 42 is opened. It is shown that.

Therefore, as described with reference to FIG. 3, by closing the door 41b in a state where the clean air is blown, the cleaning of the carrier 11 and the wafer 1 by removing foreign matters and the removal of static electricity are performed by opening the door 42. It is possible to easily configure a stocker that can be continuously realized at the same time.

[0031]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the adhesion of foreign matter due to static electricity during storage or withdrawal,
It is possible to provide an electronic component stocker and an electronic component storage method that achieve both cleaning and static electricity removal at the same time to improve productivity.

In the description of the present invention, the case where the ionizer is attached to the carrier at six locations is described as an example.
It is obvious that the same effect can be obtained even if the outer shape of the stored electronic component is taken into consideration and the number is increased or decreased without being limited to the location.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an electronic component stocker according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a circuit configuration applied to the stocker of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a conventional wafer stock state together with a stocker.

FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically illustrating an ionizer used in the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Semiconductor wafer 2,2 _-1 to 2 _-6
Ionizer 4 Electronic component stocker 11 Carrier 27 High voltage transformer 31 Switching element 32 Switching circuit 41a Stocker housing 41b Door 411 Partition wall 412 Light emitting element 413 Light receiving element

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An electronic component stocker for storing electronic components in which a foreign substance does not adhere in a clean atmosphere, wherein the electronic components are provided at a plurality of locations in the vicinity of the respective electronic components as a non-contact static electricity removing means. An electronic component stocker characterized by being provided with an ionizer of. 2. An electronic component stocker, wherein the ionizer according to claim 1 is mounted so as to start operation when the door is closed and stop operation when the door is opened. 3. A method of storing an electronic component, wherein the electronic component is stored at a predetermined position of the electronic component stocker according to claim 1.