JPH08162520A - Vacuum container for carriage of substance to be processed, and processing method using the container - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To facilitate the carriage in the atmosphere of a substance to be processed such as a silicon wafer, or the like in a vacuum condition. CONSTITUTION: A silicon wafer 3 is pressed and retained by a plate spring 6 within the body 2 of a vacuum container (hereinafter referred to simply as a vacuum container) for carriage of a substance to be processed. And when the cover 10 is closed in the state that the inside of the container 2 is vacuumized, the inner face of the cover 10 abuts on a seal ring 8. If exposed to air in this condition, by the pressure difference between inside and outside, the inner face of the cover 10 is pressed against the seal ring 8, thereby the vacuum condition inside the vacuum container 1 is kept as it is. Accordingly, using the simple structure of vacuum container 1, the carriage in the air of the silicon wafer 3 can be performed simply in vacuum condition.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vacuum container for transferring an object to be processed, which can transfer an object to be processed such as a silicon wafer in the atmosphere in a vacuum state, and a processing method using the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, in the field of manufacturing semiconductor chips such as LSI chips having protruding electrodes, a base metal film is formed on a silicon wafer for obtaining a large number of semiconductor chips, and the protruding electrodes are formed on the base metal film. are doing. by the way,
The underlying metal film generally has a two-layer or three-layer structure. For example, when the first layer is made of chromium or the like and the second layer is made of copper or the like by sputtering, they may be formed using separate sputtering devices. .

However, since the film formation using the sputtering apparatus is carried out in a vacuum, if the silicon wafer is exposed to the atmosphere between the film formation of the first layer and the film formation of the second layer,
By reacting with moisture and oxygen in the atmosphere to form a reaction product on the surface of the film of the first layer or by adhering foreign matter in the atmosphere, conductivity between the films of the first and second layers is generated. Property is deteriorated, and peeling easily occurs between them. Therefore,
When using separate sputtering devices, a continuous sputtering device with a load lock chamber interposed therebetween is used.

[0004]

However, in such a conventional continuous sputtering apparatus, in addition to the two sputtering apparatuses, a load lock chamber and a transfer apparatus for transferring a silicon wafer between the two sputtering apparatuses are provided. Therefore, there is a problem in that the entire apparatus becomes large in size and expensive. In addition, since such a continuous sputtering apparatus constitutes one apparatus as a whole,
There is also a problem that the use is limited and the versatility is lacking. An object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum container for transferring an object to be processed, which can easily transfer an object to be processed such as a silicon wafer in the atmosphere in a vacuum state, and a processing method using the same.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vacuum container for transferring an object to be processed, which comprises: a container main body; an object to be processed holding means provided in the container main body; A lid body that is openable and closable, and a sealing means that seals between the lid body and the container body when the lid body is closed. Then, the lid is closed while the inside of the container body is in a vacuum state, and the atmosphere is transferred in this state. A processing method according to a third aspect of the present invention uses the vacuum container for transferring the target object according to the first aspect, and transfers the target object from one processing apparatus to another processing apparatus. .

[0006]

According to the present invention, when the inside of the container body is vacuum when the lid is closed, the lid body is pressed against the container body side due to the pressure difference between the inside and the outside in the atmosphere, whereby the inside of the container body is Since the vacuum state is maintained as it is, it is possible to easily transfer the object to be processed such as a silicon wafer in the atmosphere in the vacuum state.

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows a vacuum container for transferring an object to be processed according to an embodiment of the present invention. A vacuum container (hereinafter, simply referred to as a vacuum container) 1 for transferring an object to be processed includes a container body 2 whose lower side is opened. In the center of the lower surface of the container body 2, a wafer storage recess 4 having a shape corresponding to a silicon wafer (object to be processed) 3 having an orientation flat (not shown) is formed. Pins 5 are provided at predetermined 3 or 4 positions on the lower surface of the container body 2 around the wafer accommodating recess 4. A base end of a leaf spring (processing target holding means) 6 is rotatably attached to the lower end of the pin 5. A groove 7 having a semicircular cross section is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the lower surface of the container body 2. A seal ring (sealing means) 8 made of rubber or the like having a circular cross section is bonded and arranged in the groove 7. A lid 10 is openably and closably attached to a predetermined portion of the outer peripheral surface of the container body 2 via a hinge 9. Then, the silicon wafer 3 has the wafer storage recess 4
It is held inside the container body 2 by being housed inside and being pressed by the tip ends of the three or four leaf springs 6. When the inside of the container body 2 is at atmospheric pressure in the atmosphere, the lid 10 is opened by its own weight, as indicated by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG.

Next, referring to FIGS. 2 to 5, in order to form the first and second layers of the base metal film on the silicon wafer 3 by using the vacuum chamber 1 by using different sputtering devices. While explaining. First, FIG. 2 shows a schematic configuration of a first layer forming sputtering apparatus (one processing apparatus). This one
The layer forming sputtering apparatus 11 includes an apparatus main body 13 whose inside is a processing chamber 12. A door 14 is provided at a predetermined position of the device body 13 so as to be openable and closable. Processing room 1
A cathode 16 to which a target 15 is detachably attached on the upper surface is provided in the lower part of the inside of 2. An anode 17 to which the container body 2 of the vacuum container 1 is detachably attached is provided on the lower surface in the upper part of the processing chamber 12. A guide cylinder 18 is hermetically inserted in a predetermined portion of the apparatus body 13. A piston rod 20 of a cylinder 19 provided outside the apparatus body 13 is inserted into the guide cylinder 18 in a hermetically reciprocable manner.

A pipe 2 is provided at another predetermined portion of the apparatus main body 13.
One end of 1 is connected. The other end of the pipe 21 is branched into two. A first valve 22 is interposed in one branch pipe of the pipe 21, and a tip end portion of the branch pipe is connected to a vacuum pump 23. A second valve 24 is interposed in the other branch pipe of the pipe 21, and the tip of the branch pipe is connected to a nitrogen gas supply source 25 such as a cylinder. In addition, FIG. 4 shows a sputtering device for forming the second layer (other processing device).
11a shows a schematic configuration, but since it has the same structure as the sputtering apparatus 11 for forming the first layer shown in FIG. 2, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals and the reference numeral a, and the description thereof will be omitted.

Now, on the silicon wafer 3, one of the base metal film is formed.
When forming the second layer and the first layer, first, as shown in FIG. 2, the piston rod 20 of the cylinder 19 of the sputtering apparatus 11 for forming the first layer is set in the retracted state, and the inside of the processing chamber 12 is enlarged. Atmospheric pressure. Then, the door 14 is opened, and the vacuum container 1 is attached to the anode 1 together with the silicon wafer 3 held therein.
Attach to the bottom of 7. In this case, the vacuum container 1 is replaced with the lid 1.
Place 0 as the bottom side. Then, the lid body 10 is opened by its own weight, and the outer surface of the base end portion of the opened lid body 10 is brought into contact with the tip end portion of the piston rod 20 or positioned in the vicinity thereof. Next, the door 14 is closed, and then the second valve 24
Open the first valve 22 with the
The inside of the processing chamber 12 is brought into a predetermined vacuum state by driving 3 of FIG.
Next, by applying a voltage between the cathode 16 and the anode 17 and performing sputtering, a first layer (not shown) of the underlying metal film is formed on the surface of the silicon wafer 3.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3, by making the piston rod 20 of the cylinder 19 project, the lid 10 is pushed by the tip of the piston rod 20 and the lid 10 is closed. In this state, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 1, the inner surface of the lid 10 is in contact with the seal ring 8. Next, the first valve 22 is closed, the second valve 24 is opened, nitrogen gas is supplied from the nitrogen gas supply source 25 into the processing chamber 12, and the inside of the processing chamber 12 is brought to atmospheric pressure. Then, the inner surface of the lid 10 shown by the solid line in FIG. 1 is pressed against the seal ring 8 by the pressure difference between the inside and the outside, and the vacuum container 1
The vacuum state inside is maintained as it is. Next, cylinder 1
The piston rod 20 of 9 is set in the retracted state, and then the door 14
And the vacuum container 1 is taken out of the sputtering apparatus 11 for forming the first layer, that is, taken out into the atmosphere. Then, the silicon wafer 3 can be held in the vacuum container 1 and the atmosphere can be transferred in a vacuum state.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4, the piston rod 2 of the cylinder 19a of the sputtering apparatus 11a for forming the second layer.
0a is set in the retreat state, and the inside of the processing chamber 12a is set in the atmospheric pressure state. Then, the door 14a is opened, and the vacuum container 1 that has been taken out of the sputtering apparatus 11 for forming the first layer and transferred in the atmosphere is attached to the lower surface of the anode 17a.
Also in this case, the vacuum container 1 is arranged with the lid 10 on the lower side. Next, the door 14a is closed and then the second valve 24a is closed.
The first valve 22a is opened in the closed state, and the inside of the processing chamber 12a is brought to a predetermined vacuum state by driving the vacuum pump 23a. In this case, the pressure in the processing chamber 12a is made equal to or lower than the pressure in the vacuum container 1. Then, as shown in FIG. 5, the lid 10 is opened by its own weight. Next, by applying a voltage between the cathode 16a and the anode 17a and performing sputtering, a second layer (not shown) of the underlying metal film is formed on the surface of the silicon wafer 3.
To form.

Next, the first valve 22a is closed, the second valve 24a is opened, and nitrogen gas is supplied from the nitrogen gas supply source 25a into the processing chamber 12a to bring the inside of the processing chamber 12a to atmospheric pressure. Next, the door 14a is opened, and the vacuum container 1 is taken out of the second layer forming sputtering apparatus 11a, that is, in the atmosphere. Thus, the first and second layers of the underlying metal film are formed on the silicon wafer 3.

As described above, while the silicon wafer 3 is held in the vacuum container 1 and the inside thereof is evacuated, the second layer from the processing chamber 12 in the atmospheric pressure state of the sputtering apparatus 11 for forming the first layer. Since it can be transferred into the processing chamber 12a of the forming sputtering apparatus 11a under atmospheric pressure, the silicon wafer 3 can be easily transferred from the first layer forming sputtering apparatus 11 to the second layer forming sputtering apparatus 11a in a vacuum state. can do. As a result, separate sputtering devices 11 and 11a
It suffices to prepare the vacuum container 1 having a simple structure, and the cost of the entire apparatus can be reduced.

Further, if the vacuum container 1 is used, the silicon wafer 3 can be easily transferred in a vacuum state even with another processing apparatus. For example, the silicon wafer 3 may be transferred in a vacuum state from the step before the first layer of the base metal film is formed on the silicon wafer 3 into the processing chamber 12 in the atmospheric pressure state of the sputtering apparatus 11 for forming the first layer. it can. In this case, the first half of the processing step in the first layer forming sputtering apparatus 11 may be the same as the first half of the processing step in the second layer forming sputtering apparatus 11a described above. Further, after forming the second layer of the base metal film on the silicon wafer 3, the silicon wafer 3 can be transferred in a vacuum state into the processing chamber of the next processing apparatus under the atmospheric pressure. In this case, the latter half of the processing step in the second layer forming sputtering apparatus 11a may be the same as the latter half of the processing step in the first layer forming sputtering apparatus 11 described above. For this reason, when the vacuum container 1 is used, the type of the processing device is not limited and the versatility is enhanced.

In the above embodiment, the cathode 16 and the anode 17 are arranged in one processing chamber 12 as shown in FIG. 2, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the processing chamber is divided into a cathode-side processing chamber 12A and an anode-side processing chamber 12B, and an intermediate door 31 is provided between the processing chambers 12A and 12B.
Doors 14A and 14B are provided in each of the processing chambers 12A and 12B.
Pipes 21A and 21B, a first valve 22A,
22B, vacuum pumps 23A and 23B, a second valve 24
A, 24B and nitrogen gas supply sources 25A, 25B are provided,
Further, the cylinder 19 or the like may be provided in the anode side processing chamber 12B.

With this structure, the inside of the cathode side processing chamber 12A is maintained in a vacuum state, and the inside of the anode side processing chamber 12 is maintained.
When only B is in a vacuum state or an atmospheric pressure state, and both processing chambers 12A and 12B are both in a vacuum state, the inner door 31
It will be possible to open the chamber for sputtering. Therefore, when a plurality of vacuum containers 1 are prepared and sputtering is continuously performed on a plurality of silicon wafers 3, the inside of the cathode side processing chamber 12A is kept in a vacuum state and only the inside of the anode side processing chamber 12B is vacuumed. The processing time can be shortened by setting the state or the atmospheric pressure state.

In the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the inner surface of the lid 10 is pressed against the seal ring 8 so that the vacuum state in the vacuum container 1 is maintained as it is. It is difficult to release the vacuum state in the atmosphere. Therefore, although not shown,
With the structure provided with the valve for returning the inside of the vacuum container 1 to the atmospheric pressure, the vacuum state in the vacuum container 1 can be easily released in the atmosphere. In the above embodiment, the cylinder 19 is used to move the piston rod 20, but a simple rod may be used to move the piston rod 20 manually.

[0019]

As described above, according to the present invention, the object to be processed such as a silicon wafer can be easily transferred in the atmosphere in a vacuum state. It is possible to easily transfer from one processing device to another processing device in a vacuum state. As a result, it suffices to prepare a separate processing device and a vacuum container having a simple structure, and the cost of the entire device can be reduced. Further, when a vacuum container is used, the type of processing device is not limited, and the versatility is enhanced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a vacuum container for transferring an object to be processed according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a state in which a vacuum container is arranged with a lid opened in a processing chamber of a sputtering apparatus for forming a first layer.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a state in which a lid of a vacuum container arranged in a processing chamber of a sputtering apparatus for forming a first layer is closed.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a state in which a vacuum container is arranged with a lid closed in a processing chamber of a sputtering apparatus for forming a second layer.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a state in which a lid of a vacuum container arranged in a processing chamber of a sputtering apparatus for forming a second layer is opened.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing another example of the sputtering apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vacuum container for transfer of an object to be processed 2 Container body 3 Silicon wafer (object to be processed) 6 Leaf spring (object to be processed holding means) 8 Seal ring (sealing means) 10 Lid body

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A container body, an object-holding means provided in the container body, a lid body that can be opened and closed with respect to the container body, and the lid body when the lid body is closed. And a sealing means for hermetically sealing between the container main body, the processing target holding means to hold the processing target, and the lid is closed in a state where the inside of the container main body is evacuated, and in this state A vacuum container for transferring an object to be processed, which is for transferring in the atmosphere. 2. The vacuum container for transferring an object to be processed according to claim 1, further comprising a valve for returning the inside of the container body to atmospheric pressure. 3. The object to be processed held in the vacuum container for transferring an object to be processed according to claim 1 or 2, after being subjected to one processing in a processing chamber in a vacuum state of one processing apparatus, A processing method in which another processing is performed in a vacuum processing chamber of another processing apparatus, wherein the processing target transfer vacuum container is set in a vacuum state inside the processing target transfer vacuum container. A processing method in which the object to be processed held inside is transferred from the processing chamber in the atmospheric pressure state of the one processing apparatus to the processing chamber in the atmospheric pressure state of the other processing apparatus. 4. The object to be processed held in the vacuum container for transferring an object to be processed according to claim 1 or 2 is subjected to one process in a vacuum processing chamber of one processing apparatus, A processing method in which another processing is performed in a vacuum processing chamber of another processing apparatus, wherein the lid of the processing-object-transferred vacuum container is disposed in the processing chamber of the one processing apparatus. In the state where the processing chamber of the one processing apparatus is opened and the processing chamber is evacuated, one processing is performed on the processing target object, and then the lid is closed to close the inside of the processing target transfer vacuum container. After holding in a vacuum state, the inside of the processing chamber of the one processing apparatus is set to atmospheric pressure, and then the vacuum container for transferring the object to be processed is processed from the processing chamber of the one processing apparatus to the atmospheric pressure state of the other processing apparatus. Then, the inside of the processing chamber of the other processing apparatus is evacuated, and One opening of the lid, and other processing is performed on the object to be processed in this state. 5. The vacuum container for transferring the object to be processed, the inside of which is in a vacuum state, is disposed inside the processing chamber in the atmospheric pressure state of the one processing apparatus with the lid as a lower side, and the processing chamber is vacuumed. The processing method according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the lid body is opened by its own weight when the lid is brought into a state. 6. The vacuum container for transferring an object to be processed is placed in a processing chamber in an atmospheric pressure state of the other processing apparatus with the lid body as a lower side, and the processing chamber is in a vacuum state so that the lid is closed. The processing method according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the body is opened by its own weight.