JPH0828320B2 - Wafer photoengraving process equipment and photoengraving process method - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a wafer photolithography processing apparatus and a photolithography processing method for performing photolithography on a plurality of semiconductor wafers housed in a cassette.

[Conventional technology]

A semiconductor wafer is shown in FIG. The wafer 1 is given a wafer number 1a before the photoengraving process. FIG. 4 shows a cassette for storing this wafer. Reference numeral 2 is a cassette for storing a large number of wafers 1 (for example, 24 or 25) in a standing posture and spaced in parallel, and the stored wafers 1
Groups are applied to each processing step in units of 1 lot. The cassette 2 has an identification number 2a.

The conventional photolithography processing equipment for wafers is as shown in FIG. Reference numeral 4 denotes a storage box having a box section partitioned into a large number of shelves, in which the cassette 2 is temporarily stored and is made to stand by for the next step. Reference numeral 5 denotes a plurality of sets of photomechanical processing devices, which are configured as follows. Reference numeral 7 is a mask stocker for accommodating a plurality of masks 6, reference numeral 8 is an exposure device for superposing and exposing the mask 6 corresponding to the wafer 1, reference numeral 9 is a resist coating device for the wafer 1, and reference numeral 10 is a developing device.

 The operation of the above conventional equipment is as follows.

The cassette 2 taken out from the storage 4 and carried to the photoengraving processor 7 has the identification number 2a read by the operator, and the mask 6 corresponding to this identification number is searched from the mask stocker 5 and mounted in the exposure device 8. . On the other hand, cassette 2
The wafer 1 in the inside is taken out, the wafer number 1a is confirmed, and the wafer is put into the resist coating device 9 to carry out a coating process, and then put into the exposure device 8. The exposed wafer 1 is taken out and developed.
It is developed in 10, stored in the cassette 2, and conveyed to the next step.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] In the conventional photolithography processing equipment for wafers as described above, the same line is used for the destination instruction of the cassette 2, the carrying work, and the search and replacement work of the mask 6 in each exposure apparatus 8. Since a large number of wafers 1 are processed, the amount of work is enormous and the following problems occur.

For example, the work is broken by workers, the work is uneven, the number of work in progress is increased, the construction period is delayed, the wafer 1 is contaminated by manual handling, and there are many lots, which require complicated processing steps. There was a problem that it was difficult to manage.

The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and reduces the handling loss of cassettes and the number of work-in-progress, performs efficient process control, and improves the operating rate of a processing apparatus. The purpose is to obtain a photomechanical processing equipment and a photomechanical processing method.

[Means for solving the problem]

The wafer photoengraving treatment equipment and photoengraving engraving method according to the present invention include cassettes before and after storage in a box of a storage box, an identification number reading device for reading an identification number, and a cassette taken out from the box. Is delivered to a photomechanical processing device by a transfer device to process the wafer.

Further, the photoengraving processing apparatus is provided with a mask stocker, a mask number reading apparatus, a mask exchanging apparatus, and a wafer number reading apparatus, and has a mask number when exchanging the mask and a computer by a terminal of the control apparatus and the photoengraving processing apparatus. Registered in the control device, the transfer of the cassette is automatically performed by the moving device, and the control device controls the identification number reading device, the transfer device and the photoengraving processing device, and manages the progress of each cassette and the mask. Is.

[Action]

In the present invention, the mask number in process in the photoengraving processor is registered in the controller, the identification numbers of a plurality of cassettes are read, and the photoengraving processor equipped with the mask corresponding to the cassette is automatically controlled by the controller. Then, the cassette is transferred into the plate-making processing device and the wafer is processed. As a result, efficient process control of cassette transfer and loading can be performed, work in process of the processing apparatus can be reduced, mask replacement work can be omitted, and the operation rate of the apparatus can be improved.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a photolithography processing equipment for wafers according to an embodiment of the present invention, and 4, 6 to 10 are the same as the above-mentioned conventional equipment. In the figure, reference numeral 20 is an identification number reading device for reading the identification number 2a of the cassette 2, and 21 is a photomechanical processing device, which is constructed as follows.

7 is a mask stocker for storing a plurality of masks 6 in each box, 8 is a wafer exposure apparatus, 9 is a wafer resist coating apparatus, 10 is a developing apparatus, 22 is a mask stocker 7 and the exposure apparatus 8 is a mask 6 exchangeable unit. A mask changing device for performing 23, a mask number reading device for reading the mask number of the mask 6,
24 is the wafer number of wafer 1 from cassette 2
This is a wafer number reader for reading 1a. Reference numeral 25 is a cassette transfer device which travels along the transport path 28, takes out the cassette 2 from the identification number reading device 20 and stores it in the storage box 4, and
Insert the cassette 2 in the storage 4 into the photoengraving processor 21,
After the processing is completed, the cassette 2 is received from the photomechanical processing device 21 and applied to the identification number reading device 20. Reference numeral 26 denotes a control device having a computer, which controls the photomechanical processing device 21, the identification number reading device 3 and the transfer device 25, and registers the identification number 2a of the cassette 2, the wafer number 1a of the wafer 1 and the mask 6 number. Manage the process. A computer terminal 27 is connected to the control device 26.

Next, the operation of the apparatus of the above-described embodiment will be described with reference to the operation explanatory diagram of FIG.

First, a plurality of cassettes 2 containing the wafer 1 are conveyed to the identification number reader 20.

Then, the cassette 2 from which the identification number 2a is read by the number reading device 20 is temporarily stored in the storage case 4 by the transfer device 25 based on the instruction of the control device 26 in order to wait for the next process.

Subsequently, the control device 26 searches for the photolithography processing device 21 in which the mask 6 corresponding to the identification number 2a read by the identification number reading device 20 is registered, and controls the photolithography processing device 21. In response to a command from the device 26, the corresponding cassette 2 is taken out from the storage 4 by the transfer device 25, transferred, and put in.

Upon receiving the cassette 2, the photomechanical processing device 21 takes out the wafer 1 from the cassette 2 by an automatic take-out machine (not shown), applies resist with the resist applying device 9, and confirms the wafer number with the wafer number reading device 24. on the other hand,
Based on a command from the control device 26, the mask 6 corresponding to the wafer 1 of the received cassette 2 is taken out from the mask stocker 7 by the mask exchanging device 22, the mask reading device 23 reads the mask number, and the exposure device 8 is set. At the same time, the photomechanical processing device 21 registers the number of the read mask 6 in the control device 26. If the corresponding mask 6 is already set in the exposure device 8, the mask stocker 7
It is not necessary to replace the mask 6 from. The wafer 1 exposed by the exposure device 8 is developed by the developing device 10 and stored in the cassette 2 by an automatic storage device (not shown). The cassette 2 is taken out from the photomechanical processing device 21 by the transfer device 25 and is conveyed again to the identification number reading device 20.

Also, different masks 6 are provided in one cassette 2.
When the wafers 1 used for are mixed, the processing is performed as follows. Cassette 2 with identification number reader 20
When the identification number 2a is read, the control device 26 recognizes the cassette 2 in which the wafers 1 having different masks 6 are mixed, and the photolithography processing device 21 from the storage 4 is recognized as in the case described above. At the time of loading, the transfer device 25 is instructed to load the cassette 2 into the photolithography processing device 21 in which all the masks 6 used in the cassette 2 are stored. The transfer device 25 takes out the cassette 2 from the storage 4 and puts it in the designated photoengraving processing device 21.

The photomechanical processing device 21 that has received the cassette 2 reads the wafer number 1a by the wafer number reading device 24 and reports it to the control device 26. The control device 26 issues an instruction to replace the mask 6 corresponding to the reported wafer number 1a to the photomechanical processing device 21. As a result, the photomechanical processing device 21 causes the mask changing device 22 to move the mask 6 from the mask stocker 7
The mask number is read out, the mask number is read by the mask number reading device 23, and the mask number is reported to the control device 26. Then, the exposure device 8 is set and the wafer 1 is processed. This process is repeated for each wafer 1. In addition, the mask 6
When there is no corresponding mask 6 in the photomechanical processing device 21 that has been in process at the time of searching, the abnormality notification is given. Waha 1
The operation after the completion of the process is the same as in the case of the one embodiment.

Next, the mask stocker 7 of the photoengraving processor 21 is newly added.
When the mask 6 is stored in the mask storage device 7, the mask 6 taken out from the mask stocker 7 is deleted and the newly stored mask 6 is registered by the computer terminal 27 connected to the control device 26 or the photomechanical processing device 21. Further, the computer terminal 27 and the photomechanical processing device 21 are also capable of instructing registration and replacement of the mask 6 set in the exposure device 8.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, according to the present invention, the cassette is read in the identification number by the identification number reading device and is temporarily stored in the storage box, and the photolithography processing apparatus is provided with the exposure device, the mask stocker, the mask number reading device, and the mask changing device. A wafer number reading device, a wafer resist coating device, and a developing device for the wafer after the exposure processing are provided, and the cassette identification number reading device and the storage cabinet, the storage cabinet and the photoengraving processor, and the photoengraving processor to the cassette are installed. The cassette is transferred to the identification number reader by the transfer device, and the controller controls the cassette identification number reader, the transfer device and the photoengraving processor, and the cassette identification number, wafer number and mask number are transferred to the controller. By registering and managing the processing process, the work in process of the processing equipment is reduced, and the photoengraving processing equipment is reduced. The improved operating rates, is prevented Shisonji workability production is enhanced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a photolithography processing equipment for a wafer according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing a photolithography processing method for a wafer by the equipment shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a semiconductor wafer. FIG. 4 is a plan view, FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a cassette for storing a wafer, and FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of a conventional wafer photolithography processing facility. 1 ... semiconductor wafer, 1a ... wafer number, 2 ... cassette, 2a ... cassette identification number, 4 ... storage box, 6 ...
... Mask, 7 ... Mask stocker, 8 ... Exposure device, 9
...... Resist coating device, 10 ・ ・ ・ Developing device, 20 ・ ・ ・ Cassette identification number reading device, 21 ・ ・ ・ Photo plate making processing device, 22 ・ ・ ・
… Mask changing device, 23 …… Mask number reading device, 24…
... Wafer number reading device, 25 ... Transfer device, 26 ... Control device, 27 ... Computer terminal device The same reference numerals in the drawings indicate the same or corresponding parts.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Office reference number FI technical display location H01L 21/68 A

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An identification number reading device for reading an identification number of a cassette containing a plurality of wafers, a plurality of boxes are provided, and the cassette with the read identification numbers is temporarily stored in a predetermined box. , A storage for waiting for the next process, a wafer resist coating device, an exposure device for patterning the wafer, a mask stocker for storing a plurality of masks used in the exposure device, and mask exchange between the mask stocker and the exposure device. A mask exchanging device for performing, a mask number reading device for reading the number given to the mask, a wafer number reading device for reading the number given to the wafer, and a plurality of sets of photomechanical processing devices each including a developing device, and the cassette described above. Received from the identification number reader and stored in the box of the receiving box, and also take out the cassette of the box and transfer it to the photoengraving processor. It is equipped with a transfer device and a computer for taking in the cassette containing the wafer after the wafer is completely processed by the photoengraving processing apparatus and for carrying it to the above identification number reading apparatus. And a wafer photoengraving processing facility comprising a control device for controlling the transfer device and registering the cassette identification number, the wafer number and the mask number for process control, and a computer terminal connected to the control device. 2. The identification number of the cassette containing a plurality of wafers is read by an identification number reading device, the cassette is temporarily stored in the box of the storage box, and the cassette of the storage box is responded by a command from the control unit. Transfer to the photoengraving processor for the required mask, remove the wafer from the cassette, apply the resist,
Next, enter the wafer number into the exposure device, while if the required mask is set in the exposure device, the wafer is exposed by the command of the control device, and if the required mask is not set, Take out the required mask from the mask stocker according to the command from the control device, read the mask number with the mask number reading device, exchange the mask with the exposure device and set, expose the wafer, and develop the exposed wafer. The cassette is stored in a cassette from the cassette, the cassette is transferred to the cassette identification number reading device, and the cassette identification number is read and sent to the next step.The control device has a computer and issues an operation command for each device, Search for a photoengraving processor having a mask of And registration of the mask housed in mosquitoes, excisional has been that the registration of the mask, photolithographic processing method of the wafer, characterized in that they are to be instructed to exchange the exposure apparatus.