JPH0864590A - Multichamber heat treatment equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To make a cooling chamber unnecessary, instal many treatment chambers, and improve productivity, by installing a cooling tray above the surface where a conveyer robot in a substrate conveying chamber moves. CONSTITUTION: On the outer peripheral part of a substrate conveying chamber 1, treatment chambers 2 are continuously installed via gate valves 6, and load lock chambers 4 are continuously installed via gate valves 6'. A conveyer robot is installed in the substrate conveying chamber 1. A cooling tray 5 is installed above the conveyer robot 3. Since the cooling tray 5 is installed above the conveyer robot 3, particles are prevented from sticking on the substrate, and the robot 3 is not hindered from moving. Thereby the treatment chambers 2 can be installed in the space of the cooling chamber, and productivity can be remarkably improved.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a multi-chamber,
In a multi-chamber processing device such as a cluster tool,
The present invention relates to a substrate heat treatment apparatus in which a cooling tray is provided in a substrate transfer chamber and a processing chamber is provided in a space that does not require the cooling chamber to improve productivity.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a heat treatment apparatus for a semiconductor substrate is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, a processing chamber 2, a cooling chamber 8 and a processing chamber 2 are provided on the outer periphery of the substrate transfer chamber 1 via a gate valve 6.
The load lock chamber 4 is connected to the substrate transfer chamber 1, and the transfer robot 3 is provided in the substrate transfer chamber 1. The transfer robot 3 allows the substrate 7 transferred from the processing chamber 2 to be left in the cooling chamber 8 so that the substrate temperature is sufficiently high. After being lowered, the wafer was returned to the original wafer cassette in the load lock chamber 4.

As described above, in the conventional heat treatment apparatus described above, the cooling chamber 8 for cooling is provided in addition to the processing chamber 2 in order to lower the temperature of the processed substrate to a temperature close to room temperature. In addition to the increase in the apparatus cost, the number of processing chambers 2 cannot be increased, resulting in a problem of poor productivity. It is possible that the substrate cannot be cooled in the processing chamber 2, but if a substrate is left in the processing chamber 2 for a long time, the next substrate cannot be introduced into the processing chamber 2, so that the productivity is extremely reduced. Therefore, it cannot be practically adopted.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the problems of the conventional multi-chamber heat treatment apparatus, provides a heat treatment apparatus for a substrate which improves productivity and reduces the substrate processing cost. With the goal.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the present inventor has conducted extensive studies and, as a result, provided a cooling tray above the surface on which the transfer robot moves in the substrate transfer chamber to cool the substrate. The inventors have found that productivity can be greatly improved because the number of processing chambers can be increased by eliminating the need for chambers, and the present invention has been reached.

That is, the present invention is a multi-chamber heat treatment apparatus provided with a substrate transfer chamber, a processing chamber, a load lock chamber, and a transfer robot for transferring a substrate into and out of each of the chambers. A cooling tray for cooling the high temperature heat-treated substrate to a predetermined temperature is provided above the position where the transfer robot moves in the substrate transfer chamber. In short, the present invention provides the particles generated during the operation of the transfer robot by providing the cooling tray above the position where the transfer robot moves in the substrate transfer chamber.
The gist of the present invention is to improve productivity by providing a processing chamber in a space of a cooling chamber which is no longer needed, while avoiding attachment to the substrate being cooled.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. 1 and 3, the upper end is open, but this shows the state in which the lid is removed. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the present invention, in which a substrate is transferred (platform).
2) A processing chamber 2 is connected to the outer periphery of the chamber 1 via a gate valve 6 and a load lock chamber 4 is connected via a gate valve 6 ', and a transfer robot 3 is installed inside the substrate transfer chamber 1. A cooling tray 5 is attached above the transfer robot 3. Since the cooling tray 5 is attached above the transfer robot 3, it effectively prevents particles from adhering to the substrate and does not hinder the movement of the transfer robot 3. A wafer cassette (not shown) is installed in the load lock chamber 4.

The cooling tray 5 is formed in a ring shape having an opening 8 at the front end, and a substrate supporting projection 9 is formed on the inner peripheral surface thereof. The opening 8 is for allowing the front end portion 10 of the transfer robot 3 on which the substrate is placed to pass from above the cooling tray 5 to below and from below to above. The number of cooling trays 5 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that the number is the same as that of the processing chambers 2.

[0009]

Next, a substrate cooling method using the above apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS. The inside of the substrate transfer chamber 1 and the processing chamber 2 is evacuated. First, the load lock chamber 4 is evacuated, the gate valve 6 ′ is opened, the substrate 7 is placed on the leading end portion 10 of the transfer robot 3 from the wafer cassette in the load lock chamber 4, and the inside of the substrate transfer chamber 1 is loaded. And the gate valve 6 is opened to accommodate the substrate 7 in the processing chamber 2. Since four processing chambers 2 are provided in this embodiment, this operation is repeated four times.

The substrate 7 which has been processed in the processing chamber 2
Opens the gate valve 6 and the transfer robot 3 tip 1
0, draw it out into the substrate transfer chamber 1, raise the transfer robot 3 above the cooling tray 5 as it is, and rotate the transfer robot 3 in the horizontal direction, as shown in FIG. 10 is located on the upper surface of the cooling tray 5. Then, the transfer robot 3 is lowered, the leading end 10 of the transfer robot 3 is passed downward from the opening 8 of the cooling tray, and the transfer robot 3 is lowered to the original height. In this way, the substrate 7 placed on the leading end portion 10 of the transfer robot 3 is supported by the protrusion 9 of the cooling tray 5.

The substrate 7 that has been sufficiently cooled on the cooling tray 5 is
The transfer robot 3 is lifted, the substrate is placed on the tip portion 10 thereof, and is lifted above the cooling tray 5. Then, the transfer robot 3 is rotated in the horizontal direction and then lowered,
The valve 6'is opened to restore the original wafer cassette in the load lock chamber 4. At this time, the load lock chamber 4 is evacuated in advance.

[0012]

As described above, according to the present invention, since the cooling tray is provided in the substrate transfer chamber, the cooling chamber can be omitted and the processing chamber can be provided in the space of the cooling chamber. In addition, the productivity is greatly improved and the cost of the semiconductor substrate is greatly reduced, and since the cooling tray is provided above the transfer robot, particles generated by the movement of the transfer robot adhere to the substrate. Can be effectively prevented.

[0013]

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a conventional heat treatment apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Substrate transfer chamber 2 Processing chamber 3 Transfer robot 4 Load lock chamber 5 Cooling tray 6 Gate valve 7 Substrate

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A multi-chamber heat treatment apparatus comprising a substrate transfer chamber, a processing chamber, a load lock chamber, and a transfer robot for loading / unloading a substrate into / from each of the chambers. A multi-chamber heat treatment apparatus comprising a cooling tray for cooling a high-temperature heat-treated substrate to a predetermined temperature above a position where the transfer robot moves in the chamber. 2. The cooling tray is formed in a ring shape having one end opened with a plurality of substrate supporting protrusions formed on the inner peripheral surface,
The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate transfer section of the transfer robot is configured to pass vertically through the opening. 3. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a processing chamber is provided in the space of an unnecessary cooling chamber on the outer periphery of the substrate transfer chamber.