JPH09107012A - Automatic processing device of semiconductor exposure system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize an automatic processing device which is capable of efficiently carrying out a stepper exposure process and lessened in floor space. SOLUTION: A cassette arrangement section 5 is arranged confronting the wafer loading/unloading opening 2a of a stepper exposure system 2, a processing section 6 is arranged between the cassette arrangement section 5 and the wafer loading/unloading opening 2a of the stepper exposure system 2 so as to make its lengthwise direction nearly vertical to the direction in which the cassette arrangement section 5 and the stepper exposure system 2 are arranged opposed to each other. An indexer robot 7 and a transfer robot 8 buffers 10 and 11 where wafers can he placed for each transfer direction are provided between an indexer robot 7 and a transfer robot 8 and between the indexer robot 7 and a turning robot 9.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an automatic processing apparatus for a semiconductor exposure apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a stepper exposure apparatus has been known as a semiconductor exposure apparatus. This stepper exposure apparatus is an apparatus for forming an image of a chip pattern on a wafer as a semiconductor by using a reticle pattern having a circuit figure several times larger than that used for an IC pattern and the like, and exposing the entire wafer. As its pretreatment, resist coating treatment, bake treatment and the like are required, and as post treatment, developer treatment, bake treatment and the like are necessary.

However, since the stepper exposure apparatus only exposes the wafer, it requires a processing apparatus for performing pre-processing or post-processing. FIG. 5 shows a parallel arrangement of such a stepper exposure apparatus and an automatic processing apparatus for automatically performing the pre-processing or post-processing. In this figure, an automatic processing apparatus 1 is connected to a stepper exposure apparatus 2. In this automatic processing apparatus 1, the wafer is pre-processed or post-processed and is transferred to the wafer loading / unloading port 2a of the stepper exposure apparatus 2, so that the processing line is in the longitudinal direction and the automatic processing apparatus 1 is The longitudinal direction is perpendicular to the wafer loading / unloading opening 2a of the stepper exposure apparatus 2.

The automatic processor 1 can perform at least one of pretreatment and posttreatment. When the automatic processing apparatus 1 is an apparatus that performs only post-processing of stepper exposure, the pre-processed wafer is transferred to the automatic processing apparatus 1. This wafer is inserted into the cassette and is transported by the cassette transport robot 3 which passes over the passage 4. Then, the cassette is placed in the cassette placement unit 5 of the automatic processing apparatus 1, and the wafer is taken out from the cassette and immediately transferred to the stepper exposure apparatus 2 for stepper exposure. When the stepper exposure is completed, the wafer is taken out from the stepper exposure apparatus 2, is subjected to post-processing, is transported to the original cassette placement section 5, and is inserted into the cassette.

Then, the cassette into which the processed wafer is inserted is transferred to the next step by the cassette transfer robot.

[0006]

By the way, in the conventional automatic processing apparatus of the semiconductor exposure apparatus, since the longitudinal direction is arranged so as to be orthogonal to the surface of the wafer loading / unloading port 2a of the stepper exposure apparatus 2, the automatic processing apparatus 1 A dead space as shown by the broken line is created next to, which requires a large space. To eliminate this dead space, for example,
With the arrangement shown in FIG. 6, the cassette carrying robot 3 will pass near the stepper exposure apparatus 2 this time. For example, for operation of the stepper exposure apparatus 2 such as reticle exchange, maintenance work, and the like. It will have an impact.

Further, the automatic processing apparatus 1 is provided with a plurality of robots for transferring wafers. In the conventional apparatus, however, since the wafers are directly transferred between the robots, the robots perform the transfer work. In the middle, the workability was poor because the wafer could not be handed over to the robot. The present invention has been made in view of such conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an automatic processing apparatus for a semiconductor exposure apparatus capable of saving space while improving work efficiency.

[0008]

Therefore, an apparatus according to the invention of claim 1 is connected to a semiconductor exposure apparatus for exposing a wafer coated with a resist with a desired circuit pattern, and the semiconductor exposure apparatus Of the semiconductor exposure apparatus or the semiconductor exposure apparatus or the cassette placement section for arranging the cassette in which the wafer to be supplied to the processing section is inserted, the cassette placement section, the processing section, and the semiconductor exposure apparatus. In an automatic processing apparatus of a semiconductor exposure apparatus, comprising: a transfer unit provided in each interval and in a processing section and configured to transfer a wafer, the cassette arranging section faces a front surface of a wafer loading / unloading port of the semiconductor exposure apparatus. And the processing unit between the cassette placement unit and the semiconductor exposure apparatus,
It was arranged so that the longitudinal direction was substantially perpendicular to these facing directions.

According to this structure, there is no dead space, and it is possible to save space. In the apparatus according to the second aspect of the present invention, the transfer unit is provided with a buffer for mounting a wafer for each transfer direction, and is configured to transfer the wafer through the buffer by mounting the wafer on the buffer for each transfer direction.

According to this structure, the wafers are delivered and received through the buffer, and the wafer is transferred from the cassette arranging section to the semiconductor exposure apparatus via the processing section and the semiconductor exposure apparatus to the processing section. Since the route for transporting the wafer to the cassette placement section via is different, work efficiency is improved. In the apparatus according to the invention of claim 3, a plurality of the buffers are provided for each transport direction.

According to this structure, it is possible to absorb the difference in processing speed between the exposure apparatus and the front-back processing apparatus.

[0012]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.
This will be described with reference to FIG. Note that the same components as those in FIG. 5 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG. 3 are a plan view, an AA ′ sectional view of FIG. 1, and a side view showing an embodiment of an automatic processing apparatus of a semiconductor exposure apparatus, respectively.

1 to 3, the automatic processing apparatus 1 is shown.
Is a device that is connected to a stepper exposure device 2 as a semiconductor exposure device and performs pre-processing or post-processing of wafer exposure. The cassette placement unit 5 faces the front of the wafer loading / unloading port 2a of the stepper exposure device 2. And the process unit 6 as a processing unit is disposed between the cassette placement unit 5 and the stepper exposure apparatus 2 in the longitudinal direction.
Of the wafer loading / unloading port 2a and the cassette placement portion 5 are arranged so as to be substantially perpendicular to the facing direction.

The stepper exposure device 2 is provided with an operation panel 2b for exchanging the reticle pattern, but since the passage 4 of the cassette carrying robot 3 is separated from the stepper exposure device 2, the reticle exchange is performed. , Maintenance can be performed without interfering with cassette transportation. The wafer loading / unloading port 2a of the stepper exposure apparatus 2 has a stage 2c for mounting wafers before and after stepper exposure, respectively.
2d are arranged.

In the cassette placement section 5, for example, three cassettes can be placed. Further, the cassette has a plurality of stages so that a plurality of wafers can be placed. The process unit 6 is where pre-processing or post-processing of wafer exposure by the stepper exposure apparatus 2 is performed. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the process unit 6 only performs post-processes of stepper exposure.

HP of the process section 6 (hot plate)
Is a process area for heating a wafer to perform a BAKE process, CP (cool plate) is a process area for cooling a warmed wafer, CUP is a process area for performing a development process, and an exposure apparatus section is a peripheral area. This is a process area for exposure. The automatic processing apparatus 1 is provided with a plurality of robots that transfer wafers to various places according to such arrangement.

First, an indexer robot 7 is provided near the cassette placement section 5. The indexer robot 7 moves in parallel with the cassette placement unit 5 and can rotate because the process unit 6 is placed as described above. In the process robot area 6a,
A transfer robot 8 is provided. This transfer robot 8
Moves the wafer up, down, left and right to transfer the wafer to each process area.

Although not shown, the indexer robot 7 and the transfer robot 8 are provided with arms for extending and delivering the wafer. As shown in FIG. 4, the revolving robot 9 is provided with rotatable and extendable arms 9a and 9b, and the arms 9a and 9b are extended to receive the wafer of the buffer 11 or the buffer 12. Further, a vacuum chuck is provided on the arm 9a at the tip, and is configured to suck and fix the wafer when the wafer is placed on the arm 9a.

A buffer 10 is provided between the indexer robot 7 and the transfer robot 8. This buffer
The stage 10 has stages IN and OUT for each direction, so that the wafer can be placed in each transfer direction. When the processing speeds of the process unit 6 and the stepper exposure are largely different, the number of stages IN and OUT may be plural.

A buffer 11 is provided between the indexer robot 7 and the turning robot 9. This buffer
11 has a plurality of stages so that a plurality of wafers can be placed. The wafer mounting position is, for example, such that the wafer is mounted on the upper portion of the buffer 11 when it is transported to the stepper exposure apparatus 2 and on the lower portion of the buffer 11 when it is transported from the stepper exposure apparatus 2. Separately divided into upper and lower parts.

The indexer robot 7, the transfer robot 8, the turning robot 9, and the buffers 10 to 12 correspond to the transfer means. Next, the operation will be described. Cassette transport robot 3
Moves on the passage 4 and places the cassette on an empty position of the cassette placement portion 5 of the automatic processing apparatus 1. The cassette is stored by the cassette transport robot 3.

The indexer robot 7 extends the arm to take out the wafer from the cassette, temporarily contracts the arm, moves to the front of the buffer 10, rotates and extends the arm to place the wafer on the buffer 11. The position of the wafer in the cassette is stored so that it can be returned to its original position.

The revolving robot 9 extends the arms 9a and 9b to receive the wafer, retracts the arms 9a and 9b and revolves, extends the arms 9a and 9b again to place the wafer on the buffer 12, and the wafer is a stepper exposure device. It is mounted on the second stage 2c. The wafer placed on the stage 2c is subjected to stepper exposure processing by the stepper exposure apparatus 2.

When the exposure processing of the wafer is completed, the wafer is placed on the stage 2d and transferred to the buffer 12. Then, the turning robot 9 extends the arms 9a and 9b,
The wafer is received and placed on the lower part of the buffer 11. The indexer robot 7 receives the wafer placed under the buffer 11 and moves to the front of the buffer 10 to place the wafer on the stage IN of the buffer 10.

The transfer robot 8 in the process cell robot area 6a extends the arm to receive the wafer on the stage IN of the buffer 10, contracts the arm, moves in the vertical and horizontal directions, and transfers the wafer to each processing step. Wafers are now post-processed: PEB process, COOL process, DEV process, BA process.
KE processing and RECV processing are sequentially performed.

When the post-processing is completed, the wafer is placed on the stage OUT of the buffer 10 again, and the indexer robot 7 receives the wafer on the stage OUT and rotates it to put it in the original position of the cassette. Since the position of the cassette in the cassette placement unit 5 is stored in the cassette transfer robot 3, the cassette transfer robot 3 transfers the cassette in which the processed wafer is inserted to the next process.

According to this structure, the process section 6 is arranged substantially parallel to the stepper exposure device, and the indexer robot 7 and the like are arranged in accordance with this arrangement, so that there is no dead space, and space is saved. You can
Further, the passage 4 of the cassette transfer robot 3 can be arranged at a position away from the stepper exposure device 2, and operations such as reticle exchange and the transfer work by the cassette transfer robot 3 do not interfere with each other, thus improving work efficiency. Can be achieved.

Further, since the buffers 10 and 11 are constructed so as to place the wafers in the respective transfer directions, each robot can move independently and the working efficiency is improved.
In addition, in the present embodiment, the single line type having only one process section has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the full in-line type in which the process sections are arranged in two rows and pre-processing and post-processing are performed. You can also

With this arrangement, it is possible to easily add a processing line.

[0030]

As described above, according to the device of the first aspect of the present invention, the dead space is eliminated and the space can be saved. According to the apparatus of the second aspect of the present invention, the wafers are delivered and received through the buffer, and the transfer path from the cassette arrangement unit to the semiconductor exposure apparatus and the transfer path from the semiconductor exposure apparatus to the cassette arrangement unit are provided. Since, and are different, work efficiency is improved.

According to the apparatus of the third aspect of the present invention, it is possible to absorb the difference in processing speed between the exposure apparatus and the front-back processing apparatus, and further improve work efficiency.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line A-A ′ in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a side view of FIG. 1;

4 is a perspective view of the turning robot of FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 5 is a layout view of a conventional device.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of the arrangement of a conventional device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Automatic Processing Device 2 Stepper Exposure Device 5 Cassette Arrangement Unit 6 Process Unit 7 Indexer Robot 8 Transfer Robot 9 Swiveling Robot 10, 11 Buffer

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A processing unit connected to a semiconductor exposure apparatus for exposing a wafer coated with a resist using a desired circuit pattern to perform pre-processing or post-processing of wafer exposure by the semiconductor exposure apparatus; A cassette arranging section for arranging a cassette in which a wafer to be supplied to the exposure apparatus or the processing section is inserted, and a conveying means provided between the cassette arranging section, the processing section, the semiconductor exposure apparatus, and in the processing section for conveying the wafer In the automatic processing apparatus of the semiconductor exposure apparatus, comprising: the cassette arranging portion so as to face the front of the wafer loading / unloading port of the semiconductor exposure apparatus, and the processing portion, the cassette arranging portion and the semiconductor exposure apparatus. An automatic processing apparatus for a semiconductor exposure apparatus, characterized in that a longitudinal direction thereof is arranged substantially in the direction perpendicular to these facing directions. 2. The transfer means is provided with a buffer for mounting a wafer for each transfer direction, and is configured to transfer the wafer through the buffer by mounting the wafer on the buffer for each transfer direction. 1. An automatic processing apparatus for a semiconductor exposure apparatus according to 1. 3. The automatic processing apparatus for a semiconductor exposure apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of said buffers are provided for each carrying direction.