JPH09181157A - Wafer holder - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a wafer holder by which a uniform support force is applied to the whole outer circumferential part of a wafer and by which the yield of a semiconductor device is increased by a method wherein the shape of an inside edge is similar to the outer circumference of the wafer and a width which is sufficient to hold the whole edge of the wafer is formed as a width between an outside edge and the inside edge. SOLUTION: A plurality of leg parts 42 are formed at the outer circumferential edge of a wafer holder 40. The leg parts 42 are separated from each other by every prescribed angle. Then, a width between the outer circumferential edge and an inner circumferential edge has a width which is sufficient to hold the whole outer circumference of a wafer. Consequently, the wafer holder 40 supports the whole outer circumference of the wafer. As a result, it is possible to prevent a locally concentrated force from being applied to the wafer. In addition, the wafer holder 40 uses a continuous area to support the wafer. Consequently, a uniform force can be applied to the wafer.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and more particularly to a wafer holder capable of preventing damage to a wafer.

[0002]

The semiconductor industry is a precision industry. Therefore, the manufacturing process of the semiconductor device is performed in a very clean place where all the pollution sources are removed. Currently, most semiconductor device manufacturing processes are performed in a clean room.

As the degree of integration of semiconductor devices increases, the intervals between various patterns formed on a wafer also decrease. The spacing between the patterns is submicron. No matter how small the contaminant particles may be when the various patterns having such fine intervals are formed on the wafer, they may have a serious influence on the manufacturing process of the semiconductor device.

Recent semiconductor device manufacturing processes tend to automate most processes in order to minimize the generation of such contaminant particles in a clean room.

In the semiconductor manufacturing process, a wafer holder is used when the wafer is stored or transported in order to prevent the wafer from being damaged by the generated contaminant particles.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a conventional wafer holder. Referring to FIG. 1, two grooves 14 are symmetrically formed on an outer edge of a body 10 of a wafer holder. The groove 14 is a portion where the equipment for mounting the wafer holder and the wafer holder are coupled. On the inner edge of the wafer holder are eight protruding pins 12 that come into direct contact with the wafer. The eight pins 12 have the same size. Moreover, the angle between the pins 12 is constant. Reference numeral A corresponds to the flat zone of the wafer.

The wafer holder of the conventional semiconductor device having the above-mentioned structure has a wafer with eight pins 1.
Support in 2. Therefore, the wafer has eight pins 1
Receives concentrated force on the part that directly contacts 2. Therefore, if a thin film is formed on the wafer, the thin film is likely to be scratched and damaged by the eight pins. When the thin film formed on the wafer is scratched, fine dust is generated, and the dust acts as a contaminant in the next process. A semiconductor device containing such contaminant particles does not operate normally. As a result, using a wafer holder according to the prior art provides one cause of reducing the yield of semiconductor devices.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been devised to solve the problems caused by the above-mentioned conventional techniques, and provides a wafer holder capable of increasing the yield of semiconductor devices. Has that purpose.

[0009]

To achieve the above object, a wafer holder according to the present invention has an inner edge similar to the outer circumference of a wafer and a plurality of legs formed on the outer edge. , The width between the outer edge and the inner edge is wide enough to support the entire edge of the wafer.

The outer peripheral portion of the wafer supported by the wafer holder is a portion where no pattern is formed.
Four legs are formed on the outer edge of the wafer holder.

Since the present invention is provided with means for applying a uniform supporting force to the entire outer peripheral portion of the wafer, there is no risk of generating contaminant particles as in the conventional wafer holder. Therefore, when the wafer holder according to the present invention is used, the yield of semiconductor devices can be further increased compared to the conventional case.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The wafer holder 40 shown in FIG. 2 has a plurality of (eg, four) legs 42 on the outer edge.
Are formed, and the legs 42 are separated from each other by a predetermined angle. The width between the outer edge and the inner edge is large enough to support the entire outer circumference of the wafer. That is, the outer circumference of the wafer is located between the inner edge and the outer edge of the wafer holder 40 according to the present invention. At this time, the flat zone 44 of the wafer holder 40 and the flat zone of the wafer are aligned.

The shape of the outer edge of the wafer holder 40 is not limited. Therefore, although shown as a circle in FIG.
Other forms (eg, square) are also possible.

In the embodiment according to the present invention, the wafer holder 4
In 0, the width of the edge is constant in the remaining portion except the flat zone 44.

The wafer holder 40 supports the entire outer circumference of the wafer. Therefore, it may prevent locally concentrated forces from being applied to the wafer. And, the wafer holder according to the present invention uses a continuous area to support the wafer. Therefore, a uniform force is applied to the wafer. For this reason, there is almost no possibility that the thin film on the wafer will come off.

The three-dimensional shape of the leg portion 42 can be seen in FIG. 3 which is a perspective view of the wafer holder 40.
Has a downward bent portion.

[0017]

As described above, the wafer holder according to the present invention applies a uniform supporting force to a wide surface without applying a local supporting force to the wafer unlike the conventional wafer holder. Therefore, the thin film formed on the wafer can be prevented from being damaged and the yield of semiconductor devices can be increased.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a conventional wafer holder.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a wafer holder according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a wafer holder according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

40 wafer holders, 42 legs, 44 flat zones

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. The inner edge is similar to the outer circumference of the wafer, and the outer edge is formed with a plurality of legs, and the width between the outer edge and the inner edge supports the entire outer circumference of the wafer. Wafer holder having a width sufficient to 2. The wafer holder according to claim 1, wherein the number of the legs is four.