JPH09266146A - Apparatus and method for fabricating semiconductor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To perform a stand-by processing for a next lot wafer easily with a simplified construction irrespective of an exposure operation parameter of the next lot, by forcing a wafer of the next lot to stand ready at an arbitrary standby position instructed by a user when an exposure processing is applied to a wafer of a present lot. SOLUTION: A wafer 3 after it is exposed to light on a wafer stage 2 is carried out by an arm 13 of a longitudinal slider 8, is then delivered to an arm 10 of a lateral slider 7, and is accommodated in a carrier 6. Herein, an inline delivery unit 14 is provided on one end of the lateral slider 7. The wafer 3 before the exposure and the wafer 3 after the exposure are delivered by the inline delivery unit 14 between the unit 14 and an inline apparatus 15 in which a coater and a developer are accommodated. Hereby, even if the wafer lot is exchanged manually, the exposure processing to the wafer 3 of the next lot is achieved after the exposure processing to the wafer 3 of the present lot is completed.

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 a semiconductor manufacturing method, and is particularly suitable for application in a continuous lot process.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, a wafer stored in a carrier is taken out by a predetermined transfer means and transferred onto a wafer stage, and a light beam from a light source is irradiated through a reticle. Is used to expose a desired pattern on the wafer. At that time, in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, a predetermined number of wafers are defined as a lot, and a series of processes from transfer to exposure is performed in each lot.

By the way, when processing is performed in units of lots, it is desirable to shorten the processing time between the lots, that is, the so-called lot clearance time, in order to shorten the overall processing time. Therefore, various methods have been conventionally proposed as methods for shortening the slot clearance time. As such a method, for example, there is a method disclosed in JP-A-5-55103. In this method, exposure operation parameters (various exposure conditions, wafer orientation during exposure, etc.) for the next lot are set while the exposure process for the current lot is being performed, and the next lot is set according to the exposure operation parameter. The standby position is determined, and the wafer on the next lot is transferred to the determined standby position and made to stand by. As a result, in this method, the gap time between the lots can be shortened and the processing time as a whole can be shortened.

[0004]

By the way, in the above-mentioned method, there is always an advantage in that if the exposure operation parameter of the next lot is set, the wafer of the next lot can be put on standby and the lot gap time can be shortened. However, on the other hand, if the exposure operation parameters of the next lot cannot be prepared, it is inconvenient if the wafer of the next lot cannot be standby-processed. Further, in the method as described above, there is an advantage that the standby position can be automatically determined according to the exposure operation parameter of the next lot, but the software and the configuration of the apparatus are complicated by that amount, and the small scale is required. There are some places where users who want to use this system cannot always meet the requirements.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and the stand-by process of the next lot wafer can be easily performed with a simple structure regardless of the exposure operation parameter of the next lot, and the lot gap time during the continuous lot process. It is intended to propose a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and a semiconductor manufacturing method which can shorten the overall processing time by shortening the processing time.

[0006]

In order to solve such a problem, according to the present invention, while the wafer of the current lot is being exposed, the wafer of the next lot is waited at an arbitrary waiting position designated by the user. I was allowed to. By doing so, the standby process for the next lot wafer can be performed without the exposure operation parameter for the next lot as in the conventional case.

Further, in the present invention, when the exposure operation parameter for the next lot is the same as the current lot, the position immediately before the exposure operation is designated as the standby position, and the wafer of the next lot is made to stand by at the standby position. did. If the exposure operation parameter is the same as the current lot, the wafer of the next lot can be made to stand by at the position immediately before the exposure operation.
By doing so, the standby position of the next lot can be optimized and the lot clearance time can be shortened optimally.

Further, in the present invention, when the exposure operation parameter for the next lot is different from the current lot, a position not affected by the exposure operation parameter is designated as the standby position, and the wafer of the next lot is set as the standby position. I made it wait. When the exposure operation parameter is different from the current lot, it is possible to stand by at a position that is not affected by the exposure operation parameter. By doing this, the standby position is optimized and the lot gap time is shortened optimally. can do.

Further, according to the present invention, whether or not the wafer of the next lot is carried into the apparatus can be designated by the exposure operation parameter for the current lot, and the standby position of the wafer of the next lot when carrying in the wafer. Can be arbitrarily designated, and the wafer of the next lot is carried into the standby position according to the exposure operation parameter of the current lot while the wafer of the current lot is being exposed.
By doing so, the standby process for the next lot wafer can be performed without the exposure operation parameter for the next lot as in the conventional case.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus to which the present invention is applied as a whole, which conveys an exposure-symmetrical wafer 3 onto a wafer stage 2 on which a predetermined light beam is passed through a reticle. By irradiating the wafer 3, a desired pattern is exposed on the wafer 3.

In the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1, the wafer 3 is transferred from the carrier 5 onto the wafer stage 2 by the wafer loader system 4. At that time, the notch (so-called orientation flat) provided on the outer peripheral portion of the wafer 3 is conveyed so as to have a predetermined positional relationship with the wafer stage 2. The exposed wafer 3 is also unloaded from the wafer stage 2 by the wafer loader system 4 and is transported to the carrier 6.

The wafer loader system 4 for transporting the wafer 3 in this manner is roughly divided into a horizontal slider 7 for transporting the wafer 3 along the X-axis direction in the figure and a wafer 3 for transporting along the Y-axis direction in the figure. The vertical slider 8 is composed of two transport systems. First, the lateral slider 7 is provided with two arms 9 and 10 that can freely slide in the X-axis direction in the figure. The arms 9 and 10 respectively include X-axis moving portions 9A and 10A that move in the X-axis direction and the X-axis moving portions 9A and 10A.
Arm part 9 provided on 10A and movable back and forth in the Y-axis direction
B and 10B. Two arms 9
Among them, the arm 9 is a so-called load arm for taking out the wafer 3 from the carrier 5 and carrying the wafer 3 to the temporary wafer placing base 11. The arm 10 receives the exposed wafer 3 received from the vertical slider 8. This is a so-called unload arm that is stored in the carrier 6.

On the other hand, the vertical slider 8 is provided with two arms 12 and 13 which can freely slide in the Y-axis direction in the figure. The arms 12 and 13 include Y-axis moving portions 12A and 13A that move in the Y-axis direction, and the Y-axis moving portion 1 thereof.
It is configured by the arm portions 12B and 13B provided on 2A and 13A. Of the two arms 12 and 13, the arm 12 is a so-called load arm for transferring the wafer 3 from the temporary wafer holder 11 to the wafer stage 2, and the arm 13 transfers the exposed wafer 3 to the wafer stage 2.
It is a so-called unloading arm for carrying out from the and delivering to the arm 10 of the lateral slider 7.

Incidentally, the arm portions 9B and 10B of the arms 9 and 10 provided on the horizontal slider 7 and the arm portions 12B and 1 of the arms 12 and 13 provided on the vertical slider 8.
3B is provided with a vacuum suction mechanism (not shown),
At the time of transferring the wafer, the wafer 3 is securely held by the vacuum suction mechanism by the vacuum suction mechanism so as to be transported.

The wafer 3 before exposure, which is taken out from the carrier 5 as described above, is placed on the temporary wafer placing table 11 by the arm 9 of the lateral slider 7.
The above-mentioned processing is performed on the first example. That is, first, by rotating the wafer 3, alignment is performed so that the cutout portion provided on the outer peripheral portion of the wafer faces a predetermined direction, and at the same time, preparation is made for accurate positioning performed on the wafer stage 2. Approximate positioning is performed (that is, pre-alignment processing is performed). Secondly, the wafer 3 is prepared for the main exposure performed on the wafer stage 2.
A so-called peripheral exposure process is performed to expose the peripheral portion of the.

Specifically, the temporary wafer holder 11 has a turntable (not shown) capable of rotating the wafer 3 and a positioning mechanism (not shown) capable of pre-aligning the wafer 3. The above-mentioned wafer alignment and pre-alignment can be performed by operating these turntables and positioning mechanisms. In addition, the wafer temporary placing table 11
A predetermined light beam that is exposed to the photoresist applied to the wafer 3 is introduced above the substrate, and the peripheral exposure process as described above can be performed using this light beam.

The wafer 3 which has been pre-processed for the main exposure on the temporary wafer placing table 11 in this way has the vertical slider 8
Is transferred onto the wafer stage 2 by the arm 12 of
Here, a desired pattern is exposed by irradiating a predetermined light flux that is exposed to the photoresist applied to the wafer 3 through the reticle. The exposed wafer 3 is unloaded by the arm 13 of the vertical slider 8 and then transferred to the arm 10 of the horizontal slider 7 and stored in the carrier 6.

By the way, as shown in FIG. 1, an in-line delivery unit 14 is provided at one end of the horizontal slider 7, and this in-line delivery unit 14 allows
Handing the pre-exposure wafer 3 and the post-exposure wafer 3 to and from the in-line device 15 that accommodates a coater device (apparatus for applying photoresist to the wafer) and a developer device (apparatus for developing the exposed wafer). It is made possible. As a result, in this semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1, the exposure process of the wafer 3 of the next lot can be performed after the exposure process of the wafer 3 of the current lot is completed without manually exchanging the wafer lot. I'm running.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1, a control unit 16 for controlling the operation of each unit.
Is provided. The control unit 16 controls the operation of each unit based on the exposure operation parameters (various exposure conditions, wafer orientation, etc.) input from the keyboard 17 by the user, and performs the exposure process suitable for the exposure operation parameters.
The control unit 16 has a CRT (Cathode-
A ray tube) 18 is connected to the display device so that the exposure operation parameters input from the keyboard 17 and various operation states of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1 can be displayed.

By the way, as described in the section "Prior Art", when the exposure process is continuously performed in units of lots, it is desirable to shorten the lot gap time in order to shorten the processing time as a whole. Therefore, this semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1
In the above, when inputting the exposure operation parameter of the current lot from the keyboard 17, it is possible to set whether or not the next lot wafer 3 is carried into the apparatus. At that time, if it is set that the next lot wafer 3 is loaded into the apparatus, the horizontal slider 7 or the vertical slider 8 can be designated as the standby position.

When the carry-in of the next lot wafer 3 is designated in this way, the control unit 16 responds to the instruction, and when the wafer 3 of the current lot is being exposed, the next lot wafer 3 is placed inside the apparatus. The loaded wafer 3 is loaded and the next wafer 3 is waited at the designated waiting position. As a result, in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1, the exposure process of the next lot can be performed subsequent to the exposure process of the current lot, and the lot gap time can be shortened to shorten the processing time as a whole.

By the way, the reason why the lot clearance time can be shortened by such a thing is that the orientation of the wafer 3 and the exposure conditions are not so different from one lot to another in a memory line in a semiconductor manufacturing process. This is because there is a background that the exposure operation parameter of the lot can be applied to the next lot relatively often. Therefore, in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1, the loading operation of the next lot wafer 3 into the apparatus can be set by the exposure operation parameter of the current lot, and the lot gap time can be shortened.

Although it has been explained that the exposure operation parameter of the current lot can be applied to the next lot in many cases, in rare cases, the exposure operation parameter may change between the lots. Therefore, in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1, when the next lot wafer 3 is set to be loaded into the apparatus, the horizontal slider 7 or the vertical slider 8 can be arbitrarily set as the standby position of the loaded wafer 3.

In this case, if the exposure operation parameters are the same between the lots, the pretreatment of the main exposure performed on the temporary wafer placing table 11 is also the same, so the vertical slider 8 may be set. As a result, the wafer 3 of the current lot and the wafer 3 of the next lot can be brought closest to each other to minimize the lot gap time. Further, when the exposure operation parameter changes between the lots, the pretreatment of the main exposure performed on the temporary wafer placing table 11 also changes, so that the horizontal slider 7 that does not affect the exposure operation parameter may be set. As a result, the lots can be brought closest to each other within the range where the exposure operation parameter does not affect, and the lot gap time can be minimized within the range.

Now, the standby process of the next lot wafer in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1 will be described with reference to the flow chart shown in FIG. First, in step SP2 entered from step SP1, when the final wafer 3 of the current lot is transferred onto the wafer stage 2 and the exposure process of the final wafer 3 is started, the process proceeds to step SP3 for the current lot to perform the exposure process. , Step S for the next lot
It proceeds to P5 and determines whether or not the standby process is to be performed (that is, it is determined whether the loading of the next lot wafer 3 into the apparatus is set by the user as described above).

For the current lot, if the exposure process in step SP3 is completed, the process proceeds to the next step SP4 and the process is completed. On the other hand, for the next lot, if the result of the determination in step SP5 is that the standby process is not set, the process proceeds to step SP10 to end the standby process for the next lot wafer, and if the standby process is set, the standby process for the next lot wafer is performed. Proceed to a certain step SP6 to SP9.

First, at step SP6, loading of the next lot wafer 3 into the apparatus is started. Next step SP7
Then, the horizontal slider 7 is used as a standby position for the next lot wafer 3.
And which of the vertical sliders 8 is set is determined.
As a result, if the vertical slider 8 is set, the process proceeds to step SP8, where pre-alignment processing (including wafer direction alignment) and peripheral exposure processing are performed. That is, the next lot wafer 3 is transferred to the temporary wafer placing table 11 by the arm 9 of the lateral slider 7, and the next lot wafer 3 is subjected to the main exposure such as the pre-alignment process and the peripheral exposure process according to the exposure operation parameter of the current lot. Perform pre-processing. When this process is completed, the process proceeds to the next step SP9, and the next slider wafer 3 is made to stand by at the vertical slider 8 which is the set wafer waiting position. That is, the temporary wafer holder 1
The next lot wafer 3 in FIG.
Then, the wafer is carried out to the position immediately before the wafer stage 2 and is made to stand by there.

On the other hand, if the result of determination in step SP7 is that the horizontal slider 7 has been set, the operation proceeds to step SP9, and the next lot wafer 3 is made to wait at the horizontal slider 7 which is the set wafer standby position. In this case, since the exposure operation parameter changes between the current and next lots, the exposure operation parameter of the current lot cannot be applied to the next lot to perform the pre-alignment process and the peripheral exposure process. Therefore, the horizontal slider 7 which is not affected by the exposure operation parameter is set as the standby position, and the next lot wafer 3 is made to stand by according to the standby position. Specifically, the next lot wafer 3 is placed on the arm 9 of the lateral slider 7, is transported to the position immediately before the temporary wafer placing table 11, and is made to stand by there. In this way step SP
When the next lot wafer 3 is made to stand by in step 9, the process proceeds to the next step SP10 and the waiting process for the next lot wafer is completed.

In the above-described structure, in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1, whether or not the next lot wafer 3 is carried into the apparatus can be set when the exposure operation parameter of the current lot wafer 3 is set. At the same time, when the carry-in is set, the horizontal slider 7 or the vertical slider 8 can be set as the standby position of the next lot wafer 3. When the loading of the next lot wafer 3 is set by the user, the controller 16 receives this setting and loads the next lot wafer 3 into the apparatus while the final wafer 3 of the current lot is being exposed. Further, the control unit 16 carries the next lot wafer 3 to the standby position according to the set standby position, and makes it stand by there.

For example, when the exposure operation parameters are the same between the current and next lots, the pre-alignment process and the peripheral exposure and the main exposure are performed on the next lot wafer 3 according to the exposure operation parameters of the current lot. Since the processing can be performed, the vertical slider 8 is set as the standby position. The control unit 16 transfers the next lot wafer 3 loaded in response to this setting to the temporary wafer placing base 11 by the arm 9 of the lateral slider 7 and after performing the pre-exposure pretreatment as described above. The next lot wafer 3 is transferred by the arm 12 of the vertical slider 8 to the position immediately before the wafer stage 2. As a result, the wafer 3 of the next lot and the wafer 3 of the current lot can be brought closest to each other to minimize the lot gap time, and the processing time as a whole can be shortened.

When the exposure operation parameter is changed between the current and next lots, the above-mentioned pre-exposure preprocessing cannot be performed according to the exposure operation parameter of the current lot, so that the standby position is set. Is set to the horizontal slider 7 which is not affected by the exposure operation parameter. Control unit 1
In step 6, the next lot wafer 3 loaded in response to this setting is placed on the arm 9 of the lateral slider 7 and is transported to a position immediately before the temporary wafer placing base 11 where it stands by. As a result, the wafer 3 of the next lot can be brought closest to the wafer 3 of the current lot within the range not affected by the exposure operation parameter, and the lot clearance time can be shortened within that range, thereby shortening the processing time as a whole. be able to.

In this way, in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1, when the exposure operation parameter of the current lot wafer 3 is set, it is possible to set the loading of the next lot wafer 3 into the apparatus, and when the loading is set. Since the horizontal slider 7 or the vertical slider 8 can be set as the standby position for the next lot wafer 3, the lot gap time between the current lot and the next lot can be shortened, and the processing time as a whole can be shortened. be able to.

Incidentally, in this case, whether or not the next lot wafer 3 is carried in is set by the user's judgment and the standby position is set, so that the exposure operation for the next lot wafer is performed as in the conventional case. Even if there is no parameter, the standby process of the next lot wafer can be easily performed. Further, in this case, since it is left to the user to decide whether or not to carry in the next lot wafer 3 and perform the standby process, the software and configuration of the apparatus can be simplified, and a user who desires a small-scale system. It is possible to provide a satisfactory system.

According to the above configuration, when the exposure operation parameter of the current lot wafer 3 is set, the next lot wafer 3 is set.
Whether or not the wafer is carried into the apparatus can be set, so that the lot gap time can be shortened and the overall processing time can be shortened with a simple configuration regardless of the exposure operation parameter of the next lot wafer 3. You can Therefore, regardless of the exposure operation parameter of the next lot, the standby process of the next lot wafer can be easily performed with a simple structure, and the lot gap time during the continuous lot process can be shortened to shorten the entire process time. Can be realized.

In the above embodiment, the control unit 16
The next wafer 3 at the standby position specified by the user
However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the wafer 3 of the next lot is placed at an arbitrary waiting position designated by the user while the final wafer 3 of the current lot is being exposed. If the standby processing means for waiting is provided, the same effect as the above case can be obtained.

In the above embodiment, the vertical slider 8 can be set as the standby position when the exposure operation parameters of the current and next lots are the same, but the present invention is not limited to this. Alternatively, the temporary wafer placing table 11 may be set as the standby position, and after the pre-treatment of the main exposure is performed on the temporary wafer placing table 11, the wafer temporary placing table 11 may be made to wait there. In short, if the standby position can be set to the position immediately before the main exposure operation, the same effect as in the above case can be obtained.

In the above embodiment, the case where the horizontal slider 7 can be set as the standby position when the exposure operation parameter of the current lot and the next lot changes is described, but the present invention is not limited to this. Even if the in-line delivery unit 14 and the temporary wafer placing table 11 (however, in the case of the temporary wafer placing table 11 are mounted, the pre-alignment processing and the peripheral exposure processing are not performed) may be set as the standby position. good. In short, if the position that is not affected by the exposure operation parameter can be set, the same effect as the above case can be obtained.

[0039]

As described above, according to the present invention, the standby processing means for holding the wafer of the next lot at an arbitrary standby position designated by the user when the wafer of the current lot is being exposed. By providing this, the standby process of the next lot wafer can be performed without the exposure operation parameter of the next lot as in the conventional case, and the lot gap time in the continuous lot process can be shortened to reduce the overall process time. Can be shortened.

Further, according to the present invention, whether or not the wafer of the next lot is carried into the apparatus can be specified by the exposure operation parameter of the current lot, so that the exposure operation of the next lot can be performed as in the conventional case. The standby process of the next lot wafer can be performed without parameters, and the lot gap time in the continuous lot process can be shortened to shorten the overall process time.

In this way, regardless of the exposure operation parameter of the next lot, the standby process of the next lot wafer can be easily performed with a simple structure, and the lot gap time in the continuous lot process can be shortened to shorten the entire process time. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus can be realized.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart used for explaining a standby process of a next lot wafer in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Semiconductor manufacturing equipment, 2 ... Wafer stage, 3 ...
Wafer, 4 ... Wafer loader system, 5, 6 ... Carrier,
7 ... Horizontal slider, 8 ... Vertical slider, 9, 10, 1
2, 13 ... Arm, 11 ... Wafer temporary holder, 14 ...
… Inline delivery unit, 16 …… Control unit.

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus for performing continuous exposure processing on a wafer in units of lots, wherein any wafer designated by the user is selected while the wafer of the current lot is being exposed. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus comprising: standby processing means for making a standby at a standby position. 2. When the exposure operation parameter for the next lot is the same as the current lot, the position immediately before the exposure operation is designated as the standby position, and the standby processing means waits for the wafer of the next lot with respect to the standby position. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: 3. When the exposure operation parameter for the next lot is different from the current lot, a position which is not affected by the exposure operation parameter is designated as a standby position, and the standby processing means sets the next position for the standby position. 2. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the wafer of FIG. 4. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus for continuously performing exposure processing on a wafer in units of lots so that whether or not a wafer of the next lot is carried into the apparatus can be specified by an exposure operation parameter for the current lot. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus characterized in that 5. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the standby position of the next lot of wafers to be carried in can be arbitrarily designated. 6. The wafer of the next lot is carried into the standby position according to the exposure operation parameter of the current lot while the wafer of the current lot is being exposed. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus described. 7. A semiconductor manufacturing method for continuously performing exposure processing on a wafer in units of lots, wherein any wafer designated by the user is selected while the wafer of the current lot is being exposed. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor, characterized in that the semiconductor device is made to stand by at a standby position. 8. When the exposure operation parameter for the next lot is the same as the current lot, the position immediately before the exposure operation is designated as the standby position and the wafer of the next lot is made to stand by at the standby position. Item 7. The semiconductor manufacturing method according to Item 7. 9. When the exposure operation parameter for the next lot is different from the current lot, a position not affected by the exposure operation parameter is designated as the standby position, and the wafer of the next lot is made to stand by at the standby position. The semiconductor manufacturing method according to claim 7, which is characterized in that. 10. A semiconductor manufacturing method in which a wafer is continuously subjected to exposure processing in units of lots so that whether or not a wafer in the next lot is carried into the apparatus can be specified by an exposure operation parameter for the current lot. In addition, the standby position of the wafer of the next lot at the time of loading can be arbitrarily designated, and when the wafer of the current lot is exposed, the next operation is performed according to the exposure operation parameter of the current lot. A semiconductor manufacturing method, wherein a wafer of a lot is carried into the standby position.