JPH10256338A - Wafer treatment device and wafer carrying mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a wafer treatment device and a wafer carrying mechanism, which can align and connect a gate valve and a chamber or a wafer carrier all the time when the gate valve and the chamber or the wafer carrier are connected. SOLUTION: A plasma etching device has a first load block 32, an etching chamber 34 and a first gate valve 38A for connecting the first load lock 32 and the etching chamber 34. The etching chamber 32 has a bottom wall 39, whose lower surface is the horizontal plane, a strut 44, which is provided at the shortest corner to the first gate valve 38A among the four corners, and a positioning plate 5, which determined the position of the height of the first gate valve 38A penetrating the strut 44. The upper surface of the positioning plate 45 forms the planar positioning surface. Thus, the positioning surface of the positioning plate 45 is brought into contact with the bottom wall 39 and a lower surface 46 of the first gate valve 38A at the same time, and the bottom wall 39 and the lower surface 46 are connected at the same height.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a wafer processing apparatus and a wafer transfer mechanism, and more particularly, to connecting a gate valve to a chamber or a wafer transfer body for transferring a wafer while always aligning the gate valve. And a wafer transfer mechanism.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Usually, a gate valve is provided at a wafer loading / unloading port of a processing chamber for processing a wafer. The gate valve is often detachable from the wafer loading / unloading port in consideration of maintenance and repair in case of equipment failure. FIG.
1 is a partial front view of a plasma etching apparatus shown as an example of a conventional wafer processing apparatus.

A conventional plasma etching apparatus 10 is a fully automatic single-wafer type etching apparatus, and includes a first carrier 1.
2, a first transfer mechanism 13, a first load lock chamber 14, an etching chamber 16 for etching a wafer, a second load lock chamber 18, a second transfer mechanism 19, and a second carrier 20 are sequentially provided. Etching chamber 16 and first
The first gate valve 24A and the second gate valve 24B are detachable between the first and second load lock chambers, respectively.
Connected by In addition, the first transport mechanism 13 and the first
Between the load lock chamber 14 and the second load lock chamber 1
8 and the second transport mechanism 19 are connected by a detachable third gate valve 28A and a fourth gate valve 28B, respectively. The plasma etching apparatus 10
Further, a control panel 29 with a CRT and a vacuum exhaust system (not shown) for evacuating the first and second load lock chambers and the etching chamber 16 are provided.

The first load lock chamber 14, the etching chamber 16, and the second load lock chamber 18 of the plasma etching apparatus 10 are in a vacuum state when no wafer processing is performed. When the wafer is set on the first carrier 12,
The first load lock chamber 14 enters the atmospheric state, and the third gate valve 28A opens. Next, the wafer is carried into the first load lock chamber 14 by the first transfer mechanism 13,
The gate valve 28A is closed and the first load lock chamber 1 is closed.
4 is evacuated. Once the pressure has been reduced to the specified pressure,
When the gate valve 24A is opened, the first load lock chamber 1 is opened.
The wafer is transferred from 4 to the etching chamber 16.
Next, the first gate valve 24A is closed, and the wafer is etched in the etching chamber 16. Next, after a predetermined operation such as discharge of an etching gas is performed, the second gate valve 24B is opened and the wafer is
It is transferred to the load lock chamber 18. Next, the second load lock chamber 18 is brought into the atmospheric state, and the fourth gate valve 28 is turned on.
B is opened, and the wafer is stored in the second carrier 20.

[0005]

By the way, the first and the second are as follows.
Load lock chambers 14, 18 and etching chamber 16
Requires airtightness. Therefore, the gate ports 26a and 26b of the first gate valve 24A need to be aligned and connected to the wafer loading port of the first load lock chamber 14 and the wafer loading port of the etching chamber 16, respectively. The same applies to the second to fourth gate valves 24A to 24D. However, when connecting the first to fourth gate valves, conventionally, the height position is determined by relying on visual or tactile sensation of the finger, so that the connection as described above is not performed at the time of connection. In many cases, it is not satisfied, so that there is a problem that a leak occurs at the time of evacuation after connection, or a transport trouble that a wafer cannot pass through the gate valve satisfactorily due to a malfunction of the gate valve. . In view of the circumstances described above, an object of the present invention is to provide a wafer processing apparatus and a wafer transfer mechanism that can always align and connect when connecting a gate valve to a chamber or a wafer transfer body that transfers a wafer. It is to provide.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, a wafer processing apparatus according to the present invention (hereinafter referred to as a first invention) comprises a wafer loading / unloading port on a side wall which stands upright from a bottom wall having a horizontal lower surface. A valve body having a horizontal lower surface and a vertical gate surface; a gate port that penetrates the valve body and is openable and closable at the gate surface; and a side wall of the chamber and a gate surface of the gate valve. And a gate valve configured such that the gate port is aligned with the wafer loading / unloading port when the lower surface of the valve body is positioned on an extension of the lower surface of the chamber bottom wall, and the gate valve depends downward from the chamber bottom wall. And a positioning surface having an upward positioning surface formed of a horizontal plane, and having the positioning surface hooked to the column via a through hole so as to make surface contact with the lower surface of the chamber bottom wall. A gate valve positioning device having a plate, and positioning the lower surface of the valve body on the positioning surface of the positioning plate in surface contact with the chamber bottom wall, thereby aligning the gate port with the wafer loading / unloading port. It is characterized by.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the outline of the through hole of the positioning plate is formed to be smaller than the cross sectional outline of the column, and the positioning plate is located below the gate valve with the through hole as the center. And a second plate positioned below the chamber, the plate being divided into two plates in a plane, and penetrating the second plate on both sides of the through hole in a direction parallel to the positioning surface. It has at least two screw holes reaching the first plate body, and screws are screwed into the screw holes to connect the second plate body to the first plate body, and to tighten and engage the columns through the through holes. It is characterized by doing. In addition, a rod that stands upright near the chamber may be provided instead of the hanging column.

In the wafer processing apparatus of the first invention, when the gate valve is connected to the chamber, the gate port of the gate valve and the wafer loading / unloading port of the chamber can always be aligned and connected. Thereby, it is always connected in a state where airtightness is maintained.

Further, a wafer transfer mechanism (hereinafter referred to as a second invention) according to the present invention includes a bottom wall having a horizontal lower surface,
A wafer transfer body having a transfer path end having a surface orthogonal to the bottom wall, a valve body having a horizontal lower surface and a vertical gate surface, and an openable and closable penetrating through the valve body and opening at the gate surface; When the lower surface of the valve body is positioned on an extension of the lower surface of the bottom wall of the wafer transfer body, the transfer path end of the wafer transfer body is brought into surface contact with the gate surface of the valve body, and A gate valve configured such that an edge thereof is aligned with a lower edge of a transfer path end, a support hanging downward from a bottom wall of the wafer transfer body, and an upward positioning surface formed of a horizontal plane, and the positioning surface is a wafer transfer body. A gate valve positioning device, comprising: a positioning plate that is engaged with a support via a through hole so as to make surface contact with the lower surface of the bottom wall; and positioning of the positioning plate that makes surface contact with the wafer carrier bottom wall. By positioning the lower surface of the valve body above it is characterized in that so as to align the gate opening lower edge in the conveyance path end lower edge.

In the wafer transfer mechanism according to the second aspect of the invention, when the gate valve is connected to the wafer transfer mechanism, the gate port of the gate valve and the transfer path end of the wafer transfer mechanism can always be aligned and connected. Can always satisfactorily pass through the gate valve.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Embodiment This embodiment is an example of the first invention in which the wafer processing apparatus is a plasma etching apparatus. FIG. 1 is a partial front view of the plasma etching apparatus (RAM-300 manufactured by Ramco) of the present embodiment. Plasma etching apparatus 3 of the present embodiment
0 is the same as the conventional first carrier 12 and first transport mechanism 1
3, a first load lock chamber 32, an etching chamber 34, a second load lock chamber 36, and a second transport mechanism 19 and a second carrier 20, which are the same as the conventional one.
Further, the plasma etching apparatus 30 is the same as the first to fourth gate valves 24 of the conventional plasma etching apparatus 10.
A, B, 28A, and B correspond to first to fourth gate valves 38A as shown in FIG.
To D. The plasma etching apparatus 30 further includes a control panel 29 with a CRT, first and second
Load lock chambers 32 and 36 and etching chamber 32
Vacuum exhaust system similar to the conventional one (not shown)
And

FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged front view of the vicinity of the etching chamber 34. The etching chamber 34 for etching a wafer has a wafer loading port 40a and a wafer loading port 40b on a side wall that stands upright from a bottom wall 39 having a horizontal lower surface.
36 is the same. Further, the etching chamber 34
When the first gate valve 38A is connected, a gate valve positioning device 42 for positioning the height position is provided, and a gate valve positioning device for the second gate valve 38B is similarly provided. The gate valve positioning device 42 has a column 44 that hangs downward from the shortest chamber bottom wall corner to the first gate valve 38A, and an upward positioning surface formed of a horizontal plane, and the positioning surface is located on the lower surface of the chamber bottom wall. And a positioning plate 45 which is hung on the column through the through-hole so as to be in contact therewith. The cross-sectional shape of the column 44 is the same regular hexagon in any part, and the outline of the through hole of the positioning plate is formed slightly smaller than the cross-sectional outline of the column 44.

The first gate valve 38A has a horizontal lower surface 4A.
6, a valve body 50 having gate surfaces 48a, 48b perpendicular to 6 and a gate surface 48a,
It has openable and closable gate ports 48a 'and b' opening at b. The first gate valve 38A brings the wafer port 40a of the etching chamber 34 into contact with the gate surface 48b of the first gate valve 38A, and when the lower surface 46 is positioned on the extension of the lower surface of the bottom wall 39, the gate port is opened. 48
b ′ is aligned with the wafer entrance 40a, and the gate port 48a ′
Are configured to be aligned with the wafer outlet 49 of the first load lock chamber 32. In the positioning, the positioning in the direction perpendicular to the sheet is guided by a guide (not shown) provided in the plasma etching apparatus 30. The lateral width of the lower surface of each of the first and second gate valves 38A and 38B is longer than the length of the positioning plate in the longitudinal direction.

The positioning plate 45 is provided with the first plate 5 positioned below the first gate valve 38A with the through hole 53 as a center.
4A and a second plate 54B located below the etching chamber 34. 3A to 3C are a plan view, a side view, and a front view taken along the line II of the positioning plate 45, respectively.
The above-mentioned positioning surface is constituted by upper surfaces 55a, b of the first and second plate bodies 54A, B, respectively.

The first plate 54A has M4 screw holes 58a, b parallel to the upper surface 55a at both ends of the side surface 56a facing the second plate 54B. The distance l ₁ between the center axis of the screw holes 58a, b and the upper surface 55a is 5 mm,
Screw holes 58a, interval l ₂ of mutual b is 19 mm. Also, the longitudinal length l ₃ of the first plate member 54A is 22 mm. The second plate 54B is provided with through holes 60a and 60b through which bolt screws penetrate at upper ends 55 at positions corresponding to the screw holes 58a and b at both ends of the side surface 56b facing the first plate 54A.
b. The distance between the central axis of the through holes 60a and 60b and the upper surface 55b and the distance between the through holes 60a and 60b are the same as those of the first plate 54A. Also, the through hole 60
Each of a and b has a hole diameter d of 3 mmφ and a hole length l ₄ of 9 m.
m.

[0016] The first and second plate members 54A, bolt screws 62a using B to be fastened to one another, b is a male screw of M4 is formed in the tip portion, the bolt thread length l ₅ is 15mm (See FIG. 3A).

The shape of the through-hole 53 may not be the same as the cross-sectional shape of the column 44, but may be a polygon such as a dodecagon (hereinafter, such a polygon is referred to as a union jack). Described).

Hereinafter, a method of connecting the first gate valve 38A detached from the plasma etching apparatus 30 to the plasma etching apparatus 30 will be described. The upper surface 55b of the second plate 54B is provided on the lower surface of the bottom wall 39 of the etching chamber 34.
Are brought into surface contact with each other, and the first and second plate members 54 are bolted by the bolt screws 62a and 62b so that the columns 44 pass through the through holes 53.
A and B are tightened and connected (see FIG. 2). As a result,
The first and second plate members 54A and 54B are hooked on the columns 44 and constitute a positioning plate 45. Next, the first gate valve 38A is placed on the positioning surface so that the lower surface 46 of the first gate valve 38A is in surface contact with the upper surface 55a of the first plate 54A, and the wafer loading port 4 of the first load lock chamber 32 is placed.
9, and the wafer entrance 40a of the etching chamber 34
First, the gate ports 48a 'and b' are aligned with each other, and the first port is
The gate valve 54A is connected.

The connection of the second gate valve 38B is made in the same manner as the first gate valve 38A. Further, when the first transport mechanism 13 has a flat bottom surface and the same support as the support 44, the third gate valve 3 is provided in the same manner as in the present embodiment.
8C can be connected to the first transport mechanism 13 and the first load lock chamber 32. The same applies to the fourth gate valve 38D. The etching of the wafer using the plasma etching apparatus 30 is performed in the same manner as the plasma etching apparatus 10.

According to this embodiment, the first gate valve 38A
Is always connected to the wafer carrying port 40a of the etching chamber 34 in an aligned manner. Therefore,
The connection is always performed so as to be airtight, and no leak occurs when the etching chamber 34 and the first load lock chamber 32 are evacuated. In addition, the first due to poor connection
Also, no malfunction occurs in the second gate valves 38A and 38B. In addition, since it is easy to align the gate ports 48a and 48b of the first and second gate valves 38A and 38B, the time required for connection can be significantly reduced as compared with the related art. Further, by forming the shape of the through hole 53 into a union jack, it becomes possible to use the positioning plate 45 for columns having various shapes.

[0021]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, in a wafer processing apparatus, when a lower surface of a valve body is positioned on an extension of a lower surface of a chamber having a horizontal lower surface and a lower surface of a chamber bottom wall, a gate opening is formed on a wafer. A gate valve positioning device having a gate valve configured to be aligned with the loading / unloading port and a positioning plate having an upward positioning surface formed of a horizontal plane is provided. Thus, by positioning the gate valve by bringing the positioning surface into surface contact with the bottom wall of the chamber and the lower surface of the valve body, the gate port can always be aligned with the wafer loading / unloading port. Therefore, there is no transfer trouble that the wafers are always connected with good airtightness and the wafer cannot pass through the gate valve satisfactorily. In addition, since it is easy to align the gate valves, the time required for connection can be significantly reduced as compared with the related art. Further, according to the second invention of the present invention, the wafer transfer mechanism includes a wafer transfer body having a bottom wall having a horizontal lower surface, and a transfer path end having a surface orthogonal to the bottom wall.
When the lower surface of the valve body is positioned on the extension of the lower surface of the bottom wall of the wafer transfer body, the gate valve configured so that the lower edge of the gate opening is aligned with the lower edge of the transfer path end, and the upward positioning surface formed of a horizontal plane. And a gate valve positioning device. This makes it possible to position the gate valve by bringing the positioning surface into surface contact with the bottom wall of the wafer transfer mechanism and the lower surface of the valve body, and to constantly align the lower edge of the gate opening with the lower edge of the transfer path end. Therefore, the transfer trouble that the wafer cannot pass through the gate valve properly does not occur.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial front view of a plasma etching apparatus according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged front view of the vicinity of an etching chamber of the plasma etching apparatus according to the embodiment.

FIGS. 3A to 3C are a plan view, a side view, and a front view taken along a line II of a positioning plate of the plasma etching apparatus of the embodiment, respectively.

FIG. 4 is a partial front view of a plasma etching apparatus shown as an example of a conventional wafer processing apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 plasma etching apparatus, 12 first carrier, 13 first transport mechanism, 14 first load lock chamber, 16 etching chamber, 18 second load lock chamber, 19 2 transport mechanism, 20 second carrier, 24A first gate valve, 24B second gate valve, 26a, b gate opening, 28A third gate valve, 28B fourth gate valve , 29 ... C
Control panel with RT, 30 Plasma etching device, 32 First load lock chamber, 34 Etching chamber, 36 Second load lock chamber, 38A
... D ... first to fourth gate valves, 39 ... bottom wall, 40
a wafer loading port, 40b wafer loading port, 42
... Gate valve positioning device, 44 ... Post, 45 ...
Positioning plate, 46... Lower surface, 48a, b.
48a ', b' ... gate opening, 50 ... valve body,
49 wafer outlet, 53 through hole, 54A, B
... First and second plate bodies, 55a, b ... Top surface, 56a, b ...
... side surface, 58a, b ... screw hole, 60a, b ... through hole, 62a, b ... bolt screw.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A chamber having a wafer loading / unloading port on a side wall erecting from a bottom wall having a horizontal lower surface, a valve body having a horizontal lower surface and a vertical gate surface, an opening penetrating the valve body and opening at the gate surface. A gate port that can be opened and closed, makes the side wall of the chamber come into surface contact with the gate surface of the gate valve, and when the lower surface of the valve body is positioned on an extension of the lower surface of the bottom wall of the chamber, the gate port is loaded with a wafer. A gate valve configured to be aligned with the outlet; a post hanging downward from the chamber bottom wall; and an upward positioning surface formed of a horizontal plane, and the positioning surface is in surface contact with the lower surface of the chamber bottom wall. A gate valve positioning device having a positioning plate hooked to the support column through the through hole, and positioning the positioning plate in surface contact with the chamber bottom wall. A wafer processing apparatus characterized in that a gate port is aligned with a wafer loading / unloading port by positioning a lower surface of a valve body on a surface. 2. A profile of a through hole of a positioning plate is formed smaller than a cross-sectional profile of a column, and the positioning plate is located below a gate valve with the through hole as a center, and is positioned below a chamber. At least two plate members divided in a plane into a second plate member, and penetrating the second plate member on both sides of the through hole in a direction parallel to the positioning surface to reach the first plate member. Having two screw holes, connecting the second plate to the first plate by screwing the screws into the screw holes,
2. The wafer processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the column is tightened and engaged via the through hole. 3. The wafer processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a rod standing upright in the vicinity of the chamber, instead of the hanging column. 4. A wafer carrier having a bottom wall having a horizontal lower surface, a transfer path end having a surface perpendicular to the bottom wall, a valve body having a horizontal lower surface and a vertical gate surface, An openable and closable gate port that penetrates through the valve body and opens at the gate surface, makes the transfer path end of the wafer transfer body and the gate surface of the valve body make surface contact, and extends the lower surface of the bottom wall of the wafer transfer body. When the lower surface of the valve body is positioned above, the gate valve is configured so that the lower edge of the gate opening aligns with the lower edge of the transfer path end, a support hanging downward from the bottom wall of the wafer transfer body, and an upward facing horizontal surface A positioning plate having a positioning surface, and having a positioning plate hooked to a support via a through hole so that the positioning surface is in surface contact with the lower surface of the bottom wall of the wafer carrier. , Wafer transport A wafer transfer mechanism, wherein a lower edge of a gate opening is aligned with a lower edge of a transfer path end by positioning a lower surface of a valve body on a positioning surface of a positioning plate that is in surface contact with a feeder bottom wall.