JPH10275847A - Wafer loader - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable a wafer to undergoes single wafer processing by a method, wherein a single wafer processing exclusive slot is provided besides a carrier. SOLUTION: A backed wafer 4 is placed on a single wafer exclusive slot 11, which is fixed or variable in width and located inside a wafer loader by the connection device-side transfer arm 8 of a wafer transfer mechanism, successively loaded into an exposure device main body by an exposure device-side transfer arm 9, and subjected to an exposure process. The wafer 4 subjected to an exposure process is returned to the sheet exclusive slot 11 by the exposure device-side transfer arm 9 and then sent to a development station by the connection device-side transfer arm 8 of a wafer transfer mechanism and a wafer truck. By this setup, a wafer carrier 2 where plural sheets of wafers 4 are housed can be mounted on a mounting pad 1, without changing the process line of single wafer continuous processing.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a process apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor, and more particularly to a wafer loader of an exposure apparatus used for forming a pattern.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIGS. 3 and 4 show an example of a conventional apparatus of this kind. FIG. 3 shows an elevator mechanism of a wafer loader when the wafer 4 is designed to handle the wafer 4 between the exposure apparatus and an external process apparatus in units of each wafer carrier 2.
FIG. 4 shows a case in which the handling of the wafer 4 between the exposure apparatus and an external processing apparatus is designed to be performed on a wafer-by-wafer basis. In any case, assuming an exposure device,
Wafer processing in the apparatus proceeds with each wafer.

In FIG. 3, an operator who loads a wafer into an exposure apparatus usually places a wafer carrier 2 designed and manufactured so that 25 wafers can be stored and carried on a mounting table 1 manually or automatically. Set.
After confirming the predetermined origin position of the mounting table 1, the wafer to be taken out is positioned by the transport arm 3 by the vertical drive mechanism 5 based on the command of the control system 6 so that the wafer can be carried out by the transfer arm 3. The slot position sensor 7 indicates that the positioning has been performed.
Then, the transfer arm 3 enters the lower part of the wafer in the wafer carrier 2, and then the vertical drive mechanism 5 slightly lowers, thereby replacing the wafer on the transfer arm 3. After mounting the wafer, the transfer arm moves to another station such as a wafer rotating mechanism in the exposure apparatus and delivers the wafer.

When returning the wafer after the exposure processing to the wafer carrier 2, the wafer 4 is placed or sucked on the transfer arm 3, and in this state, the transfer arm moves to the wafer transfer position of the wafer carrier 2. Get in. At this time, for the slot into which the transfer arm enters, it is confirmed by the slot position sensor 7 and the like that no wafer exists. The transfer arm that has entered the transfer position holds the position as it is, and the wafer is transferred into the wafer carrier by raising the vertical drive mechanism slightly. Thereafter, the transfer arm 3 retreats to return to the home position or the like from inside the wafer carrier.

[0005] In the case of FIG. 4, the handling of the wafer between the exposure apparatus and the external processing apparatus is a single wafer as in the case of the inside of the exposure apparatus. In operation, the wafer 4 transferred from the connection device-side transfer arm 8 is transferred to a predetermined replacement position on the mounting table 1. Thereafter, the mounting table slightly rises, and the transfer arm 8 enters the clearance gap 10 formed on the mounting table, whereby the wafer 4 is placed on the mounting table. The wafer 4 placed on the mounting table is transferred to the exposure apparatus-side transfer arm 9 at an appropriate timing according to a command from the exposure apparatus.

Thus, in the conventional exposure apparatus,
It has either a wafer carrier mounting table or a single-wafer mounting table of a wafer loader serving as an interface with an external process device. This depends on whether a batch system is used for processing each wafer carrier by an exposure apparatus and its peripheral processing apparatuses such as a resist coating apparatus, a developing apparatus, and a baking apparatus, or a single wafer system is used for processing each wafer. This is because there is no problem.

However, for example, in the case of a system in which the wafer diameter that can be processed by the exposure apparatus can be changed, there is a case where exposure in a normal routine is performed on a single wafer, and exposure of wafers having different diameters in an interrupt manner is required to be processed in a batch. In such a case, there is a problem in that a wafer loader having a mounting table having a configuration as shown in FIG. 4 cannot perform processing because a wafer carrier for batch processing cannot be mounted.

In the case of FIG. 3 which is configured exclusively for batch processing, as well known as being remarkable when a chemically amplified resist is used, the exposure processing is completed in the first part of the carrier. It has been pointed out that there is a large difference in the time until the start of post-baking between the wafer that has been exposed and the wafer that has been subjected to the exposure processing at the end, and as a result, there is a difference in the line width after development. In such a case, even if a large number of batch processes are normally performed using a wafer carrier, it is desired that the single wafer process can be performed depending on the type of resist, post-baking conditions, and the like. However, this is not possible with the configuration of FIG.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, the invention according to claims 1 to 3 of the present invention relates to a wafer loader comprising one or a plurality of single-wafer slots having a fixed or variable slot width. A wafer loader comprising a single-wafer slot having a variable slot width and a single-wafer slot having a fixed slot width. Is intended to be able to process a single wafer.

[0010]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wafer loader including a mounting table on which a wafer carrier can be mounted and a slot dedicated to single-wafer processing capable of storing single wafers. A mounting table on which a carrier capable of storing a plurality of wafers is mounted, a driving mechanism for moving the carrier up and down, and a control system for positioning the mounting table according to the position in the height direction of the wafer. 3. A wafer loader having an arm mechanism for unloading and loading a positioned wafer, wherein a dedicated wafer processing slot is provided separately from the carrier, and the wafer loader according to claim 2 is provided with a single wafer processing provided in the wafer loader. It is characterized by having a plurality of dedicated slots,
The wafer loader according to claim 3, wherein a single or a plurality of single-wafer processing slots provided in the wafer loader are configured such that a part or all of the slot width can be changed,
It is characterized in that wafers of different diameters can be processed one by one.

In the wafer loader of the present invention, the wafer diameter which can be normally processed is fixed, and the wafer can be supplied from the wafer carrier to the exposure apparatus in a batch process while being connected to a process line in which the processing proceeds in a continuous sequence. It can supply a highly flexible exposure process line. As a result, the sequence of the photosensitive process can be easily changed between a wafer having a limited time until the start of post-bake after exposure and a wafer having no limitation.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the invention corresponding to claims 1 to 3 will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention. Shown is the carrier elevator mechanism of the wafer loader. FIG. 2 schematically shows the entire photosensitive process using the wafer loader.

First, the flow of a wafer in the photosensitive process and the role and operation of the wafer loader will be described with reference to FIG. Normally, in the photosensitive process, the wafer 4 is coated with a resist at a coating station 15 and subsequently heated at a baking station 17. In the wafer processing during this time, single wafer processing is performed via the wafer track 18. For example, it is also possible to use a wafer carrier unit for accommodating 25 wafers as a process break.

The baked wafer 2 is transferred to the wafer loader 1 by the transfer arm 8 on the connection device side of the wafer transfer mechanism 14.
The wafer 3 is placed in a slot 11 having a fixed width or a variable width (FIG. 1), and is loaded into the exposure apparatus main body 12 by the exposure apparatus-side transfer arm 9 to start an exposure process.

The exposed wafer 2 is returned to the original single-wafer slot 11 by the exposure apparatus-side transfer arm 9 and returned to the developing station 16 by the connection apparatus-side transfer arm 8 of the wafer transfer mechanism 14 and the wafer track 18. In the case of a wafer coated with a chemically amplified resist, the wafer goes to the developing station 16 via the baking station 17. In this manner, the processing of the single-wafer photosensitive process is continuously performed.

As an interface between the wafer transfer mechanism 14 and the wafer loader 13, a single sheet-specific slot 11 is assumed in the above example. Here, the sheet-only slot 11
May be provided, and in this case, the following advantages occur. That is, it is possible to use two single-wafer-dedicated slots separately for the entrance side and the egress side, to wait the wafer 2 in each single-wafer-dedicated slot, and to adjust the timing of the sequence. For example, the exposure apparatus body 1
The wafer 2 on which the resist coating has been completed before the exposure processing in Step 2 is completed is made to stand by in the slot for exclusive use of the single wafer, or the wafer 2 on which the exposure processing has been completed without finishing the resist coating and baking station operations. By performing operations such as waiting in a single-wafer dedicated slot, it is possible to reduce processing waste time as a system of the entire photosensitive process. Further, a system in which three single-wafer slots are used to temporarily store wafers requiring reprocessing in the exposure apparatus is also conceivable.

On the other hand, by adopting the configuration as shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of sheets can be placed on the mounting table 1 (the mounting table 1 in the wafer loader 13 in FIG. 2) without changing the process line of the above-mentioned single wafer continuous processing. The wafer carrier 2 storing the wafer 4 can be mounted. In this case, the operator passes through a control system of an exposure system (not shown),
By setting the parameters for batch processing in the control system 6 of FIG. 1 in advance, the operation of the wafer loader can be defined so that the exposure apparatus-side transfer arm 8 can access any wafer in the wafer carrier 2. In the case where a plurality of wafers are stored in the wafer carrier 2, when a chemically amplified resist is used, a wafer to be exposed first and a wafer to be exposed last in the wafer carrier 2 are developed by post-exposure development. As many wafers as the number of wafers that fall within the allowable range of pattern size variation are stored in the carrier. As a matter of course, in the batch processing for each carrier, the exposed wafer does not have to be put into the development processing line configured for the continuous processing of a single wafer as shown in FIG.
It is also possible to feed into another independent, for example, experimental photosensitive process line.

Further, by adopting the configuration as shown in FIG. 1, the single-wafer continuous processing can be performed on the mounting table 1 (the mounting table 1 in the wafer loader 13 in FIG. 2) without changing the process line of the single-wafer continuous processing. It is also possible to mount a wafer carrier 2 storing a wafer 4 having a diameter different from the wafer diameter suitable for processing. In this case, it is a matter of course that the exposure apparatus is configured to be capable of processing a plurality of wafer diameters. Conversely, when the photosensitive process side is configured to be compatible with a plurality of wafer diameters, the width of the single-wafer dedicated slot 11 in FIG. It is possible. As a method of making the slot width variable, the dedicated slot 11 itself is configured to be detachable, and a single-wafer dedicated slot for each wafer diameter is exchanged and used, or one side of the slot to be supported at both ends or A method is conceivable in which both sides can be moved toward the center of the wafer.

[0019]

As described above, the wafer loader of the present invention serving as an interface with an external process apparatus has both a wafer carrier mounting table and a single-wafer mounting table. With this configuration, for example, in the case of a system in which the wafer diameter that can be processed by the exposure apparatus can be changed, the normal routine exposure is performed on a single wafer, and the exposure of wafers having different diameters in an interrupt manner is processed in a batch. It becomes possible. In addition, there is no need to exchange large-scale mechanical parts for switching to each method, so that a short downtime is required.

Further, in a line in which a photosensitive process is configured such as a single-wafer process, a configuration in which batch processing can be performed between a wafer loader and an exposure apparatus can be realized. Can also be carried without wasting time. Further, by arranging a plurality of single-wafer dedicated slots, it is possible to adjust the timing of the sequence between the exposure apparatus and the photosensitive processing apparatus.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a carrier elevator mechanism of a wafer loader according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a photosensitive process.

FIG. 3 is a conventional carrier elevator mechanism.

FIG. 4 is a view showing a single wafer relay mechanism.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 mounting table 2 wafer carrier 3 transfer arm 4 wafer 5 vertical drive mechanism 6 control system 7 slot position sensor 8 connection device side transfer arm 9 exposure device side transfer arm 10 relief gap 11 single-wafer dedicated slot 12 exposure device body 13 wafer loader 14 wafer Transfer mechanism 15 Coating station 16 Developing station 17 Baking station 18 Wafer track

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A mounting table on which a carrier capable of storing a plurality of wafers is mounted, a driving mechanism for moving the carrier up and down, and a control system for positioning the mounting table in accordance with a position in a height direction of the wafer. A wafer loader having an arm mechanism for carrying out and carrying in a positioned wafer, wherein a slot dedicated to single-wafer processing is provided separately from the carrier. 2. The wafer loader according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of single-wafer processing slots provided in said wafer loader. 3. A structure in which one or a plurality of single-wafer processing slots provided in the wafer loader are configured such that part or all of the slot widths can be changed so that wafers having different diameters can be processed. Claim 1, characterized in that:
2. The wafer loader according to 2.