JPH10308426A - Wafer inspecting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide the wafer inspecting device which can prevent a wafer from being contaminated by a checker. SOLUTION: A partition wall member 18 is provided between a macroinspection part 13 and a microinspection part 14, and the checker 17. Here, the macroinspection of the surface of the wafer 16 with the eyes of the checker 17 is performed through a window part 20 which is provided at part of the partition wall member 18 and has a transparent member 201 fitted in. Further, local microinspection on the wafer 16 through a wafer microscope 142 is carried out by peeping in the ocular part 1421 of the wafer microscope 142 provided penetrating the partition wall member 18 to the outside.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a wafer inspection apparatus used for defect inspection of a semiconductor wafer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a wafer inspection apparatus used for defect inspection of a semiconductor wafer, one disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 8-102479 is known. That is, the wafer inspection apparatus takes out the wafers 3 one by one from the wafer cassette 1 accommodating a plurality of wafers, as shown in FIG.
In the macro inspection unit 4, after aligning the orientation flats, the inspector visually inspects the surface of the wafer 3 for macro damage,
Inspect for dirt and, moreover, for dust. In this case, the rotatable and swingable macro table is operated with a joystick to perform a macro inspection of the wafer surface, and further, the wafer 3 is inverted by the wafer holding arm 2 to perform a macro inspection of the back surface of the wafer 3. After completing the macro inspection, the wafer 3 is transferred to the micro inspection unit 5 and
Further, a highly accurate local micro inspection is performed.

Accordingly, in such a wafer inspection apparatus,
An inspector (human) is in front of the micro inspection unit 5 and, at the time of the macro inspection unit 4, swings the macro table with a joystick or flips the wafer holding arm 2 on the operation panel to turn the front or back surface of the wafer 3. Is visually inspected. Also,
At the time of micro-inspection, the wafer 3 conveyed to the micro-inspection unit 5 is observed under a microscope by looking through the eyepiece of the microscope 6. Further, a stage operation for moving the wafer 3 to an observation position on the front of the apparatus and various settings necessary for microscope observation are performed.

[0004]

However, in such a wafer inspection apparatus, since there is no obstacle between the inspector and the wafer 3, the wafer 3 is discharged from the inspector, which is one of the contamination sources for the wafer 3. The contaminants such as various kinds of vapor, fine particles, and dust may adhere to the wafer 3 while floating in the air. In this wafer inspection process, the wafer 3
There is a problem that a defective wafer is generated due to contamination of the wafer. The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a wafer inspection apparatus capable of preventing wafer contamination by an inspector.

[0005]

According to the first aspect of the present invention,
In a wafer inspection apparatus having a macro inspection unit for performing at least a macro inspection on a wafer, a partition member provided so as to block between the macro inspection unit and an inspector, and at least a part of the partition member is connected to the macro inspection unit. And a window formed of a transparent member for viewing the wafer.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, there is further provided a micro inspection section for performing a micro inspection on the wafer macro-inspected by the macro inspection section, the macro inspection section, the micro inspection section and the inspector. A partition member is provided so as to block between the two.

[0007] The invention described in claim 3 is claim 1 or 2.
In the description, the surface of the transparent member is subjected to an antireflection treatment. As a result, according to the first or second aspect of the invention, the contaminants released from the inspector are shielded by the partition member, and are less likely to adhere to the wafer. According to the third aspect of the present invention, unnecessary reflection on the surface of the transparent member can be removed.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. (First Embodiment) FIGS. 1 to 3 each show a schematic configuration of a wafer inspection apparatus to which the present invention is applied.
1 is a front view, FIG. 2 is a plan view, and FIG. 3 is a side view.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 11 denotes a base on which a cassette mounting section 12, a macro inspection section 13 and a micro inspection section 14 are arranged. The cassette mounting unit 12 mounts a wafer cassette 15 that stores a plurality of wafers 16 in a stacking direction. Further, the cassette mounting portion 12 allows the wafer cassette 15 to be moved up and down so that the wafer 16 to be inspected in the wafer cassette 15 is at a predetermined height.

The macro inspection section 13 is arranged adjacent to such a wafer cassette 15. This macro inspection unit 1
Reference numeral 3 denotes a wafer take-out / return arm 13 as a wafer transfer means.
1, a macro table 132, a wafer holding arm 133, and a wafer transfer unit 134. In this case, the wafer take-out and return arm 131 is provided so as to be able to advance and retreat with respect to the opening of the wafer cassette 15, sucks the uninspected wafer 16 in the wafer cassette 15 and supplies it to the take-out macro table 132, and The wafer 16 is returned to the original position in the wafer cassette 15.

The macro table 132 is rotatable in a state where the wafer 16 is sucked, and the centering members 135 and 1 are rotated based on the notch position while rotating the wafer 16.
The centering is performed by 35. Also, the macro table 132
Is lifted in a state in which the wafer 16 is sucked, and can be rotated horizontally and swingably at the raised position. This operation enables the inspector 17 to visually inspect the surface of the wafer 16 by macro. Such an operation in the macro table 132 is performed by operating the joystick 136 by the inspector 17.

The wafer holding arm 133 is connected to the macro table 1
The wafer 16 can be inverted while the wafer 16 centered on the wafer 32 is held by suction, and this operation enables the inspector 17 to visually inspect the back surface of the wafer by macro.

The wafer transfer unit 134 is rotatable by 180 ° about a rotation shaft 1341, and supplies the wafer 16 on the macro table 132, for which the visual inspection has been completed, to the micro inspection unit 14.

The micro inspection unit 14 includes an XY stage 141
And a wafer microscope 142. The XY stage 141, on which the wafer 16 supplied by the wafer transfer unit 134 is placed, is provided with an
43 or the fine adjustment handle 144 is operated to
Is linearly moved to the observation position of the wafer microscope 142. Reference numeral 145 denotes an up / down movement handle for moving the XY stage 141 up / down. Wafer microscope 1
Reference numeral 42 has an eyepiece 1421, which enables a local micro inspection on the wafer 16 by the inspector 17 looking into the eyepiece 1421. Reference numeral 1422 denotes a field stop opening / closing knob for the wafer microscope 142, and reference numeral 1423 denotes a brightness opening / closing knob.

A predetermined height and width are set on the front surface of the wafer inspecting apparatus configured as described above so that the inspector 17 opposes the macro inspecting unit 13 and the micro inspecting unit 14. Partition member 18 is provided. The partition member 18 is made of a material such as steel, which does not charge static electricity, or is securely installed so as not to charge static electricity.
1, a part of contaminants such as various vapors, particles, and dust emitted from the inspector 17 drifts in the air and flows in the shortest distance toward the wafer 16 under inspection. I try to prevent going. Further, the partition member 18 is provided so as to penetrate the eyepiece 1421 of the wafer microscope 142 toward the inspector 17 so that the inspector 17 can look into the eyepiece 1421 from outside the partition member 18. In this case, airtightness is maintained at the boundary between the eyepiece 1421 and the partition member 18 by interposing a low-dust-generating shield member 19, and air near the eyepiece 1421 on the inspector 17 side is supplied to the wafer inspection apparatus. It also tries to prevent it from flowing to the side.

A window 20 in which a transparent member 201 is fitted is provided in a part of the partition member 18. This window 20
Is for the inspector 17 to visually observe the macro inspection section 13 of the wafer inspection apparatus from outside the partition member 18. Also in this case, the airtightness is maintained at the boundary between the window portion 20 and the partition member 18 by interposing the shield member 21 having low dust generation, and the air on the inspector 17 side is connected to the boundary between the window portion 20 and the partition member 18. It is prevented from flowing into the wafer inspection apparatus through the section. Further, the transparent member 201 of the window 20 is subjected to a coating treatment for preventing reflection on the surface thereof, thereby removing unnecessary reflection on the surface of the transparent member 201, thereby ensuring the macro inspection.

In addition, on the lower side of the partition member 18, there are a coarse moving handle 143 and a fine moving handle 144 for operating the movement of the XY stage 141, and a vertical moving handle 145 for moving the XY stage 141 up and down. Is provided with a minimum notch 181 necessary for operating.

On the other hand, an exhaust device 22 is provided on the side opposite to the partition member 18 of the wafer inspection apparatus. This exhaust device 2
Numeral 2 forcibly discharges the air inside the wafer inspection apparatus to the outside. The contaminants released inside the wafer inspection apparatus and the barrier member 18 float around in the air and enter the inside of the wafer inspection apparatus. Forcible contaminants are forcibly attracted and discharged outside the equipment.

Reference numeral 23 denotes an operation panel for inputting various settings at the time of wafer inspection by the wafer inspection apparatus.
In this configuration, first, the uninspected wafer 16 accommodated in the wafer cassette 15 is taken out by the wafer take-out return arm 131 of the macro-inspection unit 13.
It is supplied to the macro table 132, where it is centered.

In this state, the macro table 132 is rotated by operating the joystick 136 by the inspector 17 to perform the rotation and swing macro inspection of the wafer surface. Further, the wafer on the macro table 132 is sucked by the wafer holding arm 133, the wafer 16 is inverted from this state, and a macro inspection is performed on the back surface by visual observation.
At this time, the visual inspection is performed while looking through the window 20 into which the transparent member 201 provided on a part of the partition member 18 is fitted.

The wafer 16 having undergone the macro inspection by visual inspection is transferred to the micro inspection unit 1 by the wafer transfer unit 134.
The wafer 16 was moved to the observation position of the wafer microscope 142 by the operation of the coarse movement handle 143 and the fine movement handle 144 by the inspector 17, and was provided outside the partition member 18. By looking into the eyepiece 1421 of the wafer microscope 142, a local micro inspection on the wafer 16 is performed.

Accordingly, according to this configuration, the partition member 18 is provided between the macro inspecting section 13 and the micro inspecting section 14 and the inspector 17, and the macro inspection by the inspector 17 on the surface of the wafer 16 is performed by the partition member. The local micro inspection on the wafer 16 by the wafer microscope 142 is performed through the window 20 in which the transparent member 201 provided on a part of the partition member 18 is fitted. The inspection is performed by looking into the eyepiece section 1421 of the wafer microscope 142, so that various types of vapor released from the inspector are compared with the conventional case where there is no obstacle between the inspector and the wafer. It is possible to greatly reduce contaminants such as fine particles and dust from adhering to the wafer 16 while floating in the air. It is possible to prevent the Ha pollution. (Second Embodiment) In the first embodiment, the partition member 18 having a predetermined height and width is provided on the front surface facing the inspector 17 of the wafer inspection apparatus. In the embodiment, the macro inspection unit 1 of the wafer inspection apparatus
3 and the four sides of the micro inspection unit 14.

FIGS. 4 to 6 show a schematic configuration of a second embodiment of the present invention, and the same parts as those in FIGS. 1 to 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals. In this case, the partition member 18 surrounds the four sides of the macro inspection section 13 and the micro inspection section 14 of the wafer inspection apparatus. The partition member 18
On the wall surface on the side where the wafer cassette 15 is disposed, a window portion 182 for inserting and removing the wafer 16 from the wafer cassette 15 is formed. Then, the wafer cassette 1
5 is mounted on the cassette mounting portion 12 of the wafer inspection apparatus, a cover 24 is put over the wafer cassette 15 so as to cover the wafer cassette 15, and a low dust generation is formed at the boundary between the cover 24 and the window 182 of the partition member 18. The shield member 25 is interposed to maintain airtightness, and to prevent contaminants from entering the partition member 18 through the window 182. Further, a microscope operation unit such as a field stop opening / closing knob 1422 and a brightness opening / closing knob 1423 relating to the wafer microscope 142 is provided to penetrate the partition wall member 18. 17 allows operation.

The other parts are the same as those shown in FIGS. With this configuration, for example, if it is installed in a down-flow clean room in which clean air flows from above to below in the room, the contaminants released from the inspector 17 can flow downward without rising upward. As a result, it is possible to prevent contaminants from the inspector 17 from entering the wafer inspection apparatus from above the partition member 18.

Therefore, in this way, contaminants from the inspector 17 enter the inside of the wafer inspection apparatus, and
Can be further reduced, and the effect of preventing wafer contamination can be further enhanced. (Third Embodiment) In the second embodiment, the upper part of the macro inspection part 13 and the micro inspection part 14 of the wafer inspection apparatus is surrounded by the partition wall member 18, but this third embodiment is not limited to this.
In the embodiment, the macro inspection unit 13 of the wafer inspection apparatus
The periphery including the upper part of the micro inspection part 14 is surrounded by a partition member.

FIGS. 7 to 9 show a schematic configuration of a third embodiment of the present invention, and the same parts as those in FIGS. 4 to 6 are denoted by the same reference numerals. In this case, the partition wall member 26 covers the four sides and the upper surface of the macro inspection section 13 of the wafer inspection apparatus, and the wafer observation section including the objective lens 1424 and the XY stage 141 of the wafer microscope 142 of the micro inspection section 14. The partition member 26 has a window 27 in which a transparent member 271 is fitted from the front surface to the upper surface of the inspector 17 in an airtight manner at a portion corresponding to the macro inspection unit 13. 28 are provided. The air filter 28 is for cleaning external air and taking in clean air into the wafer inspection apparatus when exhausting the air inside the wafer inspection apparatus by the exhaust device 22.

The other parts are the same as those shown in FIGS. Therefore, in this manner, the objective lens 1424 and the XY stage 141 of the wafer microscope 142 of the micro inspection unit 14 and the four sides and the upper surface of the macro inspection unit 13 of the wafer inspection apparatus.
Is covered with the partition member 26, so that contaminants from the inspector 17 can be prevented from sneaking into the inside of the wafer inspection apparatus, thereby reliably preventing wafer contamination. Further, since the microscope operation units such as the field stop opening / closing knob 1422 and the brightness opening / closing knob 1423 relating to the wafer microscope 142 are arranged outside the partition wall member 26, the second
Compared with the first embodiment, no modification of the wafer microscope 142 for positioning the microscope operation section outside the partition member 26 is not required at all, which is advantageous in terms of cost and operability.

In the third embodiment, the coarse movement handle 143, the fine movement handle 144, the XY stage 1
Although the vertical movement handle 145 for moving the 41 up and down is provided inside the notch 261 below the partition member 26, mounting of these handles can be omitted by automating the operation of the handle.

[0029]

As described above, according to the present invention, contaminants released from an inspector can be reduced from adhering to wafers in a macro inspection section or a micro inspection section while floating in the air. Wafer contamination during wafer inspection can be prevented. Further, by removing unnecessary reflection on the surface of the transparent member at the window of the partition wall member for visually checking the macro inspection portion, the macro inspection can be reliably performed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a second embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of the second embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a third embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of the third embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an example of a conventional wafer inspection apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11: Base, 12: Cassette mounting part, 13: Macro inspection part, 131: Wafer take-out and return arm, 132: Macro table, 133: Wafer holding arm, 134: Wafer reversal transfer part, 135: Centering member, 14 ... Micro inspection unit, 141 XY stage, 142 wafer microscope, 1421 eyepiece, 1422 field stop opening / closing knob, 1423 brightness opening / closing knob, 1424 objective lens, 143 coarse movement handle, 144 fine movement handle, 145: vertical handle, 15: wafer cassette, 16: wafer, 17: inspector, 18: partition member, 181: notch, 182: window, 19: shield, 20: window, 201: transparent member Reference numeral 21: shield member 22: exhaust device 23: operation panel 24: cover 25: shield member 26 Partition member, 27 ... window, 271 ... transparent member, 28 ... air filter.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A wafer inspection apparatus having a macro inspection unit for performing at least a macro inspection on a wafer, a partition member provided so as to block between the macro inspection unit and an inspector, and at least a part of the partition member. And a window formed of a transparent member for visually observing the wafer of the macro inspection section. 2. A micro inspection unit for performing a micro inspection on a wafer macro inspected by the macro inspection unit, and a partition member is provided so as to block between the macro inspection unit and the micro inspection unit and an inspector. 2. The wafer inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: 3. The wafer inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an anti-reflection treatment is applied to a surface of the transparent member.