JPH11111811A - Substrate-conveying device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a wafer-conveying device, which can sense the presence or absence of the substrate such as a wafer without vacuum sucking. SOLUTION: The sensing part of a transmission-type fiber sensor 10 is provided, so that the sensing part comes to the vicinity of the side of a wafer conveying plate 40. The sensing part of the transmission-type fiber sensor 10 is movably provided together with the wafer conveying plate 40. Fibers 11 and 12 are arranged in the vertically directions. When the wafer-conveying plate 40 is inserted between a cassette and a wafer 21, which is laminated on a boat, and when the wafer 21 is mounted on the wafer-conveying plate and conveyed, the part between the fibers 11 and 12 is cut by the wafer 21. Whether the wafer is present or not on the wafer conveying plate 40 can always be discriminated, even the time when the wafer is mouted and the wafer is conveyed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a substrate transfer apparatus, and more particularly to a semiconductor wafer transfer apparatus in a semiconductor wafer processing apparatus used in a semiconductor manufacturing process.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a semiconductor wafer transfer apparatus, a wafer is transferred by mounting a wafer on a wafer transfer plate. Conventionally, in this wafer transfer, the presence or absence of the wafer on the wafer transfer plate has been detected by vacuum-sucking the wafer to the wafer transfer plate. However, particle problems are becoming more important due to the high integration of devices.In vacuum suction, not only does the suction surface cause separation, etc., causing damage to the wafer, but also dust generated by the separation of the wafer contaminates the inside of the equipment. However, the accuracy of semiconductor wafer processing may be reduced.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problem of detecting the presence or absence of a wafer by vacuum suction.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a substrate transfer device capable of detecting the presence or absence of a substrate such as a wafer without vacuum suction.

[0004]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a pair of transmission type sensors which operate with a substrate interposed therebetween are provided near the substrate transport plate so as to be movable together with the substrate transport plate. A substrate transfer device is provided.

[0005] In this way, even if vacuum suction is not performed,
In the substrate transfer by the substrate transfer device, the substrate is placed on the substrate transfer plate, and during the transfer of the substrate, it can be always determined whether or not the substrate is on the substrate transfer plate.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the substrate transport apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the pair of transmission sensors are provided to be shifted back and forth.

With this configuration, when a substrate is lifted or lowered from a substrate support (eg, a cassette or boat) on which a plurality of substrates are stacked in a vertical direction, the substrate can be moved without hitting another substrate. Can be transported.

[0008]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a view for explaining a semiconductor wafer transfer apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1A is a longitudinal sectional view, and FIG. 1B is FIG. 1A. To X
It is the front view seen from the X direction. FIG. 2 is a perspective view for explaining a transmission fiber sensor used in the semiconductor wafer transfer device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

In the present embodiment, the fibers 11,
The detection unit of the transmission type fiber sensor 10 of the side view type having the optical axis
Installed so that it is near the side of the
The 0 detection unit is provided so as to be movable together with the wafer transfer plate 40. At this time, the fibers 11 and 12 were arranged vertically. When the wafer transfer plate 40 is inserted between the wafers 21 stacked in a cassette or a boat in order to place the wafer 21 on the wafer transfer plate 40, the wafer 21 causes the fiber 1 of the sensor 10 to be mounted.
Cut between 1 and 12. Also, when the wafer 21 is mounted on the wafer transfer plate and transferred, the wafer 21 is placed between the fibers 11 and 12 of the sensor 10.
Thus, it is possible to always determine whether or not there is a wafer on the wafer transfer plate 40 even during wafer transfer.

As shown in FIG. 2, in the transmission type fiber sensor 10, fibers 11 and 12 are connected to an amplifier 60.
And the distal ends of the fibers 11 and 12 are accommodated in stainless steel sleeves 31 and 32, respectively.

The system according to the present embodiment also detects the presence or absence of all wafers even in the evaluation using various types of film formation. In order to detect the presence or absence of a wafer, a reflection type fiber sensor was used.
In some cases, it did not reflect.

(Second Embodiment) FIG. 3 is a view for explaining a semiconductor wafer transfer device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3A is a longitudinal sectional view, and FIG. 3B is FIG. 3A. Is Y
It is the front view seen from the Y direction. FIG. 4 is a perspective view for explaining a transmission fiber sensor used in the semiconductor wafer transfer device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

In the present embodiment, an oblique detection type transmission type fiber sensor 15 in which the fibers 13 and 14 constituting the transmission type fiber sensor are arranged so as to be shifted back and forth is used. Other points are the same as those of the first embodiment. By using such an oblique detection type transmission type fiber sensor 15, it is possible to easily prevent the upper fiber 13 from hitting the upper wafer 22 of the wafer 23 when the wafer 23 is lifted or lowered from the cassette or the boat. Become like

In order to manufacture such an oblique detection type transmission type fiber sensor 15, it is necessary to extend the optical axis obliquely forward. For this purpose, as shown in FIG. Or bend the optical axis with a prism.

[0016]

According to the present invention, it is only necessary to prevent separation of the suction surface by detecting the presence or absence of a substrate of a wafer or the like utilizing vacuum suction, contamination of the inside of the apparatus by dust due to separation, and a decrease in accuracy of substrate processing of a semiconductor wafer or the like. Rather, it is possible to realize a reliable transfer of a substrate such as a wafer, a space saving by eliminating a vacuum pipe, and a simplification of an apparatus.

Further, as in the case of detecting a substrate such as a wafer by vacuum suction, the presence or absence of a substrate such as a wafer can always be recognized.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a view for explaining a semiconductor wafer transfer device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1A is a longitudinal sectional view;
FIG. 1B is a front view of FIG. 1A viewed from the XX direction.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view for explaining a transmission fiber sensor used in the semiconductor wafer transfer device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a view for explaining a semiconductor wafer transfer device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
FIG. 3B is a front view of FIG. 3A viewed from the YY direction.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view for explaining a transmission fiber sensor used in a semiconductor wafer transfer device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Side view type transmission type fiber sensor 11-14 ... Fiber 15 ... Oblique detection type transmission type fiber sensor 21-23 ... Wafer 31-33 ... Stainless steel sleeve 40 ... Wafer transfer plate 51, 52 ... Light 60 ... Amplifier

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A substrate transport apparatus, comprising: a pair of transmission type sensors which are sandwiched between substrates and are movable near the substrate transport plate together with the substrate transport plate. 2. The substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said pair of transmission sensors are provided shifted from front to back.