JPS5860555A - Conveying device for wafer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent dust from adhering to the surface of a water and thereby to improve the manufacturing yield of a device, by floating the wafer magnetically in vacuum for conveyance. CONSTITUTION:While a shutter 15 is opened, a case 7 holding wafers 6 and placed on a platform 14 is sent onto a conveyor 8 by a pusher 17, and the pusher 17 is returned, while the shutter 15 is closed. Under the condition, the case 7 holding the wafers 6 is conveyed, together with the conveyor 8, to a desired position by a normal or reverse operation of a motor or the like. The case 7 is taken out at the position in the following way. First the shutter 15 is opened for an entrance-exit member 13 exhausted to be under the pressure equal to that in a conveyance path 1, and the case 7 on the conveyor 8 is sent onto the platform 14 by a pusher 18. Then, the pusher 18 is once returned and the shutter 15 is closed. Thereafter, air is supplied into the entrance-exit member 13 to make the pressure inside the member 13 equal to the atmospheric pressure, and the case 7 holding the wafers 6 are taken outside through a door 19.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a wafer transport device, and more particularly to a wafer transport device designed to prevent dust from adhering to the wafer.

Wafer transport devices are now being used as means for automatically transporting wafers in the production of semiconductor integrated circuit devices. With this type of conveyance device, there is a possibility that dust generated by the device itself or dust in the air may adhere to the wafer during conveyance, and even if the wafer 1 is stored in a case, When the case is opened and closed, dust may adhere to the case, which inevitably lowers the manufacturing yield of the device.

In order to overcome these drawbacks of the conventional method, the present invention is designed to transport the wafer by magnetically levitating it in a vacuum.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the inventive device will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 shows all of the entire apparatus, Fig. 12 shows the conveyor, and Fig. 31 shows details of the feed/output control.

In each of these figures, a conveyance path (V) that is sealed from the outside is defined by a guide groove (3) formed in the center of the internal road surface (2j), and magnets 11 on both sides along the guide groove (3).
ii (4m) and (4h), and transport path FE.
The ninth exhaust pipe (5) that evacuates the air pump 3 is removed. In addition, the carrier (dan) that transports the wafer (6) housed in the case (7) in each case has the guide groove (
3) and the guide piece (9) that fits loosely into each magnetic pole (4a).
, (4b) with magnetic poles of the same polarity (10 m)
, (10 holes are provided, and the repulsion between these magnetic poles is different from this carrier). The conveyor wire αDt is floated in a state of contact, fixed at the front and rear, and suspended in an endless band shape via a pulley Q21, and is wound around and operated by an electric motor (not shown), thereby increasing the conveyor diameter 1. It is designed to be able to reciprocate within the transport path Ill. Further, the case (7) containing the dX way (6) at the appropriate position of the transport path (υ) is placed on the transport body (sh).
Furthermore, it has a platform α41 located at the same height as the transparent body (stage), and is separated from the conveyance path (D) by the shutter a, and the inlet/outlet s0 is discharged separately from the conveyance path. An exhaust air pipe αe is provided for transporting the case (7), and a button αη・(Ill
It also has an opening/closing door.

Therefore, in the case of this embodiment configuration, the case containing the wave (6) (force is supplied first by supplying air into the inlet peak part 0 to equalize the pressure inside the same part to atmospheric pressure, and then opening/closing the door) 0, load the case (7J) onto the shibrant platform a4, then exhaust the inside of this sending outlet part υ again to equalize the pressure inside the conveying path (1), and in this state, close the shutter (15). Open and smack α
η causes the force to be sent onto the case (but the carrier) on the platform a, and the shutter αη is returned to close the shutter. In this state, if the electric motor (not shown) operates in the forward or reverse direction, the wave (6) t-
The stored case (7) is transported together with the transport body (dan) to the desired position, and the case (force is sent, that is, taken out) at the same position. Yamabe (for 13, the shutter (LSt opens and shuts) (
18, the conveyor (resistance case (7)
Air is supplied inside the chamber to equalize the pressure inside the chamber to atmospheric pressure, and in this state, the case (7) containing the sea urchins (6) is taken out from the opening/closing door α.

Here, the degree of vacuum in the transport path (1) is at most 1O.
-2 orr is sufficient), therefore, the conveyor wire is 0υ
Vacuum leakage at the Qη, aa section is not a problem, and any dust in the path is quickly exhausted and does not adhere to the wafer (6), and the exhaust pipe (5) is connected at appropriate intervals. By arranging it, even if the temporary conveyance path (11) is long, a uniform true 9!W! can be obtained.Then, the conveyance body (base) is Because it is floating, there is less friction, so no dust is generated, and the driving force is small.
) is loosely fitted into the guide groove (3) on the road surface (23), so the conveying direction is always restricted and there is no risk of bumping into other objects.

In addition, the above 5! In the embodiment, the loading/unloading operation of the case (7) containing the wire (6) is performed manually, but it is also possible to automate all of these operations.

As described in detail above, according to the present invention, the O-wafer is transported in a vacuum transport path when fabricating a conductor integrated circuit device. Dust does not slip, which improves the manufacturing yield of the device.Moreover, since only the limited conveyance path and its inlet area are exhausted, a clean room is not required, and air purification requires a large amount of electricity. In addition, in the conveyance path, the conveyor tl111
Since it is conveyed while floating above the road surface due to mutual repulsion, there is no generation of dust during conveyance, and the conveyance power can be reduced.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of one embodiment of the conveying device according to the present invention, Fig. 2 (a) and (1,) are end and bottom views of the same conveying body, and No. 3 wJ is an evaluation of the above-mentioned feeding mountain part. This is a detailed diagram. (13... fist e conveyance path, (2)... - road surface, (3)...
...Guide groove, (4s, (4b) and (lOl),
(lOb)...Magnetic pole, (5)...Exhaust hole, (6
)・e...Wafer, (7)...Case, (8)...
-・Carrier, (9)...Guide piece, aI)...
Transport? , QJ----Sender outlet, α4...Platform, Gate...Shutter, OQ...Intake/exhaust hole, aη, (lid...Butsusha, 01...
Opening/closing door.

Claims (1)

[Claims] Path 1ii A conveyance path having a K guide groove, a shi, and a magnetic pole along the guide groove so that the inside can be evacuated, a guide piece loosely fitted in the guide groove, and a magnetic pole of the same polarity opposite to the am. a conveyor body which is floated and held and reciprocated within the conveyance path by means of a conveyance wire; The case is communicated via a shutter and is configured to be able to be supplied with air and air, so that the case containing the wafer can be taken in and out of the platform surface, and the case is transported between the platform surface and the carrier surface. A wafer transfer device that is equipped with an inlet/output control equipped with a pusher.