JPS5986143A - Automatic wafer exchange device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To irradiate a wafer cooling unit at the rear of an opening with an ion beam and prevent the inner part of a vacuum chamber from being damaged by dirt by providing a disc, its rotary device, magazine floating conveying unit, and intermediate station where dummy wafers can freely be extracted and housed. CONSTITUTION:A disc rotary device that intermittently rotates a disc 2, conveying unit that floats and conveys a magazine 16 from a wafer extraction device 17 to a waer housing position 18, intermediate stations 21 and 22 where the dummy wafer 54 between the disc 2 and conveying unit 19 can be extracted and housed by a freely opening and closing arm piece, and three conveying arm devices 24 to 26 are provided. As a result, even when the number of wafers 1 that should be mounted on the disc 2 is insufficient, the dummy wafer can automatically be mounted. When an ion is injected and processed, a wafer cooling unit at the rear of the opening 3 of the disc that is not blocked by the wafer 1 is irradiated with the ion and the inner part of a vacuum chamber can be prevented from being damaged by dirt. In addition, the generation of dirt is prevented by the move of the magazine 16 and the cleanliness of the wafer can be improved and then the wafer can smoothly and quickly be replaced.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an automatic exchange device for a plurality of phenols attached to a disk of an ion implanter.

Conventionally, for example, an apparatus is known that performs ion implantation processing on a large number of wafers C by rotating a disk dk to which a plurality of wafers ck are attached in a vacuum chamber equipped with a VCC ion implantation nozzle, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. However, in this type of apparatus, the work of taking out the disk d from the vacuum chamber and replacing the ion-implanted phenol 1C with a new wafer C is complicated, and it is desirable to do this automatically. ``Also disk dK
If there is a shortage in the number of new disks to be installed, the ion beam will irradiate the rear disk cooling system [f] through the opening in the disk d during ion implantation, and the vacuum chamber b
In order to avoid staining P3, it is preferable to appropriately close the opening e.

An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic wafer exchange device that satisfies such demands, and is designed to hold a disc-shaped disk around which a wafer is to be loaded and to intermittently exchange the wafers. A disk rotation device that rotates a disk, and a magazine that accommodates a plurality of wafers placed on a transfer path on the side of the disk and that can be taken in and out freely are floated by a moving piece that projects from below the transfer path and moves in the transfer direction. A transfer device for transferring the wafer from the wafer take-out position to the wafer storage position is provided between the disk and the wafer take-out position and the wafer storage position, and a dummy wafer with approximately the same diameter as the wafer is provided below, and a dummy wafer is placed below the wafer. an intermediate station having an arm piece that can be opened and closed between a closed position supporting the dummy wafer and an open position allowing passage of the dummy wafer; and an intermediate station between each magazine at the wafer take-out position and the wafer storage position of the transfer path and the intermediate station. a first transfer arm device consisting of a swingable arm piece that adsorbs and transfers the wafer; and a second transfer arm device that adsorbs and transfers the wafer between the intermediate station and the opening of the disk.
It consists of a 1g2 transfer arm device consisting of a fork-shaped swingable arm piece.

The third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings.
In the figure, fl) is a silicon or other circular wafer;
) C is a disk loaded with a plurality of the wafers (1) and taken in and out of the ion implantation apparatus; (3) is a disk loaded with the wafer (1);
The wafer (1) is loaded so as to close the opening (31), and its periphery is compressed by a spring (4). The wafer (1) is pressed and fixed with a bifurcated presser rod (5), and when the wafer (1) is removed, the F presser rod (5) is lifted by a pin that enters through the through hole (2a) of the disk (2). Ru.

The disk (2) is provided with a boss portion (6) clearly shown in FIG. I made it rotate almost horizontally.

The rotating device (7) has a hollow shaft CIIt- which is rotated intermittently via a gear box (9), and when a cylinder αD provided on the side thereof expands and contracts, the hollow shaft communicates with the inside and outside of the shaft ua). connected rod O3 and bearing case t13) (1
3) moves up and down to operate the gear mechanism (8) at the upper end of the hollow shaft α, and its arm (8a)
6) is gripped and the area is released, and ycaH is an arm rod that moves up and down on the cylinder 01), and its tip engages with the retaining groove α9 formed in the lower bearing case OJ.

As shown in FIG. 3, a transfer device α for transferring all wafers from the magazine ae to the wafer storage position a is provided on the side of the disk (2) which rotates intermittently. Intermediate station t2n Q with an arm piece (to) that can be opened and closed between the wafer take-out position 0η and the wafer storage position (+81) of the device Kasumi and the disk (2).
3 are provided respectively. Between each magazine ti61 (16) at the wafer take-out position (17) and the wafer storage position and each intermediate station +211 (23), there is an arm piece (m1) for sucking all the wafers (1) and transferring them respectively.
A transfer arm device (to) (c) is provided, and a two-pronged swingable arm is provided to adsorb and transfer the wafer (1) between the intermediate station C2D and the opening (3) of the disk (2). A second transfer arm device (to) consisting of arm pieces (26a) (26b)
.

The details of the transfer device a1 are as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, and the transfer path (lower part of the example) has a pair of long grooves t27 on the left and right. A plurality of sets of movable frames 0) with movable slide shafts 6I) are arranged in a row, and when the electric motor (c) of each set rotates, a disc-shaped cam ( The roller (b) of the fixed frame (to) rides on the cypress and moves the movable frame c17J upward, and the link 0?) is fully valved, and the wheel (to) connected to the slider (to) rotates and the slide shaft 01 ), and the pair of left and right long arms OI attached to the slider move along the transfer path (c).
The transfer path (27) projects upwardly through the entire long groove (27).
2. The magazine ue'i above the bar is floated, and the slider is moved by the stroke distance.

When the arm c31 has completed the stroke of protruding onto the transfer path (28), it sinks below the transfer path (F) and returns to the lowering of the movable frame g according to the cam diagram and the return movement of the link Cn l1JJ. By repeating this operation of the arm G31 several times, the magazine ae is sent in a floating state from the wafer take-out position surface of the transfer path (to) to the wafer storage position (18),
If the magazine ue and the transfer path (to) do not come into sliding contact, no dust is generated and the surface of the wafer (11) is not contaminated.In addition, when multiple sets of movable frames C37J are provided as shown in the figure, each arm (31it , is preferably arranged in a staggered manner inside and outside, as shown by dotted lines in FIG.

The disk (2) and the transfer device (wafer removal position a of 11)
7) and an intermediate station (2D) provided in the middle of each of the wafer storage positions (11G and 22G). (41) and an arm piece (7) which can be opened and closed as shown in Figs. A flange (4I) is provided to support the periphery of the lower surface of the wafer (11), but is large enough not to obstruct passage and extraction of the dummy wafer (54) of the pot (41) below the pot (41) in its open position. As shown in Figures 8 to 10, the root part (20
a) In (20a), the cylinder body (1) is crushed by the guide bins +43 (43) protruding on the left and right sides, and the cylinder body (44, the piston (44) is introduced into the chamber (4!9). When the pressure fluid moves against the F spring (4119), the piston rod (47) and the integrated slide shaft (Monk's o-"
y (in is the cam (51t-push) of the root (20a),
The arm piece (2G) moves to the open position away from the cylinder body (4). Also, when the pressure fluid acting on the piston 04 is removed, the piston (44) is pushed back by the spring ■, so the roller (The pressure on the cam 6Q of 41 is released, and the arm piece 12 (1 (2I) is the return spring 14 stretched between them.
(i) VC is pulled and moves to the closed position. The arm piece (21
The command to open and close (21) is issued, for example, from the senna at the tip of the second transfer arm device (c), and the command activates the on-off valve for the pressure fluid flow path to the cylinder body (4). You can do it.

(The bottom of 4G has 7 holes as shown in the 4th figure.)
53) e was provided so that the top layer of the dummy wafer (54) could be pushed up into a groove that was always located immediately below the arm piece C20.

The magazine σe is equipped with a wafer storage shelf (55) so as to store the wafers (1) at intervals, and has an opening (5
6) and a first transfer arm device l1l) provided with a suction cup (57)
Opening part (59) where '2e's arm piece 2:I) descends and enters
In addition, each m 1 transfer arm device 124) + 25) has a link (623K area) with a slider (623K area) that reciprocates along the guide rod (61) of the machine frame (60) that can be raised and lowered at the base of the arm. 63), and each of the first transfer arm devices +241 to +2!9 performs the following operations in accordance with the position on the transfer path of the magazine LIG+. When taking out the wafer (1) from the magazine decoy located at position (17) vc, the ml transfer arm device U4)
ノM piece + 23) i'J: Machine frame (6t+) is lowered by the cylinder (64) on the side and magazine 1
1 (1) enters from the open part (59) to pick up the wafer (11k), and then the link (62) is swung by the electric motor (65) f'1. When the arm piece (23 is the intermediate station At the same time, the machine frame (60) is returned to its original height by the double movement of the cylinder (64), and Unino 1 (1) reaches above the arm of the intermediate station (21). Then the sucker (
The suction force of 51) is released and the wafer (1) is placed on the intermediate station (2]).

When storing wafers in the magazine 1e at the wafer storage position t[\(tη), the other first transfer arm device 1251 first moves the arm piece (□ Then, by the rotation of the electric motor (65) and the lifting of the machine frame (60) by the cylinder (64), the arm piece j'' is moved towards the magazine (1e direction). While moving, it rises to an appropriate height and stores the Uninow +11 into the storage shelf (55) through the front opening (56) of the magazine (16), where the suction is released and storage is completed.

Between each intermediate station (211+2''IJ) is the arm piece (26a) (26b)'Th axis (67
), and the arm pieces (26a) and (26b) move up and down and
When actuated by the shaft (67) that makes the 00 turn, the suction cup (66) of one arm piece (26a) moves to the intermediate station (
At the same time, the other arm piece (26b) adsorbs all of the ion-implanted Unino 1 (1) on the disk (2) and rises, followed by a 90° rotation and elevation. Unino 11) e te (suf 121) of the arm piece (26b)
The wafer (1) of the arm piece (26a) is transferred to the intermediate station (2nd side) for ejection, and the wafer (1) of the arm piece (26a) is transferred to the disk (2).
Load it into. During this time, the presser rod (5) of the disk (2) is lifted into the bin that protrudes through the through hole (2a) of the disk (2), allowing the wafer (11) on the opening (3) to be replaced. Magazine (at wafer removal position a7)
When the wafer fil of te runs out, the wafer fil is transferred to the first transfer arm device (I!) on the intermediate station (21).
However, in this case, all four arms of the intermediate station (2I) open and the second transfer arm! ! [t2f9 is the dummy wafer (54) prepared in the pot 14 (l)'
is attached to the opening (3) of the disk (2).

The opening (3) of the disk (21) to which this dummy wafer (54) is attached is stored in a suitable storage device, and after the ion implantation process, the dummy wafer (54) is removed from the opening (3) and placed at the intermediate station (2'L!J). When the dummy wafer (54) is placed on the wafer storage position (1
It is not accommodated in the magazine (16) of 81.

To explain its operation, ion implanted wafers (
The disk (2) equipped with the disk rotation device (7)
When the wafer is placed on the intermediate station (21), the second transfer arm device (261) moves up and down to transfer the ion-implanted Unino 1 (1) of the disk (2) and the new wafer (261) sent onto the intermediate station (21). 1) is suctioned by each arm piece (26a) (26b), and when the suction is released after turning 90 degrees, a new wafer (1) is loaded into the opening (3) of the disk (21). After loading, the disk (2) is rotated by the rotating device (7).
) rotates one area to the next wafer to be replaced +1
1 is located at the removal position of the second transfer arm device 16). The wafer (1) on which the ions are injected at the intermediate station (2) is adsorbed by the first transfer arm device 129 and placed in the wafer storage shelf (55) of the magazine UE located at the wafer storage position of the transfer device fil (181). Also, on the other intermediate station CD, a new wafer (1
) is placed. Then, the second transfer arm device (to) operates again to replace the wafer (1) on the disk (2) with a new one.

In order to return the above operation, the ion-implanted wafer (1) of the 9 disk (2) is replaced with a new wafer (1).
However, when there is no new wafer (1) in the magazine Oe at wafer removal position 1g +171, the arm piece (a) of intermediate station +211 opens and the second transfer arm device (2e is closed) (inside 41 A dummy wafer (rd) is picked up and loaded into the opening (3) of the disk (2).

Therefore, even if the number of wafers prepared in the magazine (1611c) for ion implantation is smaller than the number of openings (3) of the disk (2), the dummy wafers (54) are loaded, so that during the ion implantation process, the openings (3) ) All valves can be used to prevent the ion beam from passing through and prevent contamination in the vacuum chamber.Also, from the disk (2) to the dummy wafer (54)
is taken out by the intermediate station (2) and @ is the arm piece (2).
I open and lower iy) (Dummy wafer inside 4I (
Accommodates 543.

When the magazine (llj) at the wafer take-out position (17) becomes empty, the transfer device (19) is activated and its arm csl protrudes onto the transfer path (c), moving the empty magazine (lGl in a floating state to the wafer storage position side). At that time, the magazine (IG) containing all the ion-implanted wafers (1) in the wafer accommodation position Uaa+ is sent to the side, and if necessary, the new wafer ill prepared in the standby position (67) is transferred to the side. The stored magazine aO can be transferred to the wafer take-out position αη.

As described above, the present invention provides a disk rotating device that rotates the disk intermittently, a transfer device that levitates and transfers the magazine from the wafer take-out position to the wafer storage position, and a link between the disk and the transfer device. an intermediate station from which dummy wafers can be taken out and stored with an arm piece that can be opened and closed; an IF transfer arm device which adsorbs and transfers wafers between each magazine at the Unino/take-out position and wafer storage position and the intermediate station; Since a bifurcated second transfer arm device is provided to transfer wafers between the station and the disk, even if there is a shortage in the number of wafers to be attached to the disk, dummy wafers can be automatically attached, and the ion This eliminates the inconvenience of having an opening in the disk that is not blocked by wafers during the injection process, and since the magazine is floated and sent by the transfer device, the generation of dust due to transfer is prevented, and the cleanliness of the wafers is improved (L smooth and quick). This has the advantage that wafers can be exchanged easily.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 is a cutaway plan view of the ion implanter, and Figure 2 is its
3 is a plan view of an example of the device of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IVM, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line v-M in FIG. 3. Figures 6 and 7 are shown in Figure 3.
8 is an enlarged plan view of the arm of the intermediate station, FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along the ■-IX line, and 0 is a left side view of FIG. 8. Figure 11 is M in Figure 8.
- It is a cross-sectional view taken along the M line. fil...Wafer (2)...Disk (
3)...Opening (7)...Disk rotating device (161...Magazine αD...Unino/take-out position (18)...Wafer storage position (1'l/
...transport device (a)...arm piece c! 11(
2 thirst...intermediate station (23...arm piece)
(To) C! 19...first transfer arm device (26a) (
26b)...Arm piece (2Gl...Second transfer arm device (
28)...Transfer path (54)...For dummy wafer patent Applicant: Japan Vacuum Technology Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] a disk rotation device that holds a disk-like disk with an opening on the periphery into which a wafer is to be loaded and rotates it intermittently;
(A transfer device that projects a magazine that can accommodate a plurality of wafers in and out of the transfer path from below the transfer path and floats it with a moving piece that moves in the transfer direction to transfer it from a wafer take-out position to a wafer storage position; and Mlt.
A dummy wafer having approximately the same diameter as the wafer is provided below, and a dummy wafer above the wafer is provided between the wafer storage position and the wafer storage position, and is capable of opening and closing between a closed position in which the wafer is supported from below and an open position in which the dummy wafer is completely allowed to pass through. a first transfer arm consisting of an intermediate station equipped with an arm piece, and a movable arm piece that adsorbs and transfers a wafer between each magazine at a wafer take-out position and a phenol storage position of the transfer path and the intermediate station; A phenol automatic exchange device comprising a second transfer arm device comprising a two-pronged swingable arm piece for adsorbing and transferring a wafer between the intermediate station and the opening of the disk.