JPS6169136A - Semiconductor manufacturing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To perform the feed and taking-out of wafers by one unit of robot unit, to simplify the structure of a semiconductor manufacturing device, and at the same time, to contrive the space saving of the clean room by a method wherein the conveying path for the susceptors, whereon the wafers are mounted, is formed in an endless conveying path. CONSTITUTION:In the casing 22 of a semiconductor manufacturing device 20, part of a conveying path 28 consisting of a chain, which is circulatingly driven in the horizontal plane, is facing in the interior of a clean region 26 from the opening part 32 of a partition wall 30, by which the casing 22 and the clean region 26 are partitioned. Susceptors 34 are erected on the chain of the conveying path 28 plural sheets by plural sheets at constant intervals and the susceptors 34 are made to circulatingly shift by the conveying path 28. Wafers 36 are held on the outer surfaces of the susceptors 34. The feeding position and taking-out position of the wafers 36 can be disposed in close contact to each other and the feed and taking-out of the wafers can be performed by one unit of robot unit 38 in one clean region 26.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a semiconductor manufacturing device, and more particularly, a semiconductor manufacturing device that can supply and take out wafers with one robot device;
The present invention relates to a semiconductor manufacturing device that can simplify the device and save space in a clean room where equipment costs are high.

In a conventional semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, FIG. 1(a).

As shown in (b) and (C), the transport path for the susceptor carrying the wafer is provided in a straight line, the wafer is mounted on the susceptor at one end of the transport path, and the inside of the reaction chamber is moved at the other end. Generally, a wafer having a necessary film formed on its surface is taken out from the susceptor during the passage of the susceptor.

The above-mentioned feeding and unloading of wafers are performed automatically by robot devices, etc., but in the past, the wafer supply and unloading positions were separated from each other as described above. robot for
This requires two separate gutter devices and a robot device for taking out ueno\, leading to increased complexity of the equipment and increased equipment costs.

Additionally, in order to prevent dust from adhering to the wafer, it is necessary to provide a clean area surrounding the wafer supply and removal positions.
This clean area must also be provided separately for the wafer supply position and the wafer take-out position, and the cost of installing this clean area is high, resulting in an increase in equipment costs.

Furthermore, providing clean areas at both ends of the transport path is disadvantageous in terms of space efficiency. For example, Fig. 1 Ta
l, (in the device shown in bl, the clean area 10
．． 10 spaces would be completely wasted.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned difficulties, and includes:
The aim is to create semiconductor manufacturing equipment that can supply and take out wafers with a single bot device, simplify the equipment, and save space in clean rooms, which can be costly. The present invention is characterized by a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus that automatically transports a susceptor loaded with a wafer and forms a PSG layer and a 5iOzN film on the wafer surface, in which a transport path of the susceptor continuously transports a plurality of susceptors. The wafer is formed into an endless transport path that circulates in the same plane intermittently, and the position where the wafer is supplied onto the susceptor and the position where the wafer is taken out from the susceptor are set close to each other.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 20 according to the present invention.

In the figure, 22 is a casing, and a door 24 is appropriately provided on the side wall for purposes such as repair. A well-known clean area 26 is connected to one side of the casing 22.

Reference numeral 28 denotes a conveyance path made of, for example, a chain, which is circulated within the casing 22 in a horizontal plane.

A portion of this conveyance path 28 faces into the clean area 26 from an opening 32 of a partition wall 30 that partitions the casing 22 and the clean area 26.

Numeral 34 is a susceptor, and a plurality of susceptors are installed at regular intervals on, for example, a chain on the conveyance path 28.
It moves cyclically as a result of the cyclical movement of. A wafer 36 (FIG. 3) is held on the outer surface of the susceptor 34.

Supply of wafer 36 to susceptor 34 and susceptor 3
The wafer 36 can be taken out from the wafer 4 by one robot device 38.

That is, as shown in FIG. 2 or 3, for example,
A portion of the conveyance path 28 facing into the clean area 26 is
The robot device 38 is guided in an arc across the individual susceptors, and the robot device 38 is arranged at the center of the outside of the arc.
Two susceptors 34a are positioned diagonally with respect to the robot device 38.

34b, the arm 40 transports the wafer 36 from the wafer storage cassette 42 to the susceptor 34a.
the susceptor 3 by the arm 44.
The wafer 36 that has undergone the film formation process can be transported from above 4b and stored in the wafer storage cassette 46.

The susceptor 34 used is one in which the susceptor 34 itself serves as a heating source for the wafer 36. For example, as the susceptor 34,
A ceramic heater in which a resistor is embedded in the surface layer of a ceramic support plate can be used. Note that energization of the susceptor (ceramic heater) that circulates along the conveyance path 28 can be ensured by providing a sliding portion in the wiring path from the power source.

Next, 48 is a reaction gas supply box, and the tM feed path 2
8, a plurality of them are arranged at appropriate intervals.

The reaction gas supply box 48, as illustrated in FIG.
The side through which the wafer 36 held by the susceptor 34 passes is open, and the reaction gas supply port 50 and the discharge port 5
2, the reaction gas supplied into the box from the supply port 50 comes into contact with the surface of the wafer 36 being heated by the susceptor 34 to form a desired film on the surface of the wafer 36.

Each reaction gas supply box 48 may supply the same type of reaction gas or may supply different types of reaction gas.

When the same type of reaction gas is supplied, the same film is formed on the surface of the wafer 36 multiple times, so that a film of the required thickness can be finally obtained.

In addition, in the case of supplying different types of reactive gases, for example, the reactive gas for PSG film formation is supplied from several reactive gas supply boxes 48 from the wafer supply position (the position of the susceptor 34a), and the reactive gas for forming the PSG film is supplied to the remaining reactive gas supply boxes 48. From 5iO1
By supplying a reactive gas for film formation, a multilayer film can be formed in one processing step 1', such as first forming a PSC film on the surface of the wafer 36 and then forming a 5ill film thereon. can be formed at once.

FIG. 5 shows a front view of the inside of the casing 22 of the above embodiment. A filter 54 is disposed above the casing 22 above the reaction gas supply box 48 to allow clean air to flow therethrough.

The present invention is configured as described above.

However, as described above, since the transport path 28 of the susceptor 34 is formed as an endless transport path that circulates within one plane, the supply position and the take-out position of the wafer 36 can be placed close to each other, and as described above, one clean The wafers 36 can be supplied and taken out within the area 26 by one robot device.

FIG. 6 shows another embodiment.

In this embodiment, the susceptor 34 is horizontally fixed to the transport path 28, and the wafer 36 is placed on the susceptor 34.
4. In this case, a reaction gas supply box (not shown) is arranged above the transport path 28 and configured to supply the reaction gas onto the wafer 36 below.

Also in this embodiment, since the transport path 28 of the susceptor 34 is configured as an endless transport path that circulates within one plane, the clean area 26 can be configured into one.

In each of the above embodiments, the transport path 28 is housed in one reaction tube (not shown), and the wafer supply section and wafer takeout section are exposed outside the reaction tube), and the gas supply section that supplies the reaction gas into the reaction tube. It is also possible to form a film on the wafer by providing a source and a gas outlet and performing lamp heating using infrared rays or the like.

As described above, according to the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention, since the susceptor transport path is provided as an infinite 1M transport path, the wafer supply position and take-out position can be placed close to each other.
The clean area, where equipment costs are expensive, can be shared in one clean area, reducing equipment costs.Wafer feeding and removal can be performed with one robot device, which also reduces equipment costs. savings can be achieved.

Space efficiency is also improved by converting the clean area into one room.

Further, by arranging a plurality of reaction gas supply boxes along the transport path, a multilayer film can be easily formed on the wafer surface.

Although the present invention has been variously explained above with reference to preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and it goes without saying that many modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of a conventional semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an overview of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged explanatory view thereof, FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a reaction gas supply box, and FIG. 5 is a front view of the inside of the casing. FIG. 6 is an explanatory plan view showing another embodiment. 20... Semiconductor manufacturing equipment, 22... Casing, 24... Door, 26... Clean area,
28... Conveyance path, 30... Partition wall. 32...opening, 34.34a, 34b...
Susceptor, 36... Wafer, 38... Robot device, 40... Arm, 42°46.
...Wafer storage cassello 44...Arm,
48...Reaction gas supply box. 50... Supply port, 52... Discharge port, 54...
filter.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. In semiconductor manufacturing equipment that automatically transports a susceptor loaded with a wafer and forms a film of a PSG layer and a SiO_2 layer on the wafer surface, the transport path of the susceptor transports multiple susceptors continuously or intermittently within the same plane. What is claimed is: 1. A semiconductor manufacturing device formed in an endless conveyance path for circulating wafers, and characterized in that a position for supplying wafers onto a susceptor and a position for taking out wafers from the susceptor are set close to each other. 2. In semiconductor manufacturing equipment that automatically transports a susceptor loaded with a wafer and forms a film such as a PSG layer or SiO_2 layer on the wafer surface, the susceptor transport path continuously or intermittently transports multiple susceptors on the same plane. The wafer is formed into an endless transport path that circulates through the susceptor, and the position where the wafer is supplied onto the susceptor and the position where the wafer is taken out from the susceptor are set close to each other. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus characterized in that a plurality of reaction gas supply boxes are arranged at appropriate intervals for supplying reaction gas to wafers being transported.