JPS6269633A - Wafer transfer unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable one and the same transfer means to transfer wafers of different dimensions by a method wherein the transfer means is provided with a selecting means capable of changing the width of clamps according to the dimensions of a wafer to be handled. CONSTITUTION:For the transfer of a wafer 1 from one of cassettes 2 to a boat 4 aboard a boat mount 5, a translation mechanism 12 carries a transfer means 10 to a cassette mount 3, an elevator 13 is caused to go up, and a wafer 1 is taken out of a cassette 2 so specified and is pushed up to reach clamping plates 15b and 15c. The translation mechanism 12 then transfers the wafer 1 to the boat mount 5. For the transfer of a wafer 1 of different dimensions, a motor 21 belonging to a selecting means 20 is driven for the rotation of a belt 22 for the sliding of the clamping plates 15b and 15c, and the motor 21 is caused to stop when the distance between the clamping plates 15b and 15c have come to correspond to the dimensions of the wafer 1. The distance between the two clamps are thus changed, which enables wafers of different dimensions to be properly transferred.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to a method for transferring wafers into a furnace such as a diffusion furnace, particularly in the production of semiconductor devices.

[1] Regarding a transfer device for transferring a cassette from a cassette to a boat. [Technical backlash of the invention and its problems]

Semiconductor equipment! In the diffusion process for xI fabrication, the wafer is placed on a boat made of quartz, etc., and the wafer is
-8 is being transferred into the furnace. Before this transfer, the wafers are sent stored in a cassette.Therefore, it is necessary to transfer the wafers sent from the cassette to the boat, and this transfer is performed automatically. Conventionally, a wafer transfer device has been used to transfer wafers. The cassettes are placed next to each other, and the transfer means reciprocates between these double-mounted blue platforms to transfer the cassette to the boat and vice versa.However, unlike the 4i, the conventional two -Transfer device (1,, 1
- Clamping the wafer () (l) Clamp width of the transferring means that moves backwards is fixed (1=me, The equipment is placed in the furnace where it is placed, and is limited to processing 1 to 1 sized pieces, and is limited to processing 1 to 1 in a mixture of 1 to 1! Problem 11 of not being able to do something is a problem I, 2. [Object of the invention] The present invention;
It is an object of the present invention to provide a transfer device that can transfer T-C of different sizes using B-A- transfer means. [Summary of the Invention] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a wafer transfer device (transfer) means having a clamp width.
1 fits the size of Ha! Embodiments of the Invention The present invention will be described below based on an embodiment shown in the drawings. FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of a wafer transfer apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of its main parts. The cassette on which 2 is placed [・Board 1 where 4 is placed on mounting table 3 and Bow 1
- The boat mounting table 5 is arranged in series in the longitudinal direction, and a furnace (not shown) is placed further to the left of the boat mounting table 5. Kasetsu 1~
The boat 4 is made of a quartz frame, and the wafers are placed on the frame and sent into the furnace in this state. In addition, openings 6 and 7 are provided in the top surfaces of the cassette loading table 3 and the boat loading table 5, respectively, so that an elevator 13 of a transfer means 10, which will be described later, can be raised and lowered. Furthermore, from the power supply platform 3 to the board 1 to the platform 5,
By 39? The slide hole 8 is opened, and the transfer hand 8 is opened.
210 is adapted to reciprocate within the slide hole 8. The transfer means 10 is shown in FIG.
Translation mechanism 12 such as a motor that performs t1 backward movement along 1
This translation mechanism 12 and the T elevator 13 that moves
and a clamp mechanism 15 which is installed upright from the translation mechanism 12 and inserted into the slide hole 8, and which is attached to the support arm 1/l. The elevator 13 has four elevators that can be lowered, and one elevator advances in the L direction from the opening 6 or 7 of each mounting table, takes out the wafer 1 from the cassette 2 or boat 4, and takes it all the way to the clamp mechanism 15. When the stomach is opened, the wafer is lowered and placed on the cassette 2 or boat 40 from the clamp IMA 15.The clamp mechanism 15 is a support assembly assembled into a rectangular shape at the upper end of the support arm 14. Frame 15a
and a pair of clamp plates 15b115C provided within this support frame 15a. This clamp plate 15b. A plurality of vertical grooves for sandwiching the wafers are formed on the opposing surface of the wafer 15c so as to clamp a plurality of wafers at the same time. The switching means 20 includes a motor 21 attached to the outer surface of the support frame 15 of the clamp mechanism 15, and a belt 22 hooked around the rotating shaft of the motor 21. and,
When the belt 22 engages with the clamp plates 15b and 15c and the belt 22 rotates, the clamp plates 15b and 15G slide to adjust the separation width between the clamp plates, that is, the clamp width. This engagement can be achieved, for example, by having one clamp plate 15b hooked to the upper side of the belt 22 and the other clamp plate 15c hooked to the upper side of the belt. 15c slides to change the clamp width according to the size of the wafer to be clamped. In addition, in order to perform the sliding of these clamp plates 15b and 15c stably, the clamp plate 15b. A guide rod 16 is provided in the sliding direction of 15G. Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be explained. Cassette mounting table 3
When transferring a wafer from the upper cassette 2 to the boat 4 on the boat mounting table 5, first, the transfer means 10 is moved to the cassette mounting table 3 by the translation mechanism 12. ′,
I hate elevator 13! Take out the T-sha from inside the desired collar and press the clamp plates 15b and 15c. The clamp widths of the clamp plates 15b and 15c have been adjusted in advance according to the size of T-C, and T-C are clamped between the clamp plates, and while they are in the clamped state, they are moved to the translation mechanism 12 by J. Transferred to the mounting table 5. After the boat is loaded, the T-lever 13 is reassembled and the driving shaft is clamped on the clamp plate 15b.
15c to boat 4 to 47lottJ. Next, when transferring sheets of different sizes, the operator drives the motor 21 of the switching means 20 to transfer the belt 2.
2 around the clamp plate 15b five times. Slide 15c! Ru. And clamp plate 15t
), Tanabata 21 is stopped when the distance of 15c is clamped and matches the +1 size of T-c. This causes the clamp width to be switched. Therefore, even if there is a mixture of ``I'' and ``I'' of different sizes, it is possible to transfer to ``I''. In this case, the various clamp widths are stored in the control device in advance, and the motor is driven and stopped using signals from the control device! ``Let's do it''; [Effects of the Invention] As mentioned above, the present invention is characterized in that the clamping width of the wafer is switched according to the size of the wafer by the switching means, so that wafers of different sizes can be clamped by the switching means This makes it possible to perform diffusion processing on multiple 11-size wafers.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of a wafer transfer apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the main parts thereof. 1... Wafer, 2... Cassette, 3... n cassettes, 4... Board 1~. 5... Loading stand for board 1, 10... Transfer means, 20... Switching means, 21...
- Motor, 22...bell l-.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A cassette mounting base on which a cassette for storing wafers is placed, and a boat mounting base provided adjacent to the cassette mounting base on which a boat for storing wafers in a furnace is placed. and a transfer means for clamping and reciprocating the wafer to transfer the wafer between the cassette and the boat, and a switching means for switching the clamp width of the transfer means according to the size of the wafer. Features of wafer transfer equipment. 2. The wafer transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the switching means has a mechanism for switching the clamp width by rotating a belt driven by a motor.