JPS63102335A - Ion implanting system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To assure the highly reliable ion implanting operation controlling any abnormality by the other monitor part even if one monitor part malfunctions by a method wherein multiple wafer carrier system monitor parts are provided to monitor wafer carrier system thereby. CONSTITUTION:A carrier system monitor control part 11 monitors the actuation of a wafer carrier system (b) by detecting signals inputted from a detecting part 10 to output not only any abnormal signals from the detecting part 10 but also any data on running positions and normal running status from an auxiliary carrier system monitor control part 12 to the main carrier system monitor control part 11. When a carrier system abnormal signal (a) is inputted, the abnormal position and abnormality are displayed by either one of the detecting parts outputting the abnormality. Simultaneously, the control parts 11 or 12 are controlled to stop at least the carrier operation. Through these procedures, even if one monitor control part happens to fail in detecting any abnormality in a wafer carrier system, the said auxiliary carrier system monitor control part 12 can detect and control the abnormality to improve the reliability upon the overall system.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to a substrate transport system monitoring device for an ion implantation device,
In particular, the present invention relates to an ion implantation apparatus equipped with a plurality of substrate transport system monitoring mechanisms.

(Prior art) In recent years, substrates to be processed such as semiconductor wafers are coated with B, P, and AS.
Ion implantation devices that process semiconductor substrates by implanting impurity atoms such as ion implanters are widely used.

In this ion implantation device, the substrate to be processed, such as a semiconductor wafer, is transported by transporting the semiconductor wafer from the atmosphere into the vacuum processing chamber via a preliminary vacuum chamber, and after the ion implantation process, the semiconductor wafer is returned to the atmosphere via the preliminary vacuum chamber. Since the structure is such that the semiconductor wafer is carried out, a wafer transfer system is provided to transfer the semiconductor wafer.

By the way, in this wafer transport system, a wafer transport system monitoring device is provided to promptly detect any trouble that occurs in the transport groove and prevent it from affecting subsequent processes. This wafer transfer system monitoring device consists of a transfer system monitoring and control device and a detection section consisting of a number of detection devices installed at various locations within the wafer transfer system. Information from the detection section is input to the transfer system monitoring device. The operation and status of the wafer transport system are constantly monitored.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, conventional wafer transport system monitoring devices are only provided for one wafer transport system, and when an abnormality occurs in the transport system monitoring and control device, the detection unit There is a problem in that even if the next abnormal signal is input, it is overlooked, which causes a decrease in the reliability of the ion implantation apparatus.

The present invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a highly reliable ion implantation device.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) The ion implantation apparatus of the present invention is an apparatus for monitoring the ion implantation position and the operation/state of each part of the substrate transport system. at least one system of detection means for detecting the operation/state of the substrate transport system; at least two transport system monitoring means for inputting information from the detection means to monitor the operation/state of the substrate transport system; The present invention is characterized by comprising a transport system monitoring means for controlling the operation and state of the substrate transport system based on signals from the monitoring means.

(Function) In the present invention, a plurality of wafer transport system monitoring units are provided, and by monitoring the wafer transport system with these multiple wafer transport system monitoring units, even if one monitoring unit malfunctions, the other monitoring unit can be monitored. Highly reliable ion implantation work that can be controlled locally.

(Example) An example of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a wafer transport system monitoring device according to an embodiment. The semiconductor wafer 2 shown in FIG. The wafer is transported, mounted on a platen in the processing chamber, and returned to the wafer cassette 1 after the ion implantation process is completed. System detection device For example, a detection mechanism 10a for checking the opening/closing state of a valve that opens and closes when a wafer is taken in and out of a vacuum chamber, a pick lowering detection mechanism 10b for detecting the lifting and lowering state of a pick that holds a semiconductor wafer during transportation of a semiconductor wafer, and each process. A plurality of wafer position detection mechanisms 10c and the like for confirming the transfer position of semiconductor wafers are provided to constitute the detection unit 10 of the wafer transfer system monitoring system.Specific examples of these mechanisms include photocouplers, piezoelectric sensors, door sensors, etc. A switch or the like can be used.

The operating state detection signal of the wafer transport system detected by the detection section 10 is inputted to a transport system monitoring and controlling section 11 and an auxiliary transport system monitoring and controlling section 12, respectively.

The auxiliary transport system monitoring control unit 12 monitors the operating state of the wafer transport system based on the detection signal input from the detection unit 10,
When a signal is input, a detection unit abnormality signal is output to the transport system monitoring control unit 11, for example, together with information on the detection unit that outputs the abnormality signal and displayed. On the other hand, the detection signal from each detection unit is also supplied to the transport system monitoring control unit 11 from the detection unit 10, and it not only monitors the operating state but also controls to stop the transport of the abnormal part according to the content of the abnormal signal. do. That is, 2
Monitor by system. Further, at the end of wafer processing, a wafer processing end signal is output to cause the processed wafer number display section 13 to display the number of wafers processed. As the wafer processing number display section 13, for example, a panel may be provided to display the number of wafers processed one by one using LEDs, and the panel may be lit to display the number of wafers processed one by one.

Further, the transfer system monitoring control section 11 monitors the operating state of the wafer transfer system based on the detection signal inputted from the detection section 10, and detects not only abnormal signals from the detection section 10 but also the running position, normal running, etc. Information is sent to the auxiliary transport system monitoring control unit 12
The data is outputted to the conveyance system monitoring control section 11 from there. When the abnormality signal is input, a transport system abnormality signal is output to notify the abnormality of the wafer transport system. For example, the abnormal location and abnormality are displayed from the detection unit that outputs the abnormality. Roughly speaking, at the same time, control is performed to at least stop the transport operation of the relevant section depending on the nature of the abnormality.

In this way, if there are multiple systems, for example two systems, of the transport system monitoring and controlling section, even if a failure occurs in the transport system monitoring and controlling section 11 of one of the monitoring and controlling sections and an abnormality in the wafer transport system is overlooked, the auxiliary transport system monitoring and controlling section can 12 can be discovered and controlled, improving the reliability of the entire device.

In the above embodiment, the detection signal from one system of the detection unit 10 is divided into two systems and inputted to the transport system monitoring and control unit respectively. A configuration may be adopted in which detection signals are input from independent detection units for each of the detection units.

Referring to FIG. 2, a description will be given below of another embodiment of the present invention in which detection signals are input from a plurality of independent detection sections to the transport system monitoring control section. The detection signal output from the auxiliary detection section 14, which is provided independently of the detection section 10, is input to the auxiliary transport system monitoring control section 12, where the detection signal from the auxiliary detection section 14 is input. Based on this, it is determined whether the wafer transport system is operating normally. A large number of detection mechanisms constituting the auxiliary detection section 14 are different detection mechanisms from the detection mechanisms constituting the detection section 10, for example, a cassette installed near the wafer cullet and used to detect whether or not a pick holds a semiconductor wafer. The inner wafer detection mechanism 14a is composed of a sound detector @14b, etc., which detects the falling sound of semiconductor wafers during wafer transportation, the sound of damage caused by cracking of wafers, and the like.

A specific example of the detection mechanism constituting the detection section 14 will be described with reference to FIG. 3, taking the cassette wafer detection device 14a as an example. A large number of semiconductor wafers 2 are stored in a box-like wafer cassette 1 having an opening on the bottom surface, and a rice scoop-shaped wafer transfer pick 3 placed at the bottom of the wafer cassette 1 is placed as shown by arrow Y in the figure. The semiconductor wafers 2 are raised and held in an arcuate groove 3a provided at the upper end of the pick 3, and then vertically conveyed one by one to an ion implantation processing chamber (not shown) located above the wafer cassette 1.

The wafer cassette 1 is moved in the direction of the arrow X in the figure by a wafer cassette drive mechanism (not shown), and the wafer cassette 1 is sequentially moved to place the next semiconductor wafer on the pick 3. .

Near the contact area between the pick 3 and the semiconductor wafer 2, there is a horizontally shaped photosensor type wafer detection mechanism 14a in the set.
is provided, and it is possible to detect whether or not there is a semiconductor wafer 2 on the pick 3. The in-cassette wafer detection mechanism 14a is mounted on a cassette-in-cassette wafer detection mechanism fixing mount 5 mounted on the wafer cassette drive mechanism fixing base 4 so that its position can be adjusted. In this example, a photo sensor type is used as the in-set wafer detection device 14a, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

In the wafer transport system monitoring system having such a configuration, even though the wafer 2 is held on the pick 3, the detection unit 10
Due to a failure of the wafer placement detection mechanism 10c, a signal indicating that the semiconductor wafer 2 is not on the pick 3, that is, a signal indicating that there is no semiconductor wafer 2 in the wafer transfer system, is sent to the transfer system monitoring control unit 11.
Wafer detection in cassette t44M
14a Since the signal indicating that there is no semiconductor wafer 2 in the wafer cassette 1, that is, the signal indicating that the semiconductor wafer 2 is present in the wafer transfer system, is input to the auxiliary transfer system monitoring control unit 12, the auxiliary transfer system is The monitoring control unit 12 determines that there is an abnormality in the wafer transport system and outputs an abnormality signal to the transport system monitoring and control unit 11, thereby allowing detection of the abnormality. Furthermore, if the auxiliary detection section 14 is provided with the sound detection mechanism 14b, it is possible to discover cracks in the semiconductor wafer that cannot be detected by the detection section 10.

As another embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG.
0a or 1ob next to the pick-up/down detector may be configured to provide double safety for the detection unit.

By providing a plurality of transport system monitoring and control sections in this way, even if a failure occurs in one of the transport system monitoring and control sections, the abnormality can be detected, and reliability is greatly improved. Furthermore, if the wafer processing number display section 13 is provided as in this example, the operator can easily know whether the first semiconductor wafer has been processed or not.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the ion implantation apparatus of the present invention,
It becomes possible to significantly improve the reliability of the substrate transport system monitoring system.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a wafer transport system monitoring system of an ion implanter according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of another embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of a wafer detection mechanism in a cassette. The attachment is a perspective view showing an example of the position. 2... Semiconductor wafer, 3... Pick,
10...Detection unit, 11...Transportation system monitoring control unit, 12...Auxiliary transport system monitoring and control unit, 13
... Wafer processing number display section, 14 ... Auxiliary detection section, 14a ... Wafer detection mechanism in the cassette, 14b ... Sound detection mechanism. Applicant Tokyo Electron Co., Ltd. Agent
Patent Attorney Suyama Sa - Kazuichi 1 ■ Figure 2

Claims (5)

[Claims] (1) In an apparatus for monitoring the ion implantation position and the operation/state of each part of the substrate transport system, at least one system of detection means for detecting the operation/state of the substrate transport system that transports the substrate to be processed, and from this detection means. at least two systems of transport system monitoring means for inputting information to monitor the operation and state of the substrate transport system; and a transport system monitor for controlling the operation and state of the substrate transport system by signals from these transport system monitoring means. An ion implantation device characterized by comprising: means. (2) The ion implantation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transport system monitoring means includes a substrate processing number display means for displaying the number of substrates that have been subjected to ion implantation processing. (3) The ion implantation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transport system monitoring means includes an independent detection means. (4) The ion implantation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detection means includes a detection means for detecting the presence of a substrate to be processed in a substrate to be processed container. (5) The ion implantation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detection means includes a sound detection means for detecting abnormal noise during transportation of the substrate to be processed.