KR100713808B1 - Assembly for moving workpieces linearly and Apparatus for mapping semiconductor wafer with it - Google Patents

Abstract

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a semiconductor wafer mapping apparatus, wherein the mapping apparatus is coupled to a mapping arm, a bar-shaped rod, and a mapping arm having a sensor for identifying the presence or absence of a wafer at an end thereof, and having a groove therein. It includes a rod block provided to move along the outer circumferential surface of the rod.

In the above-described configuration, if the cross section of the rod and the rod block is formed in an elliptical or polygonal shape, it is unnecessary to install an LM guide to prevent the left and right twisting of the rod block. It is effective in preventing the malfunction of the road block caused by corrosion of LM Guide.

Mapping, mapping device, EFEM, FOUP

Description

Linear moving assembly for linearly moving an object and a semiconductor wafer mapping apparatus having the same {Assembly for moving workpieces linearly and Apparatus for mapping semiconductor wafer with it}

1 is a configuration diagram schematically illustrating a semiconductor processing apparatus including a semiconductor wafer mapping apparatus according to the prior art.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the semiconductor wafer mapping apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1.

3 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus including a semiconductor wafer mapping apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 is an enlarged view of the semiconductor wafer mapping apparatus illustrated in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a view schematically illustrating a cross section A-A 'of a road block according to an embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 4.

6A to 6C are schematic views illustrating a cross section A-A 'of a road block according to other and further embodiments of the present invention shown in FIG.

FIG. 7 is a plan view for describing an operation of the semiconductor wafer mapping apparatus illustrated in FIG. 4.

Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings

 W: Wafer 400: Mapping Device

100: FOUP 410: rod

200: load port 420: load block

300: EFEM 430: LM-guide

310: fan 440: driving part

320: robot 450: rod magnet

321: robot arm 460: mapping arm

322: robot support member 470a: emission sensor, 480b: detection sensor

The present invention relates to a processing apparatus for a semiconductor wafer. More specifically, the present invention relates to a semiconductor wafer mapping apparatus that performs a function of determining the presence or absence of a semiconductor wafer in a semiconductor processing apparatus.

The semiconductor manufacturing process can cause defects in the semiconductor wafer even with fine particles, so high cleanliness is always required in all spaces where the process proceeds. Thus, the inside of the fab for semiconductor manufacturing has a clean room structure for controlling particles, and facilities for high cleanliness are provided in all paths through which semiconductor wafers are moved and in all chambers in which processes are performed.

Among these facilities for high cleanliness, front open unified pods (“poops”), which are sealed wafer containers, are used to protect wafers from airborne contaminants or chemical contaminants between wafer transfers. In addition, as a semiconductor chip is manufactured by a complete automation system, an equipment front and module (hereinafter referred to as 'FM') that is used to serve as an interface between a wafer container and a load lock chamber in the process is installed.

As the semiconductor process proceeds, a wafer that does not satisfy a predetermined criterion is generated in the processing process of each wafer processing apparatus, and the wafer that does not satisfy the predetermined criterion is removed from the pool. Accordingly, the wafer-free rack is generated in the pool as each processing step of the wafer processing apparatus proceeds.

However, if the transfer robot approaches a rack without wafers to transfer wafers even when there are no wafers to be processed on the rack, an unnecessary movement process may occur until the transfer robot approaches the rack and returns to its original position. will be. Also, as this unnecessary transfer process increases, the amount of wafers processed is reduced overall. Thus, there is a need for a mapping apparatus in which each wafer processing apparatus detects the presence or absence of a wafer placed in each of the racks in the cassette and determines the presence or absence of a wafer on each shelf in each wafer processing apparatus.

As shown in FIG. 1, a semiconductor wafer processing apparatus according to the related art is connected to a push pin 10, a load port 20 supporting a push foot 10, and a push foot 10, and a push lock 10 and a load lock chamber. (Not shown) has an EMP 30 for moving the wafers 10 to each other.

The pusher 10 has a slot (not shown) to accommodate 5 to 25 wafers W at a time. The door (not shown) to which the wafer (W) enters and exits is provided at a portion where the poop 10 and the EEP 30 are connected, and the door (not shown) is opened and the process is performed when the wafer W is mapped and moved. When this is completed and the wafer W is fully recovered, the door (not shown) is closed.

The semiconductor wafer mapping apparatus 40 for identifying the presence or absence of the wafer W is provided in the YEPM 30. The semiconductor wafer mapping apparatus 40 is coupled with the robot 31. The robot 31 has a robot arm 32 and a robot support member 33. The robot support member 33 includes a driving unit (not shown) for moving the semiconductor wafer mapping apparatus 40 and the robot arm 32 up and down so that the semiconductor wafer mapping apparatus 40 and the robot arm 32 are robots. It is manufactured to be able to move up and down on the support member (33).

As shown in FIG. 2, the semiconductor wafer mapping apparatus 40 according to the related art includes a mapping arm 46 and a cylinder having a distal end mounted with a sensor 47 for identifying the presence or absence of a wafer. A rod block 42 and a rod block 42 coupled to the bar 41 and the mapping arm 46 having grooves therein to allow the rod 41 to penetrate therethrough. It has an LM guide (LM-guide) 43 to prevent the left and right distortion of the.

The rod block 42 is moved along the rod 41 by the drive 44. At this time, since the cross section of the rod 41 and the rod block 42 is circular, the left and right distortion occurs in the back and forth movement by the drive part 44. In order to prevent this, the lower side of the rod block 42 is provided with an LM guide 43 to prevent the left and right of the load block 42 is twisted.

However, the semiconductor wafer mapping apparatus according to the prior art has the following problems.

In the related art, the EL guide of the semiconductor mapping apparatus is made of a sus material. LM guide made of sus is corroded by the fume (fume) generated in the semiconductor manufacturing process. In particular, the hydrochloric acid (HCl) gas and bromine oxide (HBr) gas used in the etching process is adsorbed with a substance such as sus and converted to a weakly acidic substance of ammonium chloride (NH4Cl), which reacts with moisture in the air. Due to the phenomenon of solidification, the sus portion is gradually corroded.

Thus, there is a problem that the semiconductor wafer mapping device malfunctions and stops due to corrosion progressing and thus the load block to be moved on the LM guide cannot be moved in the LM guide manufactured by sus.

Accordingly, the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems in the prior art, an object of the present invention is to design a wafer mapping device that does not require the LM guide in the wafer mapping device to malfunction and stop operation of the wafer mapping device due to corrosion of the LM guide, etc. It is to prevent the phenomenon and to reduce the manufacturing cost of the wafer mapping apparatus.

A semiconductor wafer mapping apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above object, a plurality of sensors for identifying the presence or absence of a wafer, a mapping arm having the sensor at the end, mapping A rod block integrally coupled with the arm, a rod formed through the rod block to allow movement and support of the rod block, and a rod support member for supporting the rod It is provided.

The cross section of the rod block and the cross section of the rod passing through the rod block are formed to correspond to each other. According to one embodiment, the cross section of the rod and the rod block may be elliptical. Further, according to another embodiment, the cross section of the rod and the rod block has a shape having a straight line on at least one side. For example, the cross section of the rod and the rod block may be ellipses with different diameters, and the cross section of the rod and the rod block may be formed into a rectangle, and the corners of the rectangle are rounded and chamfered. It may be modified in the form of a thing.

The road block is moved along the load. At this time, the driving method for moving the load block on the rod is a method in which the driver moves the load block directly and indirectly. The former is for the drive to move the load block directly on the rod by means such as a motor. On the other hand, the latter is provided with a rod magnet in which the rod block is coupled with the magnetic force to be interlocked and conveyed together. When the driving unit moves the rod magnet by means such as a motor, The road block moves in conjunction.

Hereinafter, a semiconductor wafer mapping apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments of the present invention may be modified in various forms, and the scope of the present invention should not be construed as being limited by the embodiments described below. This embodiment is provided to more completely explain the present invention to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the shape of elements in the figures is exaggerated to emphasize clear explanation.

(Example)

3 is a block diagram schematically illustrating an apparatus for processing a semiconductor wafer equipped with a semiconductor wafer mapping apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3, an apparatus for processing a semiconductor wafer according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a foot 100, a load port 200, an EMP 300, and a mapping device 400. The poo 100 of the wafer processing apparatus is manufactured to be sealed to maintain high cleanliness, and has a slot (not shown) in which the wafer can be seated. PooP 100 and the EMP 300 is adjacently connected, the one side is connected is provided with opening and closing means such as a door (not shown). The foot 100 is supported by the load port 200 and the load port 200 is provided with driving means (not shown) for opening and closing a door (not shown) of the wafer.

The fan 310 for discharging particles and maintaining high cleanliness is provided at an upper side of the EEPM 300 of the semiconductor processing apparatus to generate a certain air flow in the EEPM 300 to move particles downward from the top. Will be discharged. The robot 320 is installed below the EMP 300 and includes a robot arm 321, a robot support member 322, and a semiconductor wafer mapping device 400.

The semiconductor wafer mapping apparatus 400 and the robot arm 321 are coupled. The robot support member 322 is provided with a driver (not shown) to move the semiconductor wafer mapping device 400 and the robot arm 321 up and down.

Referring to FIG. 4, the semiconductor wafer mapping apparatus includes a rod 410, a rod block 420, an LM-Guide 430, a drive member 440, and a rod. A rod magnet 450, a mapping arm 460, a sensor 470, and a rod support memeber 480 are included.

The sensor 470 is positioned at the end of the mapping arm 460 to identify the wafer, and is usually provided with a light emitting sensor 470 (a) and a light receiving sensor 470 (b).

The road block 420 is coupled to the mapping arm 460. The rod block 420 is penetrated by the rod 410 and moves on the rod 410. In this case, the driving method for moving the load block 420 on the rod 410 may include a method in which the driving unit 440 moves the load block 420 directly on the rod 410 by means such as a motor (not shown). A rod magnet 450 is provided in the rod 410 to bind the rod block 420 with a magnetic force to be interlocked and transferred together, so that the driving unit 440 may be formed by means such as a motor (not shown). When the rod magnet 450 is moved, the rod block 420 is moved in cooperation with the rod magnet 450.

In the present exemplary embodiment, the latter case of the rod magnet 450 and the rod block 420 moved along the movement of the rod magnet 450 will be described as an example.

As described above, a space is provided inside the rod 410 to move the rod magnet 450, and the rod magnet 450 is loaded by the driving unit 440 such as a motor (not shown). It moves inside. The rod block 420 binds the magnetic force with the rod magnet 450. When the rod magnet 450 is moved by the driving unit 440, the rod block 420 is also interlocked with the rod magnet 450. Is moved.

The rod 410 is supported by the rod support member 480. The rod support member 480 may be provided with a stopper (not shown) to stop the forward and backward movement of the rod block 420.

FIG. 5 is a view schematically illustrating a cross section A-A 'of a road block according to an embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 4.

6A to 6C are schematic views illustrating a cross section A-A 'of a road block according to other and further embodiments of the present invention shown in FIG.

Referring to FIG. 5, a cross section of the rod 410 has an elliptic shape and a rod magnet 410 having a circular cross section inside the rod 410.

Referring to FIG. 6A, a cross section of the rod 410 has a square or rectangle and a rod magnet 410 having a circular cross section inside the rod 410.

Referring to FIG. 6B, a cross section of the rod 410 has a rectangular or rectangular shape having rounded corners, and a rod magnet 410 having a circular cross section inside the rod 410.

Referring to FIG. 6C, a cross section of the rod 410 has a shape in which each edge is chamfered and a rod magnet 410 having a circular cross section inside the rod 410.

As described above, the cross section of the rod and the rod block includes both a straight line or an ellipse on at least one side, and a simple deformation or modification of the shape of the cross section of the rod and the rod block is included in the scope of the present invention.

The operation of the semiconductor wafer processing apparatus including the semiconductor wafer mapping apparatus configured as described above will be described below.

Referring to FIG. 3, the pusher 100 in which the plurality of wafers are mounted is seated on a shelf (not shown) provided at an upper portion of the load port 200, and the door between the pusher 100 and the IFEM 300. (Not shown) is opened by a drive unit (not shown) provided in the load port 200. When the door (not shown) is completely opened, the semiconductor wafer mapping apparatus 400 provided in the IFEM 300 moves vertically and horizontally to access a wafer mounted on the top of the pusher 100.

The mapping detects the presence or absence of the wafer while the wafer mapping apparatus 400 moves from top to bottom on the wafers 100. When the mapping is completed, the wafer mapping apparatus 400 moves backward from the wafer and then descends. Based on the data detected by the wafer mapping device 400, the robot arm 321 moves the wafer in the pusher 100.

FIG. 7 is a plan view for describing an operation of the semiconductor wafer mapping apparatus illustrated in FIG. 4. Referring to FIG. 7, the mapping arm 460 has a shape having two stops at its distal end, and each discharge end has an emission sensor 470a and a detection sensor 470b. The emission sensor 470a transmits light and the detection sensor 470b is arranged to receive the light transmitted from the emission sensor 470a.

The mapping arm 460 is advanced such that each of the emission sensor 470a and the detection sensor 470b are located symmetrically on both sides of the edge of the wafer. When the advancing is completed, the emission sensor 470a transmits light. At this time, if the wafer 10 exists, the light emitted from the emission sensor 470a is blocked by the wafer 10 and the light cannot be transmitted. If the wafer 10 does not exist, the light emitted from the emission sensor 470a is transmitted and the detection sensor 470b recognizes it. In this way, the mapping apparatus 400 checks the presence or absence of the semiconductor wafer 10.

As the mapping apparatus 400 moves from the top to the bottom on the robot support member 322, the plurality of wafers seated on the wafer cassette 20 are sequentially mapped from the top to the bottom. When the mapping is completed, the mapping arm 460 moves backward, and when the backward movement of the mapping arm 460 is completed, the robot arm 321 approaches only the rack where the wafer is located in the push 100 and sequentially transfers the wafers. Done. The wafers 10 that have completed all the processes are recovered to the wafer cassette when the process is completed, and when the recovery is completed, the door provided in the foot 100 is closed.

In the movement of the mapping device 400 described above, cross sections of the rod 410 and the rod block 420 are elliptical and have a straight line on at least one side, and thus there is no left and right twist. Therefore, the conventional LM guide 430 provided for the left and right twist is unnecessary.

According to the semiconductor wafer mapping apparatus according to the present invention, the cross section of the rod and the rod block through which the rod is provided in the mapping apparatus is formed in an elliptical shape and has a straight line on at least one side, so that the rod block moves. No left or right distortion occurs.

Therefore, it is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost of the wafer mapping apparatus by eliminating the installation of the LM guide provided in the conventional wafer mapping apparatus to prevent the left and right distortion of the load block, and malfunction of the wafer mapping apparatus caused by the corrosion of the road block guide. And it is effective to prevent the fall of the facility operation rate by the operation stop.

Claims (11)

In the semiconductor wafer mapping apparatus, Bar-shaped rod, A rod block through which the rod penetrates and has a hole formed to correspond to the shape of the rod cross section, and which can move along the rod; Includes a mapping arm coupled to the load block and provided at the end with a sensor for identifying the presence or absence of a wafer, The shape of the cross-section of the rod and the rod block is an oval or semiconductor wafer mapping apparatus, characterized in that the polygon having a straight line on at least one side. The method of claim 1, The rod has a hole through which a magnet having a magnet can be moved, the rod magnet moves inside the rod by a driving unit, and the rod block and the rod are bound by magnetic force so that the rod magnet is connected to the driving unit. The semiconductor wafer mapping apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the load block may move with the rod block. The method of claim 1, And the rod block includes a driving unit to move along the rod. The method of claim 1, The polygonal wafer mapping apparatus, characterized in that the corner portion is rounded shape. The method of claim 1, The polygonal wafer mapping apparatus, characterized in that the corner portion is a chamfer (chamfer) shape. The method of claim 1, The semiconductor wafer mapping apparatus is a semiconductor wafer mapping apparatus, characterized in that provided in the semiconductor etching process equipment. In the linear movement assembly for linearly moving the object, Bar-shaped rod, A hole having a shape corresponding to the shape of the rod cross section is formed to insert the rod, and includes a block on which the object is mounted, which can be linearly moved along the rod, The rod cross section is a linear movement assembly, characterized in that the shape having a straight line on the oval or at least one side. The method of claim 7, wherein The rod has a hole in which a magnetic rod magnet can move, the rod magnet moves inside the rod by a driving unit, and the rod block and the rod are bound by magnetic force so that the rod magnet is driven by the driving unit. The linear movement assembly, characterized in that as the rod block can be moved as well. The method of claim 7, wherein And said block is moved along said rod by a drive. The method of claim 7, wherein The linear movement assembly further comprises a rod support member inserted into both ends of the rod for supporting the rod and a driving unit for moving the block along the rod. The method of claim 7, wherein And the linear movement assembly is provided in a wafer mapping device mounted on a front open unified pod (FOUP) to sense the presence or absence of a wafer.

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