KR100829921B1 - Method and system for transporting substrate - Google Patents

Abstract

When a container loaded with a plurality of substrates is loaded on the load port of the substrate transport system, the door holder is used to remove the door of the container and sense the alignment of the substrates in the container. When the substrates are aligned, the transfer robot transfers the substrates into the process equipment. When the substrates are in the cross error state, the substrates are impacted at the entrance of the container using the door holder. In this case, the operation of the substrate transfer system is stopped.

Container, door, cross error

Description

Method and system for transporting substrate

1 is a front view showing a substrate processing apparatus 1 to which a substrate transfer system according to a first embodiment of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the substrate container of FIG. 1. FIG.

3 is a perspective view illustrating the load port of FIG. 1.

4 is a perspective view illustrating the door opener of FIG. 1.

5 is a plan view of detecting whether a wafer is aligned with a slot in a substrate container.

6A to 6C are front views illustrating a state in which a wafer is aligned with a slot in a substrate container.

7A-7D illustrate a method of transferring a wafer according to the present invention.

8 is a flowchart illustrating a method of transferring a wafer according to the present invention.

<Description of Symbols for Main Parts of Drawings>

10 substrate substrate 20 process equipment

30: substrate transfer system 100: load port

120: station 140: moving plate

200: frame 300: mapping member

400: controller

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for transferring a semiconductor substrate in a substrate container, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for aligning wafers in a substrate container.

The semiconductor manufacturing process is performed in clean rooms that maintain high cleanliness, and open wafer containers are mainly used for storage and transportation of wafers. However, in recent years, in order to reduce the maintenance cost of the clean room, high cleanliness is maintained only inside the process facility and inside some facilities related to the process facility, and relatively low cleanliness is maintained elsewhere. Closed wafer containers are used to protect wafers from airborne contaminants or chemical contamination in areas where low cleanliness is maintained. A representative example of such closed wafer containers is a front open unified pod (“FOUP”). There is).

In addition, as the diameter of a semiconductor wafer is recently increased from 200 mm to 300 mm, a semiconductor chip is manufactured by an automated system, and a wafer between the substrate container and the process equipment is connected to a process facility for the automation and cleaning environment of the semiconductor manufacturing process. An wafer front transfer system ("EFEM") is used.

US Patent No. 6,473,996 discloses a load port of the wafer transfer system described above. When the substrate container is placed on the station of the load port, the door of the substrate container is opened by the door opener. Thereafter, a mapping process of checking whether wafers are loaded in the plurality of slots formed in the substrate container and measuring the state of the wafers loaded in the substrate container is performed. If the data on the wafers in the slot and the received data do not match after mapping, the process stops. Conversely, if the data match, wafers are taken out of the substrate container and transferred to the process facility. The processed wafers are brought back into the substrate container, and when the door of the substrate container is closed, the substrate container is sealed from the outside.

The substrate container is moved between process facilities by an operator or by an automated device, such as an overhead transfer. Often the wafers inserted into the slots of the substrate container deviate from the horizontal state while the substrate container moves. In this case, the wafer is not properly detected by the sensor in the slot during the mapping process. Since the mapping results differ from the set data, equipment errors occur and the process stops. In addition, the wafer out of the horizontal state may not be stably loaded on the transfer arm so that the wafer may break off the transfer arm during transfer.

The present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is to arrange the wafers separated from the slot of the substrate container in the slot, the substrate transfer system that can prevent problems such as wafer breakage during transfer and To provide a transport method.

According to the present invention, a substrate transfer method for unloading a plurality of semiconductor substrates respectively loaded into a plurality of slots in a substrate container and transferring the semiconductor substrates to a predetermined position comprises: loading the substrate container onto a load port; Impacting the substrate container to align the semiconductor substrates prior to unloading the semiconductor substrates from the substrate container.

The method further includes inspecting the alignment of the semiconductor substrates loaded in the substrate container while removing the door of the substrate container using a door holder after loading the substrate container on the load port, wherein If the semiconductor substrates are not aligned, the substrate container may be impacted.

The checking of the alignment state may be a step of checking whether the semiconductor substrates overlap each other or whether the semiconductor substrates do not settle on the slots.

When the semiconductor substrates are not aligned, the cross error may occur.

The impacting on the substrate container may be impacting the substrate container by using the door coupled to the door holder.

The method may further comprise inspecting the alignment of the semiconductor substrates loaded into the substrate container while removing the door of the substrate container using a door holder after impacting the substrate container.

The impacting the substrate container may be an impact on the substrate container by using a door holder for removing the door of the substrate container.

According to the present invention, a substrate transfer system for unloading a plurality of semiconductor substrates respectively loaded into a plurality of slots in a substrate container and transferring the same to a predetermined position includes a load port in which the substrate container is loaded, and a door provided in the substrate container. A door holder installed to face the door and coupled to the door when the door is opened and closed, an arm fixed at one end to the door holder, a driver coupled to the other end of the arm to move the arm, and in the substrate container And a controller for driving the driver to impact the substrate container using the door holder to align the semiconductor substrates.

The system further includes a sensor for sensing the alignment of the semiconductor substrates in the substrate container, wherein the controller can drive the driver when the semiconductor substrates are not aligned according to a signal provided from the sensor.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8. Embodiment of the present invention may be modified in various forms, the scope of the present invention should not be construed as limited to the embodiments described below. This embodiment is provided to explain in detail the present invention to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the shape of each element shown in the drawings may be exaggerated to emphasize a more clear description.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing the substrate processing apparatus 1 to which the substrate transfer system 30 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is applied, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the substrate container 10 of FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 1 has a container 10, a substrate transfer system 30, and a process facility 20. The container 10 houses semiconductor substrates such as the wafer W. As shown in FIG. As the container 10, a sealed container is used to protect the wafer W from foreign matter or chemical contamination in the air during transportation. As a closed container, a front open unified pod (hereinafter referred to as "FOUP") may be used.

As shown in FIG. 2, the container 10 has a body 12 having an open space on one surface thereof and a door 14 opening and closing it. On the inner wall of the body 12, a plurality of slots 12a into which a portion of the edge of the wafer W is inserted are provided in parallel up and down. A latch hole 14b and a registration hole 14a are formed in the door 14 of the container 10. In addition, a leaf spring (not shown) may be installed on the inner wall of the door 14 to apply a predetermined pressure to the wafers W in the container 10 while the door 14 is closed.

The process facility 20 may be a facility for performing chemical vapor deposition, dry etching, thermal furnace, development, or cleaning. Although not shown, a process chamber 20 may be provided with a load lock chamber, a transfer chamber, and process chambers for performing the process described above.

The substrate transfer system 30 transfers the wafer W between the vessel 10 and the process facility 20. The substrate transfer system 30 has a loadport 100, a frame 200, a transfer robot, and a controller 400. Frame 200 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape. In the rear wall 202 adjacent to the process equipment 20 among the sidewalls of the frame 200, an inlet 202a, which is a passage for transferring the wafer W, is formed, and the rear wall 202 is formed. Openings are formed in the opposing front wall 204.

The fan filter unit 240 is installed at an upper portion of the frame 200 to maintain the inside of the frame 200 at a predetermined cleanness. The fan 242 allows air to flow in a laminar flow from top to bottom in the frame 200, and the filter 244 filters the air by removing particles in the air. An exhaust port 206, which is an exhaust passage of air, is formed on the lower surface of the frame 200. The transfer robot 220 which transfers the wafer W between the container 10 and the process facilities 20 is installed in the frame 200. One or more carrier robots 220 may be installed.

3 is a perspective view illustrating the load port 100 of FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the door opener 180 of FIG. 1.

The load port 100 is positioned in contact with the front wall 204 of the frame 200 and supports the container 10 during the process. As shown in FIG. 3, the load port 100 has a vertical frame 160, a station 120, a moving plate 140, a driver, and a door opener 180. The vertical frame 160 is inserted into the opening of the front wall 204 of the frame 200 and coupled to the frame 200. The vertical frame 160 has a through hole 162 through which the wafer W enters and exits. The through hole 162 is formed in a generally rectangular shape. The station 120 is mounted on one side of the vertical frame 160, and the moving plate 140 is coupled to an upper surface of the station 120. The station 120 has a generally flat top surface, and a guide groove 122 is formed at the center to guide the moving plate 140 to linearly move in a direction toward the vertical frame 160.

The moving plate 140 has a generally rectangular top plate 142 and a bottom plate 144 extending downward therefrom and inserted into the guide groove 122. A plurality of kinematic fins 142a are installed on the moving plate 140. The kinematic pins 142a are inserted into grooves (not shown) formed in the bottom of the container 10 so that the container 10 is placed at a predetermined position on the moving plate 140.

The door opener 180 opens and closes the door 14 of the container 10 placed on the moving plate 140. The door opener 180 has a door holder 182, an arm 184, and a holder driver 186. The door holder 182 has a size and shape corresponding to that of the through hole 162. Arm 184 is fixedly coupled to the rear of door holder 182. The holder driver 186 is coupled to the arm 184 to move the arm 184 in the up and down or front and rear directions. The holder driver 186 is installed in the station 120 and is electrically connected to the controller 400 described later and driven by the controller 400.

The door holder 182 is provided with a latch key 182b inserted into the latch hole 14b of the door 14 and a registration pin 182a inserted into the registration hole 14a.

The mapping member 300 is provided at the top of the door holder 182. The mapping member 300 inspects the states of the wafers W loaded in the slot 12a in the container 10. That is, it is checked whether the wafers W are present or the wafers W are aligned.

The mapping member 300 includes mapping arms 340a and 340b and sensors 360a and 360b. First and second insertion grooves 320a and 320b are formed in a line at an upper end of the door holder 182. The first mapping arm 340a is rotatably installed in the first insertion groove 320a by the first hinge 342a, and the second mapping arm 340b is installed in the second insertion groove 320b. It is rotatably installed by the hinge 342a. The first mapping arm 340a may be withdrawn from the first insertion groove 320a by rotation, and the second mapping arm 340a may be withdrawn from the second insertion groove 320b by rotation.

A light emitting sensor 340a is installed at an end of the first mapping arm 340a that can be drawn out from the first insertion groove 320a by rotation, and a second mapping arm that can be drawn out from the second insertion groove 320b by rotation. The light receiving sensor 340b is installed at the end of the 340b. The light emitting sensor 340a emits light and may inspect the state of the wafer W depending on whether the light receiving sensor 340b receives the emitted light.

5 is a plan view of detecting whether the wafer W is aligned with a slot in the substrate container 10, and FIGS. 6A to 6C are front views illustrating a state in which the wafer W is aligned with a slot in the substrate container.

As described above, the wafers W are inserted into the slot 12a in the container 10. However, the wafers W loaded in the container 10 may escape from the slot 12a while the container 10 is moved by an automatic transfer device such as an overhead transfer (not shown). Therefore, a process of inspecting the state of the wafers W loaded in the slot 12a in the container 10 is required.

As shown in FIG. 5, the first mapping arm 340a is positioned at one side of the wafer W loaded in the container 10, and the second mapping arm 340b is positioned at the other side of the wafer W. As shown in FIG. . In this case, the wafer W is positioned between the light emitting member 360a provided at the end of the first mapping arm 340a and the light receiving member 360b provided at the end of the second mapping arm 340b.

The first and second mapping arms 340a and 340b inspect the state of the wafer W while vertically moving from the slot 12a located at the top of the container 10 to the slot 12a located at the bottom thereof. The test method is as follows.

When there is no wafer W between the light emitting member 360a and the light receiving member 360b, the light emitted from the light emitting member 360a reaches the light receiving member 360b '. However, when there is a wafer W between the light emitting member 360a and the light receiving member 360b, the light emitted by the wafer W blocks the light emitted from the light emitting member 360a. Do not reach Therefore, the state of the wafer W can be confirmed by checking the frequency or period of light reaching the light receiving member 360b while vertically moving the first and second mapping arms 340a and 340b. The light emitting member 360a and the light receiving member 360b are electrically connected to a controller 400 to be described later, and the controller 400 checks the state of the wafer W according to the above-described method. That is, as shown in FIG. 1, the controller 400 is electrically connected to the mapping member 300 and the alignment member 400, and aligned according to the state of the wafer W identified through the mapping member 300. Drive member 400, ie holder driver 186.

6A shows the state of the wafer W placed in the normal position. The wafer W is seated on the predetermined slot 12a as shown in FIG. 6A.

Fig. 6B shows the state of the wafer W placed at the cross error position. As shown in FIG. 6B, one side of the wafer W is seated on the slot 12a, while the other side of the wafer W is separated from the slot 12a. When the wafer W is in the cross error position, the wafer W is in an inclined state, and the wafer W in the cross error position can be easily aligned by an external force.

Fig. 6C shows the state of the wafer W placed in the double error position. As shown in FIG. 6C, it is a state where two wafers W are overlapped.

Meanwhile, the substrate transfer system 30 further includes a controller 500, which controls the holder driver 186 and the mapping member 300 described above. Detailed description of the control method will be described later.

7A to 7D are views illustrating a method of transferring the wafer W according to the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a method of transferring the wafer W according to the present invention. Hereinafter, a method of transferring the wafer W will be described with reference to FIGS. 7A to 8.

First, as shown in FIG. 7A, the container 10 is loaded on the moving plate 140 of the load port 100 (S10). At this time, the door holder 182 is inserted and positioned in the through hole 162, the container 10 is loaded by the overhead transfer.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 7B, the moving plate 140 is moved forward in the direction toward the door holder 182, and the registration pin 182a of the door holder 182 moves the registration hole 14a of the door 14. ), And the latch key 182b of the door holder 182 is inserted into the latch hole 14b of the door 14. The latch key 182b of the door holder 182 is rotated in the latch hole 14b of the door 14 so that the door holder 182 is coupled to the door 14.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 7C, the door holder 182 is moved backward and downward by the holder driver 186 to separate the door 14 of the container 10 from the body 12, and the container ( 10) is open. In this case, the mapping member 300 provided on the upper end of the door holder 182 detects an alignment state of the wafers W loaded in the container 10 while moving downward with the door holder 182 (S20).

In order to sense the alignment of the wafers W, the first and second mapping arms 340a and 340b accommodated in the first and second insertion grooves 320a and 320b are rotated as shown in FIG. 4. And protrude out of the second insertion grooves 320a and 320b. The first and second mapping arms 340a and 340b move downward to sense the alignment of the wafers W, the light emitting member 340a emits light, and the light receiving member 340b emits the emitted light. Accept.

The light received through the light receiving member 340b is converted into a signal and transmitted to the controller 400, and the controller 400 determines the alignment state of the wafers W from the signal transmitted from the light receiving member 340b (S30). . The alignment state of the wafers W is divided into FIGS. 6A to 6C.

If the wafers W are aligned as shown in FIG. 6A, the controller 400 drives the transfer robot 220, which transfers the wafers W in the container 10 to the process facility 20. Transfer to (S40).

If the wafers W are in a cross error state as shown in FIG. 6B, the door holder 182 associated with the door 14 is moved upward and forward by the holder driver 186. Thereafter, the door 14 coupled to the door holder 182 is inserted into the through hole 162 by the holder driver 186, and as shown in FIG. 7D, the holder driver 186 uses the door 14. By applying an impact to the inlet of the container 10 loaded in the load port 100 (S50). The door 14 is reciprocated toward the inlet of the container 10, and one surface of the door 14 opposite to the inlet of the container 10 strikes the container 10 and is impacted. The wafers W in the vessel 10 may be aligned in the slot 12a of the vessel 10 by impact. In this embodiment, the impact is applied to the container 10 by using the door 14, but unlike the container 10 using the door holder 182 in a state in which the door 14 is coupled to the body 12. ) Can be impacted.

On the other hand, the number of impacts or the impact force applied to the inlet of the container 10 is enough to allow the wafers (W) in the container 10 to be placed in place, which can be determined through experiments and the like.

Thereafter, the door 14 is separated from the body 12 to open the container 10, and the alignment state of the wafers W is sensed. If the wafers W in the container 10 are in the cross error state again, the door 14 is used to impact the inlet of the container 10 again. This process is repeated 2-3 times, and if the same cross error occurs even after the repetition, the operation of the substrate transfer system 30 is stopped and inspected by the engineer in order to prevent damage to the container 10 and the wafers W. It is desirable to take action.

If the wafers W are in the double error state, the operation of the substrate transfer system 30 is stopped (S60). Since the wafers W in the double error state cannot be aligned by the impact, it is desirable for the engineer to check and take action after stopping the operation of the substrate transfer system 30.

As described above, when the wafers W are in a cross error state, the container 10 may be impacted to easily align the wafers W in the slot 12a of the container 10.

Meanwhile, in the present exemplary embodiment, the door 10 is opened and the container 10 is shocked after the wafer W is inspected for alignment. However, the container 10 before the door 14 is opened. The shock can be applied to and the alignment of the wafer W can be inspected. Detailed description thereof is the same as described above, and thus will be omitted.

In this case, the impact on the container 10 includes a method using the door 14 and a method using the door holder 182 as described above.

According to the present invention, when the wafers W in the container are in a cross error state, the container can be shocked to align the wafers W in the slots of the container.

Claims (10)

A substrate transfer method for unloading a plurality of semiconductor substrates respectively loaded in a plurality of slots in a substrate container and transferring the plurality of semiconductor substrates to a predetermined position. Loading the substrate container onto a load port; And Impacting the substrate container to align the semiconductor substrates prior to unloading the semiconductor substrates from the loaded substrate container, The impacting of the substrate container may include impacting the substrate container using a door holder coupled with a door of the substrate container to separate the door from the substrate container. A substrate transfer method for unloading a plurality of semiconductor substrates respectively loaded in a plurality of slots in a substrate container and transferring the plurality of semiconductor substrates to a predetermined position. Loading the substrate container onto a load port; Inspecting the alignment of the semiconductor substrates loaded in the substrate container while removing the door of the substrate container; And Impacting the substrate container to align the semiconductor substrates prior to unloading the semiconductor substrates from the loaded substrate container, Impacting the substrate container is performed when the semiconductor substrates are not aligned. The method of claim 2, The checking of the alignment state is a step of checking whether the semiconductor substrates are overlapping double errors or the semiconductor substrates are not seated on the slots. The method of claim 3, Impacting the substrate container is a case of the cross error. The method of claim 2, And inspecting the alignment of the semiconductor substrates loaded in the substrate container while removing the door of the substrate container after the impacting the substrate container. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 5, The impacting of the substrate container may include impacting the substrate container using a door holder coupled with a door of the substrate container to separate the door from the substrate container. The method of claim 6, The impacting of the substrate container may include impacting the substrate container using the door holder while the door is coupled to the substrate container. The method of claim 6, The impacting of the substrate container may include impacting the substrate container using the door holder while the door is coupled to the door holder. A substrate transfer system for unloading a plurality of semiconductor substrates respectively loaded into a plurality of slots in a substrate container and transferring the plurality of semiconductor substrates to a predetermined position. A load port into which the substrate container is loaded; A door holder installed to face the door provided in the substrate container and coupled to the door when the door is opened or closed; An arm having one end fixedly coupled to the door holder; A driver coupled to the other end of the arm to move the arm; And And a controller for driving the driver to impact the substrate container using the door holder to align the semiconductor substrates in the substrate container. The method of claim 9, The system further includes a sensor for sensing the alignment of the semiconductor substrates in the substrate container, And the controller drives the driver when the semiconductor substrates are not aligned in accordance with a signal provided from the sensor.

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