KR100834133B1 - Apparatus for transferring semiconductor wafer - Google Patents

Abstract

A semiconductor wafer transferring apparatus is provided to shorten a wafer transferring time by performing simultaneously a process for collecting a processed wafer from a process chamber and a process for supplying a new wafer from a load lock chamber. A first wafer transferring module transfers a wafer between a first process chamber(150) and a load lock chamber(140) by using rotatory motion. A second transferring module transfers the wafer between a second process chamber and the load lock chamber on an axis parallel to a rotary shaft. The first wafer transferring module includes a first rotary driving unit for rotating a body of the first wafer transferring module, a first linear driving unit for transferring a first wafer to the first process chamber or the load lock chamber, and a second linear driving unit for transferring a second wafer to the first process chamber or the load lock chamber. One of the first and second wafers is processed in the fist process chamber and the other is supplied from the load lock chamber.

Description

Apparatus for transferring semiconductor wafer

1 illustrates a semiconductor wafer transfer device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a cross-sectional view showing a wafer transfer unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 illustrates a rotational drive of a first wafer transfer module according to an embodiment of the invention.

4 shows wafer loading of a first wafer transfer module according to a first embodiment of the invention.

5 illustrates wafer unloading of a first wafer transfer module according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

<Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

100: semiconductor wafer transfer device 110: cover portion

120: chamber portion 130: wafer transfer portion

140: load lock chamber 150: first process chamber

160: second process chamber

The present invention relates to a transfer device for a semiconductor wafer, and more particularly, a device for transferring a wafer between a load lock chamber and a process chamber, wherein the wafer transfer between the first process chamber and the load lock chamber is performed through a rotational motion. 1 Wafer transfer between the second process chamber and the load lock chamber via a rotational movement on the same axis as the rotational axis at a position symmetrical with respect to the first wafer transfer module with respect to the wafer transfer module and a plane perpendicular to the rotational axis of the rotational movement. It includes a second wafer transfer module to perform the.

Semiconductor devices such as diodes, transistors, and thyristors used in radios, televisions, computers, etc. are made from wafers made of discs by thinly cutting columnar rods made of silicon or single crystals. In other words, the wafer is sequentially manufactured through a series of unit processes such as a photo process, an etching process, and a thin film forming process. The unit processes are composed of continuous processes, and in order to perform such a continuous process, the wafer is frequently transferred between the apparatuses and the apparatuses in which each process is performed, and some of the processes are performed in a vacuum state.

The equipment for carrying out the semiconductor manufacturing process in a vacuum state has a process chamber and a loadlock chamber equipped with the necessary equipment. This is because it is required to make the wafer in a vacuum state before transferring to the process chamber because it is placed in the cassette in a state arranged up and down at regular intervals. That is, the wafer is moved to the load lock chamber which can switch between the vacuum state and the standby state at any time and then transferred to the corresponding process chamber by the wafer transfer device.

In the related art, in the vacuum robot which performs such a role, there is one wafer transfer module for transferring wafers from several load lock chambers and a process chamber, and the wafer transfer module has a robot arm and a blade.

However, one wafer transfer module is responsible for the transfer from the load lock chamber to the process chamber, the transfer between the respective process chambers, and the transfer from the process chamber to the load lock chamber. While the transfer is already in progress, it must wait in the chamber.

As a result, the decrease in production yield has a problem in that the shorter the processing time or the larger the number of process chambers or the slower the driving speed of the robot arm, the longer the waiting time for wafer transfer.

In addition, the Korean published patent application (application number: 10-2004-0115753) "wafer transfer device having two wafer transfer module" is provided with a first transfer module and a second transfer module to process from the load lock chambers There is a problem that the wafers are transferred between the chambers, and at least two wafers are transferred at one time, but only one wafer that can be transferred by one transfer module is limited to one. In addition, there is a problem in that the size of the transport facility increases because the rotation radius of the transport module is wide.

The present invention is designed to improve the above problems, and more particularly, a device for transferring wafers between the first process chamber and the load lock chamber through a rotational movement as a device for transferring wafers between the load lock chamber and the process chamber. 1 Wafer transfer between the second process chamber and the load lock chamber via a rotational movement on the same axis as the rotational axis at a position symmetrical with respect to the first wafer transfer module with respect to the wafer transfer module and a plane perpendicular to the rotational axis of the rotational movement. A semiconductor wafer transfer device for simultaneously supplying and retrieving a predetermined number of wafers by using a second wafer transfer module that performs a.

The objects of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned objects, and other objects that are not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a semiconductor wafer transfer apparatus includes a first wafer transfer module that performs wafer transfer between a first process chamber and a load lock chamber through a rotational movement, and a plane based on a plane perpendicular to the rotational axis of the rotational movement. And a second wafer transfer module for performing wafer transfer between the second process chamber and the load lock chamber through a rotational movement on the same axis as the rotation axis at a position symmetrical with respect to the one wafer transfer module.

Specific details of other embodiments are included in the detailed description and the drawings.

Advantages and features of the present invention and methods for achieving them will be apparent with reference to the embodiments described below in detail with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but can be implemented in various different forms, and only the embodiments make the disclosure of the present invention complete, and the general knowledge in the art to which the present invention belongs. It is provided to fully inform the person having the scope of the invention, which is defined only by the scope of the claims. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.

1 is a view showing a semiconductor wafer transfer apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The semiconductor wafer transfer apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention may include a cover 110, a chamber 120, and a transfer device 130, and may include a load lock chamber (EFEM) of the equipment front end module (EFEM). A first process chamber 150 and a second process chamber 160 that form an angle of 90 degrees from the left and right surfaces from the 140 may be included.

As shown, the cover 110 and the chamber 120 refers to the upper and lower portions of the semiconductor wafer transfer apparatus 100 and form a symmetrical structure. The cover part 110 and the chamber part 120 are coupled to the transfer device 130 for transferring a predetermined wafer between the load lock chamber 140 and the process chambers 150 and 160 to transfer the wafer.

The transfer device 130 in charge of the wafer transfer is coupled to the cover 110 and the chamber 120 and the first wafer transfer to transfer the wafer between the load lock chamber 140 and the first process chamber 150 Module, a second wafer transfer module for transferring wafers between the load lock chamber 140 and the second process chamber 160.

Each wafer transfer module includes a rotation driver for performing a rotational drive, a wafer carrier for loading or unloading a wafer, and two linear drivers for performing a linear drive of the wafer carrier.

Here, the rotational drive unit performs a 90-degree rotational drive between the load lock chamber 140 and the process chambers 150 and 160, and the two linear drives coupled to the rotational drive unit are coupled at a predetermined interval and separated from each other. The driving is composed of a first linear driver for supplying a new wafer and a second linear driver for recovering the processed wafer.

Each linear drive is coupled with a wafer carrier comprising two blades for loading or unloading the wafer.

In the semiconductor wafer transfer apparatus 100 of the present invention including such a component, the transfer apparatus 130 coupled to the lid 110 and the chamber 120 forms a symmetrical structure, and the operations of the apparatuses are independent. Is done. For example, the transfer device coupled with the chamber portion 120 while the first wafer transfer module of the transfer device 130 coupled with the lid 110 supplies or retrieves the wafer from the first process chamber 150 ( The second wafer transfer module of 130 receives a new wafer from the load lock chamber 140 or recovers the wafer recovered from the second process chamber 160 to the load lock chamber 140.

In addition, the wafer transfer part including the two blades can simultaneously supply or retrieve two wafers with one drive.

The first and second wafer transfer modules included in the transfer apparatus 130 will be described in detail later with reference to FIG. 2.

2 is a cross-sectional view showing a transfer device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As described above with reference to FIG. 1, the transfer device 130 according to the embodiment of the present invention combines the first wafer transfer module 200 and the chamber 120 with the cover 110 to form a symmetrical structure. A transfer module 205.

As shown, the first wafer transfer module 200 and the second wafer transfer module 205 form a symmetrical structure, and each of the wafer transfer modules 200 and 205 is a load lock chamber 140 and a process chamber 150. The first linear driver 220 and the second linear drive independently coupled to the rotary drive unit 200 based on the first driving member 215 and the rotary drive unit 210 to rotate the drive between the 160, respectively. The linear drive unit 225 is included.

The rotation driving unit 210 of the first wafer transfer module 200 drives a 90 degree rotation between the load lock chamber 140 and the first process chamber 150 described above with reference to FIG. 1, and the second wafer transfer module 205. The rotational drive unit (not shown) of FIG. 9 also rotates 90 degrees between the load lock chamber 140 and the second process chamber 160 in the opposite direction to the first wafer transfer module 200.

That is, the first wafer transfer module 200 and the second wafer transfer module 205 independently rotate in opposite directions between the process chambers 150 and 160 positioned on the left and right sides of the load lock chamber 140. Drive.

Meanwhile, the first and second linear drivers 220 and 225 coupled to the first coupling member 215 and independently driving linearly are coupled to wafer transfer units (not shown) for wafer transfer, respectively. The part includes two blades 240 coupled with the second coupling member and another two blades 250 coupled with the third coupling member 245.

Here, the wafer transfer unit coupled to the first linear driver 220 and the wafer transfer unit coupled to the second linear driver 220 may be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance d, so that the first linear driver 220 and the second linear driver ( 225 can be linearly driven simultaneously.

That is, the first and second linear drivers 220 and 225 drive linearly forward the predetermined distance in the direction of the load lock chamber 140 when transferring the new wafer 255 to simultaneously drive the two wafers 255 into the blades 240 or 250. After the loading of the wafer 255 is completed, the linear drive is retracted by a predetermined distance.

When the wafer is loaded in any linear driving unit, the driving unit rotates in the direction of the first process chamber 150 through the rotation driving unit 200, and the first process chamber 150 is moved forward and backward as in the load lock chamber 140. The new wafer 255 is supplied to the first process chamber 150 through the linear driving of the.

The rotation direction of the rotation driver 210 and the driving order of each part included in the first wafer transfer module 200 and the second wafer transfer module 205 according to the embodiment of the present invention are described above, for example, but are not limited thereto. Do not.

3 is a view showing a rotational drive of the first wafer transfer module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

A rotational drive of the first wafer transfer module 200 according to the embodiment of the present invention is shown. The first wafer transfer module 200 rotates 90 degrees between the first process chamber 150 and the load lock chamber 140. Drive.

As shown in the drawing, the rotation driver 200 included in the first wafer transfer module 200 includes the first linear driver 210, the second linear driver 220, and the first coupling member 220 described above with reference to FIG. 2. And a rotational drive between the first process chamber 150 and the load lock chamber 140 to supply new wafers and recover processed wafers.

For example, when the initial state of the first wafer transfer module 200 is toward the first process chamber 150, the first wafer transfer module is to be supplied to the first process chamber 150 for processing a new wafer. The rotation drive unit 200 of the 200 is rotated 90 degrees to the load lock chamber 140 located in the rotation direction 300 of the counterclockwise direction.

The first wafer transfer module 200 is positioned at a position where the first linear driver 210 or the second linear driver 220 can be linearly driven to the load lock chamber 140 by a 90 degree rotational drive of the rotary driver 200. You will be seated.

When the first wafer transfer module 200 is positioned in the direction of the load lock chamber 140, the first linear drive unit 210, which is at least one of the linear drives of the module, loads the load lock chamber to load two new wafers. A new wafer is loaded by driving a straight forward drive in the direction of 140, and a retracted straight drive is driven to a position where rotational drive to the first process chamber 150 is possible.

In this case, the rotation driver 200 rotates the first wafer transfer module 90 degrees in the clockwise rotation direction 310 in the load lock chamber 140.

When the first wafer transfer module 200 is positioned in the first process chamber 150, the first linear driver 210 loaded with the new wafer is linearly driven toward the first process chamber 150 to freeze the wafer. It loads and drives linearly to the position which can be rotated. At this time, when there is a wafer processed in the first process chamber 150, the second linear driver 220 is linearly driven to the first process chamber 150 simultaneously with the first linear driver 210 supplying a new wafer. The two processed wafers are recovered.

That is, the supply of two new wafers and the recovery of two processed wafers are simultaneously performed by the first linear driver 210 and the second linear driver 220, thereby shortening the wafer transfer time according to the supply and recovery of wafers. can do.

In addition, when the first coupling member 215 is provided with an area controller (not shown) that can adjust the area of the member, for example, the first linear driver 210 and the second linear driver 220 and By combining the third and fourth linear driving units (not shown) which are perpendicular to each other, the gap between the first linear driving unit 210 and the second linear driving unit 220 is adjusted to correspond to the change in the aperture of the wafer 255. Regardless of the aperture size, the wafer may be transferred between the load lock chamber and the process chamber by loading or unloading wafers having various diameters.

In this case, it is preferable that the number of blades 240 coupled to the second coupling member 230 and the blades 250 coupled to the third coupling member 245 mentioned in FIG. When (220, 245) are on the same line, and the interval d is zero, is preferable.

4 is a diagram illustrating wafer loading of the first wafer transfer module according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

The wafer loading of the first wafer transfer module according to the first embodiment of the present invention supplies a new wafer from the load lock chamber 140 to the first process chamber 150, and is processed in the first process chamber 150. The recovery of the wafer into the load lock chamber 140 is shown.

In the first embodiment of the present invention, the transfer of the first wafer transfer module 200 among the first wafer transfer module 200 or the second wafer transfer module 205 for transferring a predetermined wafer is illustrated. As shown, it is assumed that the initial state for the load lock chamber 140 is directed.

First, when a new wafer is loaded in the load lock chamber 140, the first wafer transfer module 200 is a wafer on the two blades 240 coupled to the second coupling member 220 in the first linear driver 210. The first wafer transfer unit 400 is linearly driven by a predetermined distance in the direction of the load lock chamber 140 to load the wafer.

At this time, the linear driving distance 420 of the first linear driving unit 210 to be linearly driven may be different depending on the initial state of the first wafer transfer unit 400 or the second wafer transfer unit 410, but the first wafer transfer module It is preferable that the 200 is linearly driven by the linear driving distance 420 that can be rotationally driven in the lid 110 by the rotation driver 215.

When the first linear driver 210 linearly drives a predetermined distance by the linear driving distance 420, two new wafers are loaded into the blade 240 of the first wafer transfer unit 400.

At this time, when there is a wafer processed in the first process chamber 150 in the second wafer transfer unit 410, the second wafer transfer unit 410 simultaneously drives the first wafer transfer unit 400 to supply new wafers and The recovery of the processed wafers is performed simultaneously.

In order to be able to simultaneously perform supply and recovery, it is assumed that the load lock chamber 140 and the first and second process chambers 150 and 160 should be formed in a multi-layer structure so as to simultaneously perform supply and recovery.

When the loading of the new wafer and the unloading of the processed wafer are completed, the first wafer transfer unit 400 and the second wafer transfer unit 410 retreat linearly by the linear drive distance 420. do.

As described above, when the initial state of the second transfer module 250, which is symmetrical with the module during the predetermined operation in the first transfer module 200, is toward the second process chamber 160, a new wafer is added to the chamber. May be supplied or the wafer processed may be recovered in accordance with the operation of the first transfer module 200.

On the other hand, when the initial state of the second wafer transfer module 205 is the same in the direction of the first wafer transfer module 200 and the load lock chamber 140 of the wafer to be supplied and recovered according to the structure of the load lock chamber 140 The number may be four at a time.

That is, the transfer device 130 for transferring a predetermined wafer includes a first transfer module 200 and a second transfer module 205 which are independently rotatable, and each transfer module is capable of independently linear driving. By providing a linear drive, at least one wafer transfer module can simultaneously supply and retrieve two wafers, and in another symmetrical wafer transfer module, two wafers can be simultaneously supplied and retrieved to conform to the wafer transfer. The transfer time can be shortened.

5 is a diagram illustrating wafer unloading of the first wafer transfer module according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

Wafer unloading of the first wafer transfer module 200 according to the embodiment of the present invention illustrates supplying the wafer loaded in FIG. 4 to the first process chamber 150.

As mentioned in FIG. 4, when two new wafers are loaded into the first wafer transfer module 200 to be rotatable, the rotatable drive unit 90 rotates 90 degrees in the counterclockwise rotation direction 310. .

When the first wafer transfer module 200 is positioned in the direction of the first process chamber 150 described above with reference to FIG. 3 by the rotation driver 200, the first linear driver 210 loaded with the new position is the first process chamber. Drive forward straight line (150).

In this case, when there is a wafer processed in the first process chamber 150, the second linear driver 260 simultaneously drives linearly to supply a new wafer and the second wafer transfer unit 420 by the first wafer transfer unit 400. The recovery of the processed wafer is performed.

When the supply and recovery of the wafer is completed, the first wafer transfer module 200 drives the first and second linear driving units 210 and 260 which have been driven forward linearly to enable rotational driving to the load lock chamber 140. Retreat the linear drive by (420).

As described above, while the predetermined operation is performed by the first wafer transfer module 200, the second wafer transfer module 205 unloads the wafer recovered from the second process chamber 160 into the load lock chamber 140. The new wafer is loaded to allow rotational driving in the direction of the second process chamber 160.

That is, while the new wafer is supplied to the first process chamber 150 through the first wafer transfer module 200 and the processed wafer is recovered, the second wafer transfer module 205 performs a second process in a corresponding operation. The new wafer may be supplied to the chamber 160 and the processed wafer may be recovered, the wafer recovered from the second process chamber 160 may be unloaded into the load lock chamber 140, or the newly supplied wafer may be loaded. However, the operations of the first wafer transfer module 200 and the first wafer transfer module 205 preferably operate at an angle of 90 degrees to each other.

This means that each module includes a rotation drive 210 capable of independent rotation driving and wafer transfer units 400 and 410 capable of independent linear driving, thereby allowing at least two new wafers to be transferred to at least one process chamber 150 or 160. At least two processed wafers may be recovered to the load lock chamber 140.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention can be embodied in other specific forms without changing the technical spirit or essential features of the present invention. Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described above are exemplary in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the scope of the following claims rather than the detailed description, and all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and equivalent concepts are included in the scope of the present invention. Should be interpreted as

According to the semiconductor wafer transfer apparatus and method as described above, the effect of the present invention is that the wafer is interposed between the chambers due to the advantages of the recovery of the wafers completed in the process chamber and the supply of newly supplied wafers from the load lock chamber. It also has the advantage of shortening the transfer time.

In addition, there is an advantage in that at least two wafers can be processed simultaneously when the wafer is supplied and recovered.

Claims (6)

A first wafer transfer module for performing wafer transfer between the first process chamber and the load lock chamber through a rotary motion; And A second wafer transfer module configured to perform the wafer transfer between the second process chamber and the load lock chamber through a rotational movement on an axis parallel to the rotation axis on the same plane as the first wafer transfer module, The first wafer transfer module A first rotation driver to rotate the body of the first wafer transfer module; A first linear driver transferring a first wafer to the first process chamber or the load lock chamber by linear transfer; And It includes a second linear drive unit for transferring the second wafer located lower than the first wafer to the first process chamber or the load lock chamber by linear transfer, Any one of the first wafer and the second wafer is a wafer processed in the first process chamber, and the other is a wafer supplied from the load lock chamber. The method of claim 1, wherein the second wafer transfer module A second rotation driver to rotate the body of the second wafer transfer module; A third linear driver transferring a third wafer to the second process chamber or the load lock chamber by linear movement; And A fourth linear drive unit configured to transfer the fourth wafer positioned below the third wafer to the second process chamber or the load lock chamber by linear movement, One of the third wafer and the fourth wafer is a wafer processed in the second process chamber, and the other is a wafer supplied from the load lock chamber. delete delete The method of claim 1, And a coupling member for coupling the first rotational drive to the first linear drive and the second linear drive. The method of claim 1, The first linear driver and the second linear driver A semiconductor wafer transport apparatus comprising two blades capable of seating two wafers.

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