KR19990024866A - Wafer Transfer Device of Bake Unit for Semiconductor Manufacturing - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is dedicated to transferring a wafer between a hot plate (HP) and a cool plate (CP) for a PEB (Post Exposure Bake) of a baking unit that heats or cools a wafer during a photo-lithography process of a semiconductor wafer. The present invention relates to a wafer transfer device for a semiconductor manufacturing bake unit, in which a carrier arm is installed and the PEB process is completed according to a predetermined process temperature and time, and then transferred to the next process.

That is, a carrier arm independently operated by a separate driving means is installed between the PEB hot plate and the cool plate of the baking unit that heats and cools the wafer to which the photosensitive liquid is applied. After the process is completed, the wafer is transferred to the cool plate, which is the next process by the operation of the transfer arm, thereby transferring the wafer regardless of the operation of the transfer robot, thereby waiting the wafer on the cool plate which is not affected by temperature.

Description

Wafer Transfer Device of Bake Unit for Semiconductor Manufacturing

The present invention relates to a wafer transfer device of a baking unit for semiconductor manufacturing, and more particularly to a hot plate (HP) for PEB (Post Exposure Bake) of a baking unit that heats or cools a wafer during a photo-lithography process of a semiconductor wafer. The wafer transfer device of the baking unit for semiconductor manufacturing, which has a dedicated transfer arm for transferring wafers between the cool plates (CP), which enables the transfer of the wafer to the next process after completing the PEB process according to the predetermined process temperature and time. will be.

In general, in a so-called photo-lithography process of applying a photoresist to a semiconductor wafer, exposing and developing the photoresist, a deep ultraviolet using a chemical amplification photoresist for super directing the wafer, etc. New processes are being developed and developed.

In this new process, post-exposure bake (PEB) of the baking unit performed after exposure is the most important factor in determining the wafer width.

The overall coating and developing equipment used in the photo-plating process is connected to an exposure apparatus such as a stepper in-line (In-Line) to receive the exposed wafer and perform the prescribed process as follows.

That is, the carrier robot may be used in the order of exposure-PEB-CP (cool plate) -WEE (Wide Expose Edge) -development-HP (hot plate) or the like, or exposure-WEE-PEB-CP-development-HP or the like. The uniform time management technique (TACT) allowed wafers to be imported and exported into each process unit.

1 illustrates a process of loading and unloading wafers into a hot plate and a cool plate provided laterally in a baking unit of the semiconductor manufacturing facility. First, the wafer W supported by the robot arm of the transfer robot 3 is hot. After being carried in the plate 1 and being heated by the robot arm again in the state of being finished heating, the same carrying out and carrying out operations as described above were performed while the transfer robot was transferred to the cool plate 2.

As described above, when the wafer is loaded and taken out, an instantaneous error and stoppage occurring in the preceding process causes a situation that delays the waiting time of the wafer in the chamber during the baking process. Due to the difference in the line width between the wafers there was a problem that a defective product occurs.

In addition, by loading and unloading wafers into hot and cool plates for a short time and accumulating heavy workloads on the transport robot that performs various transfer operations, the operation accuracy of the device is shortened and the service life of the device is shortened. There was also a problem.

The present invention has been made in view of the problems caused when transferring the wafer of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment as described above, the object of the baking unit for a semiconductor manufacturing that can prevent the defect due to temperature and time delay by accurately transferring the wafer It is to provide a wafer transfer device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a wafer transfer apparatus of a baking unit for semiconductor manufacturing, which can reduce the workload of a transfer robot for transferring wafers.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a process in which a carrier arm independently operated by a separate driving means is installed between a PEB hot plate and a cool plate of a baking unit for heating and cooling a wafer coated with a photosensitive liquid. When the hot plate process is completed according to the temperature and time, the wafer is transferred to the next cool plate by the operation of the transfer arm, and the wafer is transferred regardless of the operation of the transfer robot. Characterized by causing the wafer to stand by.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a wafer import and export process of a hot plate and a cool plate provided in a baking unit of a semiconductor manufacturing facility;

2 is a plan view showing a state in which a transfer arm dedicated for transferring wafers is installed in a hot plate and a cool plate of an embodiment of the present invention;

3a and 3b is a planar and side configuration showing the operating state of the carrier arm of FIG.

4 is a plan view showing another embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols for main parts of the drawings

10: Bake Unit 11: Hot Plate

12: cool plate 20: pin

21 cylinder 30 carrier robot

40 swing arm 41 drive means

W: Wafer

Hereinafter, the wafer transfer apparatus of the baking unit for manufacturing a semiconductor of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

2 is a state in which a dedicated transfer arm for transferring wafers is installed in a hot plate and a cool plate of an embodiment of the present invention. The PEB hot plate 11 and the cool plate 12 are provided adjacent to the same plane in the baking unit 10 for heating and cooling the photosensitive liquid coated wafer.

Each of the plates 11 and 12 is provided with a plurality of pins 20 which are operated by the cylinder 21 so as to move up and down while supporting the wafer W seated on the surface thereof. On one side of 12), a transfer robot 30 for carrying in or taking out the wafer W is provided.

In the space portion provided between the hot plate 11 and the cool plate 12, a transfer arm 40 independently operated by a separate driving means 41 is provided, and the predetermined portion of the transfer arm 40 is provided. A holding member for holding the wafer (W) is formed at the position.

The holding member formed on the carrier arm 40 is a suction hole which is sucked in a vacuum state so as to suck the bottom surface of the center portion of the wafer, which is raised by the pin 20, but is formed in a holder type to sandwich the outer peripheral surface of the wafer. It is also possible, and the conveyance arm 40 advances between each plate in the state which held the wafer by the holding member, and conveys a wafer.

At this time, the driving means 41 for operating the carrier arm 40 is preferably made of a cylinder, but may be made of a motor that is divided by an electric signal.

On the other hand, Figure 4 shows another embodiment of the present invention, by installing at least one guide on one side or both sides of the hot plate 11 and the cool plate 12 adjacent to the same plane mutually driving means 41 By this, the carrier arm 40 was slidably installed.

Therefore, in the present invention as described above, when the wafer (W) supported by the robot arm of the transfer robot 30 is carried in the hot plate 11 and the intrinsic heating process is completed according to the set process temperature and time, the driving means ( As the transfer arm 40 is operated by the driving of 41, the wafer W is quickly transferred to the cool plate 12, which is the next process, cooled, and then transferred to the next process by the transfer robot 30.

During the baking process, the transfer robot 30 carries out one operation of importing the wafer W from another process and taking it out after the process is completed, thereby significantly reducing the workload, and in the baking chamber, the transfer arm 40. By the operation of the transfer of the wafer is completed, the process can be shortened as well as can be accurately transferred.

In particular, even when the operation of the transfer robot 30 is delayed in the associated preceding process, the cool plate 12 which is not affected by temperature and time by the transfer arm 40 at the moment when the process of the hot plate 11 is completed is completed. Since the wafer (W) is transferred to), it was confirmed through repeated experiments that the temperature and time of the PEB process, which is the most important variable factor in the semiconductor manufacturing process, can be managed.

The wafer transfer device of the baking unit for semiconductor manufacturing according to the present invention is provided with a transfer arm operated separately from the transfer robot in the chamber of the bake unit to transfer the wafer exclusively between the plates, thereby causing a temperature and time delay during the PEB process. By minimizing the defects caused by the wafer to improve the quality between the wafer as well as the effect can be stabilized.

In addition, it is possible to shorten the entire process by transferring wafers on each plate quickly and accurately, as well as to extend the service life by reducing the workload of the transfer robot.

Claims (4)

The PEB hot plate 11 and the cool plate 12 are installed adjacent to each other in the baking unit 10 for heating and cooling the wafer to which the photosensitive liquid is applied, and the wafer W seated on the surface of the plates 11 and 12. In a state where a plurality of pins 20 operated by the cylinder 21 and a conveying robot 30 for carrying in or taking out the wafer W are installed so as to move up and down while supporting the The carrying arm 40 which is independently operated by the separate drive means 41 is provided in the space provided between the said hot plate 11 and the cool plate 12, The predetermined | prescribed of this carrying arm 40 is carried out. The holding member is formed to hold the wafer at a position, and the wafer is held by the transfer arm 40 while the wafer W is raised by the operation of the pin 20 so that the transfer arm 40 is moved between the plates. Wafer transfer apparatus of the baking unit for semiconductor manufacturing, characterized in that the reciprocating. The wafer transfer apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transfer arm (40) has a cantilever shape that is rotated around the driving means (41). The wafer transfer apparatus of claim 1, wherein the carrier arm (40) is slid by a driving means (41) while being supported by at least one guide. The wafer transfer apparatus of the baking unit for semiconductor manufacture according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the drive means (41) is a cylinder.