KR20000000948A - Wafer having cover, semiconductor device production equipment, wafer transferring method used therein - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A wafer having a cover formed at a rear face which a process of the wafer is not performed to easily form the wafer is provided. CONSTITUTION: The wafer comprising: a cover(14) formed at a predetermined portion of the wafer for indicating a special direction of the wafer, wherein the wafer is used for manufacturing a semiconductor device.

Description

Wafer with label, semiconductor device manufacturing equipment and wafer transfer method used therein

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a wafer having a label, a semiconductor device manufacturing facility, and a wafer transfer method used therein, and more particularly, to form a label indicating a direction of a wafer on a back side of a wafer on which a semiconductor device is formed. The present invention relates to a wafer, a semiconductor device manufacturing facility, and a wafer transfer method used therein, which have a label for detecting a label and presenting a manufacturing facility for loading / unloading a wafer and a method of using the wafer.

In general, a process chamber for manufacturing a mask ROM with a wafer is connected to a load lock chamber and is widely configured as a system. The load lock chamber is a path through which wafers are transferred to the process chamber. It is for sealing in the vacuum state by blocking the outside.

In particular, the process chamber for dry etching among the equipment currently used in the semiconductor manufacturing line includes a single type, a double type combined with two process chambers for different processes as required, or three or more of each other. Loadlock chambers of the type combined with process chambers for other continuous processes are used.

In the conventional single type or double type or more chamber, an alignment chamber is used in which wafers are loaded and aligned so as to be introduced into the chamber in a predetermined direction. In addition, a flat zone or notch is formed in the wafer introduced into the chamber, and wafer alignment is performed based on the flat zone or notch.

By the way, in the equipment that the wafer alignment is to be made the next process is provided, the alignment chamber was provided, the cost of the equipment is increased by the installation of the alignment chamber, there was a problem that takes a long time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a wafer having a label formed on a back surface on which a wafer is not processed so that the wafer is placed in a process chamber to facilitate alignment of the wafer.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor device manufacturing facility that detects the label for alignment formed on the wafer to perform the process after the alignment is made.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a semiconductor device manufacturing facility that installs a detector on a robot arm that transfers a wafer, detects an alignment mark formed on a wafer, and directly inserts it into a process chamber where the process is performed. .

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a wafer transfer method for use in a semiconductor device manufacturing facility having a sensor mounted on a robot arm to perform wafer alignment.

1A and 1B show an embodiment of a wafer with a label according to the present invention.

2 is a diagram showing a first embodiment of a semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention.

3 is a view showing a second embodiment of the semiconductor device manufacturing equipment according to the present invention.

4 is a flowchart illustrating a wafer transfer method of a semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention.

※ Explanation of codes for main parts of drawing

10, 16, 40, 50: wafer 12: flat zone

14, 20: mark 18: notch

30, 42: cassette 32, 44: load lock chamber

34, 46: process chamber 36, 48: robot arm

38: alignment chamber 49: sensor

In the wafer having a label according to the present invention for achieving the above object, a label indicating a specific direction of the wafer is formed on a predetermined portion of the wafer for manufacturing a semiconductor device.

In addition, the label is preferably formed in the center of the back side (Back Side) that is not directly processed of the wafer on which the semiconductor device is manufactured, is formed in the form of a predetermined symbol by a laser and the predetermined means Preferably, the label is made to be detected.

In addition, the wafer may include a wafer having a flat zone or a notch.

In order to achieve the above object, a semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention includes two or more process chambers in which different processes are performed, a semiconductor device is formed, and a wafer on which a label is easily formed on a predetermined surface is transferred to the process chamber. A load lock chamber for waiting before being placed, an alignment chamber comprising the wafer being placed between the process chamber and the load lock chamber to sense and align the label and moving between the alignment chamber and the process chamber It is provided with a transfer robot for transferring the wafer.

The process chamber may include a chamber in which an etching process is performed.

Preferably, the label is formed at the center of the backside where the semiconductor device of the wafer is not formed.

The alignment chamber may be provided with a detector for detecting the mark.

In addition, the transfer robot may be formed of a multi-joint robot that absorbs and transfers the wafer by vacuum suction.

In order to achieve the above object, a semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention includes two or more process chambers in which different processes are performed, a semiconductor device is formed, and a wafer on which a label is easily formed on a predetermined surface is transferred to the process chamber. For loading and unloading the wafer into the process chamber by aligning the wafer with a load lock chamber for waiting before the load and a sensor for detecting the label while moving between the process chamber and the load lock chamber It is made with a robot.

The process chamber may include a chamber in which an etching process is performed.

In addition, the label is preferably formed in the form of a symbol by a laser on the back side where the semiconductor device is not formed.

The alignment chamber may include sensing means for sensing the mark.

In addition, the transfer robot is preferably made of a robot having a multi-joint to absorb and transfer the wafer by a vacuum.

A wafer transfer method used in a semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention for achieving the above object is a chamber in which a process is performed by loading a wafer on which a label for recognition is formed in the center of a surface on which a semiconductor device is not formed. In the wafer transfer method of the semiconductor device manufacturing equipment is provided with a sensor for detecting the identification mark on the robot arm to transfer the robot arm, the robot arm is moved to the cassette, the robot arm detects the identification mark. And determining whether the recognition mark is detected, and transferring the wafer to the process chamber when the recognition mark is detected.

And, if the recognition mark is not detected, it is preferable to further include the step of outputting the label detection error message.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

An embodiment of a wafer with a label according to the present invention is shown in Figures 1A and 1B, with examples being given for wafers with flat zones and wafers with notches.

In the wafer 10 having the flat zone in FIG. 1A, the label 14 is formed toward the flat zone 12. This mark is formed on the backside of the surface of the wafer 10 for forming a semiconductor device. In other words, the wafer on which the semiconductor device is manufactured usually forms a set of semiconductor devices through various process steps on a specific surface. There is no reaction by the direct process to the backside of the specific surface except in special cases. Thus, a label is formed on the backside to indicate a specific direction during wafer transfer.

FIG. 1B is also a wafer 16 in which the notch 18 is formed instead of the flat zone 12 in the same manner as in FIG. 1A. Also on the backside, a mark 20 is formed toward the notch 18 indicating the direction of the wafer 16. The markers 14 and 20 may be formed by means of a laser, and may be formed in various symbol forms that may indicate a specific direction.

These labels 14 and 20 can indicate the alignment direction when transferring the wafers 10 and 16. That is, in order to align the wafers 10 and 16, the flat zone 12 and the notches 18 may be easily aligned with the center alignment. In particular, since the use of the alignment chamber is not required in the equipment for processing the wafer, it is not necessary to install the alignment chamber in particular, thereby reducing the equipment cost burden and shortening the processing time.

Figure 2 shows a first embodiment of a semiconductor device manufacturing equipment according to the present invention, illustrating the equipment in which the etching process is performed.

The configuration is such that the cassette 30 is placed close to the load lock chamber 32, and the load lock chamber 32 is installed close to the alignment chamber 38. As shown in FIG. The robot arm 36 which moves the alignment chamber 38 and the process chamber 34 and transfers the wafer 40 is installed.

In the first embodiment of the semiconductor device manufacturing equipment according to the present invention configured as described above, the wafer 40 loaded on the cassette 30 is transferred to the load lock chamber 32 by a robot (not shown), and Vacuum is formed in the transfer to the alignment chamber 38 is made wafer alignment. The aligned wafer 40 is transferred to the process chamber 34 by the robot arm 36 to perform an etching process. The etched wafer 40 is again transferred by the robot arm 36 and loaded into the cassette 30 through the load lock chamber 38.

The wafer alignment of the etching facility is performed in the alignment chamber 38. The wafer 40 transferred to the alignment chamber 38 by the robot arm 36 is aligned with the flat zone by various sensors (not shown). Wafer alignment is performed through a sensor (not shown) for detecting an alignment mark formed on the backside of the wafer.

In the shape of the wafer, a wafer in which a flat zone is formed, a wafer in which a notch is formed, or a wafer of a disc itself may be used. The process time required at can be shortened.

In the second embodiment of the semiconductor device manufacturing equipment according to the present invention, referring to Fig. 3, the cassette 42 is placed on the stage, and the load lock chamber 44 is provided in close proximity. A robot arm 48 which transfers the wafer 50 while reciprocating between the load lock chamber 44 and the process chamber 46 is provided with a label detecting sensor 49.

A second embodiment of a semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention configured as described above is described in detail with reference to Figs. 2 and 4, wherein the marker detection sensor 49 installed on the robot arm 48 is connected to the wafer 50. Sensing the direction to transfer the wafer 50 does not require a separate alignment chamber.

Specifically, when the cassette 42 loaded with the wafer 50 is transferred to the stage, the wafer 50 is transferred to the load lock chamber 44 by a robot (not shown) (S2). On the backside of the wafer 50, a label for alignment is formed at the center portion, which is used to align the wafer 50 as an indication indicating the direction of the flat zone or the notch.

The wafer 50 on which the mark is formed is loaded by the robot arm 48 on which the sensor 49 for detecting the mark is installed (S4). At this time, the wafer 50 is aligned by the sensor 49. The sensor detects and confirms a mark formed at the center portion (S6), and detects a specific direction indicated by the mark to match the direction of the flat zone or notch.

When the cover is confirmed (S8) and the center is checked (S10), the wafer 50 is transferred to the process chamber 46 (S10), and an etching process is performed (S16). However, if the sign check is not made, the facility outputs a sign detection error message (S12), and generates an alarm for the operator to know. When the operator checks the error alarm, and if the error correction is made, it is determined whether the error action is made (S14), and the wafer or other wafer in which the error has occurred is transferred to the etching chamber through the central confirmation (S8) (S10) The etching process is to be made (S16).

In this case, the etching chamber may be installed and used in the order of the first etching chamber, the ashing chamber, the second etching chamber, and the analysis chamber according to the etching.

As described above, since the alignment of the wafer 50 is performed by detecting the mark of the sensor 49 installed on the robot arm 48, the size of the facility may be reduced by not having an alignment chamber.

In the embodiment of the present invention has been described as an example of the etching equipment, it can be said that it can be applied to the equipment that requires the wafer alignment is apparent to those skilled in the art.

As described above, according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a label is formed on the backside of the wafer, so that the wafer is aligned using the same. Thus, the alignment can be made even without the alignment chamber, thereby reducing the size of the facility. There is an advantage.

Therefore, according to the present invention, the label is formed on the backside of the wafer in which the process is not performed and the wafer is aligned by sensing the wafer. The wafer is aligned without the alignment chamber, and the wafer transfer time is shortened, and the process is performed. The time to be shortened has the effect of improving the throughput.

Although the present invention has been described in detail only with respect to the described embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations are possible within the technical scope of the present invention, and such modifications and modifications are within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (10)

A wafer having a mark, characterized in that a mark indicating a specific direction of the wafer is formed on a predetermined portion of a wafer for manufacturing a semiconductor device. The method of claim 1, wherein the label is, And wherein the semiconductor device is formed at a central portion of a back side where direct processing of the wafer is not performed. The method of claim 2, wherein the label is, A wafer having the mark, which is formed in a predetermined symbol form by a laser so that the mark is detected by a predetermined sensing means. Two or more process chambers in which different processes are performed; A load lock chamber in which a semiconductor device is formed and waits before a wafer having a label formed on a predetermined surface to be easily aligned is transferred to the process chamber; An alignment chamber comprising the wafer inserted between the process chamber and the load lock chamber to sense and align the label; And A transfer robot for transferring the wafer while moving between the alignment chamber and the process chamber; Semiconductor device manufacturing equipment characterized in that it comprises a. The method of claim 4, wherein the label is, And the semiconductor device of the wafer is formed at the center of the backside where the semiconductor device is not formed. The method of claim 4, wherein the alignment chamber, And a detector for detecting the label. Two or more process chambers in which different processes are performed; A load lock chamber in which a semiconductor device is formed and waits before a wafer having a label formed on a predetermined surface to be easily aligned is transferred to the process chamber; And A transfer robot for loading and unloading the wafer into the process chamber by aligning the wafer with a sensor that detects the label while moving between the process chamber and the load lock chamber; Semiconductor device manufacturing equipment characterized in that it comprises a. The method of claim 7, wherein the label is, The semiconductor device manufacturing equipment, characterized in that formed in the form of a symbol by a laser on the back side where the semiconductor device is not formed. A semiconductor device manufacturing facility comprising a sensor for detecting the identification mark on a robot arm which is loaded on a cassette, and loads a wafer having a recognition mark on the center of the surface where the semiconductor device is not formed and transfers it to a chamber where a process is performed. In the wafer transfer method of, Moving the robot arm to the cassette; The robot arm detecting the identification mark; Determining whether the recognition mark is detected; And Transferring the wafer to the process chamber by the robot arm when the identification mark is detected; Wafer transfer method used in the semiconductor device manufacturing equipment characterized in that it comprises a. The method of claim 9, And outputting the label detection error message if the label for recognition is not detected.