KR20000010501U - Standard mechanical interface pod cover switch - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention discloses a stand mechanical interface pod equipped with a cover opening and closing device.

The present invention is a stand mechanical interface pod having a pod door, a cover, a sealing material and a cover opening and closing device for opening and closing the cover, the cover is provided with a plurality of separation means to operate opposite to the release means of the cover opening and closing the cover When the release means is inserted when the opening and closing the device is released, the separating means is characterized in that the poddoor and the cover is completely separated by pushing the cover upward.

Thus, by allowing the pod door to descend with the port plate, the effect of preventing the wafers in the carrier from protruding can be obtained.

Description

Standard mechanical interface pod cover switch

The present invention relates to a stand mechanical interface (SMIF) system used in a wafer transfer process, and more particularly, to a SMIF Pod and a SMIF port included in a SMIF system. will be.

SMIF is an abbreviation of Standard Mechanical Interface. It is used to prevent human error during atmospheric control and process processing in a clean room of a narrow space. SMIF system is a peripheral device of semiconductor equipment that performs semiconductor manufacturing process. It is used to return or discharge to semiconductor equipment.

In general, during wafer movement in a semiconductor manufacturing process chamber, a carrier in which a wafer is stored is moved into a so-called storage container in which airtightness is called a SMIF pod.

1 shows an example of an SMIF system mounted as a peripheral device in semiconductor equipment.

As shown, the SMIF system is mounted as a peripheral device of the semiconductor device 1 to take out a carrier (not shown) stored in the SMIF pod 10 and supply it to the semiconductor device 1 or to the semiconductor device 1. It receives the carrier from the SMIF pod 10 and stores the role.

The SMIF system for this purpose is to carry the carrier from the SMIF pod 10 for accommodating the carrier, the SMIF port 20 for storing or withdrawing the SMIF pod 10, and the carrier from the SMIF pod 10 to the carrier transport arm. SMIF arm 30 and the like.

2 shows a conventional SMIF pod and SMIF arm, the operation of the SMIF arm for pulling the carrier 15 down from the SMIF pod 10 and transporting it to the carrier transport arm. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA ′ of FIG. 2 showing a cover of the conventional SMIF pod and a cover release means of the pod door.

As shown, the SMIF pod 10 covers the pod door 11 provided at the bottom thereof, the carrier 15 on which the wafers mounted on the pod door 11 are aligned, and the carrier 15. Cover 16. A plurality of hooks 13 are provided around the outer surface of the pod door 11, and a plurality of hook grooves 14 are provided on the inner surface of the cover 16 at a corresponding position, and a lower surface of the pod door 11 is provided. There is provided a rotating plate (not shown) having a pair of engaging grooves (not shown) to engage the latch pin 27 of the SMIF port 20 to be described later to operate the hook 13 to the pod door 11 It is provided with a cover opening and closing device for opening and closing.

In addition, since the inside of the SMIF pod 10 is preferably maintained in a vacuum state in the pod door 11, the sealing material 12 made of a rubber material for preventing the injection of air or the like into the interior of the SMIF pod 10 is provided. It is prepared. The sealant 12 is arranged in a substantially rectangular shape along each side of the pod door 11 so that the gap between the cover 16 and the pod door 11 when the cover 16 is selectively engaged with the pod door 11. It serves to seal the.

As shown in FIG. 2, the SMIF port 20 includes a port plate 21, a "L" shaped guide rail 22, a pod latch 23, and a port door 24. Include. The port plate 21 is for keeping the lower surface of the SMIF pod 10 horizontally when the SMIF pod 10 is positioned on the SMIF port 20, and the guide rails 22 are used for the port plate 21. It is provided around each vertex to guide the SMIF pod 10 to the desired position on the SMIF port 20, and the pod latch 23 is provided at the corner of the L-shaped guide rail 22 to SMIF. It serves to mechanically fix the pod 10 to the desired home position on the SMIF port 20. In addition, the port door 24 is in contact with the pod door 11 is transported in the vertical direction with the Z-axis arm 31 to be described later to serve to carry the carrier 15 on the pod door 11, the latch pin Reference numeral 27 is located at the center of the port door 24 to operate the cover opening and closing device of the SMIF pod 10. That is, the hook 13 is operated by selectively engaging with the engaging groove (not shown) formed in the rotating plate (not shown) of the pod door 11 to operate the pod door 11 from the cover 16. It acts to open and close selectively.

The SMIF arm 30 includes a Z axis arm 31 which is connected to the port door 24 and serves to transfer the port door 24 in the up and down directions.

Hereinafter, the transfer process of the carrier 15 will be described.

First, the SMIF pod 10 containing the carrier 15 on which the wafer is aligned is seated on the port plate 21 of the SMIF port 20. At this time, the SMIF pod 10 is guided to the desired home position by the guide rail 22 of the SMIF port 20, and is mechanically fixed by the pod latch 23 after being guided home. This state is a state in which the latch pin 27 of the port door 11 is fastened to the hook groove 14 of the rotating plate 13 of the pod door 11.

Subsequently, when the pod sensor 26 of the SMIF port 20 checks the position of the SMIF pod 10 and the SMIF pod 10 is positioned at a desired position, the latch pin 27 moves to the pod door 11. ) Rotates the rotating plate (not shown) to separate the pod door 11 from the cover 16 of the SMIF pod 10. In this state, when the port plate 21 of the SMIF port 20 moves, the pod door 11 of the SMIF pod 10 also moves together.

Thereafter, the sliding plate of the Z-axis arm 31 moves the port plate 21 of the SMIF port 20 and the pod door 11 of the SMIF pod 10 simultaneously to the pick-up position of the carrier transfer arm. Transferred.

However, in the conventional configuration, the cover 16 when the pod door 11 is removed from the cover 16 of the SMIF pod 10 due to the frictional force of the sealing material 12 mounted between the pod door 11 and the cover 16. ) Is incompletely separated so that the pod door 11 does not descend with the port plate 21, and after the start of the lowering of the port plate 21 is lowered at a predetermined distance from the port plate 21, the pod door The downward impact of (11) causes a problem that the wafers in the carrier 15 located on top thereof protrude.

Such a problem is that when the cover opening / closing device operated by the latch pin 27 locks the cover 16, the hook 13 is inserted into the hook groove 14 to maintain the vacuum state inside the SMIF pod 10, and the sealing material is closed. (12) is pressed, the cover 16 and the pod door 11 by the self load of the pod door 11 in the state that the cover opening and closing device is released by the latch pin 27 when the cover 16 is opened. This is because) is separated.

That is, even if the cover opening and closing device is released so that the pod door 11 can be lowered together with the port plate 21, the cover 16 and the pod door 11 have already been closely adhered by the sealing material 12 for a long time. It is often the case that the adhesion force remains so that the falling timing of the port plate 21 and the falling timing of the pod door 11 do not coincide with each other.

Accordingly, the present invention is to solve such a conventional problem, and separate separation hook to completely separate the cover and the pod door as well as the release of the lock hook when removing the cover and pod door in the cover opening and closing device of the SMIF pod. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a cover opening and closing device of the stand mechanical interface pod which can prevent the wafers in the carrier from protruding by lowering the pod door together with the port plate.

The present invention for realizing the above object can maintain a confidential state for transporting the carrier in which the wafer is stored, and can supply or withdraw the carrier in which the wafer is stored in the confidential state to the semiconductor equipment by using the SMIF system. In the stand mechanical interface pod having a pod door, a cover, a sealing material and a cover opening and closing device for opening and closing the cover, a plurality of separating means operating opposite to the release means of the cover opening and closing device is provided on the side of the pod door When the release means is inserted when the cover opening and closing device is released, the separating means protrudes and pushes the cover upwards to provide a cover opening and closing device of the stand mechanical interface pod that can completely separate the pod door and the cover. .

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the separating plate is provided on the inner surface of the cover corresponding to the separating means is provided that the pressing force of the separating means acts in the direction of separating the pod door and the cover to facilitate the separation of the pod door and the cover. It features.

The above object and various advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the preferred embodiments of the invention described below with reference to the accompanying drawings by those skilled in the art.

1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of an SMIF system mounted on semiconductor equipment;

Figure 2 is a perspective perspective view showing the operation of the conventional SMIF pod and SMIF arm,

3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA ′ of FIG. 2 showing a cover of the conventional SMIF pod and a cover release means of the pod door;

4 is a perspective view of a SMIF pod according to the present invention,

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B 'of Figure 4 showing the cover of the SMIF pod cover and the pod door according to the present invention.

<Description of the code | symbol about the principal part of drawing>

10; SMIF Pod 11; Pod door

12; Sealing material 13; hook

14; Hook groove 16; cover

17; Cover release means 40; Cover removal means

41; hook

42; Jam

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the present invention as follows.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the SMIF pod according to the present invention, Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B 'of Figure 4 showing the cover of the SMIF pod cover and the pod door according to the present invention, with reference to FIG. Explain.

As shown, the SMIF system draws a carrier from the SMIF pod 10 for accommodating the carrier, the SMIF port 20 for storing or withdrawing the SMIF pod 10, and the SMIF pod 10, and the carrier transport arm ( And not shown).

The SMIF pod 10 includes a pod door 11 provided at a lower portion thereof, a carrier 15 in which wafers mounted on the pod door 11 are aligned, and a cover 16 covering the carrier 15; And a cover opening and closing device for separating the cover 16 from the pod door 11.

Cover opening and closing device according to the present invention is composed of a cover release means 17, the cover separating means 40.

The cover release means 17 includes two hooks 13 provided at both ends of the long side of the rectangular door shaped door 11, and a hook groove provided at the inner side of the cover 16 at a corresponding position. It consists of 14.

The cover separating means 40 includes hooks 41 respectively provided between the hooks 13 formed on the long side of the pod door 11 and on the short side, and the inner side of the cover 16 at the corresponding position. It is composed of a locking jaw 42 is provided in.

Here, the hook 13 of the cover release means 17 and the hook 41 of the cover separating means 40 are coupled to be operated in reverse by an operating mechanism (not shown in the figure). That is, when the hook 13 of the cover release means 17 is inserted into the pod door 11, the hook 41 of the cover separation means 40 is coupled to protrude from the pod door 11.

In addition, the pod door 11 is provided with a sealing material 12 made of a rubber material for preventing the injection of air or the like into the SMIF pod 10. The sealant 12 is arranged in a substantially rectangular shape along each side of the pod door 11 so that the gap between the cover 16 and the pod door 11 when the cover 16 is selectively engaged with the pod door 11. It serves to seal the.

The SMIF port 20 also includes a port plate 21, a guide rail 22 having a "L" shape, a pod latch 23, and a port door 24. The port plate 21 is for keeping the lower surface of the SMIF pod 10 horizontally when the SMIF pod 10 is positioned on the SMIF port 20, and the guide rails 22 are used for the port plate 21. It is provided around each vertex to guide the SMIF pod 10 to the desired position on the SMIF port 20, and the pod latch 23 is provided at the corner of the L-shaped guide rail 22 to SMIF. It serves to mechanically fix the pod 10 to the desired home position on the SMIF port 20. In addition, the port door 24 is in contact with the pod door 11 is transported in the vertical direction with the Z-axis arm 31 to be described later to serve to carry the carrier 15 on the pod door 11, the latch pin Reference numeral 27 is located at the center of the port door 24 to operate the cover opening and closing device of the SMIF pod 10. That is, the hook 13 is operated by selectively engaging with the engaging groove (not shown) formed in the rotating plate (not shown) of the pod door 11 to operate the pod door 11 from the cover 16. It acts to open and close selectively.

The SMIF arm 30 includes a Z axis arm 31 which is connected to the port door 24 and serves to transfer the port door 24 in the up and down directions.

Hereinafter, a transfer process of the carrier 15 stored in the SMIF pod 10 according to the present invention will be described.

First, the SMIF pod 10 containing the carrier 15 on which the wafer is aligned is seated on the port plate 21 of the SMIF port 20. At this time, the SMIF pod 10 is guided to the desired home position by the guide rail 22 of the SMIF port 20, and is mechanically fixed by the pod latch 23 after being guided home. This state is a state in which the latch pin 27 of the port door 11 is fastened to the rotating plate (not shown) of the pod door 11.

Subsequently, when the pod sensor 26 of the SMIF port 20 checks the position of the SMIF pod 10 and the SMIF pod 10 is positioned at a desired position, the latch pin 27 is placed in the pod door 11. Rotating the rotating plate (not shown.) Of the cover 13 is released from the hook groove 14 of the cover release means 17 to release the locking state of the pod door 11 and the cover 16 and at the same time The hook 41 of the cover separating means 40 pushes up the locking jaw 42 while protruding so that the pod door 11 and the cover 16 are completely separated.

That is, because of the frictional force of the sealing material 12 mounted between the pod door 11 and the cover 16, the pod door 11 by the cover separating means 40, even though the self-load of the pod door 11 cannot be separated. The pressing force for separating between the cover 16 and the force is applied to force separation.

Thus, the pod door 11 can be lowered together with the port plate 21, and there is no fear that the wafers in the carrier 15 located above the pod door 11 will protrude.

In the above description, only exemplary embodiments of the present invention are illustrated, and those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains may make modifications and changes to the present invention without changing the gist of the present invention.

Therefore, according to the present invention, the cover opening and closing device of the SMIF pod is provided with a separate separation hook so that the cover and the pod door can be completely separated as well as the release of the lock hook when the cover and the pod door are removed. By lowering, the effect of preventing the wafers in the carrier from protruding can be obtained.

Claims (2)

The airtight state can be kept for conveying the carriers on which the wafers are stored, and the pod doors, covers, seals and covers can be used to supply or withdraw carriers stored on the wafers to semiconductor equipment in the airtight state using the SMIF system. In the stand mechanical interface pod with a cover opening and closing device for opening and closing the A plurality of separating means operating opposite to the release means of the cover opening and closing device is provided on the side of the pod door, when the release means is inserted when the cover opening and closing device is released, the separation means protrudes and pushes the cover upwards. Cover opening and closing mechanism of the stand mechanical interface pod that can completely separate the pod door and the cover. The cover opening and closing device of the stand mechanical interface pod according to claim 1, wherein a separation plate is formed on an inner surface of the cover corresponding to the separating means.