KR20030093358A - Device for receiving plate-shaped objects and device for handling said objects - Google Patents

Abstract

Apparatus for receiving a plate-like object, preferably a semiconductor wafer, for heat treatment, which enables processing of wafers connecting semiconductors in a particularly simple manner. The device of the present invention provides a high production rate and a low risk of damage when the carrier has two or more recesses, each for receiving an object. The recess on the carrier is preferably provided with a cover. Preferably, support pins are provided for loading and unloading purposes. The carrier and support pins can move in a direction perpendicular to each other. A handling device for an object is disclosed.

Description

DEVICE FOR RECEIVING PLATE-SHAPED OBJECTS AND DEVICE FOR HANDLING SAID OBJECTS}

For industrial production of electronic components, a semiconductor material having a disc shape, the so-called wafer, is heat treated. Particular emphasis is placed on the heat treatment of objects such as wafers by rapid heating units, also known as RTP units (Rapid Thermal Processing). The main advantage of the RTP unit is its high throughput, which is based on the possibility of heating the wafer very quickly. Heating rates of 300 ° C./s can be achieved in the RTP unit.

The RTP unit essentially comprises a transparent process chamber in which the wafer to be processed can be placed in a suitable support device. Furthermore, in addition to the wafer, various auxiliary elements may be disposed in the process chamber, such as, for example, a light absorbing plate, a compensation ring that spans the wafer, or an apparatus for rotating or tilting the wafer. The process chamber may be provided with appropriate gas inlets and outlets to generate a predetermined atmosphere within the process chamber in which the wafer is processed. The wafer may be placed on or below the wafer or on both sides and heated by heat radiation generated from a heating device consisting of a plurality of lamps, rod or point lamps or combinations thereof. The entire arrangement is surrounded by an outer chamber and the inner wall of the outer chamber is fully or at least partially reflected.

In another RTP unit, the wafer is placed in a heating plate, susceptor and heated by thermal contact with such susceptor.

Together with a connecting or combination semiconductor, such as a III-V or II-IV semiconductor, such as, for example, a mixture of three components, such as GaN, InP, GaAs, or for example InGaAs, or a mixture of four components, such as InGaAsP, but In general, there is a problem that one component of the semiconductor is volatile and evaporates from the wafer upon heating the wafer. The edge region of such a wafer results in a heating region with mainly a reduced concentration of evaporated components. The result is a change in the physical properties of the wafer in this region, such as, for example, electrical conductivity, which renders the wafer unusable for the manufacture of electrical components.

From two publications US 5 872 889 A and US 5 837 555 A starting from the applicant, it is known to place a wafer of a combination semiconductor in closed receptacles of graphite for heat treatment. Because of the safety at high temperatures, graphite is particularly suitable for such receptacles. The wafer is placed in a support having a recess for receiving the wafer. Placed over the recess is a lid-like cover so that the wafer is placed in a closed space. These graphite receptacles containing the wafers are heat treated in the process chamber of the RTP unit. In this way, the spreading of components of the combination semiconductor is suppressed and the wafer can be safely processed.

The graphite receptacles described above are mainly used in processing wafers of combination semiconductors having diameters of 200 mm and 300 mm. However, very common are also wafers of combination semiconductors having small diameters of 500 mm, 100 mm, or 150 mm.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for receiving a disk-like object, preferably a semiconductor wafer, for heat treatment. The invention also relates to a handling device for an object.

1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a quick heating unit,

FIG. 2A is a plan view of a carrier for receiving up to seven wafers, and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view along the section line shown in FIG.

3 a) to 3 f) show various embodiments of the cover of the recess in the carrier,

4 is two views showing different combinations of wafer and cover and recess,

5 shows various embodiments of recesses,

6 shows a mechanism for loading and unloading a carrier,

7 is a plan view schematically showing a transfer arm of the handling apparatus of the present invention,

8 is a side view of the transfer arm shown in FIG. 7,

9 is a schematic view showing one embodiment of a vacuum control device;

10 a) and 10 b) are plan and bottom views schematically showing the transfer arm rotatable about the longitudinal axis.

It is an object of the present invention to allow wafers of a combination semiconductor to be safely processed in a high productivity and simple manner.

According to the invention, this object is realized by a carrier having at least two recesses, each for receiving a wafer. With such a carrier, multiple wafers can be processed simultaneously. Unlike known treatment methods, this means a significant increase in the throughput of the RTP unit and offers significant economic advantages.

According to one particular and useful advantage, the device of the invention has one or more covers for covering one or more recesses to provide an essentially closed space for the object.

For example, a single large cover is able to cover all of the recesses of the carrier with the wafers contained therein. Alternatively, however, each recess may also be covered by a separate cover. It is also possible that one or more of the covers simultaneously cover any desired number of recesses, although more than one and not all, or any desired number of recesses are individually covered and the rest of the recesses are not covered. Such covers can be combined in any desired manner with separate covers for each cover as well as with other similar covers and with a coverless recess.

The carrier provided in the recess is preferably made of graphite, sapphire, quartz, boron nitride, aluminum nitride, silicon, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, ceramic or metal. Similarly, one or more covers may be made of graphite or sapphire or quartz or boron nitride or aluminum nitride or silicon or silicon carbide or silicon nitride or ceramic or metal. However, not only the carrier but also one or more or all covers may also be made of the materials described above.

For the RTP process, the carrier advantageously has a low specific thermal capacity, preferably 0.2 to 0.8 J / gK, of the carrier and / or one or more covers. For this reason, the carrier should be as thin as possible.

Similarly, it is useful for a carrier having one or more covers to have a high thermal conductivity, preferably 10 to 100 W / mK, of one or more of the carriers and / or covers.

It is preferred that at least a portion of the carrier, or one of the covers, or a portion of the carrier and one of the covers be coated. For example, a surface having a coating that is inert to chemical processes occurring within a recess covered during processing of a wafer and which covers the recess of one or more covers as well as the inner surface of all or all of the recesses It is preferred to provide, while the outer surface of the carrier is not coated to have the desired absorbing properties for thermal radiation. In other cases, local optical properties of the carrier and cover can be achieved, for example, by a suitable area wise coating of the outer surface.

Similarly, it is useful to make one or more portions of the carriers or at least ones of the covers or portions of the carriers and at least ones of the covers transparent by making them from quartz or sapphire for heat radiation. It is useful that not only the cover but also the parts of the carrier corresponding to the base surface of the recess are not transparent to heat radiation, while the other parts of the carrier are transparent.

Moreover, it is possible to produce a predetermined atmosphere in the covered recess. Depending on the type of wafer being processed, different atmospheres may be present in each covered recess. For example, when one or more InP wafers are processed in a first recess, a phosphorus containing atmosphere is present in the recess. At least the second time the GaAs wafer is processed, in the second recess, an arsenic containing atmosphere is present. Finally, at least in the third, the wafer can be processed if the recess is not covered, which does not include silicon, ie a combination semiconductor.

At least some of the wafers received by the carrier may be at least partially coated. However, the volume volume of at least one of the wafers may also vary, for example in the region where the layer implanted on the wafer is provided.

The carrier of the present invention for multiple wafers that are typically heat treated in a process chamber makes it possible during the same process step to achieve different process results with the same course of heat radiation for each wafer. Depending on the transparency or coating of the local area of the carrier and / or the corresponding cover, locally different optical states can be achieved to result in different temperatures inside the covered recess. Thus, although the course of thermal radiation is the same for all wafers, each wafer experiences a separate process temperature. Thus, in one processing step, as well as processing multiple wafers simultaneously, the wafers can be processed in different processes by doing so. This means that wafers of different materials are processed simultaneously.

The recesses in the carrier preferably have the same depth so that after loading of the carrier the wafers are all placed parallel to the same plane.

However, it may also be useful to vary the depth of the recess. In this case, although the wafers are always arranged parallel to each other, the wafers are offset in the height direction so that the wafers are placed on different faces.

For a cylindrical recess with a flat horizontal base, the wafer lies flat on the base of the recess.

The support of the wafer in the at least one recess may be usefully selected to avoid contact with the base of the recess on the wafer. This is usefully achieved by the pinned support element in which the wafer is received and placed in the recess. Since the depths are the same but the lengths of the support elements are different, the wafers can be placed in planes of different heights.

Another preferred possibility of placing the wafer to avoid contact with the base of the recess is to support the rim of the wafer. This is accomplished by forming at least one recess to taper inwardly in a cone. In this way, edges that are inclined inwardly of the recess are obtained to lead to the rim support of the wafer. According to yet another embodiment, the at least one recess has a concave shape that in turn supports the rim of the wafer at the edge of the recess. Depending on the design of the conical and concave recesses, the wafers may be placed at different heights.

To load the carrier, the wafers are usefully placed sequentially via the gripper directly into the recesses or support pins. Appropriate for this purpose is a gripper with a suction device that draws a wafer. This can be done via an inhalation device operated according to the Bernoulli principle.

The support pins advantageously provide for loading of the carrier and preferably extend through the carrier. Such support pins are useful to have different heights for different recesses so as not to interfere with loading of recesses remote from the gripper by support pins that provide loading of the recesses facing the gripper.

Advantageously, the cover may be disposed on a support pin that extends through the carrier or is fully disposed outside of the carrier. The support pin for the cover is usefully longer than the support pin for the wafer.

The support pin and the carrier are preferably operated perpendicular to each other.

As soon as the wafer is placed on the support pin, the support pin moves downward through the carrier so that the wafer is lifted from the support pin and placed in a recess associated with the wafer. Alternatively, the carrier can also move upwards.

As soon as the carrier is loaded into the wiper, if the cover has not already been placed on the appropriate support pin before the wafer, the corresponding cover may be placed directly on the carrier or supported on the pin by the gripper.

The loading of the carrier is preferably carried out in the process chamber. However, it can also be loaded outside of the process chamber and subsequently introduced into the process chamber for heat treatment.

It may be useful for a number of such carriers with a cover to be stacked next to one another or next to one another in the process chamber, for example for thermal treatment.

The loading and unloading of the carrier with the substrate and / or cover is preferably carried out with an automatic loading and unloading unit which can be appropriately controlled in response to the loading and unloading process.

The apparatus of the present invention, although not exclusively, is preferably particularly suitable for wafers of combination semiconductors, which are preferably mainly of small diameter. The heat treatment of the semiconductor wafer is preferably carried out in an RTP unit in which predetermined environmental conditions and temperature profiles are set. In this regard, the carrier is very stable at environmental conditions and temperatures during processing.

As mentioned above, semiconductor wafers, in particular combination semiconductor wafers, are relatively thin and have a thickness of 50 to 500 μm, and typically 200 μm. Such wafers are thus susceptible to breakage during handling, such as with conventional handling by hand or with handling devices such as robots, etc., where breakage of the wafer frequently occurs and the yield is significantly reduced during the manufacture of the semiconductor. In particular, semiconductor wafers used for expensive components such as, for example, laser diodes, this is particularly evident, with a 2 inch wafer for this purpose in the range of? 25,000.

As mentioned previously, the wafer is processed in a receptacle, for example made of graphite, and introduced into the process chamber for processing of the wafer. This so-called graphite box has a weight of 200 to 2,000 g, depending on the size and number of wafers contained in the box.

The wafer as well as the receptacle are manually processed with such a unit, which is not possible with one hand to handle very thin semiconductor wafers having a weight in the range of 0.1 to 20 g with conventional handling equipment, and damage to the wafer This is because it is not possible to handle the heavy receptacle with the other hand without having a high rejection rate.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a handling apparatus in which objects having different weights are handled safely and securely.

According to the invention, the described object is realized with a handling device having at least one transport arm, at least one transport arm being at least one handled in turn by a vacuum control device for changing the vacuum as a function of the weight of the object. It has at least one support apparatus for supporting the object of via a vacuum.

According to a feature of the invention which provides a vacuum control device in which the vacuum of the support device on the transport arm can be set, it is possible to transport and handle one and the same handling device, objects with very different weights. For example, with the handling device of the present invention, in particular in a way that one hand can, for example, be handled with the same handling device which is a very thin broken wafer of low weight, for example while a relatively heavy receptacle avoids breaking the wafer. It is possible to perform transportation and handling of wafers and wafer receptacles while avoiding handling. Thus, the handling device of the present invention not only enables the loading as well as the unloading of the receptacle into or out of the process chamber, but also the loading and unloading of thin and breakable wafers into and out of the receptacle. . In this way, apart from the fact that it also provides the full automation potential of the processing of semiconductor wafers, especially with regard to heat treatment, this can occur with a single handling device, resulting in lower equipment costs. With the process automation enabled by the handling apparatus of the present invention, the yield is significantly increased because at least a significant reduction in wafer breakage, which occurs frequently during manual loading and unloading of the process chamber and receptacle. When the unit is used to produce very expensive parts, with low rejection rates and fast and reliable handling, the processing unit with the handling device of the present invention is therefore depreciated considerably faster than conventional processing units.

According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, the vacuum control device comprises a line conversion switch for switching between one vacuum source and a vacuum conversion device, for example a line with or without a vacuum regulator. In this way, only one vacuum source is required, so that the vacuum regulator is an adjustable valve. According to another embodiment, at least two individually controllable vacuum systems are provided.

According to one useful embodiment of the present invention, the pressure ratio for the object being treated and having a different weight ranges from 10 to 10,000. This vacuum ratio is essentially a function of the weight ratio of the object being processed and also the design of the support device.

According to one very useful embodiment of the present invention, the low weight object is a silicon semiconductor wafer, and the higher weight object is a receptacle in which the wafer is placed during one processing step. This type of receptacle has been described previously as an example.

Although support devices for objects with different weights can be implemented in the same way, it is useful according to yet another embodiment of the invention but also to implement the support devices differently for different objects, in particular for objects with different weights. . The support device is preferably a so-called pad or support cushion that is connected via a line with a vacuum source or vacuum system. Individual support devices or pads may be supplied with the same vacuum or with different vacuums in each case, but in this case appropriate control elements such as valves or individual vacuum systems are required.

In this regard, the support device is preferably applied to objects having different weights, for example the shape and surface structure of the object. For example, to support the receptacle, a larger support surface is generally required than to support light weight. For example, it is useful for a wafer to select a diameter of a support device or pad that is about 3 mm, or a surface on which a vacuum per pad is about 0.1 cm 2. The shape of the pad is selected to be the same as the preset rule and the pad may be circular or rectangular or have any other shape. However, the pad is preferably circular, since even at low suction power of the vacuum source, this results in the largest ratio surface / rim or ensures reliable handling of the object, for example the wafer.

The contact pressure generated by the pad, which presses the wafer to the support, to ensure that the wafer having a weight of, for example, 0.1 g to 0.5 g, is secured so that the frictional force generated from the contact pressure acts on the object, for example, the wafer. It must be large enough to be greater than the force generated by acceleration by gravity or by the acceleration of the transfer arm. If the (horizontal) acceleration force acting on the wafer is less than 1 g, this is achieved, for example, via a vacuum of about 0.005 bar, which corresponds to an absolute pressure of 0.995 bar. In this regard, the coefficient of friction between the wafer and the support, which in turn can be a function of wafer temperature, must be taken into account.

If the vacuum is larger, i.e. the absolute pressure is small, the wafer must always be able to hold, i.e., exceed 1 g, reliably, although there is a risk of breaking the wafer.

In general, the pad pressure to be selected should be selected so that the maximum acceleration that is generated is applied as a result of which the pressure is preferably useful if it is controllable or adjustable. Very large vacuums should be avoided. The application of pressure must be carried out not only before the start of the movement sequence but also during its own movement. The maximum allowable acceleration of the wafer is a function of the thickness and diameter of the wafer, the material of the support region and the type of wafer surface, ie whether a structured or unstructured support region is provided.

When a wafer having an unstructured support area is handled, it is desirable that the placement of the pad be selected at about two thirds of the wafer radius relative to the center of the wafer. In this way, the wafer is supported in a manner that is as stress free as possible. With the structured support area, the pad preferably supports the rim area of the wafer.

It is preferred that the handling device of the present invention is provided with an object having a greater weight and / or a three point support device for an object having a smaller weight.

As already mentioned, it is preferred in this connection for different objects, and in particular for objects having different weights, to have different shapes.

Support devices for objects, in particular by weight, can be arranged both on one side of the transfer arm. According to one particularly useful embodiment of the present invention, however, the support device is provided on both sides of the transfer arm. It is possible to hold the object to be handled during the handling process on the upper or lower part of the transfer arm, depending on the given condition. According to another embodiment of the present invention, it is particularly useful when provided on one side of the transfer arm support device for heavier objects and the other side support device for lighter objects. One side, for example the upper side, has a first support or pad structure or support surface structure for supporting the support receptacle, for example, while a second support for supporting the wafer, for example under the transport arm, or A pad structure is provided. For example, the wafer is fixed from below and the receptacle is fixed from the top or vice versa. In one embodiment of the handling device of this invention, it is also possible to remove the vacuum control and operate both support devices with the same vacuum, since the holding force is determined or simultaneously determined by different pad structures, in particular different surface conditions. In addition, the coefficient of friction of the support surface can be different at the top and bottom.

According to a very useful embodiment of the present invention, the transfer arm is rotatable by 180 ° about the longitudinal axis. In conclusion, the side with the support device applied to the corresponding object can be rotated upwards and downwards.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, two or more transfer arms are provided, at least one of which is provided for supporting a heavy object and at least one other arm is provided for supporting a light weight object. In this way, the support device is each provided on its own transfer arm separately from each other for each different object.

According to another useful embodiment of the present invention, the vacuum control device can be controlled as a function of a predetermined program sequence. Alternatively or in addition to this possibility, a sensor, for example a wire strain gauge, is provided for measuring the weight of the object being handled. The result of this weighing, ie the output of the sensor, is used to control the vacuum control device. In this regard, the sensor can be provided directly to the transfer arm but it is also possible to first slightly raise the object whose weight is to be determined so that the support pressure for supporting the object is determined as a measure for the weight of the object. By determining the individual weight, the object is firmly held during the movement. With individual support pressures, the object is then moved. In addition to the actual supporting pressure, it is also possible to select or set the maximum acceleration, the choice of a fixed trajectory of the object, the speed or other movement parameters. In this way, it is possible to control the so-called edge gripper holding the rim of the object, for example a wafer or a box, and securing the object to the rim to achieve local fixation of the object in place relative to the handling device. It is possible. Such reliable holding, for example mechanically, may be practiced, where the term “holding pressure” should also be understood to mean the mechanical contact pressure of the mechanical parts of the handling device with respect to the object.

The invention is explained in detail subsequently with the aid of preferred embodiments of the invention in connection with the drawings.

1 is a schematic view showing a conventional unit 1 for rapid thermal processing of an object, preferably a disk-shaped semiconductor wafer 2. The wafer 2 is arranged in a holding or support device 3 which may be, for example, a pin-shaped support element or a device in which the wafer is arranged around, or any other type of wafer support. The wafer 2 including the support device 3 is arranged inside the process chamber 4. The process chamber 4 is a transparent chamber in which at least a part is made of transparent quartz. The inlet and outlet for the process gas are not shown, and a gas atmosphere suitable for the process can be generated by the inlet and outlet for the gas. Mounted on the top and / or bottom and / or side (not shown here) of the process chamber 4 are banks of lamps 5 and 6. These are preferably a plurality of rod-shaped tungsten-halogen lamps arranged parallel to each other. However, other lamps may also be used. In another embodiment of the chamber, the upper bank 5 of the lamp or the lower bank 6 of the lamp and / or laterally arranged lamps are removed. By electromagnetic radiation emitted from the lamp, the object 2, for example a wafer, is heated. The entire apparatus may be surrounded by an outer furnace chamber 7 and a reflecting surface may be provided at least partially inside the walls of the outer furnace chamber, and the walls of the outer furnace chamber may be made of metal such as steel or aluminum. It is desirable to have. Finally, a measuring device is also provided, which preferably comprises two non-contact measuring devices 8 and 9. The measuring devices 8 and 9 are preferably two pyrometers, but a CCD monitor or sensor or other device for recording radiation may be used.

In order to successfully make heat treatment connections of a combination semiconductor in such a unit, the semiconductor must be contained in a container to prevent degradation of the semiconductor material. 2A is a plan view of the circular disk-shaped carrier 10 preferably. FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of the carrier 10 along the dotted line in FIG. 2A.

The carrier 10 has a plurality of circular recesses 11-17 of the same diameter at the upper disk surface 18 for receiving the wafers respectively. However, different diameters for the recesses are also possible. In this regard, one recess 12 is arranged in the center of the carrier 10, while the other six recesses 11, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 are the edge and center recesses 12 of the carrier. Surround the central recess 12 along a concentric circle. The diameter of the carrier 10 is preferably 200 mm and the diameter of the recesses of the same size is preferably 53 mm.

The carrier 10 is preferably made of graphite, sapphire, quartz, boron nitride, aluminum nitride, silicon, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, ceramic or metal. The lower portion 19 as well as the upper portion 18 of the carrier is useful to infuse fine glass beads to ensure optical homogeneity on the upper portion 18 and the lower portion 19.

In order to obtain a closed container or receptacle for the wafer 3 arranged in the recesses 11 to 17, at least one cover is provided in the recess, which can also be finely blown into the glass beads. In FIG. 3 a) all of the recesses 11 to 17 into which the wafer enters are covered by a larger cover 20. In another preferred form of the cover shown in b) of FIG. 3, the covers 21 to 27 are provided separately in the recesses 11 to 17. In FIG. 3 c) the recesses 14 and 13 are covered by a cover 28, the recesses 11 and 17 are covered by a cover 29, and the recesses 15, 12 and 16 are It is covered by the cover 30. 3 b shows another form of the cover wherein one of the covers can cover any, but more than one and not all but the number of recesses simultaneously. The recesses 15, 12, 16, 11 and 17 are here covered by a cover 31 and the recesses 14 and 13 are covered by a cover 28. In e) of FIG. 3, several recessed covers are combined with individual covers, and recesses 15, 12 and 16 are covered by cover 30, while recesses 14, 13, 11 and 17. ) Is covered by corresponding covers 24, 23, 21 and 27. 3 f) finally shows the individual cover, the plurality of recessed covers, and the uncovered recesses. Thus, as in FIG. 3 a), the recesses 15, 12 and 16 are covered by one cover 30, with the recesses 14 and 13 being covered by the corresponding individual covers 24 and 25. While covered, the recesses 11 and 17 are not covered. In general, any number of recessed covers can be combined in any desired manner with recesses as well as individual covers.

The cover is not limited to the top surface 18 of the carrier 10 and may protrude laterally beyond the cover 10.

Like cover 10, one or more of the covers shown in FIG. 3 may be made of graphite, sapphire, quartz, boron nitride, aluminum nitride, silicon, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, ceramic, or metal. However, not only the carrier 10 but also one or more covers may be made of the materials described above.

For an RTP process, a carrier 10 having at least one cover having a low specific heat capacity of a carrier and / or at least one cover is usefully selected. The heat capacity is preferably between 0.8 J / gK and 0.2 J / gK. For this reason, the carrier 10 should be as small as possible so as not to exceed 5 mm. The maximum thickness of the carrier is preferably 3 mm.

Similarly, carrier 10 having at least one cover is useful with at least one of carrier 10 and / or carriers, and at least one of carrier 10 and / or carriers has a high heat capacity. Thermal conductivity can be between 10 W / mK and 180 W / mK.

Like the cover 33 shown in FIG. 4A, the cover may cover the recess 32 disposed in the carrier 10 and in which the wafer 2 is disposed. The cover 33 is assembled to the knob forming portion 34 or the corresponding depression 35 of the upper surface 18 of the carrier 10 to assemble the cover 33 in place to prevent it from slipping. It is desirable to provide a similar counterpart. However, there may be no such device.

As shown in b) of FIG. 4, one embodiment is preferred in which the recess 32 is provided with a toothed portion 36 in which the cover 33 is received and enclosed in the manner of a ring. It is useful for the depth of the tooth 36 to be provided at the same height as the top surface 18 and to have the same thickness of the cover 33 to correct the planar top surface of the carrier 10. At least portions of the carrier 10, or portions of one of the covers 20-31, or portions of the carrier 10 and at least one of the covers 20-31 are usefully coated. Thus, for example, the wafer 3 in the recesses 11 to 16 is covered on all or one inner surface of the recesses 11 to 16 as well as the surfaces of the one or more covers 20 to 31 covering the recesses. It may be useful to partially provide a special layer which becomes inert with the analytical process generated during processing, while the outer surface of the carrier 10 has a desired absorption of thermal radiation by the outer surface of the carrier 10. Do not coat to show properties. In other cases, for example, the local optical properties of the carrier 10 and the covers 20 to 31 can be achieved by appropriate coating of the outer surface area.

Similarly, at least portions of the carrier 10, or portions of one of the covers 20-31, or portions of the carrier 10 and one of the covers 20-31 may exemplify them. For example, made of quartz or sapphire to be transparent for thermal radiation. It is useful that the parts of the carrier 10 as well as the covers 20 to 31 corresponding to the base surface of the recess are not transparent for heat radiation and it is useful for the other parts of the carrier 10 to be transparent.

In one preferred embodiment of the carrier 10, all of the recesses 20 to 31 have the same depth. The wafer 2 loaded in this way has parallel orientation and is located both at the same height and in one plane.

However, sometimes it may also be useful to have different depths of the recesses 20 to 31. In this case, although the wafer 2 is always still parallel, the wafers are offset in height from one another and are arranged in various planes.

The support of the wafer 2 is usefully selected in at least one of the recesses 11 to 17 to avoid contact between the wafer and the base of the recess. As can be seen in FIG. 5 a) this is advantageously achieved by the pinned support element 37 in which the wafer 2 is received and disposed in the recess 32. With different lengths of recesses and support elements 37 having the same depth, the wafer 2 can then be arranged in different planes in each recess.

5B shows another preferred possibility for placing the wafer 2 in a manner that avoids contact with the base of the recess 32. The wafer 2 is here supported in a rim region where the recess 32 is inclined in a conical shape. In this way an inclined region inward of the recess 32 is achieved which enables rim support of the wafer. In another embodiment shown in FIG. 5 c), the recess 32 is concave, which in turn results in the support of the rim of the wafer 2 at the edge of the recess 32. Depending on the design of the conical and concave recesses 32, the wafers can be placed at different heights.

In order to load the carrier 10, a gripper is used to operate, for example according to the Bernoulli principle, via a suction device, for example. This gripper continuously receives the wafer 2 and places the wafer into recesses 11 to 17.

According to yet another embodiment, the wafer 2 is disposed on the support pin 38 as shown in FIG. The support pin 38 is guided through a bore 39 provided in the base of each recess 32.

Similarly, cover 33 may be disposed on support pin 40. The support pin 40 is guided through a bore 41 extending through the carrier 10 beyond the recess 32, as shown in FIG. 6 a), or the support pin 42 is guided to the carrier 10. Extends completely outside). The support pin 38 is useful to have different heights for different recesses so as not to interfere with the loading of the recesses remote from the gripper by the support pins provided for loading the recesses facing the gripper. For the same reason, the support pins 40 for the cover 33 can have different lengths. Preferably, the support pins 40 are all higher than the support pins 38.

According to another embodiment, the carrier 10 rotates about a vertical axis for loading. In this way, the recess 32 loaded at any given time can always face the gripper.

When the wafer 2 is placed on the support pin 38, the cover 33 is placed on the support pin 40, which moves downward through the carrier 10 and as a result the wafer 10 is moved. The support pin 38 is lifted up and the cover 33 is lifted from the support pin 40. The wafer 2 is disposed in an associated recess. In contrast, the carrier 10 also moves upwards.

Loading of the wafer 10 can be carried out not only in the process chamber 4 but also outside the process chamber 4.

The present invention shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 is used in connection with the handling of wafers and receptacles, for example, during the heat treatment process, in which the transport arms 41 of the handling apparatus are typically used where the width b is less than the diameter of the object. 35 mm and the object here is for example a wafer 42 or a receptacle, shown in dashed lines. In this manner, wafers stacked and received in a cassette spaced apart from adjacent wafers can be removed from the cassette and placed back in the cassette after processing. The thickness d (see FIG. 8) of the transport arm 41 is in the range of 1 to 5 mm, typically 2 mm. The thickness can be assembled between two adjacent wafers in which the transport arm 41 is placed in the cassette and thus can remove the wafer 42 from the cassette. The length of the transport arm 41 is chosen according to the conditions and the same cross section and thickness profile. The typical length of the transport arm 41 of the embodiment described above is between 20 and 70 cm.

According to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the wafer is also known as a pad and in the illustrated embodiment also three support devices 43-1, 43-2, in which the support of the receptacle (not shown) is provided. 43-3). Alternatively, it is also possible to provide different support devices or pads for receptacles on one side of the wafer on the other.

The transfer arm 41 is provided with a vacuum or negative pressure line 44 to which the vacuum or negative pressure source 45 and the pads 43-1, 43-2, 43-3 are connected via the connecting line 46. A vacuum control element 47, for example a controllable valve, is provided with one vacuum line 44 as one of the pads 43-2.

The transfer arm 41 is connected via a fastening element 48 with moving parts and unillustrated parts of the handling device. The vacuum line or channel 49 similarly extends to the fixing element 48, the ends of which are spaced apart from the transport arms which are connected to the connecting line 46.

As already described in detail, the pads 43-1, 43-2, and 43-3 may have shapes, masses, and designs that are adapted to conform to the conditions for reliably supporting the receptacle as well as the wafer being handled.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the vacuum control element 47 is adapted to apply a vacuum to one of the pads that is different from the vacuum applied to the remaining pads if necessary.

In addition, separate vacuum control elements can be provided on each pad, respectively. A vacuum control device 51 is provided in the connecting line 46, for example between the transfer arm 41 and the negative pressure or vacuum source 45. One embodiment for this purpose is schematically illustrated in FIG. 9. In the connecting line 46, between the vacuum line 44 of the transfer arm 41 and the vacuum source 45, two parallel vacuum lines 52 and 53 are provided to the vacuum control device 51 and the first And via vacuum switch 46 via second conversion switch 54, 55. The first vacuum line 52 serves to transfer the vacuum made available from the vacuum source 45 without changing to the vacuum line 44 of the transfer arm 41. In contrast, a vacuum regulator 56 for converting the vacuum in the second connection line 53 is provided in the second vacuum line 53 of the vacuum control device 51.

In the illustrated embodiment, the switching of the changeover switches 54 and 55 is carried out via a computer controlled by the supporting software, which is denoted by " 57 " and gives appropriate program instructions to the interface of the vacuum control device 51 58 is available and appropriate program instructions are passed in the form of control signals to conversion switches 54 and 55 via wires 59 and 60.

Instead of controlling the conversion switches 54 and 55 by program, it is possible to control the switching of the output signal of the weight sensor and the weight sensor senses the weight of the object to be handled.

With the object 42 being handled with a relatively high weight, a relatively high vacuum, i.e. a relatively small absolute pressure, is applied to the support devices 43-1, 43-2, 43-3 and without the vacuum regulator. The first vacuum line 52 is connected to the vacuum source 45 via the switch positions of the changeover switches 54 and 55 shown in FIG. In the case of temperature processing of wafers, these objects—as described above—are receptacles that contain one or more wafers and are made of, for example, graphite, silicon carbide, aluminum nitride.

Such a receptacle of graphite may, according to another embodiment, also be coated with silicon carbide or aluminum nitride material.

Due to the relatively high pressure, the receptacle is firmly pressed and held to the support device via pads 43-1, 43-2, 43-3 during the handle and transport process.

However, with the same handling apparatus, a small weight object, for example a semiconductor wafer having a weight of 0.1 to 20 g, is transferred or handled, and the conversion switches 54 and 55 are pads 43-1, 43-2 and 43-. 3) is converted to a position in communication with the pressure source 45 via the second connecting line 53. In this second connecting line 53, the vacuum is reduced by the vacuum regulator 56, ie the absolute pressure is increased so that the application pressure is less in the wafer than in the receptacle. This vacuum is thus applied to the wafer and very low so that the risk of breakage by a very large vacuum in the pad is avoided.

In Figures a) and 10b), one embodiment, for example, a plurality of pads 61-1, 61-2, 61-3, 62, structures thereof, shapes thereof and / or these A transport arm 41 is shown having respective support devices on both sides, which may differ from each other with respect to the size of. While the pad structure is shown in FIG. 10 a), the pad structure is provided correspondingly to the embodiment of FIG. 7 and is provided to support an object having a low weight, for example a wafer, and the other side of the transfer arm 41 is designed to support the pad structure. A circular pad with only one stately large surface, for example, which is connected to only one vacuum line and is provided with a heavy weight object, for example a wafer receptacle or a graphite box.

As indicated by the rotation arrow 63, in this embodiment the transfer arm 41 can rotate about the axis 64 by 180 ° such that an object with a larger weight or an object with a smaller weight is supported. Depending on the handling and handling, one of the two sides of the transfer arm 41 may optionally be used.

When handling devices are used in the semiconductor industry, their materials, and in particular the materials of the transfer arm 41, should be suitable for this application and preferably include graphite, ceramics and / or quartz, combinations of these materials. Such materials furthermore allow loading and unloading of the process chamber to a temperature of up to 700 ° C. By means of a module of higher elasticity, graphite and ceramics have the advantage of having higher strength, that is, even if a receptacle with a weight of 200 g is placed, the transfer arm 41 is only slightly bent. The surface of the transfer arm 41 should be as smooth as possible. A single design of the transfer arm 41 is possible, which facilitates cleaning and reduces the possibility of transporting particles into the process chamber.

Although the present invention has been described by the preferred embodiment, it is not limited to this embodiment. For example, the carrier 10 may have an angular shape. Similarly, the recess may have an angular shape. In addition, the number of recesses is not limited to seven. In addition, the carrier having a circular recess may have a diameter of 52 mm that can accommodate 100 mm or 150 mm wafers. The carrier may, for example, have recesses with different sizes. Moreover, individual features of the above-described embodiments may be combined or exchanged with one another in any compatible manner.

The handling device of the present invention is also not limited to the features and designs of the described embodiments. For example, it is also possible to support an object, for example a wafer or a receptacle, to the support device in such a way that the suction is carried out in the Bernoulli effect, i.e., a vacuum is applied to the holding device or pad and the burley effect occurs. In this case, the acceleration force in the horizontal direction must be provided via additional auxiliary means, which can be for example an edge boundary via which the object can be fixed in position with respect to the transfer arm 41. .

Claims (51)

Apparatus for receiving a disk-like object, preferably a semiconductor wafer, for heat treatment, And a carrier having two or more recesses, each for receiving the object. The method of claim 1, An apparatus for accommodating a disc shaped object, characterized by one or more covers for covering one or more recesses. The method according to claim 1 or 2, And said carrier and / or one or more covers are made of graphite, sapphire, quartz, boron nitride, aluminum nitride, silicon, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, ceramic or metal. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, And the carrier and / or cover has a heat capacity between 0.2 J / gK and 0.8 J / gK. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, And said carrier and / or cover has a heat capacity between 10 W / mK and 180 W / mK. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, At least a portion of the cover and / or the carrier is coated. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, And at least a portion of said cover and / or said carrier is transparent. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, A gas atmosphere different from each other is provided in the individual recesses. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, Apparatus for receiving a disc-shaped object, characterized in that the object is disposed in one plane. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, And the objects are arranged in at least two planes parallel to one another and spaced apart from each other. The method of claim 10, And said at least two recesses have different depths. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, At least one object lies flat on the base surface of the recess. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, And at least one object is spaced apart from the base surface of the recess. The method of claim 13, And at least one object lies on a support element. The method of claim 13, And at least one object lies in an edge area. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, And at least one recess has a conical shape at least in the outer region of the recess. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, Wherein the at least one recess has a concave shape. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, At least two recesses having different sizes. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, An apparatus for accommodating a disc shaped object, characterized in that two or more objects have different sizes. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, And the object is a combination semiconductor. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, An apparatus for accommodating a disc shaped object, characterized in that two or more objects have different materials. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, Apparatus for receiving a disc-shaped object, characterized in that the object is at least partially coated. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, And the object material is not the same. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, An apparatus for receiving a disk-shaped object, characterized by a support pin for loading the carrier with the object and / or cover. The method of claim 24, And the support pin passes through the carrier. The method of claim 24 or 25, And the pins have different heights. The method according to any one of claims 24 to 26, And the support pin for the cover is higher than for the object. The method according to any one of claims 24 to 27, At least one support pin for the cover is provided on the outside of the carrier. The method according to any one of claims 24 to 28, And said carrier and said support pin are movable relative to each other in a vertical direction. The method of claim 29, And the support pin is moved vertically downward for placement of the object into the recess and / or placement of the cover on the carrier. The method of claim 29, And the support pin is movable vertically upward to lift the object from the recess and / or lift the cover from the carrier. The method of claim 29, And the carrier is operated vertically. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, A gripper having a suction device for placing an object on a recess and / or support pin, and / or removing the object from the recess and / or support pin. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, And a rotating device for rotation of said carrier about a vertical axis. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, And said carrier can be loaded into a process chamber. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, And the carrier can be loaded outside of the process chamber. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, An apparatus for accommodating disc-shaped objects, characterized by an automatic loading and unloading apparatus. A handling device having at least one transport arm provided with at least one support device for supporting at least one object to be handled via a vacuum, And a vacuum control device for changing said vacuum as a function of the weight of said object. The method of claim 38, And said vacuum control device comprises a vacuum source and a vacuum converting device. The method of claim 38 or 39, And said vacuum converter is provided with a switch for conversion between a line with a vacuum regulator and a line without a vacuum regulator. 41. The method of any of claims 38-40. Said vacuum control device having at least two separate vacuum systems. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, A handling device, characterized in that the vacuum ratio for the object being handled and having a different weight is in the range of 10 to 10,000. 43. The method of any of claims 38-42, A handling device, characterized in that the less weighted object is a semiconductor wafer and the greater weighted object is a semiconductor wafer receptacle. The method according to any one of claims 38 to 43, Handling device, characterized in that the support device is implemented differently for different objects. The method according to any one of claims 38 to 44, A handling device, characterized in that three point support devices are provided. The method according to any one of claims 38 to 45, And the support device is provided on both sides of the transfer arm. The method of claim 38 to 46, One side of the transfer arm having a support for the object having a large weight and the other side of the transfer arm having a support for the object with a small weight. 48. The method of claim 46 or 47, And said transfer arm is rotatable about 180 [deg.] About the longitudinal axis. 49. The method of any of claims 38-48, Two or more transfer arms are provided, wherein at least one transfer arm is provided for the support of the object having a large weight and at least one other transfer arm is provided for the support of the object having a low weight. Device. The method according to any one of claims 38 to 49, And the vacuum control device is controllable as a function of a predetermined program sequence. The method according to any one of claims 38 to 50, And a sensor for measuring the weight of the object to be handled, wherein the vacuum control device can be controlled by an output signal of the sensor.