KR20070025818A - Apparatus for manufacturing semiconductors - Google Patents

Abstract

A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is provided to prevent the contamination of a wafer and to improve the yield by preventing the generation of failures in following processes using a predetermined sensor capable of detecting the damage of the wafer. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus includes process modules(120a,120b) and vacuum loadlock chambers(140a,140b). Predetermined sensors(200a,200b) are arranged in the vacuum loadlock chambers. The predetermined sensors detects a damaged portion from a wafer, wherein the wafer is transferred from the process modules to cool stations(150a,150b) of the vacuum loadlock chambers.

Description

Semiconductor manufacturing apparatus {APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING SEMICONDUCTORS}

1 is a front view showing a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the prior art.

2 is a front view illustrating a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings

100; Semiconductor manufacturing equipment

120a, 120b; Process Module

140a, 140b; Vacuum Loadlock

150a, 150b; Cool Station

180a, 180b, 180c; Load Port

200a, 200b; Sensor

The present invention relates to a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and more particularly, to a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus capable of preventing wafer contamination.

Various semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses are used to manufacture semiconductor devices. Among such semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses, there are various kinds of equipments used for depositing a predetermined thin film on a wafer using a diffusion process. Among the equipment used in the diffusion process, for example, MMT equipment, which is a kind of equipment for depositing nitride on a wafer using plasma, is configured as shown in FIG.

Referring to FIG. 1, the MMT facility 10 includes process modules 12a and 12b in which a plasma nitride process is actually performed. Vacuum load locks 14a and 14b are provided in the wafer loading to the process modules 12a and 12b or the wafer unloading path from the process modules 12a and 12b. That is, the wafer is loaded from the load ports 18a, 18b, 18c via the vacuum load locks 14a, 14b into the process modules 12a, 12b and unloaded in the opposite direction.

However, when the high temperature processing is performed in the process modules 12a and 12b, wafer broken may occur due to chipping and thermal expansion when moving to the cool stations 15a and 15b of the vacuum load locks 14a and 14b. Can be. Accordingly, there is a problem in that the yield and the yield caused by back contamination to the wafer caused by contamination inside the vacuum load locks 14a and 14b and the subsequent processes no longer proceeded are reduced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus capable of preventing the contamination of the incidental wafer due to wafer breakage.

The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention which can achieve the above object is characterized by preventing a wafer contamination due to wafer breakage by providing a sensor capable of detecting wafer breakage inside the vacuum load lock.

A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention capable of realizing the above features is a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus having a process module and a vacuum load lock, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus being disposed in the vacuum load lock and unloaded from the process module to form the vacuum. It characterized in that it comprises a sensor for detecting whether the wafer is transferred to the cool station of the load lock.

In the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of process modules and vacuum load locks are disposed, and each of the plurality of process modules is combined with each of the plurality of vacuum load locks.

In the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, the sensor is disposed in each of the plurality of vacuum load lock.

A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to a modified embodiment of the present invention capable of realizing the above characteristics may include first and second process modules in which a semiconductor manufacturing process is actually performed, and first and second combinations with the first and second process modules, respectively. Two vacuum load locks, first and second cool stations mounted in the first and second vacuum load locks, respectively, for mounting wafers transferred from each of the first and second process modules, and the first and second cool stations; And a first sensor and a second sensor provided in each of the two vacuum rods to detect damage to each of the wafers transferred from the first and second process modules to the first and second cool stations, respectively. It is done.

In the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the modified embodiment of the present invention, the temperature of the semiconductor manufacturing process performed in each of the first and second process modules is relatively high compared to the temperature of each of the first and second vacuum rods.

A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to a modified embodiment of the present invention, comprising: a third process module in which the semiconductor manufacturing process is actually carried out, and a second mounting process for mounting a wafer transferred from the third process module in combination with the third process module And a third vacuum load lock having a third cool station and a third sensor detecting whether the wafer is damaged. The temperature of the semiconductor manufacturing process performed in the third process module is relatively high compared to the temperature of the third vacuum rod.

In a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to a modified embodiment of the present invention, the semiconductor device further includes a plurality of load ports that provide a place to wait wafers required by each of the first and second process modules.

According to the present invention, a sensor capable of detecting wafer breakage is provided inside the vacuum load lock, thereby preventing the occurrence of ancillary cool station lift pins and preventing subsequent successive processes.

Hereinafter, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Advantages over the present invention and prior art will become apparent through the description and claims with reference to the accompanying drawings. In particular, the present invention is well pointed out and claimed in the claims. However, the present invention may be best understood by reference to the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Like reference numerals in the drawings denote like elements throughout the various drawings.

(Example)

2 is a front view illustrating a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 100 such as a plasma nitride facility, a so-called MMT facility, available from KE MMT Co., Ltd., is a process module 120a and 120b in which a plasma nitride process is actually performed. It is provided. Since the interior of the process module 120a, 120b is a vacuum environment, a vacuum load lock for placing the wafer under a vacuum environment before loading the wafer in the non-vacuum environment into the process module 120a, 120b in the vacuum environment. 140a and 140b.

Process modules 120a and 120b and a plurality of vacuum load locks 140a and 140b are provided, respectively. Here, the first process module 120a is combined with the first vacuum load lock 140a and the second process module 120b is combined with the second vacuum load lock 140b. Therefore, the wafer flowing into the first vacuum load lock 140a is loaded into the first process module 120a, and the wafer flowing into the first vacuum load lock 140b is loaded into the second process module 120b. Each vacuum load lock 140a, 140b is provided with a Cool Station 150a, 150b.

The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 100 is also provided with a plurality of load ports 180a, 180b, 180c on which cassettes for storing wafers introduced into the vacuum load locks 140a, 140b are placed. Wafers are loaded into the process modules 120a and 120b from the respective load ports 180a to 180c via the vacuum load locks 140a and 140b to participate in the plasma nitride process. After the plasma nitride process is completed, it is unloaded from the process modules 120a and 120b to the load ports 180a to 180c via the vacuum load locks 140a and 140b. The wafers that have been processed and unloaded in the process modules 120a and 120b are placed in a cassette to participate in subsequent processes.

Processing in the process modules 120a and 120b takes place under high temperature conditions (eg 550 ° C.). Therefore, the wafer transferred from the process modules 120a and 120b to the cool stations 150a and 150b may cause chipping and may be broken by thermal shock. Sensors 200a and 200b capable of detecting such wafer breakage are provided in the vacuum load locks 140a and 140b. That is, whether the wafer is broken is detected by the sensors 200a and 200b during wafer handling. Therefore, when the sensors 200a and 200b detect wafer breakage, they become interlocks or allow the operator to take necessary measures. This prevents damage to the cool station lift pins. In addition, when a contamination occurs in the vacuum load locks 140a and 140b due to breakage of the wafer or lift pins, subsequent slots are not progressed, thereby preventing the contamination of the wafer.

Up to now, the case in which two vacuum load locks 140a and 140b are combined with each of the two process modules 120a and 120b has been described. However, the present invention provides a case in which three or more process modules and vacuum load locks are provided. Of course, it can be adopted.

The foregoing detailed description illustrates the present invention. In addition, the foregoing description merely shows and describes preferred embodiments of the present invention, and the present invention can be used in various other combinations, modifications, and environments. And, it is possible to change or modify within the scope of the concept of the invention disclosed in this specification, the scope equivalent to the written description, and / or the skill or knowledge in the art. The above-described embodiments are for explaining the best state in carrying out the present invention, the use of other inventions such as the present invention in other state known in the art, and the specific fields of application and uses of the present invention. Various changes are also possible. Accordingly, the detailed description of the invention is not intended to limit the invention to the disclosed embodiments. Also, the appended claims should be construed to include other embodiments.

As described in detail above, according to the present invention, a sensor capable of detecting wafer breakage is provided inside the vacuum load lock, thereby preventing the cool station lift pin that is incidentally generated and the defects of subsequent processes that proceed continuously. You can prevent it. Accordingly, the contamination of the wafer can be prevented and the yield or the yield can be improved.

Claims (8)

In the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus provided with a process module and a vacuum load lock, And a sensor disposed in the vacuum load lock and detecting a wafer that is unloaded from the process module and transferred to a cool station of the vacuum load lock. The method of claim 1, And a plurality of process modules and a vacuum load lock, respectively, and each of the plurality of process modules is combined with each of the plurality of vacuum load locks. The method of claim 2, And the sensor is disposed in each of the plurality of vacuum load locks. First and second process modules where the semiconductor manufacturing process is actually performed; First and second vacuum load locks in combination with the first and second process modules, respectively; First and second cool stations provided in each of the first and second vacuum load locks to mount respective wafers transferred from each of the first and second process modules; And First and second sensors provided in each of the first and second vacuum rods to detect damage to each wafer transferred from each of the first and second process modules to each of the first and second cool stations; ; Semiconductor manufacturing apparatus comprising a. The method of claim 4, wherein The semiconductor manufacturing process temperature of each of the first and second process modules is a relatively high temperature compared to the temperature of each of the first and second vacuum rod. The method of claim 4, wherein A third process module in which the semiconductor manufacturing process actually proceeds; And A third vacuum load lock having a third cool station coupled to the third process module to mount a wafer transferred from the third process module and a third sensor detecting whether the wafer is damaged; A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus further comprising. The method of claim 6, The semiconductor manufacturing process temperature of the third process module is a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, characterized in that relatively high temperature compared to the temperature of the third vacuum rod. The method of claim 4, wherein And a plurality of load ports that provide a place for waiting wafers consumed in each of the first and second process modules.

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