KR20070073014A - Blade for transferring wafer - Google Patents

Abstract

A wafer transfer blade is provided to prevent the generation of chucking between a wafer and the blade due to electrostatic force by dispersing electrons in a wafer pickup process using at least three aluminum portions formed on an upper surface of a wafer loading portion. A wafer transfer blade includes a wafer loading portion with an upper surface(100) for loading stably a wafer. The upper surface of the wafer loading portion has at least three aluminium portions(200). The aluminium portions are properly arranged on the upper surface of the wafer loading portion in order to keep the level of the wafer. The height of each aluminium portion is the same.

Description

Blade for transferring wafer {Blade for transferring wafer}

1 is a perspective view showing a conventional wafer transfer blade.

2A is a perspective view of a wafer transfer blade according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of the wafer transfer blade taken along the portion II of FIG. 2A. FIG.

3 is a perspective view of a wafer transfer blade according to another embodiment of the present invention.

<Description of main parts in the drawing>

100: Wafer Supporter ... 120,130: Supporting Jaw

160: Wafer detection hole .... 180: Robot zero point confirmation hole

200,200a: Aluminum column

The present invention relates to a wafer transfer device, and more particularly, to a wafer transfer blade for transferring a wafer through a robot.

In general, a transfer robot is used as a means for placing a wafer in a cassette or transferring the cassette from a cassette to a position where the process is to be performed.

The wafer transfer process involves first placing a plurality of wafers from a process chamber into a cassette, then moving the cassette back to a cassette transport box, moving the cassette out of the cassette transport box, and moving the wafers in the cassette to an appropriate position for performing the process. The process will proceed. Such a transfer robot is usually provided with a blade for placing a wafer at the tip of the arm.

1 is a perspective view showing a conventional wafer transfer blade.

Referring to FIG. 1, the blade includes a wafer support 10 for holding a wafer, support jaws 12 and 14 for supporting a wafer, and a wafer sensing hole 16 for detecting whether a wafer is placed therein. The zero point confirmation groove 18 of the robot which checks whether there exists is formed. The blade is coupled to the robot (not shown) through a sawtooth-shaped portion (hereinafter referred to as a 'coupled portion'). Opposite to the joint there is a large round groove for the wafer guide.

The blade is generally made of ceramic of the same material as the electric static chuck (ESC), for example to prevent bending. In the process chamber using ESC, the robot's blade picks up the wafer in order to take out the processed wafer and load it into a cassette. Chucking phenomenon occurs in which the blade of ceramic material is stuck by the electrostatic force.

This chucking phenomenon prevents the blade from normally transferring the wafer to the cassette or the like. That is, the case where the wafer is stuck to the blade without being transferred to the cassette occurs, whereby the wafer slides and breaks on the blade while the blade moves back to the chamber. In addition, a new wafer is loaded on the blade to which the wafer is stuck, which causes sliding of the wafer or cracking of the wafer during wafer transfer or cassette loading.

Therefore, the technical problem to be achieved by the present invention is to provide a wafer transfer blade that can prevent the chucking phenomenon that may occur when the blade picks up the wafer.

In order to achieve the above technical problem, the present invention provides a wafer transfer blade in the wafer transfer blade, the aluminum end is formed on at least three places on the upper surface of the wafer support base of the blade on which the wafer is placed.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the aluminum end is formed at the same height in order to maintain the wafer horizontally on the upper surface of the support, support the wafer and two arched support jaw formed in the outer edge of the blade support The height is formed lower.

Therefore, while maintaining the support of the wafer by the support jaw, the chucking phenomenon on the support and the wafer is prevented through the aluminum end.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the aluminum ends may be formed on the outer side of the blade to keep the wafer horizontal, and preferably four on the four corners of the blade. In addition, in terms of preventing chucking, the aluminum end should be formed at a position capable of rapidly dispersing electrons in the wafer.

On the other hand, the aluminum stage may be formed in various forms of cylindrical or polygonal pillars, as long as the upper surface is horizontal.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, the thickness or size of each component of the drawings is omitted or exaggerated for the convenience and clarity of the description, the same reference numerals in the drawings refer to the same components. On the other hand, the terms used are used only for the purpose of illustrating the present invention and are not used to limit the scope of the invention described in the meaning or claims.

2A is a perspective view of a wafer transfer blade according to an embodiment of the present invention.

 Referring to FIG. 2A, the wafer transfer blade includes a wafer holder 100 for placing a wafer, support jaws 120 and 130 for supporting a wafer, a wafer detection hole 160 for determining whether a wafer is placed, and a robot. The zero point confirming hole 13 is formed, and the aluminum end 200 of the columnar shape which consists of aluminum is formed in four places of the upper surface of the mounting base 100 with this. Here, the blade is coupled to the robot toward the portion (coupling portion) having a sawtooth shape, and a guide groove for the wafer guide is formed on the opposite side of the coupling portion.

Since the aluminum foil 200 is a metal, by absorbing and dispersing electrons remaining in the wafer at the time of wafer pickup, the chucking phenomenon that the wafer and the blade stick to each other by the electrostatic force is alleviated.

Although the aluminum stage 200 is formed in a cylindrical shape, any form of aluminum stage may be possible as long as the top surface is horizontal. For example, aluminum steps may be formed in the form of each column such as a square column or a hexagonal column. In addition, since the aluminum stage 200 must keep the wafer horizontal, it is natural that the same height should be formed.

In the present embodiment, the aluminum stage 200 is formed in four places outside the arthropod 100, but if the wafer can be held horizontally, it can be formed below or above, and on the other hand, Aluminum may also be formed on the front surface.

FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of the wafer transfer blade taken along the portion II of FIG. 2A. FIG.

Referring to FIG. 2B, the height d2 of the aluminum end is formed to be lower than the height d1 of the support jaws 120 and 130 of the blade. Therefore, the support jaw 120, 130 may still serve to support the wafer into the settable 100.

3 is a perspective view of a wafer transfer blade according to another embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 3, the wafer transfer blade is similar to that of FIG. 2A, but the number and the forming positions of the aluminum stages 200a are different. That is, three aluminum stages 200a are formed and, unlike FIG. 2A, one aluminum stage 200a is formed in the center portion adjacent to the support jaw 130 in the coupling portion direction.

Even if the three aluminum stages 200a are formed, there is no problem in keeping the wafer horizontal. On the other hand, since the three aluminum stages 200a are formed, it is more advantageous to level the wafers. That is, when four or more aluminum stages are formed, it may be difficult to maintain the horizontality of the wafer because the level of the top surface of the aluminum stage or a slight height difference of the aluminum stage itself may occur.

As long as the aluminum stage 200a of the present embodiment is formed lower than the support jaw 120 and 130 and the upper surface is horizontal, it may be formed in various forms of a cylinder or a polygonal pillar as described with reference to FIG. 2A. However, the height of such pillars should be kept constant to contribute to the horizontal seating of the wafer.

The present invention forms at least three aluminum stages on the upper surface of the seating platform on which the wafer is placed, thereby temporarily dispersing the electrons remaining in the wafer when the blade picks up the wafer, thereby preventing the chucking problem between the wafer and the blade, which has occurred in the past. Can be.

The wafer transfer blade of the present invention can be applied to most installations where chucking problems may occur in a semiconductor installation.

So far, the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings, which are merely exemplary, and those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and equivalent other embodiments are possible therefrom. will be. Therefore, the true technical protection scope of the present invention will be defined by the technical spirit of the appended claims.

As described in detail above, the blade for transferring wafers according to the present invention may prevent the chucking phenomenon in which the blade and the wafer adhere to each other by forming an aluminum end on the upper surface of the settling platform on which the wafer is placed.

In addition, by using such a wafer transfer blade, the wafer is safely transferred from the process chamber or the wafer cassette, so that it is convenient in terms of maintenance of the equipment and can improve the operation rate of the equipment.

Claims (10)

In the wafer transfer blade, A blade for transferring wafers, wherein aluminum steps are formed in at least three places on an upper surface of the wafer stabilizer on which the wafer is placed. According to claim 1, The aluminum end is a wafer transfer blade, characterized in that formed in a position that can keep the wafer horizontally on the upper surface of the mounting platform. According to claim 1, The aluminum blade is a wafer transfer blade, characterized in that formed at the same height. The method of claim 2, The aluminum stage, And a lower blade than the two arched support jaws formed on the outside of the blade rest of the blade for supporting the wafer. The method of claim 3, wherein Two aluminum ends are formed adjacent to each of the support jaws, The two aluminum stages are spaced apart from each other and the wafer transport blade, characterized in that formed on both sides of the portion is not formed. According to claim 1, The aluminum end is a wafer transfer blade, characterized in that formed in a cylindrical or prismatic form. According to claim 1, The blade for wafer transfer, characterized in that the blade is formed of a ceramic. The method of claim 7, wherein The aluminum end is a blade for wafer transfer, characterized in that formed in the portion where the chucking (chucking) by the static electricity between the blade and the wafer is minimized. The method of claim 8, And said aluminum stage disperses electrons in the wafer when said blade picks up said wafer. According to claim 1, The blade is a wafer transfer blade, characterized in that the wafer guide hole is formed in the support jaw and the rest portion opposite to the wafer sensing hole and the portion of the blade connected to the robot into the seat.

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