KR20110016639A - Substrate processing apparatus - Google Patents

Substrate processing apparatus Download PDF

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Publication number
KR20110016639A
KR20110016639A KR1020090074246A KR20090074246A KR20110016639A KR 20110016639 A KR20110016639 A KR 20110016639A KR 1020090074246 A KR1020090074246 A KR 1020090074246A KR 20090074246 A KR20090074246 A KR 20090074246A KR 20110016639 A KR20110016639 A KR 20110016639A
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KR
South Korea
Prior art keywords
module
transfer
substrate
cassette
load lock
Prior art date
Application number
KR1020090074246A
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Korean (ko)
Inventor
이도형
Original Assignee
주식회사 아토
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Application filed by 주식회사 아토 filed Critical 주식회사 아토
Priority to KR1020090074246A priority Critical patent/KR20110016639A/en
Publication of KR20110016639A publication Critical patent/KR20110016639A/en

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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
    • H01L21/67005—Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
    • H01L21/67011—Apparatus for manufacture or treatment
    • H01L21/67155—Apparatus for manufacturing or treating in a plurality of work-stations
    • H01L21/67201—Apparatus for manufacturing or treating in a plurality of work-stations characterized by the construction of the load-lock chamber
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
    • H01L21/677—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations
    • H01L21/67763—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations the wafers being stored in a carrier, involving loading and unloading
    • H01L21/67766—Mechanical parts of transfer devices
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
    • H01L21/677—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations
    • H01L21/67763—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations the wafers being stored in a carrier, involving loading and unloading
    • H01L21/67778—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations the wafers being stored in a carrier, involving loading and unloading involving loading and unloading of wafers
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10S414/00—Material or article handling
    • Y10S414/135—Associated with semiconductor wafer handling
    • Y10S414/139—Associated with semiconductor wafer handling including wafer charging or discharging means for vacuum chamber

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Condensed Matter Physics & Semiconductors (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
  • Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
  • Power Engineering (AREA)
  • Robotics (AREA)
  • Container, Conveyance, Adherence, Positioning, Of Wafer (AREA)

Abstract

The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus having an improved structure so as to transfer a substrate accurately and quickly. The substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention includes a cassette module in which a cassette containing a plurality of substrates is loaded and unloaded, a pair of first transfer robots disposed to be spaced apart from each other while transferring the substrate stored in the cassette, and a pair of A first transfer module disposed between the first transfer robots and having a buffer stage on which the transferred substrate is loaded, and a second transfer robot for transferring the substrate loaded on the buffer stage, the cassette module having the first transfer module therebetween; A second transfer module disposed on the opposite side of the second transfer module, a plurality of process modules disposed around the second transfer module, and disposed between each process module and the second transfer module, wherein the substrate transferred from the second transfer module is It includes a plurality of load lock module to transfer to each process module.

Board, Cassette, Transfer Module, Load Lock Module, Process Module, Buffer Stage

Description

Substrate processing apparatus

The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus that performs a predetermined process such as a thin film deposition process or a photolithography process on a substrate.

In general, in order to manufacture a semiconductor device or a liquid crystal display device, a thin film deposition process for depositing a raw material on a silicon wafer or glass (hereinafter, referred to as a substrate), or using a photosensitive material to expose or conceal selected regions of the thin film. Photolithography process, etc. Each of these processes is carried out inside the process module designed to the optimum environment for the process.

Recently, in order to increase productivity, a cluster type substrate processing apparatus in which a plurality of process modules and a transfer module for transferring a substrate are closely coupled to each other has been used.

FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically illustrating the configuration of such a clustered substrate processing apparatus 9, and has a structure in which a plurality of process modules 3 and a load lock module 2 are coupled around a transfer module 1.

The transfer module 1 has a transfer robot 1a that is responsible for transferring the substrate therein, and the substrate moves between the process module 3 and the load lock module 2 by the transfer robot 1a. In addition, the transfer module 1 always maintains a vacuum state except when necessary for setting or maintenance.

The process module 3 is an area in which actual processes such as thin film deposition and etching are performed on the substrate, and also maintains a vacuum state except in a special case.

The load lock module 2 is a buffer space where the substrate temporarily stays when bringing the substrate into or out of the process module 3 having a vacuum inside. Therefore, the load lock module 2 is switched to a vacuum state when the substrate is taken in from the outside, and is switched to an atmospheric pressure state when taken out to the outside.

On the other hand, the transfer module 1 of the conventional substrate processing apparatus, the inside of which the vacuum state is to be maintained, the size of the internal space is limited, the transfer to transfer the substrate to the process module 3 and the load lock module (2) The robot 1a must operate very precisely within the limited space. However, in the conventional case, when the vacuum is formed in the transfer module 1, deformation occurs in the bottom surface of the transfer module 1 due to the pressure difference, and thus there is a problem that an error occurs in the operation of the transfer robot. .

In addition, the transfer robot 1a operated in a vacuum state has a problem that the price of the substrate itself is not only high, but also a high failure rate during substrate transfer, which is a major cause of the cost increase of the substrate.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus having an improved structure so as to transfer a substrate accurately and quickly.

In order to achieve the above object, the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention comprises a cassette module in which a cassette containing a plurality of substrates is loaded and unloaded, and a pair of agents disposed to be spaced apart from each other while transferring the substrate stored in the cassette. And a first transfer module disposed between the first transfer robot, the pair of first transfer robots, and a buffer stage on which the transferred substrate is loaded, and a second transfer robot for transferring the substrate loaded on the buffer stage. A second transfer module disposed on an opposite side of the cassette module with the first transfer module interposed therebetween, a plurality of process modules disposed around the second transfer module, and between each of the process modules and the second transfer module A plurality of load lock modules disposed in the substrate to transfer the substrate transferred from the second transfer module to the respective process modules in a vacuum state; It characterized.

According to the present invention, it is preferable that a plurality of cassette modules are provided and arranged along one direction, and the first transfer robot performs processing on a plurality of cassettes while moving along the arrangement direction of the cassette module.

In addition, according to the present invention, the process module and the load lock module are arranged in a row of three on both sides of the second transfer module, the second transfer robot has three robot arms to be able to transfer three substrates at the same time It is preferable.

According to the present invention having the above-described configuration, the transfer module is kept at atmospheric pressure, thereby preventing problems caused by transferring the substrate in a vacuum state, that is, problems such as high malfunction rate and high unit cost.

In addition, since the footprint of the substrate processing apparatus is reduced, not only the size of the substrate processing apparatus can be reduced, but also the processing efficiency of the substrate processing apparatus can be improved by installing additional process modules in the reduced space. have.

2 is a block diagram of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view of the first transfer robot shown in FIG.

2 and 3, the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment includes a cassette module 10, a first transfer module 20, a second transfer module 30, and a load lock module ( 40 and a process module 50.

The cassette module 10 is for loading and unloading a substrate such as a wafer. In the present embodiment, four cassette modules 10 are provided and arranged in a row in the horizontal direction. Each cassette module 10 is loaded and unloaded a cassette (not shown) containing a plurality of substrates. The cassette is a device for preventing the substrate from being contaminated when transporting or storing the substrate in a semiconductor manufacturing process. The cassette is provided with a plurality of slots for mounting the substrate horizontally.

The first transfer module 20 is to provide a transfer path of the substrate between the cassette module 10 and the load lock module 40 together with the second transfer module 30 to be described later. The first transfer module 20 is formed in a rectangular shape long in the arrangement direction of the cassette module 10, that is, in the horizontal direction, and has a gate g1 for carrying in / out of the substrate with the cassette module 10. The interior of the first transfer module 20 is maintained at atmospheric pressure, and the first transfer robot 21 and the buffer stage 22 are installed.

The first transfer robot 21 is provided in a pair and spaced apart from each other in the horizontal direction, and is installed to be movable in the horizontal direction along the rail 23 installed in the first transfer module 20. As shown in FIG. 3, each of the first transfer robots includes three robot arms 213. Each robot arm 213 has a plurality of link members 211 rotatably coupled to each other, and a blade 212 on which a substrate is mounted, and operates independently of each other. Each of the first transfer robots is rotated within a range of 90 degrees between the load lock module and the buffer stage, that is, between the position shown by the solid line in FIG. 2 and the position shown by the virtual line in FIG. 2.

The buffer stage 22 is a place where the substrate is temporarily waited until the substrate is transferred between the first transfer robot 21 and the second transfer robot 31. As shown in FIG. It is disposed between the robot 21. The buffer stage 22 is provided with a plurality of slots for mounting a substrate. In the present embodiment, six slots are provided in the buffer stage 22.

The second transfer module 30 is to provide a transfer path of the substrate between the buffer stage 22 and the load lock module 40 and is formed in a rectangular shape. The second transfer module 30 is disposed on the opposite side of the cassette module 10 with the first transfer module 20 therebetween. The inside of the second transfer module 30 is maintained at atmospheric pressure, and the second transfer robot 31 is provided. The second transfer robot 31 has three robot arms that operate independently of the first transfer robot 21 described above, and each robot arm has a substrate between the buffer stage 22 and the load lock module 40. Transfer it.

The load lock module 40 is for transferring the substrate to the process module 50 in a vacuum state. In the present embodiment, six load lock modules 40 are provided, and are arranged in a row of three on both sides of the second transfer module 30, between each load lock module 40 and the second transfer module 30. The gate g3 for carrying in / out of a board | substrate is provided in this. Three load lock modules 40 arranged in a line are connected to one pumping port (not shown), and the inside of the load lock module 40 is converted between a vacuum state and a standby state when the pumping port is driven. In addition, each load lock module 40 is provided with a third transfer robot 41 for transferring the substrate to the process module. The third transfer robot 41 has a blade (not shown) on which the substrate is seated, and a driving source (not shown) such as a piston connected to the blade. The blade transfers the substrate while the piston is linearly driven.

The process module 50 is an area in which actual processes such as thin film deposition and etching are performed on the substrate. In the present embodiment, six process modules 50 are provided. Each process module 50 is coupled to the load lock module 40 one by one and arranged in a row, a gate (g4) for loading and unloading the substrate between each load lock module 40 and the process module 50 Is provided. In addition, the three process modules 50 arranged in a line are connected to one pumping port (not shown), and the inside of the process module 50 is converted to a vacuum state when the pumping port is driven. In addition, the same RF power is applied to the three process modules 50 arranged in a line.

Hereinafter, the substrate transfer process in the substrate processing apparatus constructed as described above will be described.

First, a cassette is loaded in the cassette module 10. At this time, the cassette on which the substrate is mounted is loaded on the two left cassette modules, and the cassette on which the substrate is not loaded is loaded on the two cassette modules on the right. The first transfer robot 21 arranged on the left side moves the substrate mounted on the cassette to the buffer stage (for example, three upper slots) while moving along the rail 23. At this time, the first transfer robot transfers three substrates at a time, and since the buffer stage 22 is disposed on the side of the first transfer robot 21, the buffer stage is rotated only by 90 degrees as shown in FIG. The substrate can be transferred to 22. The second transfer robot 31 loads three substrates mounted on the buffer stage 22 and transfers them to three load lock modules 40 arranged in a row. When the substrate is transferred to the load lock module, the load lock module is converted into a vacuum state, and then the substrate is transferred to the process module. In the process module, a process such as deposition or etching on the substrate is performed, and the processed substrate is transferred to the buffer stage (lower three slots) through the load lock module and the second transfer module. The substrate transferred to the buffer stage is transferred to two load lock modules arranged on the right side by the first transfer robot disposed on the right side. And, this process, that is, the transfer of the new substrate of the load lock module to the process module, and the process of transferring the processed substrate back to the load lock module is carried out continuously.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the substrate is transferred at atmospheric pressure in the first transfer module 20 and the second transfer module 30, and the substrate is moved in a vacuum state only between each load lock module and the process module. Transferred. Therefore, as the conventional interior of the transfer module is deformed by the vacuum pressure, a problem such as an error occurs in the transfer of the substrate is prevented. In addition, since the transfer robot operated under atmospheric pressure is used in the first transfer module and the second transfer module, it is possible to solve the problem of the transfer robot operated in the vacuum state, that is, the problem of high malfunction rate and high price.

In addition, since the buffer stage is disposed inside the first transfer module, in particular, between a pair of first transfer robots, each first transfer robot is capable of transferring the substrate between the load lock module and the buffer stage by rotating only 90 degrees. Therefore, the space occupied by the first transfer robot and the buffer stage can be reduced. In other words, when the first transfer robot is disposed between the buffer stage and the load lock module, the substrate mounted on the load lock module may be transferred to the buffer stage only when the first transfer robot is rotated by 180 degrees. While occupying this large space, in the present embodiment, the space occupied by the first transfer robot and the buffer stage can be greatly reduced. Therefore, since the footprint of the transfer module in the substrate processing apparatus can be reduced, the size of the substrate processing apparatus can be reduced, and the process of the substrate processing apparatus is additionally installed by additionally installing the process module in the reduced space. Efficiency can also be improved.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, the present invention is not limited to the specific preferred embodiments described above, and the present invention belongs to the present invention without departing from the gist of the present invention as claimed in the claims. Various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art, and such changes are within the scope of the claims.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, three process modules are configured to be connected to one pumping port, but the invention may be configured such that each process module is connected to a different pumping port and driven independently.

1 is a plan view schematically illustrating a configuration of a conventional cluster type substrate processing apparatus.

2 is a block diagram of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a schematic perspective view of the first transfer robot shown in FIG. 2.

<Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

100 ... substrate processing unit 10 ... load lock module

20 ... 1st transfer module 21 ... 1st transfer robot

22 ... buffer stage 30 ... 2nd transfer module

40 ... load lock module 50 ... process module

Claims (8)

A cassette module for loading and unloading a cassette containing a plurality of substrates; A first transfer module having a pair of first transfer robots disposed to be spaced apart from each other while transferring the substrates stored in the cassette, and a buffer stage disposed between the pair of first transfer robots and loaded with the transferred substrates; ; A second transfer module having a second transfer robot configured to transfer the substrate loaded in the buffer stage, the second transfer module disposed on an opposite side of the cassette module with the first transfer module therebetween; A plurality of process modules disposed around the second transfer module; And A plurality of load lock modules disposed between each of the process modules and the second transfer module and transferring the substrate transferred from the second transfer module to each of the process modules in a vacuum state. Processing unit. The method of claim 1, The cassette module is provided in plurality and disposed along one direction, And the first transfer robot performs processing on a plurality of cassettes while moving along the arrangement direction of the cassette module. The method of claim 2, Each of the first transfer robots has three robot arms to simultaneously transfer three substrates. And the slot is provided with six slots in which the substrate is loaded and unloaded. The method of claim 1, The process module and the load lock module are arranged in a row of three on both sides of the second transfer module, And the second transfer robot has three robot arms to transfer three substrates at the same time. The method of claim 4, wherein The three load lock modules arranged in a row are connected to one pumping port, And three process modules arranged in a row are connected to one pumping port. The method of claim 1, In each of the load lock modules, the substrate transfer apparatus is loaded with the substrate transferred from the second transfer module, the substrate processing apparatus, characterized in that provided with a third transfer robot that is linearly moved so that the substrate is transferred to the process module. The method of claim 1, And the first transfer module and the second transfer module are maintained at atmospheric pressure. The method of claim 1, Wherein each of the first transfer robots is rotated within a range of 90 degrees between the load lock module and the buffer stage.
KR1020090074246A 2009-08-12 2009-08-12 Substrate processing apparatus KR20110016639A (en)

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Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
KR101271383B1 (en) * 2011-04-15 2013-06-10 삼성전자주식회사 Apparatus for buffering Wafers and system for manufacturing wafers having the apparatus
KR101300998B1 (en) * 2011-12-16 2013-08-28 주식회사 테스 Substrate processing system
KR20180008714A (en) * 2015-05-24 2018-01-24 상하이 마이크로 일렉트로닉스 이큅먼트(그룹) 컴퍼니 리미티드 Silicon wafer transfer system

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
KR101271383B1 (en) * 2011-04-15 2013-06-10 삼성전자주식회사 Apparatus for buffering Wafers and system for manufacturing wafers having the apparatus
KR101300998B1 (en) * 2011-12-16 2013-08-28 주식회사 테스 Substrate processing system
KR20180008714A (en) * 2015-05-24 2018-01-24 상하이 마이크로 일렉트로닉스 이큅먼트(그룹) 컴퍼니 리미티드 Silicon wafer transfer system

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