KR20190051385A - Device for testing leak of purging gas at purging shelf for wafer container - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a purge gas leakage inspecting device on a purge shelf for a wafer container, which includes: a body having an inflow nozzle; and an analysis module receiving purge gas supplied from a supply nozzle through the inflow nozzle to analyze the same when the body is mounted on the shelf having the supply nozzle.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a purge gas leakage inspection apparatus for a wafer-

The present invention relates to a purge gas leakage inspection device in a purge lathe for a wafer built-in container.

Generally, in a semiconductor manufacturing process, a wafer is produced, and the produced wafer is transferred to the next stage to manufacture a semiconductor package.

At this time, the produced wafers can not be used in the next step, and after waiting for a certain time, they are sequentially sent to the next step as needed. As a facility for such storage, a device having a shelf is used.

However, the surface of the wafer may be damaged during such storage. In order to solve this problem, an inert gas supply and recovery module is installed on the shelf, and inert gas is injected into the container for storing the wafer. In order to stably inject the gas, the container holding the wafer on the shelf must be seated correctly and no leakage should occur between the shelf and the container.

However, due to damage to the shelf, the container may not be properly secured to the shelf, or the airtightness of the gas injection path between the shelf and the container may be impaired, resulting in leakage of the purge gas. Even in that case, the gas supply and collection module installed on the shelf recognizes that the set amount of gas is normally operating as long as it is discharged in the direction of the vessel. As a result, although the purge gas is discharged toward the wafer accommodation container, the purge gas is not properly introduced into the container, and the wafer is not purged properly. In spite of this situation, the operator can not know the defective purge operation due to the fact that the amount of purge gas can not flow properly into the vessel.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a purge gas leakage inspection device in a purge lathe for a wafer built-in container, which makes it possible to grasp that the purge gas supply to the wafer built-in vessel side is not properly performed due to structural and operational problems on the purge lathe side .

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a device for inspecting purge gas leakage in a purge lathe for a wafer built-in container, comprising: a body having an inflow nozzle; And an analysis module installed in the body and configured to analyze and input purge gas supplied from the supply nozzle through the inflow nozzle when the body is mounted on a shelf having a supply nozzle.

The body may include a bottom plate having a positioning groove formed to receive the positioning pin of the shelf and an exposure hole formed at a position corresponding to the inflow nozzle, And an intake box disposed on the upper side of the bottom plate with the analyzing module incorporated therein, wherein the inflow nozzle is provided to penetrate through the accommodating box and exposed to the outside through the exposure hole so as to be in contact with the supply nozzle can do.

Here, the receiving box may include an inner wall defining an inner space containing the analysis module; And a pair of supporting jaws protruding from opposite positions of the inner wall, wherein the analysis module comprises: a base supported by the pair of supporting jaws; And a sensing unit installed in the base and configured to sense at least one of the flow rate, pressure, temperature, and humidity of the purge gas input through the inlet nozzle.

Here, the base may be a circular plate having a wafer shape.

Here, the analysis module may include: a gas collector communicating with the inflow nozzle; And a sensing unit in communication with the gas collector, configured to sense at least one of the flow rate, pressure, temperature, and humidity of the purge gas captured in the gas collector to obtain sensing information.

Here, the gas collector is formed to reduce the internal cross-sectional area as it gets further away from the inflow nozzle, and is connected to the sensing unit. And a sealing member disposed between the radyer and the inflow nozzle.

Here, the gas collector may further include a fastening piece passing through the body and the sealing member and fastened to the reducer.

Here, the analysis module includes: a wireless communication unit configured to communicate with the outside; And a control unit for controlling the sensing unit and the wireless communication unit to externally transmit the sensing information acquired by the sensing unit.

The analysis module may further include a reading unit for reading recognition information of the shelf from a recognition information indicator of the shelf, wherein the control unit is configured to recognize the sensing information acquired by the sensing unit and the recognition information acquired by the reading unit Information to be transmitted to the outside via the wireless communication unit.

Here, the analysis module may include a memory for storing the sensing information and the recognition information under the control of the control unit; And a battery configured to provide power to the reading unit, the wireless communication unit, the memory, the control unit, and the sensing unit.

According to the purge gas leakage inspection device in the purge lathe for a wafer built-in container according to the present invention configured as described above, when the purge gas supply to the wafer built-in vessel side can not be properly performed due to structural and operational problems on the purge lathe side, This can be easily grasped.

Thereby, it is possible to accurately recognize the problem of incomplete purging that can occur in a method of evaluating the completeness of the purging operation merely by discharging the purge gas to the wafer built-in vessel side, and to find out the leakage factor that causes the incomplete purging problem .

1 is a conceptual perspective view for explaining a purge gas leakage inspection device 100 used therein and a purge shelf PS for a wafer built-in container according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a perspective view of the purge gas leakage inspection device 100 of FIG.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the analysis module 150 of FIG. 2 independently.
4 is a cross-sectional view of the gas collector 151 taken along the line IV-IV in FIG.
5 is a control block diagram illustrating the operation of the analysis module 150 of FIG.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a purge gas leakage inspection device in a purge lathe for a wafer built-in container according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the present specification, the same or similar reference numerals are given to different embodiments in the same or similar configurations.

1 is a conceptual perspective view for explaining a purge gas leakage inspection device 100 used therein and a purge shelf PS for a wafer built-in container according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to this figure, first, the purge lathe for a wafer accommodation container PS may include a support plate SP and a purge gas supply and recovery module.

The support plate SP has a configuration in which a wafer accommodation container (not shown) is seated. The wafer accommodation container can contain several to several tens of wafers stacked in layers. In this support plate SP, the inspection device 100 may be mounted in place of the wafer accommodation container for purge gas leakage inspection. To this end, the support plate SP may have a substantially rectangular shape. A plurality of positioning pins LP may be formed on the support plate SP. The support plate SP may be provided with a recognition information indicator (ID) in which information for identifying the support plate SP is displayed.

The purge gas supply and recovery module is a structure for supplying an inert gas to the wafer accommodation container seated on the support plate (SP) and recovering the inert gas therefrom. The purge gas supply and collection module may include a supply line (GS) for supplying an inert gas to the wafer accommodation container and a recovery line (GR) for recovering the inert gas supplied to the wafer accommodation container . A supply nozzle SN and a recovery nozzle RN are provided at the ends of the supply line GS and the recovery line GR. The upper end of the supply nozzle SN and the recovery nozzle RN, specifically, the respective nozzle caps are positioned on the support plate SP.

The purge gas leakage test device 100 is a configuration for analyzing the purge gas that is seated on the support plate SP and is input through the supply nozzle SN. To this end, the purge gas leakage testing device 100 may include a body 110, which is generally similar in shape to the wafer receiving container. The body 110 has an inflow nozzle 111 corresponding to the supply nozzle SN.

According to this configuration, when the inspection device 100 is placed on the support plate SP, the inflow nozzle 111 of the inspection device 100 corresponds to the supply nozzle SN. Thereby, the supply nozzle SN is brought into communication with the inflow nozzle 111. This means that the supply line GS communicates with the inner space of the body 110 via the supply nozzle SN and the inflow nozzle 111. [

As a result, the inert gas supplied through the supply line GS is injected into the body 110 through the supply nozzle SN connected to the supply line GS and the inflow nozzle 111 corresponding to the nozzle. The purge gas leakage inspection device 100 recognizes the problem of gas leakage in the purge shelf PS through the analysis module 150 (see FIG. 2) for analyzing the inert gas introduced into the body 110. Here, the gas leakage is a phenomenon in which the supply nozzle SN is damaged, specifically, the cap (silicon material) of the supply nozzle SN is damaged, and the purge gas leakage inspection device 100 due to the defect of the positioning pin LP It may be caused by a seat or the like.

The inert gas injected into the inspection device 100 is analyzed by the analysis module 150 and then discharged to the outside through the discharge nozzle 112 and the recovery nozzle RN and the recovery line GR connected thereto do.

The above purge gas leakage inspection device 100 will be described in more detail with reference to Fig.

2 is a perspective view of the purge gas leakage inspection device 100 of FIG.

Referring to this figure, the body 110 may include a receiving box 113 and a bottom plate 116 in addition to the inflow nozzle 111. [

The receiving box 113 is a hollow container having a generally hexahedral shape. The analysis module 150 may be installed in the inner space of the receiving box 113. To this end, the inner wall 114 defining the inner space is formed with a support jaw 115 opposed to each other. The support jaw 115 may be supported by the analysis module 150, specifically its base 151 (see FIG. 3). The inflow nozzle 111 described above may be installed through the bottom of the receiving box 113.

The bottom plate 116 is coupled to the bottom surface of the receiving box 113 and has a portion spaced apart from the bottom surface of the receiving box 113. A robot arm for handling the purge gas leakage testing device 100 may be inserted into the spaced apart portion between the bottom plate 116 and the receiving box 113. A positioning groove 117 may be formed in the bottom surface of the bottom plate 116 to receive the positioning pin LP. The positioning grooves 117 may be formed in the number corresponding to the positioning pins LP, for example, three. The bottom plate 116 may have through holes 118 formed therein. The exposure holes 118 may be formed in pairs corresponding to the inflow nozzles 111 and the discharge nozzles 112, respectively. The exposure hole 118 exposes the nozzles 111 and 112 to the outside so that the supply nozzle SN and the recovery nozzle RN come into contact with the inflow nozzle 111 and the discharge nozzle 112, respectively.

The analyzing module 150 embedded in the receiving box 113 of the body 110 analyzes the purge gas inputted into the inner space of the receiving box 113 through the inlet nozzle 111. [

This analysis module 150 will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the analysis module 150 of FIG. 2 independently.

Referring to the drawings, the analysis module 150 may include a base 151, a sensing unit 155, and a gas collector 161.

The base 151 is a frame supported by a pair of supporting jaws 115 (see Fig. 2). The base 151 may be a disk-shaped body that is generally in the form of a wafer. If the base 151 has the same shape as the wafer, an existing wafer receiving container (Foup) for receiving the wafer can be used as the body 110. [

The sensing unit 155 is installed on the base 151 to sense the characteristics of the purge gas to acquire sensing information. Specifically, the sensing unit 155 may comprise a sensor for sensing at least one of the flow rate, pressure, temperature, and humidity of the purge gas.

The gas collector 161 is provided in communication with the inflow nozzle 111 to collect the purge gas input through the inflow nozzle 111 and flow to the sensing unit 155. For this purpose, the gas collector 161 may include a reducer 162, a sealing member 163, and a flow tube 165.

The reducer 162 and the sealing member 163 are coupled to the inflow nozzle 111 and the flow tube 165 is a tube that communicates the reducer 162 with the sensing unit 155.

The configuration of the gas collector 161 will be described with reference to FIG.

4 is a cross-sectional view of the gas collector 151 taken along the line IV-IV in FIG.

Referring to the drawing, the reducing chamber 162 may have a shape in which the inner cross-sectional area decreases as the nozzle moves away from the inflow nozzle 111. The sealing member 163 is disposed between one end of the reducer 162 and the inflow nozzle 111 to prevent leakage therebetween. The sealing member 163 may be formed of, for example, a silicon material.

The gas collector 161 may further have a fastening piece 164 to allow the reducer 162 and the sealing member 163 to stably communicate with the inflow nozzle 111. [ The fastening piece 164 may be engaged with the sealing member 163 and the reducer 162 while being stuck in the receiving box 113. Thereby, the reducer 162 and the sealing member 163 are coupled to the inlet box 111 while being connected to the inflow nozzle 111.

With such a configuration, the purge gas introduced into the inflow nozzle 111 is prevented from leaking while flowing to the sensing unit 155. [ Thereby, it is possible to prevent the purge gas leakage inspection device 100 from causing a problem in the purge gas leakage inspection device 100, which is not a problem in the purge gas leakage inspection device 100, when the detection unit 155 detects an insufficient amount of purge gas supplied through the supply line GS The problem can be confirmed.

The detailed analysis operation of the analysis module 150 will be described with reference to FIG.

5 is a control block diagram illustrating the operation of the analysis module 150 of FIG.

The analysis module 150 includes a reading unit 156, a wireless communication unit 157, a memory 158, a battery 159, and a control unit 160, in addition to the sensing unit 155. [ Lt; / RTI >

First, the sensing unit 155 may include at least one of a flow sensor 155a, a pressure sensor 155b, a temperature sensor 155c, and a humidity sensor 155d. The flow sensor 155a measures the flow rate of the purge gas input into the receiving box 113. [ The pressure sensor 155b measures the pressure of the purge gas, the temperature sensor 155c measures the temperature of the purge gas, and the humidity sensor 155d measures the humidity of the purge gas.

The reading unit 156 is a structure for reading the recognition information of the shelf PS from the recognition information indicator (ID) of the shelf PS. Here, the recognition information may be displayed in the form of a barcode in an identification information indicator (ID).

The wireless communication unit 157 is a configuration for wireless communication with an external server or a computer. The wireless communication unit 157 may transmit the sensing information and the recognition information to the outside.

The memory 158 stores the sensing information and the recognition information. The battery 159 supplies power to the sensing unit 155 and the like.

The control unit 160 is a configuration for controlling the sensing unit 155, the reading unit 156, the wireless communication unit 157, the memory 158, and the battery 159.

According to this configuration, when the purge gas leakage inspection device 100 is placed on a specific purge shelf PS and purge gas is input to the receiving box 113, the detection unit 155, under the control of the control unit 160, The sensing unit 156 acquires the sensing information and the reading unit 156 acquires the sensing information for the shelf PS.

The control unit 160 may match the recognition information and the sensing information to each other and store it in the memory 158 or transmit it to the outside via the wireless communication unit 157. [ Thereby, the operator finds a problem of leakage of the purge gas in a specific shelf (PS) and can repair the shelf (PS).

The purge gas leakage inspection device in the purge lathe for a wafer built-in container as described above is not limited to the configuration and the operation manner of the embodiments described above. The embodiments may be configured so that all or some of the embodiments may be selectively combined so that various modifications may be made.

100: purge gas leakage inspection device 110: body
111: Inflow nozzle 113: Container box
116: bottom plate 150: analysis module
151: base 155: sensing unit
156: Reading unit 157: Wireless communication unit
160: control unit

Claims (10)

A body having an inflow nozzle; And
And an analyzing module mounted on the body and configured to receive and analyze purge gas supplied from the supply nozzle through the inflow nozzle when the body is seated on a shelf having a supply nozzle, Purge gas leakage inspection device in a purge shelf.
The method according to claim 1,
The body
A bottom plate having a positioning groove formed to receive a positioning pin of the shelf and an exposure hole formed at a position corresponding to the inflow nozzle; And
And an accommodation box containing the analysis module and disposed above the bottom plate,
Wherein the inflow nozzle is provided through the accommodating box and is exposed to the outside through the exposure hole so as to be contactable with the supply nozzle.
The method according to claim 1,
The receiving box includes:
An inner wall defining an inner space in which the analysis module is built; And
Further comprising a pair of supporting jaws protruding from opposite positions of the inner wall,
Wherein the analysis module comprises:
A base supported by the pair of supporting jaws; And
And a sensing unit mounted on the base and configured to sense at least one of the flow rate, pressure, temperature, and humidity of the purge gas input through the inlet nozzle. Gas leakage inspection device.
The method of claim 3,
Wherein said base is a disc-shaped chain having a wafer shape, wherein said purge gas leakage inspection device in a purge lathe for a wafer built-in container.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the analysis module comprises:
A gas collector communicating with the inflow nozzle; And
And a sensing unit in communication with the gas collector for sensing at least one of the flow rate, pressure, temperature, and humidity of the purge gas captured in the gas collector to obtain sensing information. Purge gas leakage inspection device in a purge shelf.
6. The method of claim 5,
The gas collector may include:
A reducing chamber communicating with the sensing unit so that the inner cross-sectional area decreases as the distance from the inflow nozzle increases; And
And a sealing member disposed between the radyer and the inflow nozzle. The device for purge gas leakage inspection in a purge lathe for a wafer built-in container.
The method according to claim 6,
The gas collector may include:
Further comprising a fastening piece passing through the body and the sealing member and fastened to the reducer.
6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the analysis module comprises:
A wireless communication unit configured to communicate with the outside; And
Further comprising a control unit for controlling said sensing unit and said wireless communication unit to externally transmit said sensed information obtained by said sensing unit to said purge gas leakage inspection device.
9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the analysis module comprises:
Further comprising a reading unit for reading identification information of the shelf from a recognition information indicator of the shelf,
Wherein the control unit causes the sensing information acquired by the sensing unit and the recognition information acquired by the reading unit to be transmitted to the outside via the wireless communication unit.
10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein the analysis module comprises:
A memory for storing the sensing information and the recognition information under the control of the control unit; And
Further comprising a battery configured to provide power to the reading unit, the wireless communication unit, the memory, the control unit, and the sensing unit.

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