KR940008318B1 - Wafer transfer equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

The wafer transfer is for executing a wafer transferring and for controlling an occurrence of an alien substance is disclosed including a vacuum chamber, a stepping motor, a bearing plate, a linear motor composed of driving part, an arm and a wafer chuck; leading or accommodating a wafer in respective chamber; having a construction of the respective chamber confronted with the wafer chuck turned and transferred by a regular angle; and controlling each transfer stroke exactly so as to get an effective wafer transfer and a wafer quality improvement.

Description

Wafer Transfer Device

1 is a block diagram of a general electron resonance etching equipment.

2 is a plan view of the present invention.

3 is a side cross-sectional view of FIG.

* Explanation of symbols for main parts of the drawings

3, 6, and 8: first and second cassette chambers and process chambers

10: wafer transfer device 20: wafer transfer unit

21: stepping motor 26: arm

27: wafer chuck 30: linear motor

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a wafer transfer device, and more particularly, to a wafer transfer device configured to suppress wafer transfer and foreign matter generation using a linear motor and a stepping motor. It is about.

In the wafer fabrication process, the wafer must be transferred to each process execution location during various process steps (etching, deposition, deposition, etc.).

The most important requirement in the wafer transfer process is to suppress the impact, foreign matter, stress and scratches of the wafer.

Conventional wafer transfer devices use the frog leg mechanism and timing belt mechanism that operate in the atmosphere. However, in such a mechanism, many mechanisms are considered in terms of ultra-vacuum and foreign matter generation, which are requirements of wafers. It is composed of elements, which itself acts as a foreign substance generating factor.

The present invention is to provide a wafer transfer apparatus using a linear motor and a stepping motor to maintain the transfer path in a vacuum state in order to meet each condition required during the transfer process of the wafer.

Although the configuration and principle of the present invention can be applied to all processes for transferring wafers, the present specification provides an example of an apparatus for transferring wafers into a process chamber of an Electron Cyclotron Resonance (ECR) etching apparatus. Listen and explain.

In a wafer manufacturing process of a semiconductor, an etching apparatus that transfers an electron resonance for etching a wafer surface supplies a plasma of a gas generated by the electron resonance to the wafer surface, and the plasma etches the wafer surface.

Briefly explaining the configuration and function of the electron resonance etching equipment, Figure 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a general cylindrical electron resonance etching equipment, the microwave generator 4, such as a magnetron for generating a microwave of a predetermined HZ generates a microwave, It is conducted through the rectangular waveguide 7 toward the microwave introduction window 9 on the upper portion of the cylindrical resonator 1. At this time, a tuner 5 is installed between the rectangular waveguide 7 and the microwave generator 4, in which the microwave is conducted in the TE10 mode, and into the cylindrical resonator 1 through the microwave introduction window 9. Supply. Therefore, the predetermined gas injected into the resonator 1 is excited by the microwaves introduced through the microwave introduction window 9 to generate plasma.

On the other hand, a plurality of electromagnetic coils 2 are arranged around the cylindrical resonator 1 generating plasma, and plasma of the gas generated by the electromagnetic cyclotron resonance of the microwaves is introduced into the reaction chamber 8 in which the wafer to be worked is placed. Supplied. Plasmaized gas is effectively processed by a wafer contained in the process chamber 8 by a wafer transfer device (not shown) to be performed by plasma etching or plasma deposition.

FIG. 2 shows a planar configuration of the process chamber shown in FIG. 1 and the wafer transfer apparatus for transferring wafers into the process chamber.

The wafer transfer apparatus 10 according to the present invention includes a processor chamber 8 in which a plasma deposition (or etching) process of a wafer is performed, and a first cassette in which a cassette of a wafer to be deposited (or etching) is mounted. The cassette 3 which stores the chamber 3 and the wafer cassette in which deposition (or etching) has been completed is installed at the center of the second cassette chamber 6 in which it is seated. The wafer transfer unit 20, which is a component of the present invention, is also installed in the vacuum chamber 100 to prevent external exposure of the wafer to be transferred (contamination to foreign matter).

3 is a side cross-sectional view of FIG. 2, showing that the wafer transfer section 20 of the wafer transfer apparatus 10 of the present invention is installed in a sealed vacuum chamber 100. As shown in FIG.

The configuration of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

The vacuum chamber 100 in which the wafer transfer unit 20 is installed is in communication with the process chamber 8 and the cassette chambers 3 and 6 through the respective connecting portions 8A, 3A, and 6A, and each connecting portion 8A, 3A. And the width of 6A) is the width at which the wafer can be transferred.

A stepping motor 21 is installed below the vacuum chamber 100, the driving shaft 21A of the stepping motor 21 is connected to the rotating shaft 23 by a flexible coupling 22, and the rotating shaft ( 23 is located in the vacuum chamber 100 through the lower center of the vacuum chamber 100.

The magnetic seal member 24 is mounted on the bottom of the vacuum chamber 100 through which the rotating shaft 23 penetrates to block the inside and outside air of the vacuum chamber 100.

The central portion of the support plate 25 in a straight line is fixed to the end of the rotation shaft 23 located inside the vacuum chamber 100, so that the support plate 25 is operated by the stepping motor 21 in accordance with the operation of the vacuum chamber ( 100 is rotated about the rotation axis 23 inside.

The guide part 32 of the linear motor 30 is mounted on the support plate 25, and the drive part 31 of the linear motor 30 is positioned on the surface of the guide part 32. An end portion of the arm 26 is fixed to the drive portion 31 of the linear motor 30, and the wafer chuck 27 is fixed to the other end portion of the arm 26.

On the other hand, as described above, the connection portions 8A, 3A, and 6A for communicating the vacuum chamber 100 with each chamber (process chamber 8, first and second cassette chambers 3 and 6) are arm 26. It must be configured so as to be horizontally and horizontally to allow wafer flow into and out of each chamber (8, 3 and 6).

Referring to the operation of the present invention having the configuration described above with reference to Figures 2 and 3, the initial state (the wafer chuck 27 fixed to the tip of the arm 26 is connected to the first cassette chamber 3 ( 3A), when the drive part 31 of the linear motor 30 is operated in the "ga" position of FIG. 3, the drive part 31 moves along the guide part 32, and thus the arm ( 26 and the wafer chuck 27 are transferred into the first cassette chamber 3 through the connection portion 3A.

The wafer chuck 27 in the transfer process is transferred along the bottom surface of one wafer accommodated in the first cassette chamber 3, and the wafer is then placed on the surface of the wafer chuck 27 (the process of placing the wafer on the wafer chuck is The drive unit 31 of the linear motor 30 performs the reverse operation and returns to the initial state. (Wafer chuck 27 returns to the "to" position)

At this time, on the rear end of the wafer chuck 27 (boundary with the arm 26), the stopper combine adjustment member 28 having a predetermined height across the wafer chuck 27 is fixed to the arm 26 of the wafer to be raised. And the position on the wafer chuck 27 are adjusted.

The shape of the surface corresponding to the wafer chuck 27 of the stopper dual adjustment member 28 is configured to be the same as the shape of the outer circumferential surface of the wafer so that accurate positioning of the wafer is achieved. (W (wafer) state of FIG. 2)

When one wafer W is placed on the wafer chuck 27, the driving unit 31 of the linear motor 30 is operated so that the wafer chuck 31 at the tip of the arm 26 is moved to the first cassette chamber 3. It is conveyed to the outside (the position of FIG. 2), and then the stepping motor 21 drives the support plate 25 under the vacuum chamber 100 for a predetermined time. Therefore, the wafer chuck 27 (the state where the wafer W is raised) at the tip of the arm 26 corresponds to the connection portion 8A of the process chamber 8. ("I" position status of Figure 2)

Thereafter, the driving unit 31 of the linear motor 30 is operated to perform the process as described above.

That is, the wafer chuck 27 at the tip of the arm 26 is transferred into the process chamber 8 through the connection portion 8A, and the wafer W placed on the surface of the wafer chuck 27 is predetermined within the process chamber 8. Will be placed in position.

Thereafter, the driving unit 31 of the linear motor 30 is operated, and the wafer chuck 27 is transferred out of the process chamber 8 (the “I” position of FIG. 2), and the process chamber 8 is maintained in the process chamber 8 for a set time. The wafer etching process by plasma is performed.

After the wafer etching process, the driving unit 31 of the linear motor 30 is operated, and the wafer chuck 27 at the tip of the arm 26 is transferred to the process chamber 8 again to complete the etching process. Settle on (At this time, the wafer is biased, restrained, and positioned toward the arm 26 by a stopper and a combined adjusting member 28 fixed to the rear end of the wafer chuck 27).

Subsequently, the driving unit 31 of the linear motor 30 is operated to transfer the wafer chuck 27 into the vacuum chamber 100 (FIG. 2 " I " position), and then stepping under the vacuum chamber 100. The motor 21 is operated to transfer the wafer chuck 27 in a state facing the process chamber 8 toward the second cassette chamber 6. ("Multi" position in Figure 3)

When the wafer chuck 27 on which the wafers W are loaded is opposed to the connection portion 6A of the second cassette chamber 6 (the second position is "high"), the driving portion 31 of the linear motor 30 is moved. Operation is carried to transfer the wafer chuck 27 into the second cassette chamber 6. When the wafer is removed from the wafer chuck 27 (mounted in the wafer cassette) due to the operation of the internal device of the second cassette chamber 6, the driving unit 31 of the linear motor 30 is operated so that the wafer chuck 27, the wafer Unloaded) is retracted and placed into the vacuum chamber 100 ("multi" position in FIG. 2). Thereafter, the stepping motor 21 is driven so that the wafer chuck 27 is opposed to the connection portion 3A of the first cassette chamber 3, which is the initial position (the " ga " position in FIG. 2), and then all the above-described processes are performed. It will be repeated sequentially.

On the other hand, reference numeral 40 of FIG. 2 is a pumping line (Pumping Line), the externally installed pump and the inside of the vacuum chamber 100 to communicate all the foreign substances present in the vacuum chamber 100 to be discharged to the outside, Therefore, the influence of the wafer due to the foreign matter is minimized.

Adjustment of the drive part 31 of the linear motor 30, that is, the position of the wafer device in each chamber 3, 6 and 8 at the driving stroke distance (the (or b) position in FIG. 2) of the wafer chuck 27 Distance limit), two limit switches are provided with the guide part 32 of the linear motor 30, and also the driving time of the stepping motor 21, that is, in the " ga " Rotation degree to rotate the wafer chuck 27 (in effect, rotation of the support plate 25) from "I" to "D" to "D" and from "D" to "D" A photo coupler is used to control the operation. (The method of controlling the operation of the linear motor and the stepping motor using the limit switch and the photo coupler is a general matter and thus the description thereof will be omitted.)

On the other hand, the process in which the wafer chuck 27 takes out or loads one wafer from each of the wafer cassettes in the wafer cassette chambers 3 and 6 is the same as that of the present patent application. Device) is described in detail in the description.

As described above, the present invention provides a wafer transfer unit for transferring wafers in a vacuum chamber sealed to the outside and minimizes the generation of foreign substances in the transfer process by using a linear motor and a stepping motor. At the same time, by precisely controlling each transfer stroke, efficient wafer transfer and wafer quality improvement can be achieved.

Claims (7)

A vacuum chamber 100 in communication with each other by a plurality of chambers 3, 6 and 8 and connecting portions 3A, 6A and 8A, a stepping motor 21 installed outside the vacuum chamber 100, and the vacuum The support plate 25 installed in the chamber 100 and rotated by the rotational force of the stepping motor 21, and a straight line along the guide part 32 and the guide part 32 provided on the support plate 25. A linear motor 30 formed of a driving unit 31 for moving, an arm 26 fixed to the driving unit 31 of the linear motor 30 to perform linear movement with the driving unit 31, and It consists of a wafer chuck 27 fixed to the tip of the arm 26 to seat the wafer, the wafer chuck 27 through each of the connecting portions (3A, 6A and 8A) in accordance with the operation of the linear motor (30). Selective transfer into each of the chambers 3, 6 and 8 allows the wafer to be withdrawn or received in each of the chambers 3, 6 and 8, Wafer transfer device characterized in that the wafer chuck 27 is rotated at a predetermined angle in accordance with the operation of the stepping motor (21) to face the respective chambers (3, 6 and 8). A wafer transfer apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said connecting portions (3A, 6A, and 8A) are configured to be parallel to the wafer chuck (27). According to claim 1, The support plate 25 is fixed to the center of the rotation shaft 23, the rotation shaft 23 is passed through the vacuum chamber 100 by the flexible coupling 22 the stepping mow Wafer transfer apparatus characterized in that connected to the drive shaft (21A) of the rotor (21). The wafer transfer device of claim 3, wherein the vacuum chamber (100) is equipped with a magnetic sealing member (24) at a portion through which the rotating shaft (23) penetrates to block the inside and the outside. According to claim 1, wherein the vacuum chamber 200 is installed to the pumping line 40 connected to the pump installed in the outside is configured to forcibly discharge the foreign substances generated in the vacuum chamber 100 to the outside Wafer Transfer Device. 2. The wafer chuck 27 according to claim 1, wherein the wafer chuck 27 has a stopper for controlling the bias of the wafer W toward the arm 26 and adjusting the seating state of the wafer at the boundary with the arm 26 at the rear end thereof. Wafer transfer apparatus characterized in that the adjustment member 28 is attached. 7. A wafer transfer apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the opposite surface of the wafer chuck (27) of the stopper dual adjustment member (28) is formed in the same shape as the surface of the wafer seated on the wafer chuck (27).