TW201509768A - Front opening unified pod (FOUP) cassette container - Google Patents

Abstract

A front opening unified pod (FOUP) cassette container includes a container housing. A wafer cassette housing that includes at least one cavity for positioning a wafer cassette is movably attached to the container housing so that the wafer cassette housing moves relative to a surface of the container housing to allow wafers cassettes to be loaded and removed. A latching mechanism secures the wafer cassette housing to the container housing.

Description

Front open wafer transfer box (FOUP) cassette

The headings of the paragraphs used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not to be construed as limiting the subject matter described in this application in any way.

Material handling systems typically store the substrate in cassettes before and after processing. Many such material processing systems include substrate carriers for supporting and sometimes transporting substrates during processing. The substrate is often a disk or other semiconductor crystalline material commonly referred to as a wafer. The terms "substrate" and "wafer" as used herein are equivalent. One type of material processing system is a vapor phase epitaxy (VPE) system. A vapor phase epitaxy type of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) comprising directing one or more gases containing a chemical species onto a surface of a substrate such that the reactive species reacts and forms a film on the surface of the substrate. . For example, a compound semiconductor material can be grown on a substrate using a VPE system.

The material is typically grown by injecting at least one precursor gas and (in many processes) at least a first and a second precursor gas into a processing chamber containing a crystalline substrate. A compound semiconductor (such as a III-V semiconductor) can be formed by growing various layers of a semiconductor material on a substrate using a hydride precursor gas and an organometallic precursor gas. Metal organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) is a vapor deposition method commonly used to grow a compound semiconductor by surface reaction using a metal organic substance and a hydride containing a desired chemical element. For example, indium phosphide can be grown in a reactor on a substrate by introducing trimethylindium and phosphine.

Alternative names for MOVPE used in the art include organometallic vapor phase epitaxy (OMVPE), metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), and organometallic chemical vapor deposition (OMCVD). In such procedures, the gas reacts with each other on a growth surface of a substrate such as a sapphire, Si, GaAs, InP, InAs, or GaP substrate to form the general formula In _X Ga _Y Al _Z N _A As _B P _C a compound of Sb _D III-V, wherein X+Y+Z is approximately equal to 1, and A+B+C+D is approximately equal to 1, and each of X, Y, Z, A, B, C, and D may be Between 0 and 1. In various processes, the substrate can be a metal, a semiconductor, or an insulating substrate. In some cases, some or all of the other Group III metals may be replaced with ruthenium.

The compound semiconductor (such as a III-V semiconductor) can also be formed by growing various layers of the semiconductor material on a substrate using a hydride or halide precursor gas program. In a hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE) process, by the hot gaseous metal chlorides (e.g., AICI3 or GaCl3) and ammonia (NH ₃₎ to form a group III nitride (e.g., GaN, AlN). Metal chloride is produced by passing hot HCl gas over the hot Group III metal. One feature of HVPE is that it can have a very high growth rate of up to 100 μm per hour for some of the most advanced procedures. Another feature of HVPE is that it can be used to deposit relatively high quality films because the film grows in a carbon free environment and the hot HCl gas provides a self cleaning effect.

In such procedures, the substrate is maintained at a high temperature in a reaction chamber. The precursor gas is typically mixed with an inert carrier gas and then directed into the reaction chamber. Typically, the gas is introduced to the reaction chamber at a relatively low temperature. When the gas reaches the hot substrate, its available temperature, and thus its available energy for the reaction, increases. The formation of an epitaxial layer occurs by final pyrolysis of the constituent chemicals at the surface of the substrate. Crystals are formed by a chemical reaction on the surface of the substrate rather than by a physical deposition process. Therefore, VPE is used in one of the thermodynamic metastable alloys where growth techniques are desired. Currently, VPE is commonly used to fabricate laser diodes, solar cells, and light emitting diodes (LEDs).

A front open wafer transfer cassette (FOUP) cassette containing a container according to the teachings And a housing and a wafer cassette housing for positioning at least one cavity of a wafer cassette. In various embodiments, the cassette housing is positioned such that a robotic arm picks up the wafer and places the wafer into the cassette housing. In many embodiments, the wafer cassette housing includes a plurality of cavities adapted to position a plurality of wafer cassettes. The wafer cassette housing is movably attached to the container housing such that the wafer cassette housing moves relative to a front surface of the container housing. This geometry allows for easy loading and removal of wafer cassettes. In some embodiments, the container housing includes a mating surface that forms a hermetic seal with the wafer cassette housing.

A latch mechanism secures the wafer cassette housing to the container housing. In one embodiment, the latch mechanism is a spring loaded latch mechanism. In some embodiments, the wafer cassette housing includes a wafer cassette that is secured to one of the H cassettes of the wafer cassette housing. In various embodiments, the container housing includes at least one handle for the operator to manually transport the container housing. For example, a handle can be placed on the top surface of one of the container housings.

The container casing according to the present teachings can have various forms. In some embodiments, at least one of the container outer casing and the wafer cassette outer casing is formed from a strong and inexpensive one of the resin materials. Further, in some embodiments, at least one of the container housing and the wafer cassette housing is formed from aluminum.

In some embodiments, the wafer cassette housing is movably attached to the container housing by a hinge mechanism that rotates the wafer cassette housing relative to the container housing. For example, the hinge mechanism can include at least one bearing. In other embodiments, the wafer cassette housing is movably attached to the container housing by a sliding mechanism. The sliding mechanism can include at least one bearing.

The FOUP cassettes of this teaching can be adapted to accommodate a variety of wafer sizes. For example, in some embodiments, the wafer cassette housing includes a first cavity sized to receive one of the first wafer cassettes having a first diameter wafer, and a positioning support having a first One of the second diameter wafers is a second cavity of the second wafer cassette. Moreover, in some embodiments, the wafer cassette housing supports at least one wafer cassette adapted to support at least two of a four inch wafer, a six inch wafer, and an eight inch wafer. Those skilled in the art should understand this teaching. Various FOUP cassettes can be configured in a number of different ways to accommodate a variety of wafer sizes.

100‧‧‧Knowledge Container for Front-Open Wafer Transfer Box (FOUP)

102‧‧‧ container casing

104‧‧‧ wafer card housing

106‧‧‧ cavity

108‧‧‧ wafer card

110‧‧‧Latch mechanism

112‧‧‧Top cover

114‧‧‧提提

114’‧‧‧

116‧‧‧Matching surface

116'‧‧‧ Corresponding mating surface

300‧‧‧ Flowchart

302‧‧‧Steps

304‧‧‧Steps

306‧‧‧Steps

308‧‧‧Steps

310‧‧‧Steps

400‧‧‧ Flowchart

402‧‧‧Steps

404‧‧‧Steps

406‧‧‧Steps

The present teachings in accordance with the preferred and exemplary embodiments, together with the further advantages thereof Those skilled in the art should understand that the drawings described below are for illustrative purposes only. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, and instead, the emphasis is generally to illustrate the principles of the teachings. The schema is not intended to limit the scope of the applicant's teachings in any way.

1A illustrates a perspective front view of one of the cassettes of a front open wafer transfer cassette (FOUP) in the position of wafer cassette loading as taught herein.

1B illustrates a perspective rear view of one of the cassettes of the front opening wafer transfer cassette (FOUP) in the position in which the wafer cassette is loaded.

2 illustrates a perspective front view of one of the cassettes of the front opening wafer transfer cassette (FOUP) of the present invention in the position of wafer cassette unloading.

3 illustrates a flow diagram of one method of loading a wafer cassette in a processing system in accordance with the present teachings.

4 illustrates a flow diagram of one method of unloading a processed wafer cassette in a processing system in accordance with the present teachings.

Reference is made to the "an embodiment" or "an embodiment" or "an embodiment" or "an embodiment," The phrase "in one embodiment", which is in the various aspects of the specification, is not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.

It will be appreciated that the individual steps of the method of the present teachings can be performed in any order and/or concurrently as long as the teachings remain operational. In addition, it should be understood that the teachings and methods of the present teachings can include any number or all of the described embodiments as long as the teachings remain operational.

Reference will now be made in detail to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention as illustrated in the drawings Describe this teaching. While the present teachings have been described in connection with various embodiments and examples, the embodiments are not intended to be limited. Conversely, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the present teachings are intended to cover various alternatives, modifications, and equivalents. Those skilled in the art will recognize additional embodiments, modifications, and embodiments, as well as other fields within the scope of the invention as described herein.

This teaching is directed to methods and apparatus for loading and unloading wafer cassettes in a processing system. Although some aspects of the present teachings are described in connection with semiconductor substrate handling for VPE systems, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the methods and apparatus of the present invention can be applied to substrate carriers comprising one of the substrates for supporting any type. Any type of processing system. Moreover, the methods and apparatus of the present teachings are independent of substrate or wafer size.

Many material handling requires very high throughput to be competitive in the industry. For example, it is highly desirable to achieve high throughput throughput of one of LED and semiconductor laser devices to make such devices cost competitive in today's industry. In addition, there is a current need to fully or automatically automate the substrate handling of substrates to various processes, such as VPE substrate processing to fabricate LEDs and semiconductor laser devices. Furthermore, the industry currently needs to significantly increase the substrate throughput measured by the substrate processed per hour. This teaching can increase the mechanical throughput of an automated cassette to a substrate in a cassette substrate handling system.

1A illustrates a perspective front elevational view of a cassette container 100 of a front open wafer transfer cassette (FOUP) in the position of wafer cassette loading as taught herein. FIG. 1B illustrates a perspective rear view of one of the cassettes 100 of the front opening wafer transfer cassette (FOUP) in the position in which the wafer cassette is loaded. Referring to both FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B, the FOUP cassette container 100 includes a container housing 102 and a wafer cassette housing 104. In many embodiments, as described in connection with FIG. 2, there is a seal mating surface created between the container housing 102 and the wafer cassette housing 104. The wafer cassette housing 104 includes at least one cavity 106 sized to support a wafer cassette 108, which is more clearly shown in FIG. The wafer cassette 108 can be picked up and placed in the container housing 102 from the container housing 102 by hand. Or, you can use a robotic arm The wafer cassette 108 is picked up from the container housing 102 and placed in the container housing 102.

In some embodiments, the wafer cassette housing 104 includes an industry standard H interface that secures an industry standard H wafer cassette to the wafer cassette housing 104. The wafer can be picked up and placed in the wafer cassette 108 by a robotic arm. Moreover, in various embodiments, the container housing 102 includes at least one handle to assist the user in transferring the container housing 102 by hand. For example, the wafer cassette housing 104 can include a top cover 112 that has a handle 114 secured to one of the top covers 112. Other handles 114' may also be located on the side of the container housing 102 (as shown in Figures 1A and 1B) to allow the user to use both of the handles when transporting the FOUP cassette 100.

The wafer cassette housing 104 is movably attached to the container housing 102 such that the wafer cassette housing 104 moves relative to a surface of the container housing 102. In some embodiments, the wafer cassette housing 104 is rotated away from the top surface of one of the container housings 102 as described in connection with FIG. For example, in various embodiments, the wafer cassette housing 104 moves relative to the surface of the container housing 102 on one of the bearing assemblies or one of a plurality of types of hinge mechanisms. In a particular embodiment, a hinge pin is built into the wafer cassette housing 104 and the hinge pin is inserted into a bearing assembly of the container housing 102 such that the hinge pin rotates on the bearing surface.

A latch mechanism 110 secures the wafer cassette housing 104 to the container housing 102 when in operation. In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1A and 1B, the latch mechanism 110 is a fastener such as a bolt. In other embodiments, the latch mechanism 110 has a quick release one of the positive locking mechanisms, such as a spring loaded latch mechanism.

The container housing 102 in accordance with the present teachings can have a variety of forms. In some embodiments, at least one of the container housing 102 and the wafer cassette housing 104 is formed from a resin material. According to the present teachings, a plurality of types of resin materials can be used to form the wafer cassette housing. Forming a wafer cassette from a resin material is relatively inexpensive and can have substantially the same mechanical properties as a metal cassette or stamped wafer cassette. Moreover, in some embodiments, at least one of the container housing 102 and the wafer cassette housing 104 is formed from aluminum or an aluminum alloy material.

2 illustrates a perspective front elevational view of a cassette container 100 of a front open wafer transfer cassette (FOUP) in the position of wafer cassette unloading as taught herein. As shown in FIG. 2, the FOUP wafer cassette housing 104 is folded back relative to the container housing 102 to permit access to the wafer cassette 108 located in the wafer cassette housing 104 for insertion or removal. In one embodiment, the wafer cassette housing 104 is folded back 90 degrees such that the wafer cassette housing 104 rests against the bottom of the container housing 102, as shown in FIG. In some embodiments, the container housing 102 includes a mating surface 116 that forms a hermetic seal with a corresponding mating surface 116' of the wafer cassette housing 104.

The unloading position shown in FIG. 2 allows the wafer cassette 108 to be easily loaded into and removed from the plurality of cavities 106. In various methods of loading the wafer cassette 108 into the wafer cassette housing 104 and unloading the wafer cassette 108 from the wafer cassette housing 104 in accordance with the present teachings, the wafer cassette housing 104 can be positioned such that a machine The arm picks up the wafer into the wafer cassette housing 104 and places it in the wafer cassette housing 104. In many embodiments, the wafer cassette housing 104 includes a plurality of cavities 106 sized to support a plurality of wafer cassettes 108.

The cavities 106 can all be the same size or one or more of the cavities can be of a different size to accommodate a variety of wafer sizes and shapes and multiple types of wafer cassettes. Generally, the cavity 106 is sized and designed to allow the wafer cassette 108 to easily fall into the cavity. Thus, the FOUP cassette of the present teachings can be adapted to accommodate a variety of wafer sizes. For example, in some embodiments, the wafer cassette housing 104 includes a first cavity that is sized to receive one of the first wafer cassettes 108 that supports a wafer having a first diameter, and for positioning support having One of the second diameter wafers is a second cavity of the second wafer cassette 108. Moreover, in some embodiments, the wafer cassette housing 104 supports at least one wafer cassette 108 that is adapted to support at least two of a four inch wafer, a six inch wafer, and an eight inch wafer. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the FOUP cassettes of the present teachings can be configured in a number of different ways to accommodate a variety of wafer sizes.

In some embodiments, the wafer cassette housing 104 is movably attached to the container housing by hinge or sliding mechanism that rotates the wafer cassette housing 104 relative to the container housing 102. 102. The hinge mechanism can include a bearing assembly to reduce wear and assist the user in loading and unloading the wafer cassette 108. Various types of articulation or sliding mechanisms can be used.

The FOUP container 100 described in connection with Figures 1A, 1B, and 2 can be used in many different substrate handling architectures. For example, the FOUP container 100 can be used in a fully automated wafer handling and processing system of 300 mm or larger diameter. Again, in some embodiments of the present teachings, a plurality of processing tools are fed using the FOUP container 100. For example, a cluster of MOCVD processing tools can be fed using a FOUP container. In some embodiments, a FOUP container can be used in a central substrate carrier loader for loading wafer cassettes with unprocessed substrates and unloading wafer cassettes having processed substrates.

FIG. 3 illustrates a flow diagram 300 of one method of loading a wafer cassette 108 in a processing system in accordance with the present teachings. Referring to FIGS. 1A, 1B, 2, and 3, in a first step 302, a FOUP container 100 including a container housing 102 and a wafer cassette housing 104 movably attached to one of the container housings 102 is provided. . In a second step 304, the wafer cassette housing 104 is moved relative to a surface of the container housing 102 to expose at least one cavity 106 of the wafer cassette housing 104 that is sized to receive the wafer cassette.

In a third step 306, at least one wafer cassette 108 is inserted into at least one of the chambers 106 of the wafer cassette housing 104. Insertion of at least one wafer cassette 108 into at least one of the wafer cassette housings 104 can be performed by any of a plurality of types of robotic arms. In various embodiments, two or more wafer cassettes 108 supporting different sized wafers can be inserted into at least one cavity 106 of the wafer cassette housing 104. For example, a first wafer cassette 108 supporting a wafer having a first size and a second wafer cassette 108 supporting a wafer having a second size can be inserted.

In a fourth step 308, the wafer cassette housing 104 containing at least one wafer cassette 108 is then moved relative to the surface of the container housing 102. In some of the teachings of this teaching, moving the wafer cassette housing 104 relative to the surface of the container housing 102 includes rotating the wafer cassette housing 104 relative to the container housing 102. Furthermore, in some methods according to the present teachings, relative Moving the wafer cassette housing 104 on the surface of the container housing 102 includes translating the wafer cassette housing 104 relative to the container housing 102.

In a fifth step 310, the wafer cassette housing 104 is secured to the container housing 102. In some methods, when the wafer cassette housing 104 and the container housing 102 are secured, a hermetic seal is formed between them. In various methods in accordance with the present teachings, securing the wafer cassette housing 104 to the container housing 102 can include fastening by fasteners such as bolts or screws or can include latches.

4 illustrates a flow diagram 400 of one method of unloading a processed wafer cassette 108 in a processing system in accordance with the present teachings. Referring to FIGS. 1A, 1B, 2, and 4, in a first step 402, retrieving from a processing system (such as an MOCVD processing system) includes a container housing 102 and is movably attached to the container housing 102. One of the wafer cassettes 104 is one of the FOUP containers 100.

In a second step 404, the wafer cassette housing 104 is moved relative to a surface of the container housing 102 to expose at least one wafer card having at least one cavity 106 of the processed wafer in the wafer cassette housing 104.匣108. In some methods in accordance with the present teachings, moving the wafer cassette housing 104 relative to the surface of the container housing 102 includes rotating the wafer cassette housing 104 relative to the container housing 102. Moreover, in some methods in accordance with the present teachings, moving the wafer cassette housing 104 relative to the surface of the container housing 102 includes translating the wafer cassette housing 104 relative to the container housing 102.

In a third step 406, at least one wafer cassette 108 is then removed from the at least one cavity 106. Removal of at least one wafer cassette 108 from at least one cavity 106 can be performed by a robotic arm. In various embodiments, two or more wafer cassettes 108 supporting different sized wafers may be removed from at least one of the wafer cassettes 104. For example, a first wafer carrier supporting a wafer having a first size and a second wafer carrier supporting a wafer having a second size may be removed.

Equivalent

Although the applicant's teachings have been described in connection with various embodiments, the teachings of the applicant are not intended to be limited to the embodiments. Instead, those skilled in the art should understand that the applicant's teachings encompass various alternatives, modifications, and equivalents that can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the teachings.

100‧‧‧Knowledge Container for Front-Open Wafer Transfer Box (FOUP)

102‧‧‧ container casing

104‧‧‧ wafer card housing

106‧‧‧ cavity

108‧‧‧ wafer card

110‧‧‧Latch mechanism

112‧‧‧Top cover

114‧‧‧提提

114’‧‧‧

Claims (28)

A front open wafer transfer cassette (FOUP) cassette comprising: a) a container housing; and b) a wafer cassette housing movably attached to the container housing such that the wafer card Moving the outer casing relative to a surface of the container casing to permit loading and removal of the wafer cassette, the wafer cassette housing including at least one cavity sized to support a wafer cassette; and c) A latch mechanism that secures the wafer cassette housing to the container housing. The FOUP cassette of claim 1, wherein the container housing includes a mating surface that forms a hermetic seal with the wafer cassette housing. The FOUP cassette of claim 1, wherein at least one of the container outer casing and the wafer cassette outer casing is formed of a resin material. The FOUP cassette of claim 1, wherein at least one of the container outer casing and the wafer cassette outer casing is formed of aluminum. The FOUP cassette of claim 1, wherein the wafer cassette outer casing is movably attached to the container housing by rotating the wafer cassette housing with respect to the container housing. The FOUP cassette of claim 5, wherein the hinge mechanism comprises at least one bearing. The FOUP cassette of claim 1, wherein the wafer cassette outer casing is movably attached to the container outer casing by a sliding mechanism. The FOUP cassette of claim 7, wherein the sliding mechanism comprises at least one bearing. The FOUP cassette of claim 1, wherein the wafer cassette housing includes a plurality of cavities for positioning a plurality of wafer cassettes. The FOUP cassette of claim 1, wherein the wafer cassette housing comprises a first cavity that is sized to receive a first wafer cassette supporting a wafer having a first diameter, and for positioning Supporting a second cavity of one of the second wafer cassettes having a second diameter wafer. The FOUP cassette of claim 1, wherein the wafer cassette housing supports at least one wafer cassette adapted to support at least two of a four inch wafer, a six inch wafer, and an eight inch wafer. The FOUP cassette of claim 1, wherein the cassette housing is positioned such that a robotic arm picks up the wafer and places it into the cassette housing. The FOUP cassette of claim 1, wherein the cassette housing includes at least one spring loaded latch mechanism that secures the wafer cassette to the cassette housing. The FOUP cassette of claim 1, wherein the cassette housing includes fastening the wafer cassette to one of the H-interfaces of the cassette housing. The FOUP cassette of claim 1, wherein the container housing further comprises at least one handle. The FOUP cassette of claim 15 wherein the handle is located on a top surface of one of the container housings. The FOUP cassette of claim 1, wherein the latch mechanism comprises a spring. A method of loading a wafer cassette in a processing system, the method comprising: a) providing a front open wafer transfer comprising a container housing and a wafer cassette housing movably attached to the container housing a cassette (FOUP) of the cassette; b) moving the wafer cassette housing relative to a surface of the container housing to expose at least one of the wafer cassette housings sized to receive the wafer cassette Inserting at least one wafer carrier into the at least one cavity in the wafer cassette housing; and d) moving the surface relative to the container housing including the at least one wafer carrier The wafer chucks the outer casing such that the wafer cassette outer casing is secured to the container outer casing. The method of claim 18, wherein the inserting of the at least one wafer carrier into the at least one cavity in the wafer cassette housing is performed by a robotic arm. The method of claim 18, wherein the movement of the wafer cassette housing relative to the surface of the container housing comprises rotating the wafer cassette housing relative to the container housing. The method of claim 18, wherein the movement of the wafer cassette housing relative to the surface of the container housing comprises translating the wafer cassette housing relative to the container housing. The method of claim 18, further comprising forming a hermetic seal between the wafer cassette housing and the container housing. The method of claim 18, wherein the inserting of the at least one wafer carrier into the at least one cavity in the wafer cassette housing comprises inserting a first wafer carrier that supports a wafer having a first size and A second wafer carrier supporting one of the wafers having a second size is inserted. A method of unloading a wafer cassette in a processing system, the method comprising: a) providing a front open wafer transfer cassette including a container housing and a wafer cassette housing movably attached to the container housing a (FOUP) card container; b) moving the wafer cassette housing relative to a surface of the container housing to expose at least one wafer cassette located in at least one of the wafer cassette housings; and c) removing the at least one wafer cassette from the at least one cavity. The method of claim 24, wherein the removing of the at least one wafer cassette from the at least one cavity is performed by a robotic arm. The method of claim 24, wherein the movement of the wafer cassette housing relative to the surface of the container housing comprises rotating the wafer cassette housing relative to the container housing. The method of claim 24, wherein the movement of the wafer cassette housing relative to the surface of the container housing comprises translating the wafer cassette housing relative to the container housing. The method of claim 24, wherein the at least one wafer carrier is outside the wafer card The removing of the at least one cavity in the housing includes removing a first wafer carrier supporting a wafer having a first size and a second wafer carrier supporting a wafer having a second size.