TWI813430B - Storage apparatus for storing cassettes for substrates and processing apparatus equipped therewith - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a storage apparatus to store cassettes for substrates comprising: a moveable base plate constructed and arranged to hold cassettes; an outer wall provided with an opening to receive and remove the cassettes from the base plate, and a moving device constructed and arranged to move the base plate with respect to the opening. The storage apparatus is provided with a stationary sensor near the opening for detecting at least one of a presence and a correct orientation of a substrate cassette on the base plate at the opening.

Description

Storage equipment for cassettes used to store substrates and processing equipment equipped therewith [Cross-reference to related patent applications]

The present invention claims US Patent Application No. 15/673,110 titled "CASSETTE HOLDER ASSEMBLY FOR A SUBSTRATE CASSETTE AND HOLDING MEMBER FOR USE IN SUCH ASSEMBLY" filed on August 9, 2017 and filed on November 13, 2017. , entitled "STORAGE APPARATUS FOR STORING CASSETTES FOR SUBSTRATES AND PROCESSING APPARATUS EQUIPPED THEREWITH", the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

The present invention generally relates to a storage device for cassettes for storing substrates. The invention may also relate to processing equipment for processing substrates and provided with such storage equipment.

Storage devices may be used in equipment used to manufacture discrete and integrated semiconductor products on substrates of semiconductor material. To transport substrates, cassettes are used, which require storage equipment.

A storage device for storing substrate cassettes includes: a movable floor constructed and configured to secure the cassette; an opening outer wall provided with the cassette for placement and removal from the floor; constructed and configured to move relative to the opening Mobile device for base plate. On the base plate, which can be seen through the outer wall The opening stores a plurality of cassettes for storing at least one semiconductor material substrate. Fasteners may be provided above and supported by the base plate to position the cassette in the correct position on the base plate.

Sensors may be required to detect at least one of the presence and correct orientation of a substrate cassette in the opening. Since a large number of cassettes may be stored in a storage device, a large number of sensors may be required to detect the presence and correct orientation of substrate cassettes on the backplane. Sensors may require power connections and communication with fixed components of the storage device. A cable feedthrough may therefore be required to allow movement of the motherboard. One disadvantage of a design with removable sensors and cable feedthroughs on the backplane may be that the design can become very bulky.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a storage device with a simplified sensor design to detect at least one of the presence and correct orientation of a substrate cassette on a backplane.

Accordingly, a storage device for cassettes for storing substrates is provided, which includes: a movable bottom plate, which is constructed and configured to fix the cassette; and is provided with an opening outer wall for placing and taking out the cassette from the bottom plate; a structure and a moving device configured to move the base plate relative to the opening, wherein the storage device is provided with a stationary sensor near the opening to detect at least one of the presence and correct orientation of the cassette in the opening on the base plate.

By having a stationary sensor near the opening to detect at least one of the presence and correct orientation of a substrate cassette opening in the base plate, there is no need to move wires for the base plate in order to detect the presence and correct orientation of the cassette. . This can simplify the design of storage devices.

A processing device for manufacturing semiconductor products may be provided with a storage device according to the invention. Such equipment allows products to be manufactured in large quantities and easily maintained and/or installed.

In addition to the components required to process semiconductor substrates, the equipment may contain cassettes for configuring the A means for removing cartridges from or to a storage device. The equipment may also be provided with a substrate handler for arranging the substrates in the cassette or removing the substrates from the cassette.

These and other embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of certain embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the invention is not limited to any particular embodiment disclosed.

1: Processing equipment

2:Storage device

3:Outer wall

4: Rotating table

5: Entrance and exit

6: Entrance and exit

8: Substrate processor

9: Cassette

10: Processing station

11: Processing station

12: Processing station

13:Substrate

14: Rotating table

15: Compartment

16:Wafer carrier

17:Rising device

21:Storage equipment

22: Substrate processor

23: Processing Station

24:Channel opening

25:Manipulator

26:Channel opening

27:Wafer carrier

28: Rotating table

29: Tongkou

30: Guide

31:Cylinder

32: Processing station

35:Storage equipment

36: Rotating table

37:Driving device

38:Channel opening

39:Filter

40:shaft

41:Export

61: Cassette holder assembly

63:Removable base plate

65a: Left fixing piece

65b: Right fixing piece

66:Block

67LB: End face

67LF: End face

67RB: End face

67RF: End face

68:hole

70: wall

71LB: Side

71LF: side

71RB: Side

71RF:Side

72: wall

75:bolt

77:Slot

79:Slender block

81: Slender block

83:Guide groove

85: Positioning slot

87:Guide surface

91: Sensor

93: Movable components

95:Indicator

97: Pivot arm

98: Counterweight body

99:Pivot

100:Latch

It is understood that elements in the drawings are shown for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the drawings may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help improve the understanding of the illustrated embodiments of the invention.

[Fig. 1] A schematic horizontal sectional view showing the processing equipment.

[Fig. 2] is a partially cutaway and schematic perspective view of another processing apparatus.

[Fig. 3] A partially cutaway perspective view of a storage device for the device of Fig. 1 or 2. [Fig.

[Fig. 4] is a front view of the cassette holder assembly according to one embodiment.

[FIG. 5] is a rear view of the cassette holder assembly of FIG. 1, with a cassette having a relatively small-sized base plate according to one embodiment.

[FIG. 6] is a rear view of the cassette holder assembly of FIG. 1 provided with a cassette having a relatively large-sized base plate according to one embodiment.

[Fig. 7] is a top perspective view of a base plate for placing a cassette according to an embodiment, and a bottom perspective view of a fixing member before being installed on the base plate.

[Fig. 8] A front view illustrating the bottom plate of the cassette for fixing the substrate.

[Figures 9a, 9b and 9c] Top, cross-sectional and bottom views revealing more details of the block and movable element of Figure 4 according to one embodiment.

The figures are not drawn to scale; in particular, dimensions in thickness and direction are exaggerated for clarity. inch. Corresponding areas will have the same reference numbers wherever possible.

Figure 1 illustrates a processing apparatus 1 for processing semiconductor substrates (also referred to as wafers). The wafers are subjected to a number of processing steps to form a number of integrated circuits on their surface, before being cut from the wafer and further processed.

Substrates are typically transported in cassettes, several of which 9 are shown in the storage device 2 in the top view of FIG. 1 . The storage device 2 includes a movable bottom plate, and by setting up the rotating table 4, two to ten (such as six) cassettes are placed on three levels respectively, so the rotating table 4 can, for example, include a total of eighteen cassettes.

The storage device 2 is provided with an outer wall 3, which is provided with an opening, which serves as an entrance to the cassette in a clean room that maintains a very low dust content. The cassette 9 can be placed on the removable base of the rotating table 4 via the access 5 .

As clearly shown in the figure, the cross-section of the storage device 2 has an at least partially regular polygonal perimeter, ie the three wall sections on the right side of Figure 1 form part of a regular octagon. The cross-sections of processing stations 10, 11 and 12, which will be described further below, also have an at least partially regular polygonal perimeter. Stations 10, 11 and 12 are embodied as separate stations and are connected to other stations at side positions.

In the processing device 1, a central station having a substrate handler 8 is provided. The substrate handler 8 can remove the substrate 13 from the cassette 9 and place it on the wafer carriers of the stations 10 , 11 and 12 . After processing, the substrate handler again removes the processed substrate from the wafer carrier of the processing station and places it in the next processing station or rotates it through the rotation table 4 into the empty cassette 9 positioned there. The cassette 9 with the processed substrates 13 can be removed from the storage device 2 via the access 6 , which serves the same purpose as the access 5 .

Each processing station 10, 11 and 12 shown in Figure 1 may be provided with a rotating table 14 in which three compartments 15 are defined. Each of the three bays is provided with a wafer carrier 16 . The rotating table 14 can move and stop in three rotating positions. At each of these locations, a robot in substrate handler 8 can access the wafer carrier. One of the pieces. After loading the wafer carrier 16 into one of the three compartments 15, the rotating table 14 is moved one third of a turn clockwise. The newly loaded wafer carrier is now positioned above the riser 17 and below an oven. The loaded wafer carrier is lifted into the oven by the lifting device 17, where the wafer is processed. When processing is complete, the wafer carrier moves down again to the rotating table 14, which then moves another third of a turn. At the same time, the next wafer carrier 16 is loaded again and can be placed into the oven using the lifting device 17 . The freshly processed wafers can be cooled for a period of time. After the processing cycle ends again, the rotating table rotates another third of a turn, returning the wafer carrier 16 with the processed and cooled wafers to the starting position connected to the substrate handler 8 . The processed wafer is then removed from the wafer carrier and placed, for example, in the positioned wafer carrier of the processing station 11 or in the positioned cassette 9 . The operation of processing stations 11 and 12 is identical in this case.

The storage device 2 can be combined with two or only one of the processing stations 10, 11 or 12. Other processing stations may be used in place of the processing stations 10, 11, 12. The result of embodiments of separately connectable units in cross-section with at least part of a regular polygonal perimeter and in which units are connected to other units at lateral positions of the regular polygonal perimeter is that the degree of freedom of construction of the device according to the required processing can be very high.

As further shown in FIG. 1 , the substrate handler 8 is embodied with a square perimeter, and the storage facility 2 and processing stations 10 , 11 and 12 each have a portion of a regular octagonal perimeter with an angle of 135 degrees, and have a perimeter equal to that of the substrate handler 8 the length of the side. Thereby, the storage device 2 and the processing stations 10 , 11 and 12 can be combined with a substrate handler 8 .

However, due to the construction according to the invention, another combination is possible. FIG. 2 shows, for example, an apparatus consisting of a storage device 21 corresponding to that shown in FIG. 1 and two processing stations, each of which may correspond to processing stations 10 , 11 , and 12 . The substrate handler 22 is also provided here. This substrate handler includes, as mentioned above, a robot 25 that can remove the substrate 13 from the cassette 9 and place it in the wafer carrier 27 of the processing station, and vice versa. The robot 25 itself can be a known robot and is mounted on a lifting device so that its operating arm can bridge the height difference between the bottom wafer in the lower cassette and the top wafer in the upper cassette 9 . In addition, the displacement of the wafer usually proceeds from the lowest position to the highest position. That is, the substrate 13 is taken out starting from the bottom cassette 9 or wafer carrier 27 and continues to the top, and at the same time, the wafer is put back into the wafer carrier or cassette from the top and continues to the bottom. This prevents dust particles from landing on the underlying wafer.

As clearly shown in Figure 2, each connectable station of this embodiment has a closed housing with a closable access opening in at least one of the sides in a portion with a regular polygonal perimeter. In this embodiment, the processing stations 23, 32 each have one access opening 26. The storage device 21 is provided with three access openings 24 . The passage opening can be opened and closed using a port 29, which is received in a guide 30 and can be moved up and down by a linear actuator (such as a cylinder 31). An inflatable seal may be incorporated into guide 30 . In the closed condition of the opening 29, this seal is inflated and thus obtains a tight sealing contact. When the opening 29 needs to be moved, the inflatable seal can be depressurized and moved away from the opening 29 . The result is that when the opening 29 is open, there is no or only a slight sliding contact and therefore there is little risk of loose dust particles (which is particularly undesirable in an environment according to the invention). Also shown schematically in FIG. 2 is a wafer carrier 27 housed in a rotating table 28 .

Figure 3 shows a storage device according to the present invention. The cross section of the storage device 35 has a perfect regular octagon formed with equal sides. The storage device 35 may be provided with four access openings 38 similar to the access openings 24 of the storage device 21 shown in FIG. 2 . The storage device 35 may comprise a rotating table 36 in which eight cassettes 9 for substrates 13 may be placed on three levels. A drive device 37 housed in an enclosed compartment of the storage device 35 can be used to drive the rotating table 36 around a vertical axis and to fix it in different rotational positions.

The storage facility 35 may be provided with its own gas circulation device. This consists of a central air supply via an axis 40 of the rotating table, which leads to the inner space of a centrally located cylindrical filter 39 . The gas supplied via the shaft 40 flows in a horizontal radial direction through the filter 39 in laminar flow through the cassette 9 . Near the outer periphery, the gas flows upward and is discharged via an outlet 41 arranged in the upper part of the storage device 35 . Since the central air supply is achieved in this way, all sides of the storage device 35 can be used for connecting other units. Gas circulation may be necessary for purging and maintaining very low dust particle levels in the equipment.

4 is a front view of a cassette holder assembly for storage devices 2, 35 (in FIGS. 1 and 3) for storing cassettes 9 having a base plate 13, according to one embodiment. The cassette holder assembly 61 includes a movable base plate 63 provided to the rotating table 4, 36 (Figs. 1 and 3).

The cassette holder assembly 61 includes the same left fixing part 65a and right fixing part 65b supported by the movable bottom plate 63 to position the cassette at the left R and right L respectively when viewed from the front F. The left and right fixing members 65a, 65b are substantially identical to each other. Each of the fasteners 65a, 65b is mirror symmetrical with respect to a line J passing through the center of the fastener from rear B to front F.

Additional fixings in the form of blocks 66 can be provided on the movable base plate 63 to position the cassette. The block 66 may be provided with a hole 68 that may be used by a sensor to sense the presence or correct positioning of the cassette on the cassette holder assembly 61 .

The fixing members 65a, 65b may respectively have end surfaces 67LB, 67LF, 67RB, 67RF for engaging with the cassette to constrain the position of the cassette to be substantially parallel to the movable bottom plate 63 in the direction from front F to rear B. Each of the fasteners may have left end faces 67LB, 67LF and right end faces 67RB, 67RF. Viewed from the front F, the right end surfaces 67RB and 67RF may be located on the right side of the fixing members 65a and 65b, while the left end surfaces 67LB and 67LF may be located on the left side of the fixing members 65a and 65b. The left end surfaces 67LB and 67LF and the right end surfaces 67RB and 67RF of the fixing members 65a and 65b may be substantially parallel.

The right end faces 67RB, 67RF of the right fixing member 65b and the left end faces 67LB, 67LF of the left fixing member 65a can be configured to engage the cassette 69 (see Figures 5 and 6). The right end faces 67RB and 67RF of the right fixing part 65b and the left end faces 67LB and 67LF of the left fixing part 65a may not be configured to engage with the cassette 9 . If the end faces of the fixing members are worn, the positions of the fixing members 65a and 65b can be exchanged to use the other end face.

Cassettes can come in different sizes, which may depend on the substrate size and the preferences of the fab in which the cassette is used, and the fixtures can be built to accommodate different sizes. Each of the fasteners 65a, 65b may have at least two end faces, defined as small cassette end faces 67RF, 67LF of the cassette 9 for a 150 mm diameter substrate W (see Figure 5), and a small cassette end face 67LF for a 200 mm diameter substrate W (see Figure 5). Figure 6) The size of the cassette 9 used The end faces of the cassette are 67RB and 67LB. Relative to the large cassette end faces 67RB and 67LB, the small cassette end faces 67RF and 67LF can be disposed toward the front F of the movable bottom plate 63 to engage with smaller sized cassettes.

The fixing members 65a, 65b may respectively have side surfaces 71LF, 71LB, 71RF, 71RB to engage with the cassette 9 and limit the position of the cassette to be substantially parallel to the movable bottom plate 63 in the direction from right R to left L and It is substantially perpendicular to the movable base plate 63 in the direction from front F to rear B. Two side surfaces defined as right side surfaces 71RF and 71RB and left side surfaces 71LF and 71LB can be provided. Viewed from the front, the right side surfaces 71RF and 71RB may be located on the right side of the fixing members, while the left side surfaces 71LF and 71LB may be located on the left side of the fixing members 65a and 65b when viewed from the front F.

The right side surfaces 71RF and 71RB of the right fixing member 65b and the left side surfaces 71LF and 71LB of the left fixing member 65a can be configured to engage with the cassette 9 . The right side surfaces 71RF and 71RB of the right fixing part 65b and the left side surfaces 71LF and 71LB of the left fixing part 65a may not be configured to engage with the cassette 9 .

The fixing member includes at least two sides defined as small cassette sides 71RF, 71LF and large cassette sides 71RB, 71LB. Relative to the large cassette side surfaces 71RB and 71LB, the small cassette side surfaces 71RF and 71LF can be disposed toward the front F of the movable bottom plate 63 to engage with the smaller cassette 9 (see Figure 5). Relative to the small cassette side surfaces 71RF and 71LF, the large cassette side surfaces 71RB and 71LB can be disposed toward the rear B of the movable base plate 63 to engage with the larger cassette 9 (see Figure 4).

Both the fixing members 65a and 65b may have side surfaces to engage with the cassette and limit the position of the cassette in the opposite direction from right R to left L. The cassette can thereby be positioned in the left-to-right direction through the fasteners 65a, 65b.

The fixing members 65a, 65b are detachably fixed to the movable bottom plate 63 by fasteners, such as threaded fasteners, such as bolts 75 passing through the slots 77. The slot 77 may have a direction perpendicular to a line from the front F to the rear B to adjust the position of the fixing members 65a, 65b on the movable bottom plate 63.

FIG. 7 is a top perspective view of the movable base plate 3 for accommodating the cassette, and a bottom perspective view of the right fixing member 65 b for being installed on the movable base plate 63 . Figure 7 shows that slot 77 has a The vertical direction of the line J from the front F to the rear B of the fixing member 65b. The fixing part 65b may be provided with elongated blocks 79, 81, which fit into the guide grooves 83 and/or positioning grooves 85 provided on the movable bottom plate 63. The two guide elongated blocks 79 can be smaller than the two guide grooves 83 in a direction perpendicular to the line J from the front F to the rear B, so that the fixing member 65b can be adjusted and guided in that direction on the movable base plate 63 .

A positioning elongated block 81 may have the same dimensions as the positioning slot 85 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the line J from front F to rear B and in a substantially parallel direction. If the bracket 65b is installed on the movable bottom plate 63, the positioning elongated block 81 and the positioning groove 85 can fix the fixing member on the movable bottom plate 63 in the left and right and front and rear directions.

For cassettes with dimensions that deviate slightly from standard size cassettes, it may be necessary to slightly adjust the distance between fasteners 65a, 65b. For fine adjustment of the distance between the fasteners 65a, 65b in the left-right direction, the positioning elongated block 81 can be (partially) removed. For example, the top of the block 81 can be cut off to allow the fixing member 65b to be adjustably fixed to the movable base plate 63 in the left and right directions. The guide elongated block 79, which is smaller than the guide groove 83 in the left-right direction, allows the fastener 65b to be adjustably fixed in that direction. In the front-to-back direction, the guide elongated block 79 can still fix the fixing part 65b on the movable bottom plate 63. The fixture may be secured by means of a fastener, such as a bolt 75 (Fig. 4) that engages a threaded hole 89 through the slot 77.

As shown in FIG. 7 , the fixture 65 b is mirror symmetrical with respect to a line J passing through the center of the fixture from front F to rear B. As shown in FIG. The symmetrical design of the fixing parts 65a, 65b ensures that the same fixing parts 65a, 65b can be used on the right and left sides of the movable bottom plate 63.

The fixing member 65a may include at least two, for example four substantially parallel end surfaces 67LB, 67LF, 67RB, 67RF (see Figure 4). The two end faces may be right end faces 67RB and 67RF located on the right side of the fixing member when viewed from the front, and left end faces 67LB and 67LF located on the left side of the fixing member when viewed from the front. End surfaces 67LB, 67LF, 67RB, 67RF may be substantially parallel to each other. In addition, the fixing member 65a may include at least two, for example, four substantially parallel side surfaces 71LF, 71LB, 71RF, and 71RB. The two end faces can be the right side 71RF and 71RB located on the right side of the fixing member when viewed from the front, and the right side 71RB located on the right side of the fixing member when viewed from the front. The left side surfaces of the fixed part are 71LF and 71LB. The sides can be substantially parallel to each other.

The side surface of the fixing member 65a may be substantially perpendicular to the end surface. A side surface may intersect an end surface. The seat 65a may have at least one guide surface 87 interfacing with side and/or end surfaces. The guide surface 87 may have an angle between 15 and 75 degrees from the end or side.

The fixing member 65a may be provided with a slot 77 for a fastener, and the slot 77 has a direction perpendicular to a line from the front F to the rear B of the fixing member. The fixing member 65a may be provided with at least one elongated block extending downwardly from the bottom surface of the fixing member.

The fixing parts 65a and 65b may be injection molded. The fastener may comprise polymer. For example, the fastener may comprise an acrylonitrile butadiene styrene material (selected for its strength and flexibility).

Since the fixing member 65a is symmetrical to the left and right sides when viewed from the front F, it is easy to manufacture. It is also easy to use, since only one fastener, such as bolt 75, is needed to mount the fixing member 65a on the movable base plate 63.

Fasteners can be made of plastic or metal. The metal can be aluminum or stainless steel. The plastic can be acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polypropylene (PP) or polyethylene (PE). These materials can have low coefficients of friction as well as other beneficial properties, such as good processability. In addition, the material is more stable than the cleaning agent, allowing for proper cleaning of the material.

The size of the cassette holder assembly 61 can be adapted to the size of the cassette 9, which can be box-shaped and have an open front side. The size of the cassette can be determined by the diameter (eg, 200 mm) and number of substrates W to be disposed therein. The movable bottom plate 63 can have a thickness between 0.2 and 4mm, preferably between 0.3 and 3mm, and can be made of stainless steel with holes for fixing the cassette holders 65a and 65b to the cassette holder assembly. 61 Equipment forming part of it.

The height of the cassette fixing seats 65a and 65b can be 5 to 25 mm. For the cassette holders 65a and 65b, polymers such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polypropylene or polyethylene can be used: they can have a material that during operation does not form metal or dust particles that are harmful to, for example, the IC process. advantage. Can be used as a cassette Other materials of the fixing seats 65a and 65b may be aluminum or stainless steel.

The cassette holder may be used in equipment used to process semiconductor substrates to transport the substrates to and from the equipment. In such equipment, for example, high-temperature furnaces, reaction chambers may be used to produce fine-scale structures, such as integrated circuits, on semiconductor substrates.

Figure 8 depicts a front view of a removable base plate 63 of a cassette for mounting substrates in the storage device 2 (Figure 1). The cassette 9 shown is fixed by the cassette holder of the lower removable base plate (not shown). The storage device is provided with an outer wall, which is provided with openings 5 and 6 for placing and taking out the cassette 9 from the removable bottom plate.

A mobile device constructed and configured to move the base plate and the cassette thereon may be provided. For example, it has the form of a driving device 37 (such as a rotary motor) in FIG. 3 . The moving device can move the cassette on the bottom plate 63 closer to or away from the opening.

The storage device 2 may be provided with a stationary sensor 91 (see FIG. 8 ) near the opening to detect at least one of the presence and correct orientation of the substrate cassette opening on the movable bottom plate 63 . The sensor 91 may be mounted on the interior of the outer wall of the storage device or may be mounted on a stationary frame portion of the device. The sensor 91 may be for optically detecting at least one of the presence and correct orientation of the substrate cassette on the movable chassis 63 . The movable base 63 may have a movable element 93 arranged to contact and be moved by the cassette when it is placed in the correct orientation on the movable base 63 .

An indicator 95 can be moved by the movable element 93 to indicate that the cassette is in the correct orientation. Indicator 95 may be constructed and arranged within the viewing angle of optical sensor 91 to indicate to the optical sensor the presence and proper orientation of the substrate cassette on the backplane. Indicator 95 may be a reflective device, such as a mirror that reflects the radiation beam from sensor 91 back to sensor 91 . The (optical) sensor 91 may have a radiation source to direct a radiation beam (such as a 640 nm laser beam) towards a mirror and a sensor to detect reflections of the radiation beam. Since the movable base 63 is movable and the movable element 93 and indicator 95 are connected to the base, they are also movable. The sensor is stationary and the storage device can be constructed and configured with a movable base 63 near the entrance. The movement of moves the different indicator 95 to the front of the sensor 91 . This may have the advantage that only one sensor 91 is needed to measure the presence and/or correct placement of cassettes on multiple chassis. Furthermore, there is no need to provide cables to the movable components of the storage device since all active components are stationary components disposed in the storage device. The movable base plate is provided with only passive components, such as the movable element 93 and the indicator 95 .

Figures 9a to 9c reveal more detailed top, cross-sectional and bottom views of the block 66 and the movable element 93 of Figure 4 according to one embodiment. The movable element 93 may have a pivot arm 97 and the block 66 may be provided with a pivot 99 for pivotally mounting the pivot arm 97 below the movable base 63 . An indicator 95 may be provided on one end of the arm, which indicator may move as the arm pivots, indicating that the cassette is in the correct orientation. The pivot arm may have a weight 98 and a stop on the other end of the arm that limits the movement of the movable element and the weight pushes the movable element towards the cassette. The movable bottom plate 63 may have a hole, and the movable element 93 may have a latch 100 for cooperating with the cassette and being movably disposed in the hole. The block 66 may be provided with a hole 68 in which the latch is movable. The block can be partially configured and arranged within an opening of the movable base 63 . In this configuration, the movable element 93 may be provided on the underside of the movable base 63 .

The storage device may be provided with walls 70, 72 (see Figure 4) extending upward from the movable floor 63, leaving one side open at the front F to allow the cassettes to enter and exit the movable floor 63. The wall 72 opposite the opening may be provided with holes to purge the cassette to remove particles from the cassette. The base plate may have a horizontal plane for receiving the cassette, and the device may be constructed and configured with a base plate that is movably rotatable in a horizontal direction about a vertical axis of rotation. The walls may extend upward from the movable base 63 and define an isosceles trapezoid on the base.

The walls 70, 72 and the movable bottom plate 63 can be constructed with a sheet of metal provided with L-shaped slots or straight slots. The walls 70, 72 and the movable floor 63 may also be provided with L-shaped lips. The L-shaped lip can fit into the L-shaped slot or straight slot. After being bent through the lip of the L-shaped slot or straight slot, a secure connection is provided between the walls 70, 72 and the movable floor 63. By providing this secure connection multiple times between the walls 70, 72 and between one or each of the walls 70, 72 and the movable base 63, a disc conveyor can be produced using only sheet metal. Rigid structure for belt feeding.

The optical sensor 91 may be a camera constructed and arranged such that the cassette on the movable base 63 is within the camera's field of view near the access opening to detect the presence of the substrate cassette on the movable base. and at least one of the correct orientation.

The storage device 2 (Fig. 1) may have a computer that is operatively connected to the camera and is provided with a processor and a memory, wherein the memory is provided with machine vision software to detect at least the presence and correct orientation of the substrate cassette on the base plate. One.

The storage facility 2 may be part of a processing facility 1 for processing substrates and may have processing means for processing the substrates. The substrate handler may be provided to move the substrates from the cassette to the processing device and to move the substrates from the processing device to the cassette after processing. The processing device may have a reactor containing a reaction chamber for processing a plurality of substrates.

Several substrates, such as silicon wafers, can be placed on substrate holders or wafer boats inside the reactor. Alternatively, a single substrate can be placed on a substrate holder inside the reactor. Both the substrate and the carrier or wafer boat can be heated to the desired temperature. In a typical substrate processing step, a reactant gas is passed through a heated substrate, thereby depositing a thin layer of reactant material or gaseous reactant on the substrate.

A series of these processing steps performed on a substrate is called a recipe. If the deposited layer has the same crystalline structure as the underlying silicon substrate, it is called an epitaxial layer. This is sometimes called a monocrystalline layer because it has only one crystal structure. Through subsequent deposition, doping, lithography, etching, and other processes, these layers are fabricated into integrated circuits, producing anywhere from tens to thousands or even millions of integrated devices, depending on the substrate size and circuit complexity.

Various process parameters are carefully controlled to ensure high quality of the resulting layer. One such critical parameter is the substrate temperature during each recipe step. During CVD, for example, deposition gases react within a specific temperature range and are deposited on a substrate. Different temperatures also lead to different deposition rates.

The specific embodiments shown and described are illustrative of the invention and its best mode and is not intended to otherwise limit the form and scope of implementation in any way. Indeed, for the sake of brevity, conventional fabrication, connections, preparation, and other functional aspects of the system may not be described in detail. Furthermore, the connecting lines illustrated in the various figures are intended to represent illustrative functional relationships and/or physical couplings between the various elements. Many alternative or additional functional relationships or physical connections may exist in an actual system, and/or may not exist in some embodiments.

Although specific embodiments of the invention have been described above, it will be understood that the invention may be practiced otherwise than as described. For example, the following numbered items describe:

1. A cassette holder assembly for fixing a cassette for storing at least one semiconductor material substrate in an internal space, which can be accessed from a front end of the cassette. The cassette holder assembly includes: A base plate for accommodating the cassette; and a right and a left fixing member supported by the base plate to position the cassette on the right and left respectively when viewed from the front; wherein the right and left fixing members are essentially the same as each other.

2. The cassette fixing seat assembly according to clause 1, wherein the fixing parts are mirror symmetrical with respect to a line passing through the center of the fixing part from back to front.

3. The cassette fixing seat assembly according to clause 1, wherein the fixing members respectively have at least two end surfaces engaged with the cassette to limit the position of the cassette to the front-to-back direction with the bottom plate Substantially parallel, the at least two end surfaces include at least one right surface and at least one left surface, where the right end surface is located on the right side of the fixing component and the left end surface is located on the left side of the fixing component when viewed from the front.

4. The cassette holder assembly according to clause 3, wherein the right end surface of the right fixing part and the left end surface of the left fixing part are configured to engage with the cassette.

5. The cassette holder assembly according to clause 4, wherein the right end surface of the left fixing part and the left end surface of the right fixing part are not configured to engage with the cassette.

6. The cassette fixing base assembly according to clause 3, wherein the fixing parts respectively have At least four end faces of the cassette are engaged to limit the position of the cassette to the bottom plate, one small cassette end face and one large cassette end face on each of the right and left sides of the cassette from front to back are substantially parallel in the direction, wherein the end surface of the small cassette is located in front of the bottom plate compared to the end surface of the large cassette, so as to engage with the relatively small cassette.

7. The cassette holder assembly according to clause 1, wherein each of the fixing members has a side surface to engage with the cassette and limit the position of the cassette to be substantially in line with the base plate in the right-to-left direction. parallel and substantially perpendicular to the base plate in the front-to-back direction.

8. The cassette holder assembly according to clause 7, wherein each of the fixing members includes at least two sides, including a right side and a left side, wherein the right side is located to the right of the fixing member when viewed from the front. , and the left side is located on the left side of the fixing member.

9. The cassette holder assembly according to clause 8, wherein the right side of the right fixing part and the left side of the left fixing part are configured to engage with the cassette.

10. The cassette holder assembly according to clause 9, wherein the right side of the left fixing part and the left side of the right fixing part are configured not to engage with the cassette.

11. The cassette fixing base assembly according to clause 7, wherein the fixing member respectively includes at least two sides, including a small cassette side and a large cassette side, wherein the small cassette side is smaller than the large cassette. The sides are located further forward of the base plate to engage with the relatively small sized cassette.

12. The cassette holder assembly according to clause 1, wherein both of the fixing members have a side surface to engage with the cassette and limit the position of the cassette in the opposite direction from right to left.

13. The cassette holder assembly according to clause 1, wherein the fasteners are detachably fixed to the base plate through a fastener passing through a slot, and wherein the slot has a vertical line perpendicular to a line from front to back. direction.

14. The cassette holder assembly according to clause 1, wherein the holder is provided with at least one elongated block extending from the bottom surface of the holder and configured to fit into a groove provided in the base plate.

15. A cassette mount assembly according to clause 14, wherein the elongated block is smaller than the slot in a direction perpendicular to a line from front to back to allow the retainer to be adjustably secured in that direction.

16. A cassette mount assembly according to clause 14, wherein the elongated block is the same size as the slot in a direction perpendicular to a line from front to back and is at least partially removable to allow the mount to be The parts are adjusted and fixed in that direction.

17. A fixing member for positioning a cassette for storing at least one semiconductor material substrate on a base plate in a cassette holder assembly, wherein the fixing member has a front and a rear, and is relative to the front-to-rear passage. A line through the center of the fixture is essentially mirror symmetrical.

18. The fixing member according to clause 17, wherein the fixing member includes: at least two substantially parallel end surfaces, one of which is a right end surface located on the right side of the fastening member when viewed from the front, and the other end surface is A left end surface located on the left side of the fastener; and, at least two substantially parallel side surfaces, of which one side is a right side located on the right side of the fastener when viewed from the front, and the other side is located on the right side of the fastener. A left side on the left side of the fixing piece.

19. The fixing member according to clause 18, wherein the side surfaces are perpendicular to the end surfaces, and at least one of the side surfaces intersects with at least one of the end surfaces.

20. The fastener according to clause 17, wherein the fastener is provided with a slot for a fastener, and wherein the slot has a direction perpendicular to a line from the front to the rear of the bracket.

21. A cassette holder assembly according to clause 17, wherein the holder is provided with at least one elongated block extending from a bottom surface of the holder.

22. The cassette retainer assembly of clause 17, wherein the retainer comprises an injection-molded polymer material.

It should be understood that the configurations and/or methods described herein are illustrative in nature, and such specific examples or embodiments are not to be considered limiting as many variations are possible. Book The particular procedures or methods described herein may represent one or more of any number of handler strategies. Accordingly, various actions illustrated may be performed in the order illustrated, in another order, or in some cases omitted.

The subject matter of the present invention includes all novel and non-obvious combinations and sub-combinations of the various processes, systems, and configurations, and other features, acts, functions, and/or characteristics disclosed herein, as well as any and all equivalents thereof .

9: Cassette

63:Removable base plate

91: Sensor

93: Movable components

95:Indicator

97: Pivot arm

99:Pivot

Claims (18)

A storage device for cassettes used to store substrates, including: a removable base constructed and configured as a fixed cassette; an outer wall provided with an opening for placement and removal of the cassettes from the floor; and A mobile device constructed and configured to move the movable floor relative to the opening, wherein the storage device may be provided with a stationary sensor near the opening to detect when the opening is on the movable floor at least one of the presence and correct orientation of the cassettes, wherein the sensor detects the presence and the correct orientation of the cassettes on the removable floor; and a movable element positioned so as to be contacted and movable by a cassette when the cassette is correctly oriented on the movable floor; and an indicator movable by the movable element and indicating the cassette exists in the correct orientation, wherein the indicator indicates to the sensor the presence and the correct orientation of the cassette. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the movable element includes a pivot arm, and the movable bottom plate is provided with a pivot shaft that pivotally mounts the pivot arm to the movable bottom plate. The storage device of claim 2, wherein the pivot arm includes an indicator that moves when the pivot arm pivots to indicate that the cassette is in the correct orientation. The storage device of claim 3, wherein the pivot arm includes a counterweight to push the movable element toward the cassette. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the movable bottom plate is provided with a hole, and the movable component includes a latch to cooperate with the cassette and be removably configured in the hole. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the movable component includes a stopper that restricts the movement of the movable component. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the movable component is disposed on the lower side of the movable bottom plate. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the indicator includes a reflector, and the sensor includes a radiation source to direct a radiation beam to the reflector and a sensor to detect the radiation beam. reflection. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the movable bottom plate is provided with a fixing member to position the cassettes on the movable bottom plate. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the removable bottom plate includes a plurality of areas for fixing the cassettes. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the movable bottom plate has a horizontal plane for placing the cassettes, and the storage device is constructed and configured to move the movable bottom plate in a horizontal direction. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the sensor includes a camera constructed and arranged such that the cassettes on the movable floor near the opening are within a viewing angle of the camera to detect At least one of the presence and the correct orientation of the cassettes on the removable floor. The storage device of claim 12, wherein the storage device is provided with a computer operably connected to the camera and provided with a processor and a memory, wherein the memory is provided with machine vision software to detect the removable base plate At least one of the existence and the correct orientation of the cassettes above. The storage device of claim 1, wherein a plurality of walls are provided on the movable bottom plate and extend upward from the movable bottom plate, leaving one side open to allow the cassettes to enter and exit the movable bottom plate. The storage device of claim 14, wherein one wall opposite to the open side is provided with holes for purging the cassettes. The storage device of claim 14, wherein the walls define an isosceles trapezoid on the movable floor. A processing apparatus for processing a substrate, comprising: Such as the storage device of the cassette for storing the substrate according to claim 1; a processing device for processing substrates; and A substrate handler constructed and configured to move substrates from the cassettes to the processing device and to move the substrates from the processing device to the cassettes after processing. The processing apparatus for processing a substrate as claimed in claim 17, wherein the processing device includes a reactor having a reaction chamber for processing a plurality of substrates.