Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
  • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
  • H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
  • H01L21/67005—Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
  • H01L21/67011—Apparatus for manufacture or treatment
  • H01L21/67017—Apparatus for fluid treatment
  • H01L21/67028—Apparatus for fluid treatment for cleaning followed by drying, rinsing, stripping, blasting or the like
  • H01L21/6704—Apparatus for fluid treatment for cleaning followed by drying, rinsing, stripping, blasting or the like for wet cleaning or washing
  • H01L21/67057—Apparatus for fluid treatment for cleaning followed by drying, rinsing, stripping, blasting or the like for wet cleaning or washing with the semiconductor substrates being dipped in baths or vessels
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
  • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
  • H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
  • H01L21/67005—Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
  • H01L21/67011—Apparatus for manufacture or treatment
  • H01L21/67155—Apparatus for manufacturing or treating in a plurality of work-stations
  • H01L21/67161—Apparatus for manufacturing or treating in a plurality of work-stations characterized by the layout of the process chambers
  • H01L21/67173—Apparatus for manufacturing or treating in a plurality of work-stations characterized by the layout of the process chambers in-line arrangement
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
  • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
  • H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
  • H01L21/677—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations
  • H01L21/67739—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations into and out of processing chamber
  • H01L21/67757—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations into and out of processing chamber vertical transfer of a batch of workpieces

Definitions

• the invention relates to the domain of transport systems in the field of the treatment of objects, in particular in the presence of chemically aggressive media and/or under clean or ultra clean room conditions.
• the invention particularly relates to a treatment plant with a carrier less transport system for the handling of objects within one or between several such plants.
• a “treatment plant” is a plant which serves for the e.g. wet chemical treatment of "objects". These objects are e.g. substrates as they are used in the semiconductor- or solar cell production. Therein, the treatment takes place in a "process room” which is provided therefore.
• the process room comprises a treatment room in which the objects are contacted with a process fluid (liquid or gas) that causes the treatment.
• the remaining part of the process room can be partly or entirely filled with e.g. a medium that does not serve for the direct treatment, such as e.g. a protective or flushing gas.
• treatment comprises each manipulation of the objects within the treatment plant or between treatment plants.
• the handling comprises the taking up of individual or stacked objects, their transport into or out of the region of the process room, as well as the putting down of the objects at an according place.
• the handling takes place by use of a "transport system".
• Individual functional parts of the transport system that serves for the handling are at least partially arranged in a "drive room” which therefore must be differentiated from the process room, since no treatment of the objects shall take place in the drive room.
• the respective regions process room, connections to up- and downstream arranged
• CONFIRMATIONC ⁇ further plants are often designed as "clean room” which is characterized by an exceptionally low particle concentration. Often, a "grey room” with limited access that surrounds the clean room is arranged upstream to the same in order to achieve a stepwise reduction of the particle concentration.
• Treatment plants are used for the treatment of objects such as e.g. substrates in the semiconductor production. These can be arranged stand-alone or also sequentially one after another, so that a sequence of process steps can be carried out which is necessary for the production of the product.
• the objects are usually transported to the treatment plant in according containers such as e.g. FOUP
• the containers are hermetically sealed and opened only within the treatment system and made available to the treatment medium.
• the objects are transported in receptacles ("carriers") by use of a transport system into the process room and, after the treatment, out of the same again.
• a disadvantage of the use of carriers is the fact that, depending on the configuration, they cover certain areas of the objects to be treated, which therefore may not be completely exposed to the treatment medium.
• the carrier or its components can also have a shading effect. The same is true for example for the treatment of objects with ultrasound or megasound.
• the areas of the objects which have a direct physical contact with the carrier are covered, so that no treatment can take place there. Also often, a drag-over of media by the carrier is observed.
• initially undetected damages of carriers that barely can not be avoided during their handling can lead to a contamination of the media and/or the objects to be treated because of the associated particle detachment.
• At least parts of the transport system are naturally connected with the process room.
• a contamination of the mostly high- purity process room can take place during operation of the transport system, since each transport system comprises moving parts such as bearings or one or more drives. These moving parts create a certain abrasion, which, in contact with the objects to be treated, can result in contamination up to destruction of the sensitive functional surfaces.
• Object of the invention is therefore the provision of a treatment plant for the treatment of objects while avoiding the disadvantages of the prior art, s well as a method using the same.
• the treatment plant shall allow a handling of the objects to be treated without additional carriers, as well as prevent a contamination of the process room by particles originating from the moving parts of the transport system. A particle entry shall largely be avoided even during maintenance of the transport system.
• the vulnerabil- ity of the transport system by chemically aggressive media shall be reduced far as possible.
• the object of the invention is achieved by independent claims 1, 9 and 12. Advantageous embodiments can be taken from the subclaims, the figures, as well as the following description.
• the presently described treatment plant serves for the carrierless handling of objects while largely avoiding the drag-in of particles into the region in which the actual treatment takes place.
• the product entries and exits of the below-described exemplary embodiment of a treatment plant according to the invention are respectively arranged at the "sides" of the plant, wherein its "front side” is preferably facing a clean room. The “back side” is accordingly facing away the front side and thus the clean room.
• the distance between entry and exit runs in transport- or X-direction. In contrast, the vertical is marked with Z-direction.
• a plant according to the invention can comprise several loading stations.
• embodiments are included in which the product entries and exits are on the same side of the plant .
• the treatment plant according to the invention is divided into several rooms which are partially arranged separated from each other.
• the actual treatment of the objects takes place in a process room.
• the process room comprises at least one treatment room for reception of a treatment medium. Suitable treatment media are both liquids and gases.
• the treatment plant comprises a transport system for the handling of the objects.
• the term handling comprises any manipulation of the objects, i.e. the taking, moving and putting down of the objects within a treatment plant, and possibly also the transport of the objects from one treatment plant into another. It is preferably provided that the handling takes place carrierless. This means that the objects to be treated are not arranged during the treatment in any container such as e.g. a carrier, but that they are taken up loosely, either individually or grouped, and that in particular they undergo the treatment in this formation. Accordingly, the transport system contacts the objects to be treated directly, i.e. without a further intermediary component.
• the transport system comprises at least one gripper mechanism for gripping the objects. It is provided that at least those parts of the gripper mechanism which are located in the process room or protrude into the same are designed with no moving parts and/or bearings. Further, the transport system comprises at least one drive with moving parts and/or bearings for moving and actuating the gripper mechanism.
• This drive can be selected from all drives known from the art, and can be for example a hydraulic, pneumatic, or electric drive. Particularly suitable, however, are those drives which are characterized by a low particle generation during operation, or which are equipped with appropriate retention systems for particles.
• a scissors lift For generation of the Z-travel, the scissors lift described in more detail later on particularly comes in question, in which the friction surfaces are arranged beyond the critical area which must be considered for a possible contamination. Moreover, a scissors lift has swivel bearings, significantly reducing the formation of particles. Further, according to the invention, guides, drives, and bearings, which are connected to a suction device, are particularly suitable.
• the transport system also serves for a movement of the gripper system in X-direction that extends between product entry and exit of the plant as mentioned above, preferably also here, accordingly suitable drives and bearings are being used.
• the region of the drive room is continuously or intermittently freed of any accumulated particles. This can e.g. be done by flushing using a flushing gas which is drawn off through appropriate exhaust ducts and, optionally, filters.
• the drive room comprises a separate maintenance access for the maintenance of the transport system' s components being located in the drive room, wherein it is provided according to the invention that maintenance is possible independent of the positioning of the transport system's components being located in the drive room. This means that in case of maintenance no access through the process room is necessary, which would result in an according contamination. This is especially also the case if the moving parts of the transport system are e.g. not just located on the
• the particles which are dragged in during the actual maintenance, and the particles which are dragged in by the maintenance staff, are both kept away from the process room.
• the maintenance access is arranged at a side which faces away from a clean room, and therefore, from the process room. Accordingly, entering the clean room for maintenance is omitted, so that the drag-in of particles associated with this maintenance into the clean room is omitted, from where the maintenance otherwise would have to take place.
• the maintenance access to the drive room takes place from a grey room.
• the treatment plant is arranged such that their back side and in particular the maintenance access is located adjacent to a grey room.
• This grey room has usually a higher particle concentration as compared to the process room which preferably is designed as a clean room. However, the same is lower than the particle concentration in normal ambient air. It is clear that the grey room can be provided not necessarily as a closed room, but also as a semi-open region.
• an air curtain with a targeted air flow is provided between drive room and process room for the avoidance of a contamination of the process room with particles or for the avoidance of a contamination of the drive room with process fluid such as in particular chemical vapours.
• process fluid such as in particular chemical vapours.
• the gripper mechanism comprises at least in the region of the process room no moving parts or bearings in order to avoid a particle contamination by abrasion of moving parts or bearings.
• at least one scissors lift is provided for the vertical positioning of the at least one gripper mechanism and thus for lifting and lowering of the objects.
• this scissors lift is mounted on or to one crossbeam running in X- direction on which it may slide, for example by means of according rails. All moving parts (bearings, drives) of the scissors lift and of the crossbeam are accommodated in the drive room according to the invention.
• a labyrinth arm can be used in conjunction with the scissors lift, wherein this is a special embodiment of the arm protruding from the drive room into the process room, at whose end which faces away from the drive the actual gripper mechanism is arranged.
• Such an arm is characterized by its multiply bent or angled, non-linear design, so that it can bridge in an appropriate manner and without moving joints several bends of a labyrinth like wound connecting path between drive and process room.
• the structural design of the path causes a separation of drive room and process room.
• the drive comprises three linear and two rotation axes.
• the first linear axis relates to the motion in the X- direction, i.e. it serves for the transport of the objects between the individual treatment and storage stations of the treatment plant.
• the second linear axis relates to the Z- travel which, as mentioned above, is preferably designed as a scissors lift.
• the third linear axis relates to the motion in Y-direction and serves for the precise positioning of the objects inside the media room.
• the two rotation axes serve for the actuation of a preferred embodiment of the gripper mechanism as described in the figures 1 and 2. As required, however, one or more axes can be replaced or supplemented by further linear or rotation axes.
• swivel bearings and/or drives that can be sucked off are provided.
• Swivel bearings are characterized by a particularly low particle formation during operation.
• a suction in particular of the drives which naturally tend to a significant particle production can help to get particles which are accumulated during the operation immediately removed from the drive room of the treatment plant, and not firstly enter the interior of the process room from where they are harder to remove.
• the described treatment plant is intended in particular for a treatment of objects that are present as flat substrates, e.g. for the treatment of semiconductor wafers.
• the gripper mechanism is preferably designed so that it can grip single objects or even groups of them to a stack size of e.g. 30-100 individual parts. It is intended that the original orientation of the individual objects is maintained even during treatment. In particular, the mostly flat objects are present in a stack of parts that are spaced to each other. Particularly preferred, the semiconductor wafers can have a diameter of 200 mm, 300 mm or more.
• the objects to be treated are transported individually or also in groups to the treatment plant.
• the delivery can take place by means of corresponding cartridges such as FOUP, SMIF, FOSB etc. (see above), or by carriers in which the objects to be treated are placed at a distance from each other.
• the treatment system described is therefore particularly suitable for the wet-chemical treatment of semiconductor substrates in the context of a continuous or batchwise process line such as particularly a batch plant.
• the invention also discloses a process for the carrierless handling of objects within one or between several treatment plants. For this, the method according to the invention provides that a treatment plant as described above is used.
• the method comprises at least one of the following steps:
• the moving parts of the drive of the transport system are always arranged in the separate drive room in order to ensure the avoidance of a contamination of the process room with particles as desired according to the invention. In this way, at no moment the danger exists that particles can reach from the region of the drive into the process room due to operation of the transport system.
• the air curtain between the drive and process room can be, but not necessarily is, activated at any time, but especially during treatment and transport of the objects, so that a crossing of particles accumulating in the drive room into the process room and thus, a contamination of the same and of the surfaces of the objects, is avoided.
• chemical vapours from the process room are avoided from penetrating into the drive room.
• the method according to the invention further comprises steps for the maintenance of the transport system while avoiding a contamination of the process room with particles.
• steps for the maintenance of the transport system the following steps are to be performed:
• the positioning of the gripper mechanism is omitted if the same is completely accessible via the maintenance access, or if other parts of the transport system should be serviced that are accessible without a ( re ) positioning of the gripper mechanism.
• the invention discloses a method for maintenance of the transport system (6) comprised by a treatment plant together with a process room with at least one treatment room, a drive room which is separated from the process room and which comprises a maintenance access which is facing away from the process room, while avoiding a contamination of the process room with particles and/or a contamination of the drive room with vapours, the method comprising the steps of providing such treatment plant, entering the drive room via the maintenance access, and carrying out the maintenance work on the transport system' s moveable and immobile parts that are accessible from said drive room.
• optional steps relate to the opening of this access prior to performing the maintenance work, and/or subsequently closing the access again.
• an air curtain with a targeted air flow between drive room and process room is switched on, preferably at all times, for the avoidance of a contamination of the process room with particles or for the avoidance of a contamination of the drive room with process fluid.
• process fluid such as in particular of chemical vapours
• the invention advantageously avoids a contamination of the process room with particles which can occur during operation of a transport system, or also during maintenance of the plant interior, in particular of its moving parts.
• the design according to the invention protects sensitive components such as bearings and the like from aggressive media and related corrosion.
• Figure 1 shows the treatment plant 1 according to the invention in a perspective view.
• Figure 2 shows an exemplary and schematic representation of the treatment plant according to the invention in a side view.
• Figure 3 shows a preferred embodiment of the transport system
• the treatment plant 1 according to the invention is shown in a perspective view with its components, but without a housing which separates the interior of the plant according to the invention from the surrounding.
• the process room 2 is shown in which two containers 3 are arranged, of which the one that is represented in the left of the picture contains an object to be treated 4.
• the object to be treated 4 is a flat, round substrate.
• the two containers 3 are each arranged in a treatment room 5A, 5B which is formed as a basin, which each respectively receives a treatment medium.
• the process room comprises two media rooms 5A, 5B, which preferably may contain different media such as e.g. a treatment and a cleaning liquid.
• the treatment plant 1 comprises a transport system 6, for example for the transport of the substrates 4 which optionally can be present in a multitude from a treatment room 5A into the subsequent treatment room 5B. Only a gripper mechanism of this transport system 6 protrudes into the process room 7. In the illustrated figure, the gripper mechanism 7 is designed in two parts. The components of the gripper mechanism 7 projecting into the process room 2 have no moving parts but are composed solely of rigid elements.
• the gripper mechanism 7 At the end of the gripper mechanism 7 which faces away from the treated objects 4, its two parts are each mounted to a respective swivel kinematics 8 which allows an opening and closing of the gripper mechanism 7. These in turn are arranged on the upper platform of a scissors lift 9, which allows a movement of the gripper mechanism 7 in the Z-direction (vertical direction) , and which is presently shown in an almost extended position.
• the scissors lift 9 forms together with further moving parts the drive 10 of the transport system 6. All moving parts of the transport system 6 are accommodated in a drive room 11 which is separated from the process room 2. For an axial motion of the transport system 6 in the transport direction, indicated by the arrow 12, the same is arranged movable on according rails 13.
• the maintenance of the transport system 6 can be carried out from the back side of the treatment plant, which is indicated in the figure shown by the arrow 14. In this way, maintenance of moving parts is possible without having to enter the process room 2 and thus possibly contaminate the same with particles.
• the figure 2 shows an exemplary and schematic representation of the treatment plant 1 according to the invention in a side view.
• the treatment plant 1 is dimensioned and arranged to separate a grey room 17 from a clean room 18.
• the latter may optionally have a filter ceiling.
• the treatment plant 1 On the (clean room facing) front side, the treatment plant 1 has a window 20 from which the objects to be treated 4 which are located in the process room 2 can be observed for example for inspection reasons.
• the lower region of the process room 2 is provided as a treatment room 5, since here the direct contact of the objects 4 with the process fluid takes place.
• a media supply 5 ' (dotted line) which supplies the treatment room 5 with treatment fluid is arranged below the treatment room 5.
• a flow box 21 with a downward directed gas flow is arranged above the process room 2.
• an air curtain 16 (indicated by arrow 16) with an horizontally aligned air flow is located in the region between the process room 2 and the drive room 11, which ensures that both a crossing of particles from the drive room 11 into the process room 2, as well as a crossing of process fluid into the opposite direction is avoided.
• the objects 4 are held according to the representation by means of a gripper mechanism 7.
• the latter extends upward into the drive space 11, which is arranged the back region of the treatment plant 1, and in which also the scissors lift 9 that is responsible for the Z-stroke, as well as other moving parts of the transport system are arranged (not shown) .
• a chemistry dosing unit 22 as well as an electric room 23 are further arranged. All of these components 11, 22, 23, 5 1 are accessible from the region of the grey room 17, so that a drag-in of particles into the process room 2 due to maintenance is omitted, wherein it is irrelevant according to the invention in which position the transport system 6 is located, which is moveable on a corresponding crossbeam with rails 13 perpendicular to the drawing plane.
• Figure 3 shows a preferred embodiment of the transport system 6 of the treatment plant according to the invention as a perspective view.
• the gripper mechanism 7 can be seen.
• the position of an object to be treated 4 formed as a flat substrate being clamped between the pincers of the two-part designed gripper mechanism 7 is shown (dashed) .
• the swivel kinematics 8 is shown which is necessary for the operation of the gripper mechanism 7.
• the swivel kinematics itself is arranged on the top platform of a scissors lift 9, which presently is shown in an almost extended position. The latter in turn is attached to a drive 10 (not shown) which is axially movable in the direction of the arrow 12.
• the drive is arranged in a separate drive room (not shown) , which is separated from the process room 2 (not shown) by an air curtain 16 indicated by the arrows 16. Because of the air curtain 16, particles that could possibly get from the moving parts of the drive 10 from the drive room 11 into the process room 2 are being transported away in a catchment device (not shown) in time prior to reaching the process room. Similarly, e.g. chemical vapours are avoided from crossing into the opposite direction.

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

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• 2009
  • 2009-07-16 DE DE200910033586 patent/DE102009033586A1/de not_active Withdrawn
• 2010
  • 2010-07-15 WO PCT/EP2010/004326 patent/WO2011006662A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation

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