Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H10P—GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
  • H10P72/00—Handling or holding of wafers, substrates or devices during manufacture or treatment thereof
  • H10P72/10—Handling or holding of wafers, substrates or devices during manufacture or treatment thereof using carriers specially adapted therefor, e.g. front opening unified pods [FOUP]
  • H10P72/19—Handling or holding of wafers, substrates or devices during manufacture or treatment thereof using carriers specially adapted therefor, e.g. front opening unified pods [FOUP] closed carriers
  • H10P72/1924—Handling or holding of wafers, substrates or devices during manufacture or treatment thereof using carriers specially adapted therefor, e.g. front opening unified pods [FOUP] closed carriers characterised by atmosphere control
  • H10P72/1926—Handling or holding of wafers, substrates or devices during manufacture or treatment thereof using carriers specially adapted therefor, e.g. front opening unified pods [FOUP] closed carriers characterised by atmosphere control characterised by the presence of atmosphere modifying elements inside or attached to the closed carrier
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H10P—GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
  • H10P72/00—Handling or holding of wafers, substrates or devices during manufacture or treatment thereof
  • H10P72/70—Handling or holding of wafers, substrates or devices during manufacture or treatment thereof for supporting or gripping
  • H10P72/76—Handling or holding of wafers, substrates or devices during manufacture or treatment thereof for supporting or gripping using mechanical means, e.g. clamps or pinches
  • H10P72/7604—Handling or holding of wafers, substrates or devices during manufacture or treatment thereof for supporting or gripping using mechanical means, e.g. clamps or pinches the wafers being placed on a susceptor, stage or support
  • H10P72/7626—Handling or holding of wafers, substrates or devices during manufacture or treatment thereof for supporting or gripping using mechanical means, e.g. clamps or pinches the wafers being placed on a susceptor, stage or support characterised by the construction of the shaft
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H10P—GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
  • H10P72/00—Handling or holding of wafers, substrates or devices during manufacture or treatment thereof
  • H10P72/70—Handling or holding of wafers, substrates or devices during manufacture or treatment thereof for supporting or gripping
  • H10P72/76—Handling or holding of wafers, substrates or devices during manufacture or treatment thereof for supporting or gripping using mechanical means, e.g. clamps or pinches
  • H10P72/7602—Handling or holding of wafers, substrates or devices during manufacture or treatment thereof for supporting or gripping using mechanical means, e.g. clamps or pinches the wafers being placed on a robot blade or gripped by a gripper for conveyance
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B25—HAND TOOLS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; MANIPULATORS
  • B25J—MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES
  • B25J11/00—Manipulators not otherwise provided for
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B25—HAND TOOLS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; MANIPULATORS
  • B25J—MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES
  • B25J11/00—Manipulators not otherwise provided for
  • B25J11/0095—Manipulators transporting wafers
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B25—HAND TOOLS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; MANIPULATORS
  • B25J—MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES
  • B25J15/00—Gripping heads and other end effectors
  • B25J15/0014—Gripping heads and other end effectors having fork, comb or plate shaped means for engaging the lower surface on a object to be transported
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B25—HAND TOOLS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; MANIPULATORS
  • B25J—MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES
  • B25J19/00—Accessories fitted to manipulators, e.g. for monitoring, for viewing; Safety devices combined with or specially adapted for use in connection with manipulators
  • B25J19/0058—Means for cleaning manipulators, e.g. dust removing means
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H10P—GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
  • H10P72/00—Handling or holding of wafers, substrates or devices during manufacture or treatment thereof
  • H10P72/04—Apparatus for manufacture or treatment
  • H10P72/0402—Apparatus for fluid treatment
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H10P—GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
  • H10P72/00—Handling or holding of wafers, substrates or devices during manufacture or treatment thereof
  • H10P72/30—Handling or holding of wafers, substrates or devices during manufacture or treatment thereof for conveying, e.g. between different workstations
  • H10P72/34—Handling or holding of wafers, substrates or devices during manufacture or treatment thereof for conveying, e.g. between different workstations the wafers being stored in a carrier, involving loading and unloading
  • H10P72/3402—Mechanical parts of transfer devices

Definitions

• This disclosure relates to substrate handling (e.g., semiconductor-wafer handling), and more specifically to gas purging in a substrate-handling system.
• a tool for fabricating or inspecting a substrate may include an equipment front-end module.
• the equipment front-end module includes a robot that is used to move substrates between various stations in the tool.
• the equipment front-end module may be purged using a purge gas (e.g., nitrogen), to provide a desired environment for the substrates handled by the robot. For example, purging is performed to remove oxygen from the equipment front-end module.
• a purge gas e.g., nitrogen
• a substrate-handling robot includes an end-effector to support a substrate and an arm, coupled to the end-effector, to translate the end-effector between an extended position and a retracted position.
• the substrate-handling robot also includes an enclosure to at least partially enclose the substrate with the substrate on the end-effector in the retracted position.
• the enclosure includes a shower to provide a flow of purge gas to the substrate.
• a method includes loading a substrate onto an end-effector coupled to an arm, with the arm in an extended position. With the substrate loaded onto the end- effector, the arm is retracted to a retracted position. Retracting the arm includes at least partially enclosing the substrate in an enclosure with a shower. With the substrate at least partially enclosed in the enclosure, a flow of purge gas is provided through the shower to the substrate.
• Figure 1 A is a perspective view of a substrate-handling robot, with a substrate on an end effector at a retracted position, in accordance with some embodiments.
• Figure IB is a perspective view of the substrate-handling robot of Figure 1 A, with the substrate on the end effector at an extended position, in accordance with some embodiments.
• Figure 1C is a cross-sectional side view of the substrate-handling robot of Figures
• Figure 2 is a perspective view of an enclosure, in accordance with some embodiments.
• Figure 3 is a flowchart showing a substrate-handling method in accordance with some embodiments.
• Figures 1 A-1C show a substrate-handling robot 100, in accordance with some embodiments.
• Figures 1A and IB are perspective views of the substrate-handling robot 100
• Figure 1C is a cross-sectional side view of the substrate-handling robot 100.
• the substrate-handling robot 100 includes a rotatable platform 102 (e.g., a rotatable box, which may be referred to as a robot box or R-box for short) that rotates in a circle 104 about an axis 128 (Figure 1C) (e.g., a central axis).
• the rotatable platform 102 may rotate through a full 360°.
• the rotatable platform 102 may also be capable of other movement.
• the rotatable platform 102 may be raised, lowered, and/or translated sideways in a particular direction.
• the rotatable platform 102 may include an axle 126 for performing the rotation.
• An arm 106 and an end-effector 112 are mounted on the rotatable platform 102.
• the end-effector 112 is coupled (e.g., rigidly connected) to the arm 106 and extends beyond the end of the arm 106, to support a substrate 116.
• the end-effector 112 is coupled to the rotatable platform 102 by the arm 106, which includes a back portion 108 and a front portion 110. The end-effector thus extends beyond the end of the front portion 110 of the arm 106.
• the substrate 116 is a semiconductor wafer.
• the end- effector 112 is a fork (e.g., with two prongs) to support the substrate 116 (e.g., the semiconductor wafer).
• the arm 106 is translatably coupled to the rotatable platform 102, such that it can move back and forth along the rotatable platform 102 to translate the end-effector 112 and the substrate 116 back and forth between an extended position and a retracted position.
• the end- effector 112 and the substrate 116 are shown in the retracted position in Figures 1 A and 1C and in the extended position (i.e., extracted position) in Figure IB.
• the arm 106 is translatable in a radial direction with respect to the rotatable platform 102 (e.g., with respect to the axis 128, Figure 1C), to translate the end-effector 112 and substrate 116 between the extended position and the retracted position.
• the arm 106 is translatable in a direction that is substantially parallel (e.g., to within manufacturing tolerances) to the side of the rotatable platform 102.
• the arm 106 may extend beyond the end 118 of the rotatable platform 102 to translate the end-effector 112 and substrate 116 to the extended position, as shown in Figure IB.
• the end-effector 112 and substrate 116 may be positioned beyond the end 118 of the rotatable platform 102 when in the extended platform and above the rotatable platform 102 (e.g., above the end 118) in the retracted position.
• the arm 106 may extend beyond the end 118 of the rotatable platform 102 with the end-effector 112 and substrate 116 in the extended position but not with the end-effector 112 and substrate 116 in the retracted position.
• the arm 106 may be positioned above the rotatable platform 102 with the end-effector 112 and substrate 116 in the retracted position.
• the rotatable platform 102 may include a motor (e.g., inside the box of the rotatable platform 102) to move the arm 106 and thus translate the end-effector 112 and substrate 116.
• An enclosure 114 at least partially encloses the substrate 116 in the retracted position (i.e., with the substrate 116 loaded on the end-effector 112 in the retracted position).
• the enclosure 114 is coupled (e.g., rigidly connected) to the rotatable platform 102 (e.g., at or adjacent to the end 118).
• the enclosure 114 does not enclose the rotatable platform 102, however, in accordance with some embodiments.
• Rotation of the rotatable platform 102 rotates the enclosure 114, along with the arm 106 and end-effector 112.
• the enclosure 114 may have a fixed position on the rotatable platform 102 (e.g., at or adjacent to the end 118).
• the enclosure 114 has a top portion that covers the substrate 116 and/or side walls that enclose the substrate 116 on respective sides, with the substrate 116 in the retracted position. (The top portion of the enclosure 114 is shown without fill in Figures 1 A and IB to reveal underlying structures.) The enclosure 114 does not cover or enclose the entire arm 106 with the substrate in the retracted position, however, although it may or may not enclose a portion of the arm 106 (e.g., an end of the front portion 110), in accordance with some embodiments.
• the enclosure 114 may have a side opening (e.g., parallel to the end 118 of the rotational platform 102) through which the substrate 116, end-effector 112, and a portion of the arm 106 pass when being translated from the retracted position to the extended position.
• the enclosure 114 includes a shower to provide a flow of purge gas 124 to the substrate.
• the purge gas 124 is nitrogen (N2).
• the shower includes one or more porous surfaces through which purge gas 124 flows.
• an inner surface 122 ( Figure 1C) of a top portion of the enclosure 114, or a portion thereof, is porous.
• the inner surface 122 is positioned to face a surface of the substrate 116 when the substrate 116 is loaded on the end-effector 112 with the end-effector 112 and the substrate 116 in the retracted position.
• the purge gas 124 flows through the inner surface 122 (i.e., through the pores in the inner surface 122) onto the surface of the substrate 116.
• the shower may further include a chamber 120 in the top portion of the enclosure
• the chamber 120 is surrounded by surfaces including the inner surface 122, an outer surface of the top portion of the enclosure 114, and side surfaces of the top portion of the enclosure 114.
• the purge gas 124 is provided to the chamber 120, from where it flows through the inner surface 122.
• one or more tubes 130 (Figure 1C) provide the purge gas 124 to the chamber 120.
• the one or more tubes 130 may extend through the box of the rotational platform 102. (The connection between the rotational platform 102 and the enclosure 114 for the one or more tubes 130 is not visible in the cross-section of Figure 1C. An example of such a connection is the elbow 218, discussed below with respect to Figure 2.)
• the enclosure 114 is not hermetically sealed.
• the enclosure 114 has the side opening through which the substrate 116, end-effector 112, and portion of the arm 106 pass and through which the purge gas 124 may flow.
• the flow of purge gas 124 provided by the shower may be continuous.
• the flow of purge gas 124 may be continuous while the end-effector 112 and substrate 116 are in the retracted position, and may continue when the end-effector 112 and substrate 116 are not in the retracted position.
• FIG 2 is a perspective view of an enclosure 200, in accordance with some embodiments.
• the enclosure 200 is an example of the enclosure 114 ( Figures 1 A-1C).
• a top portion 202 of the enclosure 200 has a chamber 204, which is an example of the chamber 120 ( Figure 1C).
• An inner surface 206 of the top portion 202 which is an example of the inner surface 122 ( Figure 1C), includes a porous surface 208.
• the porous surface 208 is positioned to face a surface of a substrate 116 when the substrate 116 is loaded on the end-effector 112 with the end-effector 112 and the substrate 116 in the retracted position.
• Purge gas 124 passes from the chamber 204 through the porous surface 208 onto the surface of the substrate 116 ( Figures 1A-1C).
• the enclosure 200 further includes side walls 210 that connect to (e.g., form part of) the top portion 202 of the enclosure 200.
• respective portions of the side walls 210 are side surfaces of the chamber 204.
• the side walls 210 connect to brackets 214 that are used to connect the enclosure 200 to a rotatable platform 102 ( Figures 1 A-1C).
• the brackets 214 include holes 216 into which connectors (e.g., screws, bolts, etc.) are inserted to connect the brackets 214 to respective sides of the box of the rotatable platform 102.
• the brackets 214 may be connected to the side walls 210 by surfaces 212, which may slant downward and inward from the side walls 210 to the brackets 214.
• a substrate 116 on an end- effector 112 may be inserted into the enclosure 200 (e.g., retracted into the enclosure 200 by an arm 106, Figures 1 A-1C) in the space between the inner surface 206 (e.g., including the porous surface 208) on one side and the surfaces 212 as well as the top of the rotational platform 102 on the other side.
• the end-effector 112, on which the substrate 116 is loaded, may also be housed in this space when it is in the retracted position.
• one or both of the side walls 210 may include inner surfaces, all or a portion of which may be porous. These porous surfaces may be used instead of or in addition to the porous surface 208 to provide the flow of purge gas 124 to the substrate 116.
• the porous surface 208 may be absent.
• the purge gas 124 may be provided to the porous surfaces of the side walls 210 through the chamber 204.
• An elbow 218 is connected to the enclosure 200 (e.g., to the top portion 202) and is connectable to the rotational platform 102 (e.g., to the box of the rotational platform 102), in accordance with some embodiments.
• the elbow 218 provides a pathway for the one or more tubes 130 (Figure 1C) to provide the purge gas 124 to the chamber 204.
• the one or more tubes 130 may extend through the elbow 218.
• the one or more tubes 130 extend through the box of the rotational platform 102 and through the elbow 218 to the chamber 204.
• FIG 3 is a flowchart showing a substrate-handling method 300 in accordance with some embodiments.
• a substrate e.g., substrate 116, Figures 1 A-1C
• an end-effector e.g., end-effector 112, Figures 1 A-1C
• the substrate is a semiconductor wafer
• the end-effector includes a fork
• the fork picks up (304) the semiconductor wafer.
• the arm is retracted (306) to a retracted position.
• the substrate is at least partially enclosed in an enclosure (e.g., enclosure 114, Figures 1 A-1C; enclosure 200, Figure 2) that includes a shower.
• the shower includes (308) a porous surface.
• the enclosure has a top portion (e.g., top portion 202, Figure 2) with an inner surface (e.g., inner surface 206, Figure 2) that includes the porous surface (e.g., porous surface 208, Figure 2).
• a surface of the substrate is positioned (310) to face the inner surface.
• the enclosure has a side wall (e.g., a side wall 210, Figure 2) with an inner surface that includes the porous surface.
• the substrate is positioned (312) adjacent to the inner surface.
• providing the flow of purge gas includes causing (316) the purge gas to flow through the porous surface.
• the purge gas is provided (318) through one or more tubes (e.g., one or more tubes 130, Figures 1C and 2) to a chamber (e.g., chamber 120, Figure 1C; chamber 204, Figure 2) that is surrounded by surfaces that include the porous surface (e.g., by surfaces including the inner surface, wherein the porous surface is all or a portion of the inner surface).
• the purge gas flows from the chamber through the porous surface onto the substrate.
• the arm and the enclosure are mounted on a rotatable platform (e.g., rotatable platform 102, Figures 1 A-1C).
• the method 300 may include rotating the rotatable platform while providing the flow of purge gas through the shower to the substrate.
• the substrate is loaded (302) onto the end-effector with the rotatable platform at a first orientation.
• the rotatable platform is rotated (320) from the first orientation to a second orientation.
• the flow of purge gas is provided through the shower to the substrate while rotating the rotatable platform. With the rotatable platform in the second orientation, the substrate is moved (322) to a station.
• Moving the substrate to the station includes extending the arm from the retracted position to the extended position, thereby removing the substrate from the enclosure.
• the station may be a second station that corresponds to the second orientation.
• the method 300 may include moving the substrate to the second station from a first station that corresponds to the first orientation. For example, the substrate may be picked up from the first station in operations 302 and 306.
• the rotatable platform includes a box.
• the one or more tubes that provide the purge gas to the shower extend through the box (e.g., as shown in Figure 1C).
• the one or more tubes may extend through the box and through an elbow (e.g., elbow 218, Figure 2) coupled between the rotational platform and the enclosure.
• the method 300 can include more or fewer operations than shown in Figure 3.
• Performance of two or more operations may overlap, and two or more operations may be combined into a single operation.
• the enclosure 114 ( Figures 1 A-1C) (e.g., the enclosure 200, Figure 2) acts as a localized purge module.
• the enclosure 114 and the method 300 allow purging to be performed locally with respect to the substrate, and thus to be performed precisely.
• This local purging also uses a relatively low flow of purging gas, as compared for example to the gas flow used to purge the entire equipment front-end module that contains the wafer-handler robot.
• the expense and complexity of a full-robot enclosure are avoided, in accordance with some embodiments.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Robotics (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Container, Conveyance, Adherence, Positioning, Of Wafer (AREA)
• Manipulator (AREA)

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• 2020
  • 2020-09-11 US US17/018,912 patent/US11315816B2/en active Active
• 2021
  • 2021-04-13 TW TW110113173A patent/TWI870578B/zh active
  • 2021-05-30 CN CN202411596147.1A patent/CN119427428A/zh active Pending
  • 2021-05-30 CN CN202180039711.8A patent/CN115768604A/zh active Pending
  • 2021-05-30 KR KR1020227045153A patent/KR102861296B1/ko active Active
  • 2021-05-30 JP JP2022576080A patent/JP7609897B2/ja active Active
  • 2021-05-30 WO PCT/US2021/035055 patent/WO2021252213A1/en not_active Ceased

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