Apparatus for loading of a wafer in semiconductor processing

专利摘要:
PURPOSE: An apparatus for loading a wafer in manufacturing a semiconductor device is provided to prevent a scratch on the edge portion of the wafer caused by a loading defect of the wafer, by preventing the edge portion of the wafer from being put over a guide pin. CONSTITUTION: A process for manufacturing a semiconductor is performed in a chamber. A robot arm(44) transfers a wafer(W) to the inside of the chamber. The wafer is fixedly placed on a wafer mount unit(42) by the guide pin(46). The wafer mount unit has a plurality of guide pins of which the upper portion is of a dome type for fixing the wafer transferred to the chamber by the robot arm, installed inside the chamber.
公开号:KR20020007524A
申请号:KR1020000040687
申请日:2000-07-14
公开日:2002-01-29
发明作者:이상훈；김상민
申请人:윤종용；삼성전자 주식회사；
IPC主号:

专利说明:

Apparatus for loading of a wafer in semiconductor processing
[11] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a wafer loading apparatus, and more particularly, to a wafer loading apparatus that minimizes damage to a wafer due to wafer loading failure in the manufacture of a semiconductor device.
[12] In general, the manufacture of a semiconductor device is a process of obtaining a desired semiconductor device by forming a multilayer film on a single crystal wafer according to a desired circuit pattern, and is a deposition process, a photolithography process, an oxidation process, an etching process, an ion implantation process, and a metal wiring process. A series of processes such as these are carried out in accordance with each step. In addition, the process of measuring the size of the pattern, the ion implantation concentration, the number of particles, etc. are performed with this process.
[13] When performing the process, the wafer must be loaded into the process equipment or metrology equipment. The loading of the wafer is mainly done automatically by robot arms or the like. However, serious damage may occur to the wafer when the wafer is not placed correctly at a predetermined position of the wafer mounting part in the equipment due to an abnormal occurrence of the robot arm or the like during loading of the wafer. In addition, when the wafer mounted at a predetermined position is not fixed on the mounting portion and the process proceeds, the semiconductor device may be defective. Therefore, special care must be taken when loading the wafer since it will interfere with the reliability and production yield of the semiconductor device.
[14] An example of a semiconductor device including a loading device for mounting the wafer and having a fixing means for fixing the mounted wafer is disclosed in US Pat. No. 5,820,329 to Derbinsdki et al.
[15] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a conventional wafer loading apparatus.
[16] Referring to FIG. 1, a chamber 10 for performing a semiconductor manufacturing process is provided. The chamber 10 includes a chamber and the like accompanied by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) for measuring line width and the like. The wafer mounting part 12 in which the wafer is mounted in the chamber 10 is provided. The robot arm 14 is provided adjacent to the chamber 10 and transfers the wafer W to the mounting portion 12 of the wafer. The robot arm 14 transfers the wafer W to the wafer mounting part 12 by automatic driving. Guide pins 16 are provided to fix the wafer W transferred by the robot arm 14 to the wafer mounting portion 12. The wafer W fixed by the guide pin performs a series of processes in the chamber 10.
[17] FIG. 2 is a view for explaining that the wafer W is fixed to the wafer mounting portion 22 by the guide pin 26 shown in FIG. 1.
[18] 2, a plurality of guide pins 26 are provided at one side of the wafer mounting part 22. The guide pin 26 is inserted into and fixed in a groove (not shown) formed at a position in contact with the edge of the wafer W placed on the wafer mounting portion 22. The one guide pin 26a is configured to be movable along the groove 30 formed in the predetermined portion on the wafer mounting portion 22 by the pin driver 28. The guide pin 26 has a cylindrical shape, and the head portion of the guide pin 26 has a cross or straight groove 26b formed therein so that the guide pin 26 can be moved to the wafer mounting portion using a mechanism. It is configured to be easy to insert or remove into the groove (not shown) formed in the 22. When the wafer W is mounted on the wafer mounting portion 22, the movable guide pin 26a moves to an edge portion of the wafer W to fix the position of the wafer W. The material of the guide pin 26 is made of a conductive metal so that when the guide pin 26 contacts the edge of the wafer W for fixing the wafer W, the guide pin 26 is formed of a conductive metal. Charge can be released.
[19] However, when the wafer is transferred to the mounting portion 22 of the wafer by the robot arm 14, wafer loading failure due to the abnormality of the robot arm 14 frequently occurs.
[20] 3 is a view for explaining a wafer loading failure due to the abnormality of the robot arm.
[21] Referring to FIG. 3, the wafer W is not placed at the set position of the wafer mounting part 32 due to an abnormal occurrence of the robot arm, and the edge of the wafer W is spread over the guide pin 36. The wafer W is placed in the state. Such wafer loading failures cause defects such as scratches on the edges of the wafers W, which affects semiconductor reliability and production yield.
[22] It is an object of the present invention to provide a wafer loading apparatus that minimizes wafer damage due to wafer loading failure in the manufacture of semiconductor devices.
[1] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a conventional wafer loading apparatus.
[2] 2 is a view for explaining that the wafer is fixed by the guide pin in the conventional wafer loading apparatus.
[3] 3 is a view for explaining the loading failure of the wafer.
[4] 4 is a block diagram illustrating a wafer loading apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[5] 5 is a view for explaining that the loading of the wafer is prevented in the wafer loading apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[6] Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings
[7] 40: second chamber 42, 52: wafer mounting portion
[8] 44: robot arm 46, 56: guide pin
[9] 48: opening and closing part 50: first chamber
[10] W: Wafer
[23] The wafer loading apparatus of the present invention for achieving the above object, the chamber for performing a semiconductor manufacturing process, the robot arm for transferring the wafer into the chamber and the upper portion for fixing the wafer transferred by the robot arm Provided is a wafer loading apparatus having a plurality of guide pins having a dome shape, and having wafer mounting means on which the wafer is fixed by the guide pins.
[24] The guide pin is fixed to a portion in close contact with the edge of the wafer placed on the wafer mounting means, and configured to move only one guide pin.
[25] The upper dome-shaped portion of the guide pin is made of ceramic material, and the lower portion of the guide pin is made of metal material.
[26] Therefore, when the wafer is placed in the form of the edge portion of the wafer over the guide pin due to the abnormality of the robot arm, the wafer slides down the top surface of the guide pin and is seated on the wafer mounting portion. The loading failure of does not occur. In addition, the domed portion of the upper portion of the guide pin is made of a ceramic material to minimize scratch defects at the edge of the wafer, and the lower portion of the guide pin is made of a metal material to contact the edge of the wafer to release the charge of the wafer.
[27] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[28] 4 is a block diagram illustrating a wafer loading apparatus in the manufacture of a semiconductor device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[29] 4 illustrates a wafer loading apparatus in a semiconductor device having a second chamber 40 to prevent vacuum evacuation of the first chamber 50 in which the semiconductor process is performed.
[30] Referring to FIG. 4, a first chamber 50 for performing a semiconductor process is provided. The first chamber 50 includes a chamber for measuring line width and the like accompanied by an electron scanning microscope (SEM). It is provided on one side of the first chamber 50, and has a second chamber 40 for preventing the vacuum separation of the first chamber 50. The wafer mounting part 42 in which the wafer is placed in the second chamber 40 is provided. The robot arm 44 is provided adjacent to the second chamber 40 and transfers the wafer W to the mounting portion 42 of the wafer. The robot arm 44 transfers the wafer W to the wafer mounting part 42 by automatic driving. A plurality of guide pins 46 are provided to fix the wafer W transferred to the wafer mount part 42 by the robot arm 44 to the wafer mount part 42. The plurality of guide pins 46 are inserted into and fixed in grooves (not shown) formed at portions in close contact with the edges of the wafer W placed on the wafer mounting portion 42, and one guide pin 46 is fixed thereto. Only the pin driver (not shown) is configured to move along a groove (not shown) formed in a predetermined portion on the wafer mounting portion. When the wafer W is placed on the wafer mounting portion 42, the movable guide pin 46 moves to the edge of the wafer W to completely fix the position of the wafer W. The guide pin 46 has a dome shape at an upper portion thereof and a lower portion having a cylindrical shape. In addition, the head portion of the dome is formed with a cross or straight groove (not shown) to easily insert or remove the guide pin 46 into a groove (not shown) formed in the wafer mounting portion 42 using a mechanism. It is configured to. The material of the upper dome-shaped portion of the guide pin 46 is made of ceramic, and the material of the lower cylinder is made of a conductive metal. Accordingly, when the guide pin 46 contacts the edge of the wafer W to fix the wafer W, the charge in the wafer W may be released to the metal. Inserting the wafer W installed in the form of a door between the first chamber 50 and the second chamber 40 and mounted in the second chamber 40 into the first chamber 50. Opening and closing part 48 is provided. The opening portion is opened, and the wafer mounting portion on which the wafer is fixed is transferred to the first chamber to perform a series of semiconductor manufacturing processes.
[31] In the loading of the wafer using the loading device, the wafer W is transferred to the second chamber 40 by the driving of the robot arm 44, and the wafer W is positioned at a predetermined position of the wafer mounting part 42. Release). The movable guide pin 46 is moved to the edge portion of the wafer W to fix the wafer W placed on the wafer mount 42. When the vacuum is set in the second chamber 40, the opening and closing portion 48 between the first chamber 50 and the second chamber 40 is opened, and the wafer mounting portion 42 in which the wafer W is fixed is opened. ) Is transferred to the first chamber 50 to perform a semiconductor manufacturing process in the first chamber 50.
[32] However, the abnormality of the robot arm 44 frequently occurs when the wafer W is transferred to a predetermined position of the wafer mounting part 42 of the second chamber 40 by the driving of the robot arm 44. The wafer W is not mounted at a predetermined position of the wafer mounting portion 42 beyond the robot arm 44, and a portion of the edge of the wafer W is placed over the guide pin 46. The wafer W is loaded.
[33] 5 is a view for explaining that the failure is prevented during the loading of the wafer (W) due to the abnormal occurrence of the robot arm according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[34] Referring to FIG. 5, the edge portion of the wafer is placed on the guide pin 56 of the wafer mounting portion 52 due to an abnormality of the robot arm (not shown). However, since the upper portion 56a of the guide pin is domed, the wafer W slides down the surface of the guide pin and rests on the wafer mount 52 so that wafer loading failure does not occur. Since the guide pin 56 is a domed portion of the upper portion 56a using a ceramic material having a low friction force, scratches that may occur at the edge portion of the wafer W are minimized. In addition, the cylindrical portion of the lower portion 56b is formed of a conductive metal so that the guide pin 56 contacts the edge of the wafer W for fixing the wafer W. The charge in W) can be released. The head of the dome on the upper part of the guide pin 56 has a cross or straight groove 56c formed therein and the guide pin 56 in the groove 52a formed in the wafer mounting portion 52 using a mechanism. ) Is easy to insert or remove.
[35] Therefore, the wafer loading failure that prevents the edge portion of the wafer from covering the guide pin during the loading of the wafer due to the abnormal occurrence of the robot arm is prevented. Accordingly, defects such as scratching of the wafer edge portion due to the wafer loading defects are prevented, and semiconductor reliability and production yield are improved.
[36] Although the above has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, those skilled in the art will be variously modified and changed within the scope of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention described in the claims below. I can understand that you can.

权利要求:
Claims (3)
[1" claim-type="Currently amended] A chamber for performing a semiconductor manufacturing process;
A robotic arm for transferring a wafer into the chamber; And
And a wafer mounting means provided in the chamber and having a plurality of guide pins having an upper portion for fixing a wafer transferred into the chamber by the robot arm, wherein the wafer is fixed by the guide pin. A wafer loading device in the manufacture of semiconductor devices.
[2" claim-type="Currently amended] The wafer loading in the manufacture of a semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the guide pin is fixed to a portion in close contact with an edge of the wafer placed on the wafer mounting means, and only one guide pin is movable. Device.
[3" claim-type="Currently amended] The wafer loading apparatus of claim 1, wherein a domed portion of the guide pin uses a ceramic material, and a lower portion of the guide pin uses a metal material.

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引用文献:

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公开号 | 申请日 | 公开日 | 申请人 | 专利标题

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法律状态:
2000-07-14|Application filed by 윤종용, 삼성전자 주식회사

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2000-07-14|Priority to KR1020000040687A

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2002-01-29|Publication of KR20020007524A

优先权:

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申请号 | 申请日 | 专利标题

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KR1020000040687A|KR20020007524A|2000-07-14|2000-07-14|Apparatus for loading of a wafer in semiconductor processing|