JP2011159833A - Load port and carrier device with clean gate - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To minimize the quantity of particles coming from the outside to an open surface of a wafer carrier, and to prevent the curling of particles. <P>SOLUTION: A load port is provided for mounting a wafer carrier that seals and accommodates a plurality of wafers, and includes an FIMS door that opens the carrier door of the wafer carrier. In the load port, a clean gate that covers the open surface of the wafer carrier opened by the FIMS door is arranged. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a load port for loading a wafer carrier and a transfer apparatus.

  Conventionally, a wafer carrier is used as a substrate storage container in a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device. FIG. 1 is a perspective view for explaining a known wafer carrier. As shown in FIG. 1, as an example of a wafer carrier in which a door is formed on the side surface of the wafer carrier, for example, there is one manufactured by FLUOROWARE (Fluoroware). This type is called FOUP in the SEMI standard. Note that FOUP is an abbreviation for Front Opening Unified Pod. Information such as detailed dimensions is described in SEMI standards E52, E1.9, E47.1 and the like.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the wafer carrier 100 has a carrier shell 10 and a carrier door 20. The carrier shell 10 is a housing having an open surface on one side, and the carrier door 20 is fitted to the carrier shell 10 on the open surface. In a state where the carrier door 20 is fitted to the carrier shell 10, that is, in a state where the carrier door 20 is closed, the wafer carrier 100 is in a sealed state.

  The wafer carrier 100 is different from the conventionally used open cassette (see SEMI standard E1.9, etc.) by holding a substrate to be processed (hereinafter referred to as “wafer”) in a sealed space in the carrier. The wafer is protected from foreign substances and chemical contamination in the atmosphere.

  On the other hand, in order to open and close the wafer door 100 by opening and closing the carrier door 20 in a substrate processing apparatus (semiconductor manufacturing apparatus), a load port having a FIMS surface defined by the SEMI standard is required. Here, FIMS is an abbreviation for Front-opening Interface Mechanical Standard.

  FIG. 2 is a side sectional view for explaining a substrate processing apparatus having a conventional load port. As shown in FIG. 2, the load port 300 is attached to the wall surface (housing surface) of the mini-environment 40 that is a section of the substrate transfer apparatus of the substrate processing apparatus 200. A wafer carrier 100 is mounted on the mounting table 30 of the load port 300. The FIMS door 32 of the load port 300 is fitted to the carrier door 20 and descends inside the mini-environment 40 together with the carrier door 20 (opening operation). With this operation, the wafer transfer robot 41 installed in the mini-environment 40 can access the wafer carrier 100. In addition, the substrate processing apparatus 200 includes an FFU (Fan Filter Unit) 42 that cleans the air in the mini-environment 40.

  By the way, the sealed wafer carrier 100 such as FOUP is generally molded from high-functional plastic. However, plastic has a property of allowing moisture and the like to pass therethrough, and moisture and the like may enter the wafer carrier 100 even when sealed. In addition, outside air may enter the wafer carrier 100 from between the carrier door and the carrier shell by a mechanism such as molecular diffusion. Therefore, the humidity and oxygen concentration in the wafer carrier 100 tend to increase with time.

  Further, when storing the wafer coated with the photoresist in the wafer carrier 100, the organic solvent evaporated from the photoresist coated on the wafer may adhere to the inner wall of the wafer carrier 100. In this case, the organic solvent adhering to the inner wall of the wafer carrier 100 remains as it is even after the wafer is removed. Thereafter, the atmosphere in the wafer carrier 100 may be organically contaminated by re-evaporating the organic solvent.

As a countermeasure against such an increase in humidity and oxygen concentration and organic contamination in the wafer carrier 100, N2 or dry air is simply introduced into the wafer carrier 100 from the bottom of the wafer carrier 100 with the carrier door 20 closed. A method for replacing the atmosphere in the wafer carrier 100 has been proposed.
However, as shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of wafers 16 are horizontally stored in the wafer carrier 100. Therefore, the wafer stored in the wafer carrier 100 becomes an obstacle, and there is a problem that the inside of the wafer carrier 100 cannot be replaced with N 2 gas or dry air in a short time.

Japanese Patent No. 3880343

In order to replace the wafer carrier 100 on the load port with dry air or the like, there is a problem that even if it is configured as in Patent Document 1, for example, it cannot be replaced properly quickly.
In addition, if the carrier door is opened by the load port, the carrier door surface is fully opened. For example, even if a small amount of wafers are taken in and out by the wafer transfer robot, the entire surface remains open. As a result, foreign matter enters the carrier from the outside of the wafer carrier, or when the wafer transfer robot stocks a large wafer, it rolls up small foreign matter in the atmosphere and enters the wafer carrier. was there.

In order to solve the above problem, the present invention is configured as follows.
The present invention provides a load port having a wafer carrier for sealing and housing a plurality of wafers and opening a carrier door of the wafer carrier, and opening the wafer carrier with the FIMS door open. The load port is characterized by having a clean gate covering the surface.
The clean gate is preferably formed in a bellows shape and can be vertically contracted with respect to the open surface.
Further, the clean gate has one end of the bellows shape fixed to a base plate supporting the FIMS door, the other end is driven by a clean gate driving unit, and the area of the open surface can be adjusted by the clean gate driving unit. It is better to be configured.
Further, a purge mechanism for jetting gas toward the inside of the wafer carrier is further provided, and the operation of the purge mechanism and the operation of adjusting the area of the open surface by the clean gate driving unit are performed simultaneously. Configure.
The load port according to claim 1, and a wafer transfer robot for taking the wafer in and out of the wafer carrier mounted on the load port, the operation of the clean gate and the operation of the wafer transfer robot, It is preferable to use a transport device that performs the above in conjunction with each other.

According to the present invention, since the bellows type clean gate covering the open surface of the wafer carrier is provided, particles entering from the outside of the carrier can be minimized.
In addition, according to the present invention, a minimum clearance for the wafer transfer robot to take in and out the wafer can be formed, so that the entry of particles from the outside of the carrier can be prevented and the particles inside can be picked up and adhered to the wafer. No.

Perspective view for explaining the wafer carrier Side sectional view for explaining a load port and a substrate processing apparatus including the load port The front view of the load port provided with the clean gate of the present invention in a state where the gate is opened The front view of the load port provided with the clean gate of the present invention in a state where the gate is closed

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

3 and 4 are front views showing an embodiment of the load port of the present invention. FIG. 3 shows a state where a clean gate described later is opened, and FIG. 4 shows a state where the clean gate is closed. 3 and 4 are views of a part of the load port as seen from the inside of the mini-environment 40 in FIG.
The base plate 406 of the load port is attached to the side surface of the housing of the mini-environment 40 in FIG. The base plate 406 is formed with an opening that is approximately the same size as the FIMS door 32. This opening is approximately the same area as the open surface of the wafer carrier 100 by the carrier door 20. The carrier door 20 of the wafer carrier 100 mounted on the mounting table 30 not shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is held by the FIMS door 32 and descends in the mini-environment 40 as described in FIG. . Then, the wafer can be accessed inside the mini-environment 40 through the opening.

A clean gate 400 is provided above the opening. The clean gate 400 is formed in a bellows shape and can be expanded and contracted. When the clean gate 400 is contracted, the clean gate 400 is disposed so as to fit in the upper part of the opening. The upper end of the clean gate 400 is fixed to the base plate 406. A part of the lower end is connected to a guide 405 provided on the base plate 406. A clean gate driving unit 404 (not shown) moves one end of the clean gate 400 along the guide 405. The width of the clean gate 400 is about the width of the open surface where the FIMS door 32 is opened, and the length is such that the open surface can be covered.
The clean gate 400 is interlocked with the operation of the wafer transfer robot 41 (not shown) by the clean gate driving unit 404. For example, when the wafer transfer robot 41 loads and removes wafers in order from the upper stage to the lower stage of the wafer carrier 100, the wafer is gradually extended downward so as to close the open surface of the upper stage that has been loaded and unloaded.
Alternatively, when the load port has a purge mechanism (not shown), the load port is interlocked with the operation of the purge mechanism. In this case, the clean gate 400 is operated as the purge mechanism moves up and down while jetting gas toward the wafer carrier.

  FIG. 4 shows a state where the clean gate 400 is extended so as to block the open surface. When the wafer to be taken in and out is always at a fixed position with respect to the open surface, for example, a predetermined gap 403 may be formed in the clean gate 400 in advance.

  Further, the two clean gates 400 above and below the opening may be mounted. Then, it is possible to operate while maintaining a certain gap between the upper and lower clean gates, and for example, the minimum gap for the wafer transfer robot 41 to access the wafer can be maintained, so that the particles are picked up inside the carrier. Minimize. Further, the purge operation by the purge mechanism, that is, the replacement operation is optimally performed.

10 Carrier shell 20 Carrier door 30 Mounting table 32 Load port door (FIMS door)
40 Mini-environment (space of transfer device)
41 Wafer transfer robot 42 FFU
100 Wafer Carrier 200 Substrate Processing Equipment (Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment)
300 load port

400 Clean gate 403 Clearance 404 Clean gate drive unit 405 Guide 406 Base plate

Claims (5)

In a load port equipped with a wafer carrier for sealing and housing a plurality of wafers, and a FIMS door for opening the carrier door of the wafer carrier,
A load port, comprising: a clean gate that covers an open surface of the wafer carrier opened by the FIMS door.   The load port according to claim 1, wherein the clean gate is formed in a bellows shape and can be contracted up and down with respect to the open surface.   The clean gate is configured such that one end of the bellows-like shape is fixed to a base plate supporting the FIMS door, the other end is driven by a clean gate driving unit, and the area of the open surface can be adjusted by the clean gate driving unit. The load port according to claim 2, wherein the load port is provided.   The apparatus further comprises a purge mechanism that ejects gas toward the inside of the wafer carrier, and the operation of the purge mechanism and the operation of adjusting the area of the open surface by the clean gate driving unit are performed simultaneously. The load port according to claim 3. 2. A load port according to claim 1, and a wafer transfer robot for loading and unloading the wafer with respect to the wafer carrier mounted on the load port, wherein the operation of the clean gate and the operation of the wafer transfer robot are linked. It is performed by carrying out.

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