JP2014112631A - Load port unit and EFEM system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To suppress suction of dust, or the like, into a delivery zone when the lid of a pod is opened, in an EFEM system.SOLUTION: With regard to a load port unit in an EFEM system, a delivery zone is defined and a seal member is arranged, respectively, on the outer space side of a base having an opening, and the delivery zone side. The load port unit has such a structure that the external opening side of a door for closing the opening projects farther to the outer space side than a virtual surface formed by the seal region of the seal member on the external opening side.

Description

  The present invention provides a method for transferring a wafer held in a sealed transfer container called a pod to a semiconductor processing apparatus in a semiconductor manufacturing process or the like, or transferring a wafer from the semiconductor processing apparatus to the pod. The present invention relates to a so-called EFEM (Equipment front end module, hereinafter referred to as EFEM) system, and a load port unit that actually opens and closes a pod lid in the system.

  In recent years, the semiconductor manufacturing process has been carried out in various processing apparatuses, a pod that accommodates wafers and enables wafer transfer between the processing apparatuses, and a minute space that transfers substrates from the pod to the processing apparatuses. A method of managing cleanliness through a process by keeping only three spaces in a highly clean state is common. Such a pod is composed of a main body portion that contains a wafer inside and has an opening for inserting and removing a wafer on one side surface, and a lid that closes the opening to make the inside of the pod a sealed space. Further, the minute space has an opening that can face the opening of the pod described above, and a second opening that faces the opening and is disposed on the semiconductor processing apparatus side.

  In this minute space, a filter is used to clean the air present around the outside and introduce it. The above-described pod lid opening and closing device, a minute space, and a wafer transfer mechanism arranged in the minute space are collectively referred to as an EFEM system. By using clean air through this filter, the cleanness of the minute space is set to a predetermined level in the EFEM system. However, with the recent miniaturization and high performance of semiconductors, it is required that wiring patterns used in semiconductors become finer and the influence of pattern oxidation be more strictly eliminated. For this reason, for example, as shown in Patent Document 1 or 2, the adoption of a mode in which the minute space is a sealed space and the space is in a nitrogen atmosphere maintaining a purity of a predetermined level or higher is being promoted.

JP 10-340874 A Japanese Patent No. 4251580

  As described above, the residual oxygen concentration in the minute space and the cleanliness are maintained at predetermined levels as exemplified in Patent Document 1 by sealing the minute space and introducing or circulating an appropriate amount of nitrogen. Is easily achieved. However, since the pod is transported through an external space inferior in cleanliness and placed on the load port unit, there is a concern that dust or the like may enter the microspace when the lid of the pod is opened or closed or the oxygen concentration increases. . As exemplified in Patent Document 1, no attempt has been made to address such concerns. In the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 2, a space different from the minute space is formed, and the lid of the pod is opened and closed through the space, so that no dust is brought into the minute space. However, the configuration of the apparatus becomes complicated, and there are points that should be improved in terms of cost, installation area, nitrogen usage, and the like.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above situation, and reduces the dust and the like entering the micro space when opening and closing the lid of the pod, and the load port unit which is an interface with higher cleanliness and the load port An object is to provide an EFFM system having a unit.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the load port unit according to the present invention is a load port unit that removes a lid from a pod that contains a stored item, and enables removal from the pod of the stored item to a delivery zone, A base that constitutes a wall that separates the delivery zone from an external space, an opening provided in the base, opening and closing of the opening, and fixing and releasing of the lid from the pod, A door capable of detaching and attaching the lid, a first seal member for ensuring close contact in the delivery zone between the door and the base, and a first seal member for ensuring close contact in the external space between the pod and the base. An external space side of the door with respect to a virtual surface formed by a seal region in the second seal member Plane and wherein the projecting to the external space side.

  The load port unit described above may further include synchronization control means for driving the pod toward the opening in synchronization with the operation of the door after the door contacts the lid and holds the lid. preferable.

  Moreover, in order to solve the said subject, the EFEM system which concerns on this invention is an EFEM system connected via the process chamber side interface with respect to the process chamber which processes with respect to a contained thing, Comprising: The said process chamber And a load port unit described above, and an EFEM unit that circulates through the fan filter unit to supply the inert gas to the delivery zone. The EFEM system preferably further includes a release valve that can discharge excess inert gas when the supply amount of inert gas supplied to the delivery zone is excessive.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress dust and the like brought into a minute space when the lid of the pod is opened, and it is possible to carry a wafer between the pod and the semiconductor processing apparatus in a cleaner environment. It becomes possible.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a figure which shows the external appearance of the EFEM system which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, Comprising: (a) is a system front view, (b) is a system left view, (c) is a system right view, (d) is a system right view. It becomes a system top view. It is a figure which shows typically the structure of the cross section at the time of cut | disconnecting an EFEM part along cut surface AA shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows typically the relationship between the port door in a load port part, a base member, and a pod about embodiment shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram sequentially illustrating, from (a) to (d), a process in which the port door removes the lid of the pod in the configuration illustrated in FIG. 3. It is a comparison with the present invention, and is a view showing a lid removing process in a conventional configuration in the same manner as in FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the main circuit structures in the EFEM system in this invention. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the switching process at the time of gas supply.

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an external appearance of an EFEM system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1A shows the EFEM system viewed from the front, and FIG. 1B shows the left side. The state (c) shows the state seen from the right side view, and (d) shows the state seen from the upper surface. FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing the internal structure of the EFEM portion seen in the section AA shown in FIG.

  The EFEM system 100 in this embodiment includes an EFEM unit 1, a load port unit 3, and a control unit 5 as main components. The control unit 5 controls the operation of each driving element, which will be described later, with respect to the EFEM unit 1 and the load port unit 3. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a main circuit configuration of the EFEM system 100. As will be described later, the load port unit 3 has an LPU door 312 and an LPU mounting table 316 that operate. The door driving mechanism 322 opens and closes the LPU door 312 and holds and opens the pod lid 402 by the LPU door 312. The operation of the mounting table 316 that places the pod 402 and moves the pod 402 toward and away from the LPU opening 315 in that state is performed by the mounting table driving mechanism 326. The control unit 5 includes a CPU 511 that controls operations of these drive mechanisms, and also includes synchronization control means 511 for synchronizing these operations, which will be described later. At the same time, the CPU 511 also executes control related to nitrogen supply and the like to be described later in the EFEM unit 1.

  The EFEM unit 1 includes a nitrogen circulation path and a delivery zone 11 which is a substantially sealed space included in the circulation path, and nitrogen is supplied from the nitrogen supply unit 23 to these spaces. The supply amount of nitrogen is controlled by a flow controller 519 (see FIG. 6) such as a mass flow controller, and the oxygen concentration in the internal space of the EFEM unit 1 is maintained at 1% or less. Specifically, at the initial operation of the EFEM unit 1, the nitrogen concentration is rapidly increased at a supply amount of, for example, about 300 L / min, and after reaching a predetermined level of nitrogen concentration, for example, the supply amount of about 50 L / min. The environment is maintained at Further, the excessively supplied nitrogen is discharged by the release valve 25. That is, in the present invention, the gas supply means (in this embodiment, the nitrogen supply unit 23) for supplying a gas exemplified by nitrogen or the like is used for maintaining a large flow rate for reducing the oxygen concentration and a low oxygen concentration state. It is possible to supply at a low flow rate with at least two types of flow rates. In addition, in order to effectively suppress the oxygen concentration in the internal space of the EFEM unit 1, this flow rate is further subdivided or variable so that the gas can be supplied more finely according to the oxygen concentration measurement result described later. It is also possible. The nitrogen supply unit 23 includes a flow rate controller 519 (see FIG. 6), which will be described later, and constitutes a gas supply system that supplies a predetermined gas in the present invention to the circulation path and can change the flow rate.

  Nitrogen supplied to the EFEM unit 1 is sucked by an FFU (fan filter unit, hereinafter referred to as FFU) 13 disposed in the nitrogen circulation path, and the first passage 15 and the second passage constituting the nitrogen circulation path. It reaches the FFU 13 via the passage 17. The nitrogen in a state where dust and the like are removed by the FFU 13 is sent out toward the delivery zone 11 by the FFU 13 in a down flow manner, and is further electrostatically removed by passing through the ionizer 27 to clean the delivery zone 11. Used to maintain In the present embodiment, nitrogen is used, but various so-called inert gases that reduce the oxygen concentration and do not affect the metal such as wiring can be used. Further, in the present embodiment, the mode using the ionizer 27 is illustrated, but this can be eliminated depending on the required cleanliness or the like.

  The above-described nitrogen supply unit 23 is connected to the first passage 15 having the smallest flow path cross-sectional area in the nitrogen circulation path, and supplies nitrogen to the first passage 15. Since the first passage 15 has a small cross-sectional area, the flow velocity of the gas is larger than that of other passages and the like, and there is little possibility of backflow of nitrogen, and suitable diffusion of nitrogen in the passage. Is also expected. An oxygen concentration measurement port 29 and a pressure measurement port 31 are connected to the delivery zone 11. More specifically, these ports 29 and 31 are arranged at a position that coincides with the transfer height of a wafer (not shown) transferred in the transfer zone 11 or at the lower side in the pod when the pod described later is opened. An opening is made at a position corresponding to the wafer, and the oxygen concentration and pressure at the position are measured. The oxygen concentration measurement port 29 and the pressure measurement port 31 are connected to an oxygen concentration meter 515 and a pressure gauge 517, respectively. This makes it possible to directly measure the environment where the wafer is placed.

  In the control unit 511, a determination unit 521 and a switching unit 523 are arranged. The measurement results of the oxygen concentration meter 515 and the pressure gauge 517 for measuring the oxygen concentration in the EFEM unit 11 are sent to the determination unit 521 included in the control unit 5 and compared with a plurality of preset threshold values. . The comparison result in the reversing unit 521 is sent to the switching unit 523 at the subsequent stage, and the switching unit 523 switches the setting so that nitrogen is allowed to flow at the flow rate set in the flow rate controller 519 in accordance with the threshold value described above. . FIG. 7 shows a flow of an example of such a switching process. First, when the EFEM unit 1 is started up, a large flow of nitrogen is supplied to the inside of the EFEM 1 at an oxygen concentration level (21%) in the atmosphere. While maintaining this state, the measurement of the oxygen concentration is repeated at predetermined time intervals, and when the determination means 521 confirms that the oxygen concentration is 80 ppm or less, which is the second threshold value, the switching means controls the flow rate controller 519. The amount of nitrogen supplied from is switched to a small flow rate. In this state, the measurement of the oxygen concentration is repeated again. Note that the repetition time may be changed with respect to the previous time interval. It is preferable that the change of the time interval is also made by the switching means according to the oxygen concentration.

  Over time, the oxygen concentration rises due to the inflow of air accompanying the opening / closing operation of the pod, etc., but when the determination means 521 detects that the value has exceeded 100 ppm as the first threshold value, the oxygen concentration again increases. Switch to nitrogen supply at flow rate. Here, the first threshold value is set larger than the second threshold value. As a result, the oxygen concentration is lowered. However, if the oxygen concentration falls below the above-described threshold value of 50 ppm, the switching operation is performed so that the nitrogen supply is performed at a small flow rate. By arranging such a configuration, it is possible to suitably maintain the oxygen concentration inside the EFEM 1 while suppressing the supply amount of nitrogen. Note that the nitrogen flow rate and the threshold value shown here are examples, and it is preferable that the nitrogen flow rate and the threshold value be appropriately changed according to the oxygen concentration required in the actual semiconductor manufacturing process, the internal volume of the EFEM unit 1, and the like. Note that a threshold value is set for the pressure measured by the pressure gauge 517 as well as the oxygen concentration, and the release valve 25 is opened and closed according to the threshold value.

  A load port unit 3 is disposed as an interface between the delivery zone 11 and the external space. In this embodiment, the load port unit 3 is provided with three LPUs (hereinafter referred to as LPUs) 301, and each LPU 301 is provided by opening a lid 402 of a pod (see pod 401 in FIG. 3 and the like). Communication between the internal space of the pod 401 and the delivery zone 11 is made. Each of the LPUs 301 is provided with an LPU base opening 315 as the first opening described above (the opening described above) and functions as one wall surface of the delivery zone 11, and an LPU that opens and closes the LPU base opening 315. The door 312 and the pod 401 can be placed, and the pod 401 has an LPU placement table 316 that moves toward and away from the LPU base opening 315. That is, the LPU base 311 constitutes a wall that separates the external space and the delivery zone 11. The LPU door 312 removes and attaches the lid 402 from the pod 401 by opening and closing the LPU base opening 315 and fixing and releasing the lid 402 from the pod 401.

  The LPU door 312 opens and closes the lid 402 of the pod 401 that accommodates a wafer or the like as an accommodation object, that is, removes the lid 402. That is, the LPU door 312 can hold the lid 402 of the pod 401, and the LPU base opening 315 is opened while holding the lid 402, thereby communicating the inside of the pod 401 with the delivery zone 11. Thereby, it is possible to take out the contents from the pod 401 to the delivery zone 11. Inside the delivery zone 11 is a door drive mechanism (not shown) that drives the LPU door 312 to open and close the LPU base opening 315, and a transfer that inserts and removes a wafer (not shown) into the pod 401. A robot 21 is arranged. The transfer robot 21 transfers the wafer immediately below the FFU 13 in the delivery zone 11, and further inserts / removes the wafer (not shown) into the process chamber (not shown) from the process chamber side interface 19. In the present embodiment, the so-called scalar type and uniaxial type are used in combination for the transfer robot 21, but the present invention is not limited to this, and various robots can be used.

  In the present embodiment, in order to prevent a decrease in the level of the nitrogen atmosphere in the EFEM unit 1, the outer periphery of the LPU base opening 315 and between the LPU door 312 and the LPU base 311 is a first sealing member. One O-ring 314a is arranged. By the first O-ring 314a, the delivery zone 11 inside the EFEM unit is sealed from the external space. A second O-ring 314 b corresponding to the pod seal surface 401 a of the pod 401 is disposed on the outer space of the LPU base 311 and on the outer space side wall of the LPU base 311.

  The second O-ring 314b corresponds to the second seal member in the present invention. When the sealing surface abuts on the second O-ring 314b and sandwiches it with the LPU base 312, the interior of the pod 401 is spatially isolated from the external space when the lid 402 is opened. That is, when the pod 401 is not in the lid opening / closing position, the EFEM unit 1 is separated from the external space by the first O-ring 314a, and when the pod 401 is in the lid opening / closing position, the EFEM unit is separated by the second O-ring 314b. 1 and the inside of the pod 401 are separated from the external space. In other words, the first seal member 314a ensures close contact in the delivery zone 11 between the LPU door 312 and the LPU base 311, and the second seal member 314b provides close contact in the external space between the pod 401 and the LPU base 311. secure. In the present embodiment, a so-called O-ring is used as the seal member, but the present invention is not limited to this as long as the member exhibits a similar seal function.

  Next, the LPU door 312 will be described. In the present invention, as shown in FIG. 3, the LPU door contact surface 312a, which is the surface that contacts the lid 401 of the LPU door 312, contacts the pod seal surface 401a of the pod 401 in the second seal member 314b. It protrudes to the pod 401 side from the virtual surface constituted by the portions. Or the contact surface 312a used as the surface by the side of the external space of the LPU door 312 protrudes to the external space side with respect to the virtual surface formed by the seal region in the second seal member 314b.

  A process of actually placing and fixing the pod 401 to the LPU 301 having the above configuration and removing the lid 402 will be described. 4A to 4D schematically show this series of steps. Usually, the pod 401 is transported in a so-called clean room and placed on the LPU placement table 316. However, since the cleanliness in the clean room in which the pod 401 is transported is inferior to that of the delivery zone 11, for example, as shown in FIG. It is floating in the vicinity.

  A case where the lid 402 is opened using a conventional load port portion with the dust 411 attached will be described with reference to FIG. FIGS. 5A to 5D sequentially show the lid removal process in the same manner as in FIG. Conventionally, the virtual surface constituted by the above-described second seal member 314 b is configured to protrude from the LPU door 312 with respect to the pod 401. When the surface 402a of the lid 402 is brought close to the outer surface of the LPU door 312 from the state of FIG. 5A, the surface 312a, the lid surface 402a and the second seal member of the LPU door 312 as shown in FIG. 5B. Dust or the like 411 that adheres to the surface of the lid 402 or floats in the vicinity of the surface in the space closed by 314b is collected.

  When the pod 401 further approaches the LPU door 312 and the lid surface 402a comes into contact with the LPU door surface 312a, the collected dust and the like are collected on the outer peripheral surface of the LPU door 312 and the first and second seal members 314a and 314b. It moves to the minute gap closed by this, and gathers further in the gap as shown in FIG. When the LPU door 312 removes the lid 402 from the pod 401 and retracts into the delivery zone 11 from this state, the dust 411 collected in the minute gap is drawn into the delivery zone 11 as shown in FIG. Therefore, there is a possibility that the inside of the delivery zone 11 is contaminated.

  On the other hand, in this invention, it arrange | positions so that the contact surface 312a with the lid | cover 402 of the LPU door 312 may protrude toward the pod 401 side rather than the virtual surface comprised by the 2nd sealing member 314b. . Therefore, when the pod 401 is brought close to the LPU door 312, the lid 402 first approaches the LPU door 312, and the distance between the lids 402 is reduced, and then comes into contact with each other. At that time, dust or the like 411 drifting near the surface of the lid 402 in FIG. 4A is pushed out from the outer periphery of the lid 402 to the external space in accordance with the narrowing of the interval, as shown in FIG. 4B. These contact with each other in a state where dust 411 between the lid surface 402a and the LPU door contact surface 312a is removed.

  In the contact state shown in FIG. 4B, the latch mechanism (not shown) that fixes the lid 402 to the pod 401 by the latch opening / closing mechanism (not shown) of the LPU door 312 (driven by the door drive mechanism 322) is released. At the same time, the lid 402 is held by the LPU door 312. Subsequently, the LPU door 312 is retreated to the delivery zone 11 by the door drive mechanism 322 (hereinafter simply referred to as retreat) and the pod 401 synchronized with the retraction operation by the mounting table drive mechanism 326 via the synchronization control means 513. Forward operation is performed.

  The LPU door 312 is retracted until the lid 402 held by the LPU door 312 is accommodated in the delivery zone 11 as shown in FIG. The forward movement of the pod 401 in synchronization with the backward movement of the LPU door 312 of the LPU mounting table 316 is performed until the pod seal surface 401a of the pod 401 comes into contact with the second seal member 314b. That is, the synchronization control means 513 is synchronized with the operation of the LPU door 312 after the LPU door 314 comes into contact with the lid 402 and holds the lid 402 via the door driving mechanism 322 and the mounting table driving mechanism 326. 401 is driven toward the LPU base opening 315.

  With the above configuration, the dust 411 drawn into the delivery zone 11 is only a small area on the outer peripheral surface of the lid 402 that is always open and the periphery thereof, and is greatly reduced compared to the conventional configuration. . In this embodiment, the synchronization control unit 513 is arranged in the control unit and performs synchronization control programmatically, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it may be arranged on the LPU 301 and may have a timer-like structure according to the backward movement of the LPU door 312 or a mechanical structure. Further, although the first seal member 314a is disposed on the LPU door 312, it may be disposed on the LPU base 311. The second seal member 314b is preferably in this form from the viewpoint of preventing contamination during transportation from being involved in the seal member, but it can also be disposed in the pod 401. The synchronization control means 513 may be synchronized with the determination means 521 and the switching means 523 described above. That is, it is preferable that the synchronization control unit functions only when it is detected that the oxygen concentration is equal to or lower than a preset threshold value. As a result, wafer transfer or the like is executed only when the internal environment of the EFEM unit 1 becomes a suitable working environment.

  As described above, the present invention relates to a load port unit suitably used for a semiconductor processing apparatus and an EFEM system having the same. However, the applicability of the present invention is not limited to the processing apparatus. For example, a so-called load port unit used in various processing apparatuses that perform various processes according to semiconductors, such as a processing apparatus that handles a panel of a liquid crystal display, and the like. It can also be applied to an EFEM system having

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1: EFEM part, 3: Load port part, 5: Control part, 11: Delivery zone, 13: Fan filter unit (FFU), 15: 1st channel | path, 17: 2nd channel | path, 19: Processing chamber side interface, 21 : Transfer robot, 23: Nitrogen supply unit, 25: Release valve, 27: Ionizer, 29: Oxygen concentration measurement port, 31: Pressure measurement port, 100: EFEM system, 301: Load port unit (LPU), 311: LPU Base, 312: LPU door, 312a: LPU door contact surface, 314a: first seal member, 314b: second seal member, 315: LPU base opening, 316: LPU mounting table, 322: door drive mechanism, 326: mounting table driving mechanism 401: pod 401a: pod seal surface 402: , 402a: lid abutting surface, 411: dust, 511: CPU, 513: synchronization control means, 515: oximeter, 517: pressure gauge, 519: flow controller, 521: determining means, 523: switching means

Claims (8)

A load port unit that removes a lid from a pod that contains a stored item, and enables removal from the pod of the stored item to a delivery zone,
A base constituting a wall separating the delivery zone from the external space;
An opening provided in the base;
Opening and closing the opening, and fixing and releasing the lid to the pod to remove and attach the lid from the pod, and a possible door;
A first seal member that secures adhesion in the delivery zone at the door and the base;
A second seal member that secures close contact in the external space in the pod and the base,
The load port unit, wherein a surface of the door on the side of the external space projects toward the external space with respect to a virtual surface formed by a seal region in the second seal member.   2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising synchronization control means for driving the pod toward the opening in synchronization with an operation of the door after the door abuts the lid and holds the lid. The described load port unit. An EFEM system that is connected to a processing chamber that performs processing on a contained object via a processing chamber side interface,
The processing chamber side interface;
The load port unit according to claim 1 or 2,
And an EFEM unit that circulates through the fan filter unit to supply an inert gas to the delivery zone.   The EFEM system according to claim 3, further comprising a release valve capable of discharging excess inert gas when the supply amount of inert gas supplied to the delivery zone is excessive. A load port unit that enables removal of the lid from the pod that contains the contents and enables removal of the contents from the pod to the delivery zone, and a processing chamber side interface for the processing chamber that performs processing on the contents An EFEM system connected via
The processing chamber side interface;
A circulation path that includes the delivery zone and circulates gas through the fan filter unit;
An oxygen concentration meter for measuring the oxygen concentration of the gas circulating in the circulation path;
A gas supply system capable of supplying a predetermined gas to the circulation path and changing a supply amount;
A release valve for discharging the gas existing in the circulation path to the outside,
When the oxygen concentration in the gas is greater than a first threshold, the flow rate of the predetermined gas supplied from the gas supply system is increased, and the gas is discharged by the release valve. An EFEM system, wherein the flow rate of the predetermined gas is decreased when the second threshold value is smaller than a second threshold value.   The EFEM system according to claim 5, wherein the gas is an inert gas.   7. The EFEM according to claim 5, wherein the oxygen concentration meter is disposed at a height corresponding to the container disposed on the lower side of the container accommodated in the pod. 8. system.   The said gas supply system has a mass flow valve, The said gas supply is performed in the area | region where the flow-path cross-sectional area in the said circulation path becomes small, The Claim 5 thru | or 7 characterized by the above-mentioned. EFEM system.

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