JPH0945748A - Multi-chamber treatment device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a device that is improved with throughput by reducing treatment time per wafer and with a smaller area necessary for installing a device by providing with a conveyer robot that is provided with arms multi- stacked vertically with stacks equal to the number of chambers in a load lock chamber. SOLUTION: A system is provided with a load lock chamber 34, chambers 38 and 42, inside which are provided with mounting bases 54 and 56 that are arranged around them and a conveyer robot 48 that is provided with arms 50 and 52 multi-stacked vertically with the stacks equal to the number of chambers of the chambers 38 and 42. The mounting bases 54 and 56 are provided with a mounting table and three supporting pillars 60A to 60C that expand and contract unrestricted synchronizing vertically, accept work material from the arms 50 and 52 of the conveyer robot 48 and hand over it. Respective arms 50 and 52 are formed so that the ascending and descending path of the supporting pillars 60A to 60C of the mounting bases 54 and 56 is secured when the work material is handed over to the supporting pillars 60A to 60C of the mounting bases 54 and 56 or accepted from them.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a multi-chamber type processing apparatus, and more particularly to a multi-chamber type processing apparatus having a high processing efficiency, and in particular, a wafer is processed with high work efficiency in a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device. In this case, the present invention relates to a multi-chamber type processing apparatus which is suitable.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, in a semiconductor device manufacturing plant, a multi-chamber type processing apparatus has been actively used in order to improve the manufacturing efficiency of the semiconductor device. As shown in FIG. 5, a conventional multi-chamber processing apparatus 10 includes a load lock chamber 12 having an opening / closing door 14 between itself and the outside, and a chamber adjacent to the load lock chamber 12 via an opening / closing door 16. The transfer chamber 18 is provided with a first chamber 22 and a second chamber 24 that are adjacent to each other on both sides of the chamber transfer chamber 18 via open / close doors 20A and 20B, respectively.

Load lock chamber 12 and chamber transfer chamber 1
6 is provided with equipment for achieving a predetermined vacuum pressure, and is equipped with a loading / unloading robot 26 and a transfer robot 28, respectively. In the first chamber 22 and the second chamber 24, another different wafer is subjected to the same processing, for example, the etching processing under the same conditions.
The loading / unloading robot 26 receives the wafer from the wafer cassette outside the apparatus, loads the wafer into the load lock chamber 12, and then delivers it to the transfer robot 28. The transfer robot 28 transfers the received wafer to the first chamber 22 or the second chamber 2.
To 4. After processing the wafer, the transfer robot 28
The wafer is received from the first or second chamber 22 or 24 and delivered to the loading / unloading robot 26. Next, the loading / unloading robot 26 stores the wafer in the wafer cassette.

Further, with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, wafer processing by a conventional multi-chamber type processing apparatus will be described. However, the required time is merely an example. As shown in FIG. 6A, first, the wafer W is received from the wafer cassette C by the loading / unloading robot 26 and loaded into the load lock chamber 12. The time required is about 30 seconds. Then, as shown in FIG. 6B, the load lock chamber 12 remains there until a vacuum is obtained. The time required is about 60
Seconds. Next, as shown in FIG. 6C, the wafer W is loaded into the chamber transfer chamber 18 by the transfer robot 28. The required time is about 20 seconds. On the other hand, the load lock chamber 12 is opened to the atmosphere in the meantime to prepare for the next wafer loading.

As shown in FIG. 7D, the wafer W is transferred to the first chamber 22 by the transfer robot 28 and processed there. The required time is about 20 seconds.
Next, as shown in FIG. 7E, the wafer W is transferred from the first chamber 22 to the chamber transfer chamber 1 by the transfer robot 28.
Returned to 8. The required time is about 20 seconds. Furthermore,
As shown in FIG. 7F, the wafer W is transferred from the chamber transfer chamber 18 to the load lock chamber 12 by the transfer robot 28, and after the load lock chamber 12 reaches the atmospheric pressure,
The carry-in / carry-out robot 26 carries the wafer to the wafer cassette C. The required time is about 60 seconds. On the other hand, the wafer processed in the second chamber 24 has the wafer W with a certain time delay.
Following this, the wafer cassette and the second chamber 24 are reciprocated in a similar procedure.

[0006]

In the conventional multi-chamber type processing apparatus, as described above, the wafer processed in the first chamber and the wafer processed in the second chamber are
They are individually loaded into the load lock chamber from the wafer cassette,
It was necessary to wait in the load lock chamber until the load lock chamber became a vacuum, and the wafers after being processed were separately returned to the load lock chamber and remained there until the load lock chamber reached the atmospheric pressure. Further, since each wafer is loaded and unloaded and transported separately, it is necessary to wait for the wafer to be emptied in the load lock chamber and the chamber transport chamber. Therefore, the processing time per wafer becomes long, and improvement of the throughput of the multi-chamber type processing apparatus is restricted. Further, since it is necessary to make the load lock chamber a vacuum pressure and an atmospheric pressure each time a wafer is loaded and unloaded, a chamber transfer chamber that is always kept at a vacuum pressure is required in addition to the load lock chamber. Therefore, there is a problem that the equipment cost increases and the installation area of the multi-chamber type processing apparatus also increases.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a multi-chamber type processing apparatus in which the processing time per wafer is shortened to improve the throughput and the area required for installation is small.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, a multi-chamber type processing apparatus according to the present invention has a load lock chamber having an open / close door to the outside and an open / close door around the load lock chamber. A plurality of chambers which are arranged through the chamber and have a mounting table for mounting the work piece therein, and a load lock chamber, in which an arm having at least the number of stages equal to the number of chambers for holding the work piece is vertically moved. In a multi-stage, equipped with a transfer robot that is rotatable in the load lock chamber and can move back and forth toward each chamber, and the mounting table is a mounting table on which a workpiece is mounted,
It has three support columns that extend and contract freely vertically in a vertical direction in synchronization with each other in the vertical direction and receive and transfer the work piece from the arm of the transfer robot. It is characterized in that it is formed so as to secure an ascending / descending path of the support pillar of the mounting table when it is passed over the support pillar and received.

In the present invention, each of the plurality of chambers is subjected to the same type of treatment under the same conditions, for example, the etching treatment under the same etching conditions, on each workpiece. The drive device is a device for driving and rotating the transfer robot and freely moving back and forth with respect to each chamber, and known means can be used. The load lock chamber and each chamber are provided with means for maintaining a predetermined gas atmosphere at a predetermined pressure. Further, the mounting table supports the wafer from below by the three support columns that expand and contract in synchronization, so that the wafer can be reliably supported by the three-point support.
The drive device for freely expanding and contracting the support pin vertically synchronously from the mounting table can also use a conventional means, for example, a pneumatic cylinder. By making the plane of the load lock chamber polygonal, the chamber can be arranged on each side. The multi-chamber type processing apparatus according to the present invention is most suitable for processing a wafer in the process of manufacturing a semiconductor device.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing the configuration of an embodiment of a multi-chamber type processing apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the embodiment of FIG. The multi-chamber type processing apparatus 30 (hereinafter simply referred to as apparatus 30) of the present embodiment is
As shown in FIG. 1, a load lock chamber 34 having an opening / closing door 32 for the outside, and a first chamber 38 arranged on one side of the load lock chamber 34 via an opening / closing door 36.
And the second that is arranged on the other side through the opening / closing door 40
And a chamber 42. The first chamber 38 and the second chamber 42 are provided so that the same process can be performed on two wafers under the same condition, for example, the etching process under the same etching condition.

The load lock chamber 34 is connected to a vacuum device via a vacuum suction pipe 44 so as to maintain a desired vacuum pressure, and can be connected to the atmosphere via a communication pipe 46 with an opening / closing valve. A transfer robot 48 is provided in the chamber to transfer the wafer.

The transfer robot 48 is driven by a built-in driving device or by a driving device provided separately from the robot so as to be rotatable in the load lock chamber 34 about the robot axis and move back and forth. It is shaped to be flexible. In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, the transfer robot 48 has an arm having a number of stages equal to the number of chambers in order to hold two wafers to be subjected to the same processing in the first chamber 38 and the second chamber 42, respectively. Two upper and lower arms 50 and 52, which are equal to the number of chambers, are provided. The arm is formed by two rod-shaped members extending horizontally in the same plane, and the length thereof is at least longer than the radius of the wafer to be held. The arm may be expanded and contracted as needed, or may be vacuum-adsorbed so as to securely hold the wafer.

In the first chamber 38 and the second chamber 42, a mounting table 5 on which a wafer to be processed is mounted, respectively.
4, 56 are provided. The mounting tables 54 and 56 respectively include a mounting table 58 on which a wafer is mounted and a mounting table 58.
From the three support pins 60A that expand and contract vertically,
It has B and C. The mounting table 58 includes a known vacuum suction chuck or electrostatic suction chuck to hold the wafer horizontally.

Support pins 60 for the mounting table 54 and the mounting table 56
Are configured so that their upper ends are elevated to a position at least higher than the lower surface of the wafer mounted on the lower arm 52 and the upper arm 50 of the transfer robot 48, and are lowered below the wafer mounting surface of the mounting table 58. There is. On the other hand, the transfer robot 48 stops moving and the first chamber 3
8 and the positions where the wafer is transferred to the mounting tables 54 and 56 of the second chamber 42, the arms 50 and 5 of the transfer robot 48 are provided.
2 does not hinder the lifting and lowering of the support pins 60 of the mounting tables 54 and 56. A mechanism for raising and lowering the support pin 60 is a known mechanism, and for example, expansion and contraction of a piston rod of a pneumatic cylinder can be used.

The method of using the device 30 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. First, the open / close door 32 is opened, and the two wafers to be processed in the first chamber 38 and the second chamber 42 from the wafer cassette transferred to the vicinity of the load lock chamber 34 by the transfer robot 48 of the load lock chamber 34. W is received and held on the arms 50, 52. Next, the open / close door 32 is closed, and the load lock chamber 34 is closed by the vacuum device (not shown) via the vacuum suction pipe 44.
Is reduced to and maintained at the desired vacuum pressure. Then, after rotating the transfer robot 48 toward the first chamber 38,
Move forward as shown in (a).

The opening / closing door 36 is opened to stop the transfer robot 48 at a predetermined position. Next, as shown in FIG. 3B, the support pins 60A, B, and C of the mounting table 54 extend synchronously, so that the wafer W placed on the lower arm 52 of the transfer robot 48 is slightly higher than the lower arm 52. Push up.
Subsequently, the transfer robot 48 retracts from the stop position, while the support pins 60 descend to place the wafer W on the mounting table 5.
Place on top.

Next, the transfer robot 48 is moved to the second chamber 4
After being rotated toward 2, it is advanced as shown in FIG. The open / close door 40 is opened and the transfer robot 48 is stopped at a predetermined position. Then, as shown in FIG.
The support pins 60A, B, and C of the mounting table 58 extend synchronously, and push the wafer W mounted on the upper arm 50 of the transfer robot 48 slightly higher than the upper arm 50. Subsequently, the transfer robot 48 retracts from the stop position, while the support pins 60 descend to place the wafer W on the mounting table 58. When the processing is completed in the first chamber 38 and the second chamber 42, the transfer robot 48 performs the operation opposite to that described above, and simultaneously stores the processed two wafers W in the wafer cassette.

With the above structure, the apparatus 30 receives two wafers at a time from the wafer cassette and sequentially carries the wafers into the first chamber 38 and the second chamber 42.
Since the wafer is carried out and two wafers are stored in the wafer cassette at a time, the step of evacuating the load lock chamber 34 or opening it to the atmosphere can be performed once. Further, unlike the conventional apparatus, it is possible to eliminate the waiting time for waiting for the transfer and the loading / unloading of the wafer to be processed in the second chamber for the transfer and the loading / unloading of the wafer to be processed in the first chamber. Therefore,
The efficiency of wafer processing operations is improved. Further, since the chamber transfer chamber provided in the conventional multi-chamber type processing apparatus can be omitted, the facility cost can be reduced and the installation area of the apparatus can be reduced.

In this embodiment, a multi-chamber type processing apparatus having two chambers has been described as an example. However, the number of chambers may be more than that, and in that case, the load lock chamber is formed in a polygonal shape. A chamber is formed by adjoining chambers on each side, and the transfer robot is provided with at least as many arms as the number of chambers. Further, in the present embodiment, the wafer is explained as an example of the object to be processed, but of course, other than the wafer may be used.

[0020]

According to the present invention, a load lock chamber, a plurality of chambers respectively arranged around the load lock chamber, and an arm having a number of stages equal to at least the number of chambers are vertically provided in a multi-stage manner. By providing in each chamber a transfer robot that is rotatable in the lock chamber and that can freely move back and forth toward each chamber, and a mounting table that has three support pillars that freely expand and contract in synchronization vertically in the vertical direction,
The same number of wafers as the number of chambers are loaded and unloaded at one time, and the processing is performed substantially at the same time. Therefore, the wafer waiting time is eliminated, and the processing efficiency is improved. Further, since the chamber transfer chamber provided in the conventional multi-chamber type processing apparatus can be omitted, the equipment cost and the installation area can be reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing the configuration of an embodiment of a multi-chamber type processing apparatus according to the present invention.

2 is a schematic side view of the embodiment of FIG.

3A and 3B are a schematic plan view and a side view, respectively, for explaining the operation of the present embodiment.

4A and 4B are a schematic plan view and a side view, respectively, for explaining the operation of the present embodiment, following FIG.

FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view showing a configuration of a conventional multi-chamber type processing apparatus.

6A to 6C are a schematic plan view and a side view, respectively, for explaining the operation of the conventional multi-chamber type processing apparatus.

7 (d) to (f) are respectively FIG.
FIG. 11 is a schematic plan view and a side view for explaining the operation of the conventional multi-chamber type processing apparatus, following (c).

[Explanation of symbols]

10 Conventional multi-chamber type processing device 12 Load lock chamber 14, 16, 20 Opening / closing door 18 Chamber transfer chamber 22 First chamber 24 Second chamber 26 Loading / unloading robot 28 Transfer robot 30 Multi-chamber type processing device according to the present invention Examples 32, 36, 40 Opening / closing door 34 Load lock chamber 38 First chamber 42 Second chamber 44 Vacuum suction pipe 46 Communication pipe 48 Transfer robot 50, 52 Arms 54, 56 Mounting table 58 Mounting table 60 Support pin

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Internal reference number FI technical display location // C23C 16/44 H01L 21/30 502J

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A load lock chamber having an opening / closing door to the outside, a plurality of chambers each having a loading table inside which is arranged around the load lock chamber via the opening / closing door and has a workpiece to be processed therein, A transfer robot which is arranged in the lock chamber and has a plurality of upper and lower arms having a number of stages equal to at least the number of chambers for holding the workpiece, and is rotatable in the load lock chamber and capable of freely moving back and forth toward each chamber. The mounting table includes a mounting table on which the workpiece is mounted, and a vertical table which vertically expands and contracts freely from the mounting table to receive and transfer the workpiece from the arm of the transfer robot. Each arm has a support pillar, and each arm is formed so as to secure an up-and-down passage of the support pillar of the mounting table when the workpiece is transferred to the support pillar of the mounting table and received. Multi-chamber type processing apparatus characterized. 2. The multi-chamber type processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the load lock chamber has a polygonal planar shape. 3. The multi-chamber type processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the object to be processed is a wafer.