WO2004097927A1

WO2004097927A1 - Purging apparatus and purging method

Info

Publication number: WO2004097927A1
Application number: PCT/JP2004/006162
Authority: WO
Inventors: Toshihiko Miyajima; Hiroshi Igarashi; Hitoshi Suzuki
Original assignee: Tdk Corporation
Priority date: 2003-04-28
Filing date: 2004-04-28
Publication date: 2004-11-11
Also published as: TW200426971A; KR100679591B1; TWI249220B; KR20050114285A

Abstract

A purging apparatus is disclosed which enables to easily and surely remove contaminants or the like from wafers housed in an FOUP. While holding a cover of the FOUP separated from the main body so that the FOUP has an opening, the purging apparatus moves a gas supply nozzle on the front side of the opening along the direction in which the wafers are aligned and blows a cleaning gas towards each one of the wafers through the gas supply nozzle, thereby removing contaminants or the like from the wafers.

Description

Description Purge device and purge method Technical field

The present invention relates to a product storage container used for storing an article in a manufacturing process of an article such as a semiconductor, a panel for a flat panel display, an optical disk, etc., whose process is performed in a highly clean environment. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for cleaning the inside of a so-called F0UP (front-opening unified pod), which is used as an object in a process of processing the above-mentioned article, mainly a semiconductor wafer having a diameter of 300 mm. is there. Background art

Until now, in the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, the entire factory for performing various processes on wafers has been converted into a clean room to respond to the required high-purity cleaning during the process. However, with the increase in the diameter of the wafer, obtaining such a configuration environment has become a problem in terms of cost, etc., in such a measure. Two-environment (microenvironment) Measures are taken to ensure space.

Specifically, instead of increasing the cleanliness of the entire factory, the cleanliness of the storage containers (hereinafter referred to as pods) in the processing equipment during the manufacturing process and during the movement between them is increased. And keep it. This pod is collectively called F0UP as described above. In this way, by purifying only a small amount of space, the same effect as when the entire factory is converted into a clean room is achieved, and capital investment and maintenance costs are reduced, resulting in an efficient production process.

Hereafter, a half of the mini-environment method that is actually used The conductor processing device and the like will be briefly described. FIG. 15 shows the whole semiconductor wafer processing apparatus 50. The semiconductor wafer processing apparatus 50 mainly includes a load port section 51, a transfer chamber 52, and a processing chamber 59. Each joint is defined by a partition 55a and a cover 58a on the load port side and a partition 55b and a cover 58b on the processing chamber side. In the transfer chamber 52 of the semiconductor wafer processing apparatus 50, in order to discharge dust and maintain a high degree of cleanliness, a fan (not shown) provided above the transfer chamber 52 causes an air flow from above the transfer chamber 52 to below. Is occurring. The dust will always be discharged downward.

On the load port section 51, a pod 2, which is a storage container for a silicon wafer or the like (hereinafter, simply referred to as a wafer), is installed on the table 53. As described above, the inside of the transfer chamber 52 is maintained at a high degree of cleanliness in order to process the wafer 1, and the robot arm 54 is provided inside the transfer chamber 52. The wafer is transferred between the inside of the pod 2 and the inside of the processing chamber 59 by the robot arm 54. The processing chamber 59 generally includes various mechanisms for performing processing such as thin film formation and thin film processing on a wafer surface or the like. However, since these structures do not have a direct relationship with the present invention, they are used here. The description in is omitted.

The pod 2 has a space for accommodating the wafer 1 to be processed therein, and has a box-shaped main body 2 a having an opening on one side, and a lid 4 for sealing the opening. And Inside the main body 2a, shelves having a plurality of steps for stacking the wafers 1 in one direction are arranged, and the wafers 1 placed here are housed in the pod 2 at a constant interval. You. Note that, in the example shown here, the direction in which the wafers 1 are stacked is a vertical direction. An opening 10 is provided on the load port 51 side of the transfer chamber 52. The opening 10 is arranged at a position facing the opening of the pod 2 when the pod 2 is arranged on the load port 51 so as to be close to the opening 10. In the vicinity of the opening 10 inside the transfer chamber 52, an orbner 3 described later is provided. FIGS. 16A and 16B are enlarged cross-sectional side views of an orbner 3 in a conventional apparatus, and front views of the orbner 3 viewed from the transfer chamber 52 side, respectively. FIG. 17 shows a schematic side sectional view of a state where the lid 4 has been removed from the pod 2 using the orbner 3. The oven 3 includes a door 6 and a door arm 42. A fixed member 46 is attached to the door 6, and the door 6 is rotatably connected to one end of the door arm 42 via the fixed member 46. The other end of the door arm 42 is rotatably supported on the tip of a rod 37 which is a part of the air-driven cylinder 31 via a pivot 40 via the pivot 40. ing.

A through hole is provided between the one end of the door arm 42 and the other end. A fulcrum 41 is formed by a pin (not shown) penetrating the hole and the hole of the fixing member 39 fixed to the support member 60 of the movable portion 56 for moving the orbner 3 up and down. Therefore, the door arm 42 can rotate about the fulcrum 41 in accordance with the expansion and contraction of the rod 37 by driving the cylinder 31. A fulcrum 41 of the door arm 42 is fixed to a support member 60 provided on a movable portion 56 that can move up and down. The door 6 has holding ports 11a and 11b, and can hold the lid 4 of the pod 2 by vacuum suction.

When processing the wafer 1 with these configurations, first, the wafer 1 is placed on the table 53 so as to be close to the transfer chamber opening 10, and the lid 4 is held by the door 6. When the rod of the cylinder 31 is contracted, the door arm 42 moves about the fulcrum 41 away from the transfer chamber opening 10. With this operation, the door 6 rotates together with the lid 4 to remove the lid 4 from the pod 2. This state is shown in FIG. After that, the movable part 56 is lowered to transport the lid 4 to a predetermined retreat position.

Normally, the interior of the pod 2 containing the wafers and the like is filled with dry nitrogen, etc., which is controlled in a highly purified manner, to prevent contaminants and oxidizing gas from entering the pod. . However, this pod has not been tested Since c is also contained, it is conceivable that contaminants and the like adhere to the wafer in the processing chamber and the like and are brought into the pod. When such contaminants are brought into the next processing chamber, a desired wafer processing that should be originally performed may not be performed by passing through this processing chamber. Therefore, it is necessary to remove these contaminants when transferring the wafer from the pod to the transfer room.

In the conventional F0UP, an air supply hole for introducing a gas for purging into the pod and an exhaust hole for discharging the gas are provided at the bottom in order to meet the demand. These air supply and exhaust holes are connected to the purge gas supply and exhaust holes provided on the support base on which the pod is mounted. As an actual operation, high-purity controlled high-pressure gas is introduced into the pod from the support base through these air supply holes. At the same time, gases and contaminants that existed inside the pod are discharged to the outside of the pod through these exhaust holes. These operations removed contaminants and other substances brought into the pod.

However, simply introducing high-pressure gas from the bottom of the pod would allow the gas flow to pass mainly around the wafer periphery, which is easy to pass. Therefore, it seems difficult to pass a gas having a sufficient flow rate to the upper and lower surfaces of each wafer held at a small interval. However, contaminants and the like are mainly attached to the upper or lower surface of the wafer, and it is considered difficult to sufficiently remove the contaminants and the like using the conventional method.

As a method for reliably removing contaminants adhering to a wafer, a method disclosed in JP-A-2003-54933 has been proposed. In this method, a space for accommodating an orbner is provided separately from the transfer chamber. The space has a gas supply port in a portion located above the front of the pod opening. The clean gas is supplied from the gas supply port toward the inside of the pod, and the clean gas circulating in the pod and flowing out from the lower part of the pod into the space is exhausted from the lower part of the space. Using the above configuration, circulating clean gas inside the pod Therefore, it is possible to more reliably remove contaminants and the like as compared with the conventional method.

In addition, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-251,422 discloses a method of introducing a clean gas into each space between wafers held inside a pod. In this method, a gas introduction flow path and a gas discharge flow path are provided in the pod and communicate with each of the grooves accommodating individual wafers. A clean gas is blown to the surface of each wafer through the gas introduction passage, and the clean gas containing the contaminants and the like is exhausted through the gas discharge passage. This enables more reliable removal of contaminants.

The method disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-54993 can expect a certain effect with respect to the reduction of the humidity inside the pod, the oxidizing gas, and the prevention of organic pollution. . However, it seems difficult to effectively replace the gas and the like that exist between the individual wafers held in a very small space. Therefore, it seems similarly difficult to obtain the effect of removing contaminants attached to the upper and lower surfaces of the wafer.

According to the method disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-251254, it is considered that contaminants attached to the upper and lower surfaces of the wafer can be removed. However, it is considered difficult to keep the inside diameter of the gas introduction flow channel large due to the actual configuration. For this reason, a difference occurs between the pressure of the gas introduced into the wafer surface or the time of introduction at a predetermined pressure between the upstream side and the downstream side of the flow path, and contaminants are removed according to the wafer holding position. The effects may be different.

The support base, the shape of the pod, and the arrangement of the supply and exhaust holes of the clean gas for purging the inside of the pod are almost standardized in the semiconductor manufacturing industry. Therefore, the pod disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 11-251,422, which requires a configuration different from this standard, has a problem that it cannot be shared with a support base or the like that is currently widely used. ing. Disclosure of the invention

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to provide an F0UP purging method and a purging apparatus capable of effectively removing contaminants and the like attached to a wafer. .

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a purging apparatus according to the present invention includes: a main body including an opening and a plurality of shelves arranged in a predetermined direction in which objects to be loaded are respectively placed; A purging device for performing a purging operation by blowing a predetermined gas onto an object stored in a pod having a lid that closes the opening and a pod, wherein a front surface of the opening is set to a predetermined position when the lid is separated from the main body. And a gas supply nozzle capable of moving in a predetermined direction by maintaining a predetermined positional relationship with respect to the frame.

In the above-described purging device, the frame may hold a sensor for mapping the contents accommodated in the pod, and the gas supply nozzle may be juxtaposed with the sensor. Further, in the above-described purge device, the timing at which the predetermined gas is blown out from the gas supply nozzle is synchronized with the timing at which the object passes through the plane on which the object extends when the gas supply nozzle moves in the predetermined direction. Is also good. In the above-described purging apparatus, the gas supply nozzle may blow out a predetermined gas in a direction parallel to a plane in which the object extends and a direction downward at a predetermined angle with respect to the plane.

In the above-described purging apparatus, the object corresponds to a wafer used for semiconductor manufacturing or various articles whose processing is performed in a highly clean environment. Pods include F0UP as an example of one that accommodates a semiconductor wafer, but is not particularly limited to F0UP as long as it accommodates various articles. The state in which the lid is separated from the main body corresponds to a state in which the pod is placed on the load port, and the wafer accommodated in the pod is transferred to the wafer processing apparatus via the mouth port. In addition, the purging operation described here involves dust, organic matter, impurities, etc. It means an operation to remove contaminants such as substance elements and oxidizing gas. Further, the mating means an operation of detecting the presence or absence of a wafer accommodated in the shelf, and associating it with the position information of the shelf.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a purging apparatus according to the present invention can be separated from a main body including an opening, and a plurality of shelves arranged in a predetermined direction in which objects to be stored are placed, respectively. A purge device for performing a purging operation by spraying a predetermined gas onto an object accommodated in a pod having a lid that closes an opening, and is provided at a predetermined distance from an end of the object. A gas supply nozzle for spraying a predetermined gas substantially uniformly over substantially the entire area of a surface of the object extending perpendicular to the predetermined direction, and a gas supply nozzle supporting the gas supply nozzle. And a supporting member that can be driven in the predetermined direction.

In the purging apparatus described above, it is preferable that the supporting member is a member that detaches the lid from the body of the pod. Further, it is preferable that the timing at which the predetermined gas is blown out from the gas supply nozzle is synchronized with the timing at which the object passes through the plane on which the object extends when the support member moves in the predetermined direction. Further, the gas supply nozzle blows out a predetermined gas to an area surrounded by a plane parallel to a plane in which the object extends and a plane extending downward at a predetermined angle with respect to the plane. Is preferred.

In the above-described purging apparatus, the object corresponds to a wafer used for semiconductor manufacturing or various articles whose processing is performed in a highly clean environment. Further, the pod is an example of a pod that accommodates a semiconductor wafer, but is not limited to the FOUP as long as it accommodates various articles. The state where the lid is separated from the main body corresponds to a state where the pod is placed on the load port and the wafer accommodated in the pod is transferred to the wafer processing apparatus via the load port. Further, the purging operation described here means an operation for removing contaminants such as dust, organic matter, impurity elements, and oxidizing gas, which are present on the article by being attached thereto. Also, pine Bing refers to the operation of detecting the presence or absence of wafers that are stored in a shelf, and associating this with shelf position information.

Further, in order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the purging method according to the present invention may be configured such that an opening, a main body including a plurality of shelves arranged in a predetermined direction in which objects to be stored are respectively placed, and a purging method are provided. A purging method in which a predetermined gas is blown to an object stored in a pod having a lid that closes the opening and a pod provided with the lid. The method includes moving the gas supply nozzle along the direction of (1), and purging the object by spraying a predetermined gas to the object from the gas supply nozzle.

In the above-mentioned purging method, the gas supply nozzle is juxtaposed with the sensor, and at the same time as performing the purging step, the sensor performs the step of performing the mubbing of the object contained in the pod by the sensor. Is also good. In the above-described purging method, the step of performing the purging may be performed in synchronization with the timing at which the object passes through the plane on which the object extends when the gas supply nozzle moves in a predetermined direction. good. In the above-mentioned purging method, in the purging step, the gas supply nozzle blows out a predetermined gas in a direction parallel to a plane in which the object extends and a direction downward at a predetermined angle with respect to the plane. It is good.

In the above-mentioned purging method, the object to be accommodated corresponds to a wafer used for semiconductor manufacturing or various articles whose processing is performed in a highly clean environment. Further, the pod is an example of a pod that accommodates a semiconductor wafer, but is not limited to the FOUP as long as it accommodates various articles. The state where the lid is separated from the main body corresponds to a state where the pod is placed on the load port and the wafer accommodated in the pod is transferred to the wafer processing apparatus via the load port. Further, the purging operation described here means an operation for removing contaminants such as dust, organic matter, impurity elements, and oxidizing gas, which are present on the article by being attached thereto. In addition, the mating is to detect the presence or absence of wafers that are stored in the shelves, and to determine the position of the shelves. Means the operation to associate with the information.

Further, in order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the purging method according to the present invention may be configured such that an opening, a main body including a plurality of shelves arranged in a predetermined direction in which objects to be stored are respectively placed, and a purging method are provided. A purging method for performing a purging operation by blowing a predetermined gas onto an object accommodated in a pod having a lid for closing the opening, and a step of separating the lid from the main body; and a front surface of the opening. Moving the gas supply nozzle along a predetermined direction while maintaining a state in which the gas supply nozzle is kept at a predetermined distance from the end of the storage object, and perpendicular to the predetermined direction of the storage object through the gas supply nozzle. The method includes a step of purging the object by spraying a predetermined gas substantially uniformly over substantially the entire area of the surface extending in various directions.

In the above-described purging method, it is preferable that the gas supply nozzle is fixed to a door used for attaching and detaching the lid from the body of the pod. In addition, it is preferable that the step of purging is performed in synchronization with the timing at which the object passes through the extending plane when the gas supply nozzle moves in a predetermined direction. Further, in the purging step, the gas supply nozzle supplies a predetermined gas to a space between a plane parallel to the plane in which the object extends and a plane extending downward at a predetermined angle with respect to the plane. It is better to blow out.

In the above-mentioned purging method, the object to be accommodated corresponds to a wafer used for semiconductor manufacturing or various articles whose processing is performed in a highly clean environment. Further, the pod is an example of a pod that accommodates a semiconductor wafer, but is not limited to the FOUP as long as it accommodates various articles. The state where the lid is separated from the main body corresponds to the state where the pod is placed on the load port and the wafer stored in the pod is transferred to the wafer processing apparatus via the load port. Further, the purging operation described here means an operation for removing contaminants such as dust, organic matter, impurity elements, oxidizing gas, etc., which are present on the article by being attached thereto. In addition, the mating is to detect the presence or absence of wafers that are stored in the shelves, and to determine the position of the shelves. Means the operation to associate with the information.

According to the present invention, it becomes possible for the gas supply nozzle to enter the inside of the pod through the pod opening and to blow a highly clean gas toward the wafer surface. Further, the gas supply nozzle is movable in the direction in which the wafers are overlapped, and it is possible to individually blow gas to each wafer. Therefore, it is possible to effectively and reliably remove dust, impurities, and contaminants attached to the wafer surface. Further, the purging operation inside the pod can be performed at any time during the wafer processing using the gas supply nozzle, so that the wafer can be held in a higher-purity environment. In addition, the present invention can be implemented simply by adding a gas supply nozzle and a gas pipe to a muting device in an existing F0UP system, and can be easily and inexpensively attached to a standardized system. It is.

Further, according to the present invention, it becomes possible for the gas supply nozzle to spray a high-purity gas toward the entire surface of the wafer at a predetermined distance from the wafer. Further, the gas supply nozzle is movable in the direction in which the wafers are stacked, and it is possible to individually blow gas to each wafer. Therefore, it is possible to effectively and reliably remove contaminants such as dust and impurities attached to the wafer surface. In addition, the purging operation inside the pod can be performed at any time during wafer processing by using a gas supply nozzle, and the wafer can be held in a higher-purity environment. Further, the present invention can be implemented by simply adding a gas supply nozzle and a gas pipe to a load port door of an existing F0UP system, and can be easily and inexpensively mounted on a standardized system. It is possible. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 shows a purge device, a pod, and a pod according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a view showing a schematic configuration of a part of a cover and an orbner when viewed from the side.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the purge device according to the first embodiment of the present invention and a configuration disposed around the purge device as viewed from above.

FIG. 3A is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a state in which the configuration of the orbner and its vicinity shown in FIG. 1 is reduced and viewed from the side.

FIG. 3B is a diagram showing a schematic configuration when the configuration shown in FIG. 3A is viewed from the transfer chamber side.

FIG. 4A is a front view of a movable portion of an orbner in an example related to the above-described embodiment, as seen from the load port side.

FIG. 4B is a diagram showing a state where the configuration shown in FIG. 3A is viewed from the side. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a state in which an orbner or the like is viewed from the side, showing a sequence of wafer mapping, and is a diagram showing a state when mapping preparation is completed.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a state in which an orbner or the like is viewed from the side, showing a sequence of wafer mapping, and is a diagram showing a state when the mapping operation is completed.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a sequence of the wafer mapping, and is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a state in which an orbner or the like is viewed from the side, showing a state in which all of the mapping and the opening operation of the lid are completed. It is.

FIG. 8A is a view showing a schematic configuration of a purge device, a pod, a lid for a pod, and a part of an orbner according to the second embodiment of the present invention, when viewed from the side.

FIG. 8B is a view showing a schematic configuration of a purge device, a pod, and a part of a pod cover orb opener according to the second embodiment of the present invention when viewed from the side. FIG. 8C is a view showing a schematic configuration of a main part of a purge device according to the second embodiment of the present invention when viewed from the side.

FIG. 9A is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a purge device according to a second embodiment of the present invention and a configuration disposed around the purge device when viewed from above.

FIG. 9B is a view showing a schematic configuration of a main part of a purge device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, which is cut in a horizontal direction and the cut surface is viewed from above.

FIG. 1OA is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a state in which the configuration of the orbner shown in FIGS. 8A to 8C and its vicinity is reduced and viewed from the side.

FIG. 1OB is a diagram showing a schematic configuration when the configuration shown in FIG. 1OA is viewed from the transfer chamber side.

FIG. 11A is a front view of a movable portion of an orbner in an example related to the above-described embodiment, as seen from the load port side.

FIG. 11B is a diagram showing a state where the configuration shown in FIG. 11A is viewed from the side. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a state in which an orbner or the like is viewed from the side, showing a sequence of wafer mapping, and showing a state when mapping preparation is completed.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a state in which an orbner or the like is viewed from the side, showing a sequence of wafer mapping, and showing a state when the mapping operation is completed. .

Fig. 14 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a state where the orbner and the like are viewed from the side, showing a sequence of wafer mapping, showing a state when all the mapping and lid opening operations are completed. FIG.

FIG. 15 is an overall side view showing a schematic configuration of a general semiconductor wafer processing apparatus to which the present invention and the prior art are applied.

Fig. 16A shows the structure of the conventional orbner and its vicinity in the device shown in Fig. 15. It is a figure which expanded the composition and which shows the schematic structure of the state which looked at this from the side.

FIG. 16B is a diagram showing a schematic configuration when the configuration shown in FIG. 16A is viewed from the transfer chamber side.

FIG. 17 is a view showing a schematic configuration of a state where an orbner or the like is viewed from the side, showing a wafer purging operation, and is a view showing a state when the preparation for purging is completed. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

(First embodiment)

The first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 relates to a schematic configuration of a purging apparatus according to the present invention, and is a view schematically showing a pod, a wafer housed inside the bod, and a purging apparatus according to the present invention when viewed from a side. FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing the main components of the components shown in FIG. 1 and the components attached thereto when viewed from above. The pod inherently includes various components such as a shelf for supporting a wafer, a scenery member disposed between the lid and the pod, and the door also has various components. However, since these configurations do not have a direct relationship with the present invention, detailed illustration and explanation are omitted here.

In the figure, a frame 5 composed of a frame member is disposed so as to surround the door 6 in the orbner. At the top of the frame 5, a pair of rods 13a and 13b shown in FIG. 2 are provided. The rods 13a and 13b extend from the opening of the pod 2 to the inside of the pod and extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to the opening. The rods 13a and 13b support the gas supply nozzles 21a and 21b such that the gas supply nozzles 21a and 21b are directed in the same direction as the rod. A gas supply line (not shown) is connected to each of the gas supply nozzles 21a and 21b, so that a clean gas can be supplied to the nozzle according to an external operation. ing. These gas supply nozzles 2 1 a, 2 lb The cleaning gas is sequentially moved in the direction in which the wafers 1 are stacked, and a cleaning gas is supplied between the wafers 1. As a result, an operation of removing contaminants and the like by the clean gas inside the front and rear pods 2 of the wafer, that is, a purging operation is performed.

In the present embodiment, the gas supply nozzles 21a and 21b are separated from the center line of the pod 2, that is, the center line of the wafer 1 held inside the pod, by a predetermined distance d. However, it is located at a target position with respect to the center line. Each of the nozzles 2 1 a and 2 lb has a corresponding rod shape so that gas can be supplied parallel to the surface of the wafer 1 or downward at a predetermined angle α to the plane. The body is fixed to 13a, 13b. The distance d and the angle α are determined according to the distance between the wafers held in the pod 2, the shape of the pod 2, etc., in order to more efficiently remove contaminants on the wafer 1, and from the inside of the pod 2. Is preferably adjusted appropriately so as to be able to discharge. For the same reason, the number of nozzles may be increased or decreased as compared with the embodiment, or the nozzles may be driven.

According to the present invention, it is possible to perform an operation for removing contaminants or the like for each wafer, and it is possible to hold the wafer inside the pod with a higher degree of cleanliness than in the past. It becomes possible. Further, in the present invention, the gas flow rate, purge time, and the like required for the operation of removing contaminants and the like can be individually controlled for each wafer. Therefore, the removal operation can be always performed under constant conditions, and the management state of all wafers in the pod can be easily maintained constant.

Note that the gas or the like supplied into the pod 2 from the gas supply nozzles 2 la and 21 b may be exhausted using an exhaust hole provided in the pod 2 conventionally. Further, since the purging operation is performed with the lid 4 opened, the purging operation may be performed using an exhaust system (not shown) provided in the transfer chamber. For contaminants and the like once removed from the wafer, Alternatively, it is considered preferable to prevent re-adhesion inside the pod or flow into the transfer chamber. In this case, as shown in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Publication No. 2003-54993, in order to efficiently exhaust the clean gas used for the work of removing contaminants and the like, the pod opening communicates with the pod opening. A small chamber dedicated to exhaust air may be provided in the transfer chamber.

As described above, it is preferable that the contaminants and the like removed from the wafer are immediately carried out of the pod. Therefore, in order to more effectively remove pollutants, as described in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-254142, exhaust ports corresponding to each wafer are provided. It may be added. However, the addition of such a configuration requires a significant change in the standard of the pod corresponding to the standard. Therefore, when the present invention is applied to a currently used F0UP system, it is preferable not to provide such an exhaust port.

It is also conceivable that contaminants and the like adhere to the wafer in the form of dust, for example. Such dust is likely to be charged and adhered to the wafer by electrostatic attraction. Such dust can be removed more efficiently by spraying ionized gas instead of spraying high-purity gas onto the wafer. Therefore, it is more preferable that a so-called ionizer for ionizing gas or the like is added to the gas supply nozzle or its vicinity so that the ionized gas can be supplied as needed.

(One Example Applying the Present Embodiment)

Next, a case where the purging apparatus according to the present invention is applied to a currently used F0UP system will be described below with reference to the drawings. The schematic configuration of the semiconductor wafer processing apparatus and the pod to which the present invention is applied is substantially the same as the configuration described in the related art, so that the description of the same configuration will be omitted. In addition, the orbiter 3 is often provided with a configuration for performing a mapping operation of the wafer held inside the pod 2. With these configurations This includes a pair of transmission sensors for detecting the presence or absence of a wafer, a frame supporting these sensors, a mechanism for driving the frame, and a mechanism for detecting the current position of the sensor. In this application example, the embodiment of the present invention is further facilitated by sharing the frame 5 supporting the gas supply nozzle and the like according to the present invention with the frame supporting the transmission sensor.

Regarding the schematic configuration of the wafer processing apparatus 50, as shown in FIG. 8, the transfer chamber 52 has a transfer chamber opening 10 slightly larger than the lid 4 of the pod 2 on the load port section 51 side as shown in FIG. Provided. An orbner 3 for opening and closing the lid 4 of the pod 2 is provided inside the transfer chamber 52 and on the side of the transfer chamber opening 10. Here, an orbner 3 to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B. FIG. 3A is a diagram showing the entire apparatus by reducing the load port section 51, pod 2, orbner 3 and lid 4 in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3B is a view showing the configuration shown in FIG. It is the figure seen from the inside.

The oven 3 has a door 6 and a frame 5. The door 6 is a plate-like body large enough to close the transfer chamber opening 10 and has holding portions 11a and 11b as vacuum suction holes on its surface. The surface located on the pod 2 side when the door 6 closes the transfer chamber opening 10 is a flat surface that can be in close contact with the lid 4. The door 6 is provided with a fixing member 46 having a hole. A pivot 45 provided at the upper end of the door arm 42 is rotatably penetrated through the hole to be fixed. A hole is formed at the lower end of the door arm 42. The pivot 40 penetrates through the hole and the hole at the tip of a rod 37 that is a part of an air-driven door opening / closing cylinder 31 that is a door opening / closing drive device. As a result, the door arm 42 is connected to the cylinder 31 and is rotatably supported by the cylinder 31.

The frame 5 is a structure including a frame member arranged along the transfer chamber opening 10 and surrounding the door 6. Frame 5 has a long It is attached to the upper ends of the extending frame arms 12a and 12b. Holes (not shown) are formed at the lower ends of the frame arms 12a and 12b. The pivot 44 penetrates through the hole and the hole at the tip of the rod 38 which is a part of the air-driven frame driving cylinder 35 which is a frame driving device. As a result, the frame arm and the cylinder 35 are connected, and the frame arm is rotatably supported by the cylinder 35.

The frame arms 12a and 12b extend symmetrically and parallel to the vertical direction along the central axis of the frame 5 to evenly support the load. A rod 47 perpendicular to each of the frame arms 12a and 12b is mounted between the upper and lower ends of each of the frame arms 12a and 12b. On the support member 60, a fixing member 39 serving as a fulcrum support portion having a shape extending vertically from the support member 60 is disposed. The fixing member 39 has a through hole parallel to the support member 60. A bearing (not shown) is disposed in the through hole of the fixing member 39, and the outer ring of the bearing pivotally supports the rod 47 with the inner ring of the bearing on the inner wall of the through hole. Thus, the rod 47 constitutes the fulcrum 41 in a state of being included in the through hole of the fixing member 39.

The fulcrum 41 is configured as a coaxial fulcrum that also serves as a fulcrum of the arm frames 12a and 12b and a fulcrum of the door arm. That is, another through hole is provided between the upper end and the lower end of the door arm 42. A rod 47 penetrates the through hole to form a fulcrum 41. The door arm 42 can rotate about the fulcrum 41 by the expansion and contraction of the door 37 by the driving of the cylinder 31. The fulcrum 41 of the door arm 42 is fixed to a support member 60 provided on a movable part 56 that can move up and down. The door 6 has holding ports 11a and 11b, and can hold the lid 4 of the pod 2 by vacuum suction. The door arm 42 is almost lead when the door 6 is pressed against the transfer chamber opening 10 (hereinafter referred to as a standby state). The door 6 moves in a direction away from the wall surface of the transfer chamber 52 by rotating the door arm 42.

The frame arms 12 a and 12 b are rotatable about the fulcrum 41 in accordance with the expansion and contraction of the rod 38 by driving the frame driving cylinder 35. That is, the frame arms 12a and 12b are also fixed to the supporting member 60 provided on the movable portion 56 that can move up and down. The frame 5 is arranged so as to be obliquely separated from the wall surface of the transfer chamber 52 when the door 6 is in a standby state. That is, in this state, the frame arms 12 a and 12 b are supported at an angle to the door arm 42 at an angle to the door arm 42, and the upper part of the frame 5 is A certain distance from the wall. On the other hand, when the frame 5 is rotated from the standby state with the frame arms 12 a and 12 b in a direction in which the frame 5 comes into contact with the wall surface of the transfer chamber 52, the frame 5 is almost flush with the wall surface of the transfer chamber 52. Abut The support rods 13 a and 13 b are fixed to the frame member disposed on the upper portion of the frame 5 so as to protrude toward the wall surface of the force transfer chamber 52. The tip of each of the support rods 13a and 13b is placed so that the first transmission type sensors 9a and 9b, which are the first transmission type sensors, face each other. The bosses 21b are mounted so as to satisfy the positional relationship described above. The semiconductor wafer processing apparatus 50 is provided with a movable section 56 for moving the orbner 3 up and down. FIG. 4A is a diagram of the movable portion 56 of the orbner 3 as viewed from the load port portion 51 side, and FIG. 4B is a diagram showing an arrow X in FIG. 4A. The movable part 56 includes an air-driven mouthless cylinder 33 for vertically moving up and down and a support member 60, and is provided below the lower surface of the pod 2 so as to be downstream of the air flow from the pod 2. Are located. A fixing member 39, an air-driven cylinder 31 and a cylinder 35 are attached to the support member 60. The movable part 56 is provided on the load port part 51 side. The transfer arm 52 is formed by the door arm 42 and the frame arms 12a and 12b through the elongated hole 57 provided in the partition 55. Supports side orbna 3.

The long hole 57 is provided with the moving direction of the movable portion 56 as a longitudinal direction, that is, in the present embodiment, the vertical direction. The load port 51 and the transfer chamber 52 are separated by a force par 58 so that the long hole 57 does not lower the cleanliness in the transfer chamber 52. Further, a limiter 59 for preventing overrun when the orbner 3 descends is provided below the partition 55. The partition 55 has a mouthless cylinder 33, a guide 61a, and a guide 61b along the elongated hole 57. The movable part 56 is moved up and down by the rodless cylinder 33 along the guides 61a and 61b. A sensor dog 7 is provided beside the movable part 56 along the mouthless cylinder 33.

The sensor dog 7 is a plate-like body extending in the direction along the mouthless cylinder 33, and has index means arranged at regular intervals in the longitudinal direction. In the present embodiment, the index means has concave and convex portions 12 which are notches arranged at regular intervals. The number of the irregularities corresponds to the number of wafer placement shelves in the pod, and the irregularities are arranged so that one notch always corresponds to any shelves with movable parts. . On the movable part 56 on the sensor dog 7 side, a transmission sensor 8 as a second transmission sensor is fixed on a horizontal partition 55.

The sensor section of the transmission sensor 8 is arranged so as to sandwich the unevenness 12 provided with notches at a fixed interval provided in the sensor dog 7, and the sensor dog 7 is moved in accordance with the movement of the movable section 56. The irregularities 1 and 2 can be detected. The support member 60 of the movable portion 56 is provided with a third transmission sensor 62, while the partition 55 near the lower side of the elongated hole 57 is provided with a limiter 64. . In this mechanism, when the protruding portion shields the limiter 64, a stop signal is issued to the movable portion 56, and the entire operation of the opener 3 stops.

Next, referring to FIGS. 3A, 3B to 7, how the operation of removing contaminants on the wafer 1 and the operation of mubbing are performed based on these configurations. Will be explained. 3A shows a standby state, FIG. 5 shows a state in which the lid 4 is opened and closed, and the frame 5 operates, FIG. 6 shows a state in which contaminant removal operation and mapping of the wafer 1 are performed, and FIG. 7 shows a state in which the operation is completed. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a state where frame 5 has returned to a standby state after the operation performed on wafer 1 is completed. FIGS. 4A and 4B show a front view and a side view of a sensor dog provided for detecting a driving position of the frame 5 and a related configuration, respectively.

The shelves in the pod 2 that have completed the previous processing process contain wafers 1 that meet the preprocessing standard, while wafers 1 that do not meet the standard are removed from the process at the preprocessing stage Have been. On the shelf of the pod 2, the stage where the wafer 1 exists and the stage where the wafer 1 does not exist are mixed. The pod 2 in this state is placed on the table 53 on the transfer chamber 52 as shown in FIG. 3A, and moves so as to approach the transfer chamber opening 10. In this state, the orbner 3 is in a standby state. That is, the rod 37 of the door opening / closing cylinder 31 is in the most extended state, and the door arm 42 presses the door 6 around the fulcrum 41 against the transfer chamber opening 10 to close it. In this embodiment, in this state, the arm 42 stands in the vertical direction. On the other hand, the rod 38 of the frame driving cylinder 35 is in the most contracted state, and the frame arms 12a and 12b pull the frame 5 away from the wall of the transfer chamber 52 around the fulcrum 41. It is in the state of acting as follows. That is, in the present embodiment, the frame arms 12a and 12b are inclined at a certain angle with respect to the door arm 42.

FIG. 5 shows a state where the pod 2 is close to the transfer chamber opening 10 and the door 6 holds the lid 4. When the pod 2 approaches the transfer chamber opening 10, the lid 4 of the pod 2 comes into close contact with the door 6, and holds the lid 4 of the pod 2 via the holding units 11 a and 11 b by vacuum suction. When the door 6 holds the lid 4, the door opening / closing cylinder 31 works to retract the rod 37. Subsequently, the pivot 40 provided at the end of the door arm 42 is drawn toward the support base 60, and the door arm 42 is connected to the fulcrum 41. Rotate the door 6 away from the mini-empirion opening 10 according to the principle of leverage to open the lid 4 from the pod 2.

After the lid 4 is opened, the movable portion 56 slightly descends to a position where the upper end of the frame 5 enters the position of the opening 10 and the frame arms 12a and 12b can rotate. After the descent is completed, the frame arm 12 actually starts rotating. That is, the frame arms 12a and 12b rotate until the rod 38 of the frame driving cylinder 35 extends and the frame 5 substantially abuts around the transfer chamber opening 10. Then, the gas supply nozzles 21a and 21b and the transmission sensors 9a and 9b mounted on the upper side of the frame 5 go out of the transfer chamber opening 10 and are inserted into the pod 2. Is done. At this point, the gas supply nozzles 21a and 21b are located in the arrangement shown in FIG. Further, the first transmission type sensors 9a and 9b juxtaposed with the gas supply nozzles 21a and 21b are arranged so that the wafer 1 exists on a straight line connecting these, and constitute a detection space. . In this state, the movable portion 56 moves in the vertical direction, and at the same time, the operation of removing contaminants by spraying the high-purity gas on the individual wafers 1 and the operation of mubbing the wafers 1 are sequentially performed. That is, the orbner 3 is lowered by the rodless cylinder 33 to the position shown in FIG. The transmission sensors 9 a and 9 b descend together with the movable part 56 and the orbner 3 in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the wafer 1. When the wafer 1 is present on the shelf, the light emitted from the transmission sensor 9a is blocked, while when the wafer is missing from the shelf, the light from the transmission sensor 9a is not blocked. Each sensor is set to emit a non-transmission signal when the transmission sensor 9b is blocked by the wafer 1, and to transmit a transmission signal when the transmission sensor 9b is not blocked by the wafer 1. deep.

Thereby, it can be determined that wafer 1 is present when a non-transmitted signal is detected, and it can be determined that wafer 1 is missing when a transmitted signal is detected. In response to this transmission signal, the gas supply nozzles 21a and 21b are cleaner By allowing the gas to be blown onto the wafer 1 for a predetermined time and at a predetermined pressure, an operation of removing contaminants and the like from each wafer can be effectively performed. In this case, the blowing of the high-purity gas may be stopped in response to the non-permeation signal in consideration of the gas use efficiency, but the gas flow rate on the wafer to be operated due to the difference between the wafers is considered. It is also possible to change the gas spraying conditions in consideration of the change in the pressure.

The sensor section of the transmission sensor 8 is arranged so as to sandwich the unevenness 12 provided with notches at a constant interval provided in the sensor doc 7. Therefore, when the movable part 56 descends, the transmission sensor 8 also descends and detects the irregularities 12 of the sensor dog 7. At this time, when the transmission type sensor 8 passes through the concave portion, the transmission type sensor 8 emits a transmission signal without being shielded from light, and when the transmission type sensor 8 passes through the convex portion, the transmission type sensor 8 is shielded from light and emits a non-transmission signal. ing. Therefore, the unevenness 12 of the sensor dog 7 is preset so that the time when the transmissive sensors 9a and 9b pass through each step of the shelf in the pod 2 corresponds to the time when the transmissive sensor 8 passes through the recess. In other words, the transmission / non-transmission signals detected by the transmission / transmission sensor 8 indicate the signals of the steps of the shelf that the transmission sensor 9 actually passes.

Compare this with the detection result of the transmission / non-transmission signal detected as a result of the transmission sensor 9a blocking the light by the wafer 1, and when the transmission sensor 8 detects the signal corresponding to the shelf level, the transmission sensor If the sensor 9a is shielded from light, it can be determined that the wafer 1 was present at that shelf, while if the transmission sensor 9a is not shielded at that time, it can be determined that the wafer 1 was missing from that shelf. By changing the timing or conditions for spraying the high-purity gas based on these judgments, it becomes possible to more effectively perform the operation of removing contaminants and the like. This operation is repeated for all the wafers 1, and the operation of removing the contaminants and the like is completed by the support rod reaching the end of the orbiting of the orbner 3.

Then, when the rod 38 of the frame opening / closing cylinder 35 is retracted again, the flame The frames 12 a and 12 b rotate, and the frame 5 moves so as to move away from the transfer chamber opening 10. The movement of the frame 5 is completed when the rod 38 is contracted most. Then, the movable portion 56 moves to the lowest point, and the lid 4 is opened, and a series of operations for removing contaminants and the like and mapping the wafer 1 are completed. This state is the state shown in FIG.

As described above, in this embodiment, the gas supply nozzles 21a and 21b and the transmission sensors 9a and 9b are fixed to the same frame 5. Further, frame arms 12a and 12b, which are means for rotating the frame 5, and a frame driving cylinder are provided. By providing these components in the movable part 56 sufficiently distant from the transfer chamber opening 10, it is not necessary to provide a gas supply nozzle and a device for developing the transmission sensor near the wafer 1. In addition, by using the sensor dog 7 and the transmission sensor 8, a synchronization signal corresponding to the shelf level in the pod 2 can be easily generated, so that the drive motor is not used as a drive device. At the same time as the mapping operation of the wafer 1, a more effective operation of removing contaminants and the like can be performed. By using the sensor dog 7 in this manner, an air-driven cylinder that cannot generate a signal can be used for the mapping of the wafer 1.

In the present embodiment, the fulcrum of the door arm 42 and the fulcrum of the mapping frame 5 are shared by the fulcrum 41, but the same effect can be obtained by using both fulcrums as separate fulcrums. That is, the same effect can be obtained even if different fulcrums are provided as the first fulcrum provided on the door arm 42 and the second fulcrum provided on the mapping frame. Although the movable part 56, the fulcrum 41, the door opening / closing cylinder 31 and the mapping frame driving cylinder 35 are integrally formed, they need not be integrally formed to obtain the effects of the present invention. As long as these mechanisms are arranged downstream of the airflow with respect to the pod 2, the same effect can be obtained.

In this embodiment, a significant change was made to the configuration according to the F0UP standard. For the purpose of applying the present invention without addition, the gas supply nozzle is

Although fixed on the support rod in parallel, the present invention is not limited to this. Specifically, the gas supply nozzle may be fixed on a frame different from the sensor. Further, a drive mechanism may be added to the gas supply nozzle so that the gas supply nozzle can be moved or rotated in parallel with the wafer surface. With this configuration, it is possible to purge the wafer surface evenly with at least the number of nozzles. In addition, the state of adhesion of contaminants and the like may fluctuate depending on the immediately preceding treatment. In this case, the number of gas supply nozzles may be increased or decreased in consideration of the adhesion state and the gas usage state.

Further, in the present embodiment, the operation of removing contaminants and the like is performed only once in accordance with the mapping operation, but the present invention is not limited to this. The removal operation can be performed at any time except when the robot arm in the transfer chamber is accessing the wafer in the pod. Therefore, the removal operation may be repeatedly performed on the wafer held in the pod while the wafer is subjected to various kinds of processing in the processing apparatus.

In this embodiment, F0UP is described, but the application of the present invention is not limited to this system. A contaminant or the like according to the present invention may be used as long as the system includes a container for accommodating a plurality of objects to be held therein and a transfer chamber for transferring the objects to be held from the container to a device for processing the objects to be held. It is possible to apply a purging device.

(Second embodiment)

A second embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 8A to 8C relate to a schematic configuration of a purging apparatus according to the present invention, and are diagrams schematically illustrating a pod, a wafer housed inside the pod, and a purging apparatus according to the present invention when viewed from the side. is there. Figure 8A shows the start of the purge operation, Figure 8B shows the middle of the purge operation, and Figure 8C shows an enlarged view of the main part of the purge device. Each is shown. FIG. 9A is a diagram schematically showing the main components of the components shown in FIGS. 8A to 8C and the components attached thereto when viewed from above, and FIG. It is a figure which shows the state which cut | disconnected the principal part in the horizontal surface and saw this from the upper part. The pod originally includes various components such as a shelf for supporting a wafer, a seal member disposed between the lid and the pod, and the door also has various components. However, since these configurations do not have a direct relationship with the present invention, detailed illustration and description thereof are omitted here.

In the figure, a gas supply nozzle 21 capable of discharging clean gas is attached to the upper part of the door 6 in the oven in the direction shown by the arrow in the figure. A gas supply line (not shown) is connected to each of the gas supply nozzles 21 so that a clean gas can be supplied to the nozzles according to an external operation. As shown in FIG. 9B, the gas supply nozzle 21 includes a substantially tubular member 22 extending in a direction parallel to the surface of the wafer 1, and the tubular member 22 extends in parallel with the surface of the wafer 1. It has an opening 22 a formed linearly. Note that the clean gas is introduced into the inside of the evacuation member from a substantially central portion of the tubular member 22 and a portion not facing the opening 22a. The gas supply nozzle 21 is sequentially moved in the direction in which the wafers 1 are stacked, and a clean gas is supplied between the wafers 1. As a result, an operation of removing contaminants and the like by the clean gas on the front and back surfaces of the wafer and the inside of the pod 2, that is, a purging operation is performed. The door 6 is driven in parallel with the direction in which the wafers 1 are stacked. Accordingly, when the door 6 is driven, the purging operation for the wafers 1 inside the pod 2 can be sequentially performed by releasing the clean gas from the gas supply chisels 21.

In the present embodiment, the center of the tubular member 22 in the gas supply nozzle 21 is separated from the opening end face of the pod body 2 by a predetermined distance L. The opening 22a allows the clean gas emitted from the opening 22a to diffuse in the horizontal direction as shown in Figure 9B and in the vertical direction as shown in Figures 8A to 8C. It has an unusual shape. By providing a gap L between the tube member 2 2 and the opening of the pod body 2, a clean gas is sprayed on the entire surface of the wafer 1 in the horizontal direction to remove pollutants and the like. . In addition, the flow velocity of the gas discharged from the gas supply nozzle is the fastest near the nozzle opening, and decreases rapidly as it moves away from the opening. Therefore, if gas is supplied from a position very close to the wafer edge, a large flow velocity difference may occur between the upstream and downstream of the gas flow on the wafer surface, resulting in a large difference in the efficiency of removing contaminants and the like, or extremely fast.乱 The turbulence generated by the gas flow striking the edge of the wafer may reduce the efficiency of removing contaminants and the like. It is possible to easily form a gas flow flowing at a substantially uniform flow rate on the front surface, and it is possible to perform a uniform and efficient contaminant removal operation on the front and back front regions of the wafer. In addition, in the vertical direction, the cleaning gas is released to a region that is angled downward from the horizontal direction, so that a new cleaning gas can be formed at a certain angle to the front and back of the wafer. As a result, the pollutants can be removed more efficiently. Note that these distances L and angles] 3 can remove contaminants on the wafer 1 more efficiently depending on the size of the wafer held in the pod 2, the distance between the wafers, the shape of the pod 2, and the like. It is preferable to appropriately adjust such that these can be discharged from the inside of the pod 2. For the same reason, the width, the length, the opening angle or the number of the opening 22a may be increased or decreased as compared with the embodiment, or the direction of the opening 22a may be changed.

In the present invention, it is possible to carry out the operation of removing contaminants and the like for each wafer and for the entire area on the front and back surfaces, and to achieve a higher degree of cleanliness than in the past. Thus, the wafer can be held inside the pod. Further, in the present invention, the gas flow rate, purge time, and the like required for the operation of removing contaminants and the like can be individually controlled for each wafer. Therefore, always The removal operation can be performed depending on the situation, and the management state of all wafers in the pod can be easily maintained constant.

The gas or the like supplied into the pod 2 from the gas supply nozzle 21 may be exhausted using an exhaust hole provided in the pod 2 conventionally. Further, since the purging operation is performed with the lid 4 opened, the purging operation may be performed using an exhaust system (not shown) provided in the transfer chamber. In addition, it is considered preferable to prevent contaminants and the like once removed from the wafer from re-adhering to the inside of another wafer or pod, or from flowing into the transfer chamber. In this case, as shown in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-54993, in order to efficiently exhaust the clean gas used for the operation of removing contaminants and the like, the pod opening communicates with the pod opening. A small chamber dedicated to exhaustion may be provided in the transfer chamber する.

As described above, it is preferable that the contaminants and the like once removed from the wafer are immediately carried out of the pod. For this reason, in order to more effectively remove pollutants, as shown in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-251,422, a port for care corresponding to each wafer is provided. It may be added. However, with such a structure, it is necessary to significantly change the standard of the pod corresponding to the standard. Therefore, when the present invention is used for the F0UP system currently used, it is preferable not to provide such an exhaust port.

(One Example Applying the Present Embodiment) Next, a case where the purging apparatus according to the present invention is applied to a currently used F0UP system will be described below with reference to the drawings. The schematic configuration of the semiconductor wafer processing apparatus and the pod to which the present invention is applied is substantially the same as the configuration described in the related art, so that the description of the same configuration will be omitted. The gas supply nozzle 21 described above may be supported and driven by a member independent of the door 6 described above. However, in the present application example, the gas supply nozzle and the like according to the present invention are arranged at the upper part of the door 6, thereby making the present invention easier to implement.

Regarding the schematic configuration of the wafer processing apparatus 50, as shown in FIG. 15, the transfer chamber 52 has a transfer port opening 10 slightly larger than the lid 4 of the pod 2 on the side of the load port section 51 as shown in FIG. Provided. An orbner 3 for opening and closing the lid 4 of the pod 2 is provided inside the transfer chamber 52 and on the side of the transfer chamber opening 10. Here, an orbner 3 to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to FIGS. 10A and 10B. FIG. 10A is a diagram showing the entire apparatus by reducing the load port portion 51, pod 2, hood 3 and lid 4 in FIG. 1, and FIG. 10B is shown in FIG. 10A. FIG. 3 is a view of the configuration as viewed from the inside of a transfer chamber 52.

The oven 3 has a door 6 and a frame 5. The door 6 is a plate-like body large enough to close the transfer chamber opening 10 and has holding portions 11a and 11b as vacuum suction holes on its surface. The surface located on the pod 2 side when the door 6 closes the transfer chamber opening 10 is a flat surface that can be in close contact with the lid 4. The door 6 is provided with a fixing member 46 having a hole. A pivot 45 provided at the upper end of the door arm 42 is rotatably penetrated through the hole to be fixed. A hole is formed at the lower end of the door arm 42. The pivot 40 penetrates through the hole and the hole at the tip of a rod 37 that is a part of an air-driven door opening / closing cylinder 31 that is a door opening / closing drive device. As a result, the door arm 42 is connected to the cylinder 31 and is rotatably supported by the cylinder 31. Become.

The frame 5 is a structure including a frame member arranged along the transfer chamber opening 10 and surrounding the door 6. The frame 5 is attached to the upper ends of the frame arm 12a and the frame arm 12b which extend long in the lower frame member. Holes (not shown) are formed at the lower ends of the frame arms 12a and 12b. The pivot 44 penetrates through the hole and the hole at the tip of the rod 38 which is a part of the air-driven frame driving cylinder 35 which is a frame driving device. As a result, the frame arm and the cylinder 35 are connected, and the frame arm is rotatably supported by the cylinder 35.

The frame arms 12a and 12b extend symmetrically and parallel to the vertical direction along the center axis of the frame 5 to evenly support the load. A rod 47 perpendicular to each of the frame arms 12a and 12b is mounted between the upper and lower ends of each of the frame arms 12a and 12b. The support member 60 is provided with a fixing member 39 serving as a fulcrum support portion having a shape extending vertically from the support member 60. The fixing member 39 has a through hole parallel to the support member 60. A bearing (not shown) is disposed in the through hole of the fixing member 39, and the outer ring of the bearing pivotally supports the rod 47 with the inner ring of the bearing on the inner wall of the through hole. As a result, the mouthpiece 47 constitutes the fulcrum 41 in a state of being included in the through hole of the fixing member 39.

The fulcrum 41 is configured as a coaxial fulcrum that also serves as a fulcrum of the arm frames 12a and 12b and a fulcrum of the door arm. That is, another through hole is provided between the upper end and the lower end of the door arm 42. A lock 47 penetrates the through hole to form a fulcrum 41. The door arm 42 can rotate about the fulcrum 41 by the expansion and contraction of the door 37 by the driving of the cylinder 31. The fulcrum 4 1 of the door arm 4 2 is a support member provided on the movable portion 56 that can be moved up and down. Fixed to 60. The door 6 has holding ports 11a and 11b, and can hold the lid 4 of the pod 2 by vacuum suction. When the door 6 is pressed against the transfer chamber opening 10 (hereinafter, referred to as a standby state), the door arm 42 is arranged almost vertically, and the door arm 42 is rotated to rotate the door 6. Moves in a direction away from the wall surface of the transfer chamber 52.

The frame arms 12 a and 12 b are rotatable about the fulcrum 41 in accordance with the expansion and contraction of the rod 38 by driving the frame driving cylinder 35. That is, the frame arms 12a and 12b are also fixed to the supporting member 60 provided on the movable portion 56 that can move up and down. The frame 5 is arranged so as to be obliquely separated from the wall surface of the transfer chamber 52 when the door 6 is in a standby state. That is, in this state, the frame arms 12 a and 12 b are supported at an angle to the door arm 42 at an angle to the door arm 42, and the upper part of the frame 5 is A certain distance from the wall. On the other hand, when the frame 5 is rotated from the standby state with the frame arms 12 a and 12 b in a direction in which the frame 5 comes into contact with the wall surface of the transfer chamber 52, the frame 5 is almost flush with the wall surface of the transfer chamber 52. Abut. The support rods 13 a and 13 b are fixed to the frame member disposed on the upper portion of the frame 5 so as to protrude toward the wall surface of the force transfer chamber 52. At the tips of the support rods 13a and 13b, transmission sensors 9a and 9b, which are first transmission sensors, are attached so as to face each other.

The semiconductor wafer processing apparatus 50 is provided with a movable section 56 for moving the orbner 3 up and down. FIG. 11A is a diagram of the movable portion 56 of the orbner 3 as viewed from the load port portion 51 side, and FIG. 11B is a diagram showing an arrow X of FIG. 11A. The movable portion 56 includes an air-driven mouthless cylinder 33 for vertically moving up and down and a support member 60, and is provided below the lower surface of the pod 2 so as to be downstream of the air flow from the pod 2. Are located. A fixing member 39, an air-driven cylinder 31 and a cylinder 35 are attached to the support member 60. Moving parts 5 6 Provided on the load port 51 side, the orbner 3 on the transfer chamber 52 side is connected to the door arm 42 and the frame arms 12a and 12b through the elongated holes 57 provided in the partition 55. Supporting.

The long hole 57 is provided with the moving direction of the movable portion 56 as a longitudinal direction, that is, in the present embodiment, the vertical direction. The load port 51 and the transfer chamber 52 are separated by a cover 58 so that the long hole 57 does not lower the cleanliness in the transfer chamber 52. Further, a limiter 59 is provided below the power divider 55 to prevent overrun when the orbner 3 is lowered. The partition 55 includes a rodless cylinder 33, a guide 61a, and a guide 61b along the elongated hole 57. The movable part 56 is moved up and down along the guides 61a and 61b by the mouthless cylinder 33. A sensor dog 7 is provided beside the movable part 56 along the rodless cylinder 33.

The sensor section of the transmission sensor 8 is arranged so as to sandwich the unevenness 12 provided with notches at a fixed interval provided in the sensor dog 7, and the sensor dog 7 is moved in accordance with the movement of the movable section 56. The irregularities 1 and 2 can be detected. While the third transmission sensor 62 is provided on the support member 60 of the movable portion 56, a limiter 64 is provided on the partition 55 near the lower side of the elongated hole 57. I have. In this mechanism, when the protruding portion shields the limiter 64, a stop signal is issued to the movable portion 56, and the entire operation of the orbiter 3 is stopped. Next, a description will be given of how the operation of removing contaminants on the wafer 1 and the operation of the mubbing are performed with reference to FIGS. 10A and 10B to 14 based on these configurations. I do. Fig. 10A shows the stand-by state, Fig. 12 shows the state in which the lid 4 is opened and closed, and the frame 5 is in operation. Fig. 13 shows the ueno, and the contaminant removal operation and the mapping operation in 1 are completed. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a state in which the frame 5 has returned to the standby state after the operation performed on the wafer 1 is completed. FIGS. 11A and 11B show a front view and a side view of a sensor dog provided for detecting a driving position of the frame 5 and a related configuration, respectively.

The shelves in the pod 2 that have completed the previous processing process contain wafers 1 that meet the preprocessing standard, while wafers 1 that do not meet the standard are removed from the process at the preprocessing stage Have been. On the shelf of the pod 2, the stage where the wafer 1 exists and the stage where the wafer 1 does not exist are mixed. The pod 2 in this state is placed on the table 53 on the transfer chamber 52 as shown in FIG. 1OA, and moves to approach the transfer chamber opening 10. In this state, the orbner 3 is in a standby state. That is, the rod 37 of the door opening / closing cylinder 31 is in the most extended state, and the door arm 42 presses the door 6 around the fulcrum 41 against the transfer chamber opening 10 to close it. You.

In this embodiment, in this state, the arm 42 stands in the vertical direction. On the other hand, the rod 38 of the frame driving cylinder 35 is in the most contracted state, and the frame arms 12a and 12b pull the frame 5 away from the wall of the transfer chamber 52 around the fulcrum 41. It is in the state of acting as follows. That is, in the present embodiment, the frame arms 12a and 12b are inclined at a certain angle with respect to the door arm 42.

FIG. 12 shows a state where the pod 2 is close to the transfer chamber opening 10 and the door 6 holds the lid 4. When Pod 2 approaches the transfer chamber opening 10, the lid of Pod 2 4 closely adheres to the door 6, and holds the lid 4 of the pod 2 through the holding portions 11a and 1lb by vacuum suction. When the door 6 holds the lid 4, the door opening / closing cylinder 31 works to contract the mouth 37. Subsequently, the pivot 40 provided at the end of the door arm 42 is pulled toward the support base 60 side, and the door arm 42 is moved from the transfer chamber opening 10 to the door by the fulcrum 41 according to the principle of leverage. Rotate to pull 6 apart, and open lid 4 from pod 2.

After the lid 4 is opened, the movable portion 56 slightly descends to a position where the upper end of the frame 5 enters the position of the opening 10 and the frame arms 12a and 12b can rotate. After the descent is completed, the frame arm 12 actually starts rotating. That is, the frame arms 12a and 12b rotate until the rod 38 of the frame driving cylinder 35 extends and the frame 5 substantially abuts around the transfer chamber opening 10. Then, the transmission type sensors 9 a and 9 b mounted on the upper side of the frame 5 go out of the transfer chamber opening 10 and are inserted into the pod 2. At this point, the gas supply nozzle 21 is located in the configuration shown in FIG. 8A. Further, the first transmission sensors 9a and 9b are arranged so that the wafer 1 exists on a straight line connecting them, and constitute a detection space.

In this state, the movable portion 56 moves in the vertical direction, and at the same time, the operation of removing contaminants by spraying the high-purity gas on the individual wafers 1 and the operation of mubbing the wafers 1 are sequentially performed. That is, the orbner 3 is lowered by the rodless cylinder 33 to the position shown in FIG. The transmission sensors 9 a and 9 b descend together with the movable part 56 and the orbner 3 in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the wafer 1. When the wafer 1 is present on the shelf, the light emitted from the transmission sensor 9a is blocked, whereas when the wafer is missing from the shelf, the light from the transmission sensor 9a is not blocked. Each sensor is set so as to emit a non-transmission signal when the transmission sensor 9b is blocked by the wafer 1, and to transmit a transmission signal when the transmission sensor 9b is not blocked by the wafer 1. Thereby, it can be determined that wafer 1 is present when a non-transmitted signal is detected, and it can be determined that wafer 1 is missing when a transmitted signal is detected. In response to the permeation signal, the cleaning gas is blown from the gas supply nozzle 21 to the wafer 1 for a predetermined time and at a predetermined pressure, thereby removing contaminants and the like for each wafer. Can be performed effectively. In this case, the blowing of the high-purity gas may be stopped in response to the non-permeation signal in consideration of the gas use efficiency. However, since the interval between the wafers is different, the operation target becomes difficult. The gas blowing conditions may be changed in consideration of the above change in the gas flow velocity.

The sensor portion of the transmission sensor 8 is arranged so as to sandwich the unevenness 12 provided with notches at a predetermined interval provided in the sensor dog 7. Therefore, when the movable part 56 descends, the transmission sensor 8 also descends and detects the irregularities 12 of the sensor dog 7. At this time, when the transmissive sensor 8 passes through the! ¾! Portion, the transmissive sensor 8 emits a transmissive signal without being shaded, and when the transmissive sensor 8 passes through a convex portion, the transmissive sensor 8 is shielded from light and emits a non-transmissive signal. It is like that. Therefore, the unevenness 12 of the sensor dog 7 is preset so that the time when the transmissive sensors 9a and 9b pass through each step of the shelf in the pod 2 corresponds to the time when the transmissive sensor 8 passes through the recess. In other words, the transmission / non-transmission signals detected by the transmission / transmission sensor 8 indicate the signals of the steps of the shelf that the transmission sensor 9 actually passes.

Compare this with the detection result of the transmission / non-transmission signal detected as a result of the transmission sensor 9a blocking the light by the wafer 1, and when the transmission sensor 8 detects the signal corresponding to the shelf level, the transmission sensor If the sensor 9a is shielded from light, it can be determined that the wafer 1 was present at that shelf, while if the transmission sensor 9a is not shielded at that time, it can be determined that the wafer 1 was missing from that shelf. By changing the timing or conditions for spraying the high-purity gas based on these judgments, it becomes possible to more effectively perform the operation of removing contaminants and the like. For all wafers 1 This operation is repeated, and the operation of removing the contaminants and the mapping operation is completed by the support rod reaching the end of the orbiting of the orbner 3 at the end of the mapping.

Thereafter, when the rod 38 of the frame opening / closing cylinder 35 is contracted again, the frame arms 12a and 12b rotate, and the frame 5 moves so as to move away from the transfer chamber opening 10. The movement of the frame 5 is completed when the rod 38 is contracted most. Then, the movable portion 56 moves to the lowest point, and the lid 4 is opened, and a series of operations for removing and mapping contaminants and the like to the wafer 1 are completed. This state is the state shown in FIG.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the gas supply nozzle 21 is fixed to the door 6 that moves in parallel with the direction in which the wafers are stacked. Therefore, it is possible to always supply a clean gas to each wafer under the same conditions. In addition, by using the sensor dog 7 and the transmission sensor 8, it is possible to easily generate a synchronization signal corresponding to a shelf in the pod 2, so that the wafer can be used without using a drive motor as a drive device. At the same time as the mapping operation of 1, a more effective operation of removing contaminants and the like can be performed.

In the present embodiment, the fulcrum of the door arm 42 and the fulcrum of the mapping frame 5 are shared by the fulcrum 41, but the same effect can be obtained by using both fulcrums as separate fulcrums. That is, the same effect can be obtained even if different fulcrums are provided as the first fulcrum provided on the door arm 42 and the second fulcrum provided on the mapping frame. Force that is integrated with the movable part 56, the fulcrum 41, the door opening / closing cylinder 31, and the mapping frame driving cylinder 35. It is not always necessary to integrate the movable part 56 to obtain the effects of the present invention. As long as these mechanisms are arranged downstream of the airflow with respect to the pod 2, the same effect can be obtained.

In the present embodiment, the gas supply nozzle is fixed to the upper part of the door for the purpose of applying the present invention without making a significant change to the configuration conforming to the F0UP standard. However, the present invention is not limited to this. concrete Alternatively, the gas supply nozzle may be configured with a frame different from the door and fixed on the frame. Further, a driving mechanism may be added to the gas supply nozzle, and the gas supply nozzle may be rotatable about an axis parallel to the wafer surface. It is also conceivable that the state of adhesion of contaminants and the like may fluctuate depending on the immediately preceding treatment. In this case, the width, length, opening angle or number of the openings in the gas supply nozzle may be increased or decreased in consideration of the adhesion state and the use state of the gas. In this case, an increase in the number means both an increase in the number of openings in the horizontal direction and an increase in the number of openings in the vertical direction.

In this embodiment, F0UP is described, but the application of the present invention is not limited to this system. A contaminant or the like according to the present invention may be used as long as the system includes a container for accommodating a plurality of objects to be held therein and a transfer chamber for transferring the objects to be held from the container to a device for processing the objects to be held. It is possible to apply a removal device.

Claims

The scope of the claims

1. An opening and a main body comprising a plurality of shelves arranged in a predetermined direction in which the objects to be accommodated are respectively arranged, and a lid which is separable from the main body and covers the opening, and is housed in a pod. A purge device for performing a purging operation by blowing a predetermined gas to the container.

A frame capable of moving the front surface of the opening in the predetermined direction in a state where the lid is separated from the main body;

A purging apparatus, comprising: a gas supply nozzle movable in the predetermined direction by maintaining a predetermined positional relationship with respect to the frame.

2. The purging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the frame holds a sensor that performs a mubbing of the object contained in the pod, and the gas supply nozzle is arranged in parallel with the sensor. . '

3. The timing at which the predetermined gas is blown out from the gas supply nozzle is synchronized with the timing at which the object passes through the plane on which the object extends when the gas supply nozzle moves in the predetermined direction. The purging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

4. The gas supply nozzle according to claim 1, wherein the gas supply nozzle blows out the predetermined gas in a direction parallel to a plane in which the object extends and in a direction downward at a predetermined angle with respect to the plane. Purge device.

5. The object is a wafer used for semiconductor manufacturing, and the state where the lid is separated from the main body is such that the pod is placed on a load port, and the wafer accommodated in the pod is 2. The purging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is in a state of being transferred to a wafer processing apparatus via the load port.

6. An opening, and a main body composed of a plurality of shelves arranged in a predetermined direction in which the objects are placed, and a lid that is separable from the main body and closes the opening. A purging device for performing a purging operation by blowing a predetermined gas to the object stored in the pod provided,

The predetermined gas is spaced from the end of the object by a predetermined distance, and substantially uniformly over substantially the entire area of the surface of the object extending perpendicular to the predetermined direction. A gas supply nozzle for blowing

A purging apparatus, comprising: a support member that supports the gas supply nozzle and that can drive the gas supply nozzle in the predetermined direction.

7. The purging apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the support member is a member for attaching and detaching the lid from a main body of the pod. .

8. The timing at which the predetermined gas is blown out from the gas supply nozzle is synchronized with the timing at which the object passes through the plane on which the object extends when the support member moves in the predetermined direction. 7. The purging device according to claim 6, wherein the purging device is used.

9. The gas supply nozzle is configured to apply the predetermined gas to a region surrounded by a plane parallel to a plane on which the object extends and a plane extending downward at a predetermined angle with respect to the plane. 7. The purging device according to claim 6, wherein the gas is blown out. ·

10. The object is a wafer used in semiconductor manufacturing. The state in which the lid is separated from the main body is such that the pod is placed on a load port, and the wafer is accommodated in the pod. 7. The purging apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the wafer is transferred to a wafer processing apparatus via the load port.

11. A pod having an opening, a main body composed of a plurality of shelves arranged in a predetermined direction in which objects to be stored are respectively placed, and a lid separable from the main body and closing the opening. A purging method for performing a purging operation by blowing a predetermined gas to the accommodated object,

Separating the lid from the body, A gas supply nozzle is moved along the predetermined direction along the front surface of the opening, and the object is purged by blowing the predetermined gas onto the object from the gas supply nozzle. A purging method characterized by including a step.

12. The gas supply nozzle is juxtaposed with a sensor, and at the same time as the step of performing the purging, a step of performing a mubbing of the object to be accommodated in the pod by the sensor is performed. The purging method according to claim 11, wherein:

13. The step of performing the purging is performed in synchronization with a timing at which the object passes through a plane on which the object extends when the gas supply nozzle moves in the predetermined direction. The purging method described in Item 11 1.

14. In the step of performing the purging, the gas supply nozzle blows out the predetermined gas in a direction parallel to a plane in which the object extends or in a direction downward at a predetermined angle with respect to the plane. The purging method according to claim 11, wherein:

15. The container is a wafer used in semiconductor manufacturing, and the state where the lid is separated from the main body is such that the pod is placed on a load port and the wafer stored in the pod 21. The purging method according to claim 11, wherein the state is transferred to a wafer processing apparatus via the load port.

16. Housed in a pod having an opening, a main body composed of a plurality of shelves arranged in a predetermined direction in which the objects to be mounted are respectively placed, and a lid separable from the main body and closing the opening. A purging method of performing a purging operation by blowing a predetermined gas to the stored object,

Separating the lid from the body;

A state in which the front surface of the opening is separated from the end of the object by a predetermined distance Holding and moving the gas supply nozzle along the predetermined direction; and substantially the entire area of the surface of the storage object extending in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction in the object. A purging method for purging the object by spraying the predetermined gas substantially uniformly.

17. The purging method according to claim 16, wherein the gas supply nozzle is fixed to a door used for loading / unloading the pod from a body of the pod.

18. The step of performing the purging is performed in synchronization with a timing at which the object passes through a plane on which the object extends when the gas supply nozzle moves in the predetermined direction. The purging method described in Item 16 above.

19. In the step of performing the purging, the gas supply nozzle is provided between a surface parallel to a plane extending the object and a surface extending downward at a predetermined angle with respect to the plane. 17. The purging method according to claim 16, wherein the predetermined gas is blown out.

20. The object to be accommodated is a wafer used for semiconductor manufacturing, and the state where the lid is separated from the main body is such that the pod is placed on a load port, and the wafer is accommodated in the pod. 17. The purging method according to claim 16, wherein the gas is transferred to the wafer processing apparatus via the load port.