JP7699556B2 - Semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and method for manufacturing semiconductor device - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device.

In the manufacture of semiconductor devices, it is necessary to remove semiconductor wafers from cassettes and transport them using a transport unit such as a robot arm.

However, if abnormal vibrations occurred during operation of the transport unit, there was concern that the transport unit could collide with the semiconductor wafer when removing it from a cassette containing multiple semiconductor wafers, causing scratches and resulting in defective products.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that detects vibrations of a cassette itself when a robot arm is used to remove semiconductor wafers from a cassette that contains multiple semiconductor wafers arranged vertically in order to prevent scratches from occurring on the semiconductor wafers.

JP 2000-56819 A

However, Patent Document 1 does not disclose any technology for preventing scratches from occurring on semiconductor wafers in a configuration in which the upper arm and lower arm work together to take the semiconductor wafer in and out of a cassette.

The present disclosure therefore aims to provide technology that can prevent scratches from occurring on semiconductor wafers in a configuration in which an upper arm and a lower arm work together to take semiconductor wafers in and out of a cassette.

The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the present disclosure comprises: a cassette stage on which is placed a cassette for storing multiple semiconductor wafers arranged in a direction from the first main surface to the second main surface in an upright position, the semiconductor wafers having a first main surface and a second main surface opposite the first main surface; a slide section for sliding the cassette stage in a direction from the first main surface to the second main surface; an upper arm provided above the cassette stage; a lower arm provided below the cassette stage and cooperating with the upper arm to hold the semiconductor wafers and insert and remove the semiconductor wafers from the cassette; a lower arm fixing section for fixing a lower portion of the lower arm within a guide section that moves the lower arm in a vertical direction; and a detection section for detecting abnormal vibrations of the lower arm when the semiconductor wafers are inserted or removed , the detection section being provided around the lower arm and including a displacement meter for detecting a displacement of the motion path of the lower arm .

According to the present disclosure, when abnormal vibration of the lower arm is detected, the operation of the lower arm can be stopped, thereby preventing the lower arm from colliding with the semiconductor wafer. This makes it possible to prevent scratches on the semiconductor wafer in a configuration in which the upper arm and the lower arm work together to load and unload the semiconductor wafer from the cassette.

2 is a schematic diagram of a vertical transfer mechanism included in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment; 1 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a semiconductor wafer stored in a cassette constituting a part of a vertical transfer mechanism provided in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment is held by an upper arm and a lower arm. 3A and 3B are a side view and a front view of an upper arm constituting a part of a vertical transfer mechanism provided in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment. 3A and 3B are a side view and a front view of a lower arm constituting a part of a vertical transfer mechanism included in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a guide portion constituting a part of a vertical transfer mechanism included in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment. 2 is a flowchart showing a method for manufacturing the semiconductor device according to the first embodiment. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a guide portion constituting a part of a vertical transfer mechanism included in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to a second embodiment. 11A and 11B are diagrams showing vibration waveforms when there is no abnormal vibration and when there is abnormal vibration. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a guide portion constituting a part of a vertical transfer mechanism included in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to a third embodiment.

<First embodiment>
<Configuration of vertical transfer mechanism>
The first embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a vertical transfer mechanism 100 provided in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a semiconductor wafer 15 stored in a cassette 1 constituting a part of the vertical transfer mechanism 100 is held by an upper arm 6 and a lower arm 5. FIG. 3(a) is a side view of the upper arm 6 constituting a part of the vertical transfer mechanism 100, and FIG. 3(b) is a front view of the upper arm 6. FIG. 4(a) is a side view of the lower arm 5 constituting a part of the vertical transfer mechanism 100, and FIG. 4(b) is a front view of the lower arm 5. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a guide unit 4 constituting a part of the vertical transfer mechanism 100.

As shown in FIG. 1, the vertical conveying mechanism 100 constitutes part of a semiconductor manufacturing device (not shown) and includes a cassette 1, a cassette stage 2, a slide unit 3, and a conveying unit 7. The vertical conveying mechanism 100 further includes a vibration meter 8 (see FIG. 5), which will be described later.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, cassette 1 is a container that stores multiple semiconductor wafers 15, each having a first main surface and a second main surface opposite the first main surface, arranged in an upright position in the direction from the first main surface to the second main surface. Cassette 1 is placed on cassette stage 2.

Here, the first main surface is the front surface of the semiconductor wafer 15 (the surface on the left side in FIG. 2), and the second main surface is the back surface of the semiconductor wafer 15 (the surface on the right side in FIG. 2). The semiconductor wafer 15 may be stored so that the front surface faces the right side in FIG. 2 and the back surface faces the left side in FIG. 2. The direction from the first main surface to the second main surface is the left-right direction in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The slide unit 3 is provided below the cassette stage 2. The slide unit 3 slides the cassette stage 2 in a direction from the first main surface to the second main surface of the semiconductor wafer 15. Well-known technology such as a hydraulic cylinder or a motor is used as a mechanism for sliding the cassette stage 2.

Figure 1 shows an example in which a hydraulic cylinder 32 is used as a mechanism for sliding the cassette stage 2. The slide section 3 comprises two pillars 31 spaced apart from each other on a base 30, a hydraulic cylinder 32 provided between the two pillars 31, and a cassette stage fixing section 33 attached to the hydraulic cylinder 32. The cassette stage fixing section 33 is driven by the hydraulic cylinder 32 to move in a direction from the first main surface toward the second main surface, thereby sliding the cassette stage 2 in a direction from the first main surface toward the second main surface.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the transport unit 7 includes an upper arm 6, a lower arm 5, a guide unit (not shown) that drives the upper arm 6, and a guide unit 4 that drives the lower arm 5. The upper arm 6 is provided above the cassette stage 2. The upper arm 6 can move in the vertical direction by a guide unit (not shown) that is connected to the upper part of the upper arm 6. As shown in Figure 2, an upper arm wafer guide 6a that comes into contact with the side of the semiconductor wafer 15 from above is provided at the lower end of the upper arm 6.

The lower arm 5 is provided below the cassette stage 2, and a lower arm wafer guide 5a that contacts the side of the semiconductor wafer 15 from below is provided at the upper end of the lower arm 5. The lower arm 5 cooperates with the upper arm 6 to hold the side of the semiconductor wafer 15 and insert and remove the semiconductor wafer 15 from the cassette 1.

As shown in Figures 3(a) and 3(b) and Figures 4(a) and 4(b), the tip surfaces of the upper arm wafer guide 6a and the lower arm wafer guide 5a may be U-shaped in side view and may come into surface contact with the side surface of the semiconductor wafer 15. Although not shown, the tip surfaces of the upper arm wafer guide 6a and the lower arm wafer guide 5a may be flat and may come into contact so as to sandwich the side surface of the semiconductor wafer 15 from both sides. In particular, by configuring the tip surfaces of the upper arm wafer guide 6a and the lower arm wafer guide 5a to come into contact so as to sandwich the semiconductor wafer 15, the contact position with the semiconductor wafer 15 can be easily changed to match the diameter of the semiconductor wafer 15.

As shown in Figures 1 and 5, the guide unit 4 is provided below the opening 30a formed in the base 30, supports the lower arm 5 protruding from the opening 30a, and moves the lower arm 5 in the vertical direction.

As shown in FIG. 5, the guide section 4 is composed of a hydraulic cylinder. The guide section 4 includes a cylinder tube 40, which is the main part of the hydraulic cylinder, a guide shaft 41, and a lower arm fixing section 42. The guide shaft 41 extends vertically within the cylinder tube 40. The lower arm fixing section 42 is attached so that it can move vertically along the guide shaft 41. The lower part of the lower arm 5 is fixed to the lower arm fixing section 42 within the cylinder tube 40. The lower arm fixing section 42 moves vertically along the guide shaft 41 by hydraulic pressure, allowing the lower arm 5 to move vertically.

The vibration meter 8 is provided on the lower arm 5 around the lower arm fixing part 42 inside the cylinder tube 40. Specifically, the vibration meter 8 is provided on the part of the lower arm 5 immediately above the lower arm fixing part 42. The vibration meter 8 corresponds to a detection part that detects abnormal vibration of the lower arm 5 when the semiconductor wafer 15 is inserted or removed, and is, for example, a piezoelectric sensor. Here, abnormal vibration refers to excessive vibration.

By providing the vibration meter 8 in the semiconductor manufacturing equipment, abnormal vibrations of the lower arm 5 when the semiconductor wafer 15 is inserted or removed can be detected, thereby preventing the lower arm 5 from colliding with the semiconductor wafer 15. In addition, by providing the vibration meter 8 in the cylinder tube 40 around the lower arm fixing part 42 to which the lower arm 5 is fixed, vibrations caused by bending of the lower arm 5 are not detected.

In order to inform the surroundings of the signal from the vibration meter 8, an alarm unit (not shown) may be provided that notifies the surroundings of abnormal vibration when the vibration meter 8 detects abnormal vibration of the lower arm 5. The alarm unit may sound an alarm when abnormal vibration occurs, or may display a visually confirmable indication.

<Method of Manufacturing Semiconductor Device>
Next, a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device using the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus will be described with reference to a flowchart shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 6, the method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes a preparation process (step S1), a detection process (step S2), and a notification process (step S3).

First, in the preparation process (step S1), the cassette 1 is placed on the cassette stage 2. When removing the semiconductor wafers 15, a cassette 1 containing multiple semiconductor wafers 15 is placed thereon, and when storing the semiconductor wafers 15, a cassette 1 containing no semiconductor wafers 15 is placed thereon. Furthermore, when storing the semiconductor wafers 15, the upper arm 6 and the lower arm 5 move the semiconductor wafers 15 to a preparation chamber (not shown) provided in the semiconductor manufacturing equipment. The semiconductor wafers 15 to be stored may be those that have undergone processing such as sputtering and ion implantation, or those that have not yet undergone processing.

Next, in the detection process (step S2), the vibration meter 8 detects abnormal vibration of the lower arm 5 when the lower arm 5 cooperates with the upper arm 6 to hold the semiconductor wafers 15 and take them in and out of the cassette 1 one by one. Specifically, the vibration meter 8 is connected to an output unit (not shown) such as a PC, and the detection result of the vibration meter 8 is output to the output unit. The output unit determines whether the detection result is abnormal vibration, i.e., excessive vibration. If the detection result does not correspond to excessive vibration, it is determined that abnormal vibration is not occurring in the lower arm 5, and if the detection result corresponds to excessive vibration, it is determined that abnormal vibration is occurring in the lower arm 5.

Next, in the notification process (step S3), when the vibration meter 8 detects abnormal vibration of the lower arm 5 in the detection process (step S2), that is, when it is determined that abnormal vibration is occurring in the lower arm 5, the notification unit notifies the abnormal vibration. In addition to notifying the abnormal vibration, the vertical transfer mechanism 100 may stop the operation of the lower arm 5. However, when it is determined that abnormal vibration is not occurring, the notification unit does not notify the abnormal vibration. Then, the process returns to step S2 and the detection process is performed. When the loading and unloading of all semiconductor wafers 15 has been completed, all the processes shown in the flowchart are completed.

＜Effects＞
As described above, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the first embodiment includes the cassette stage 2 on which is placed the cassette 1 which stores a plurality of semiconductor wafers 15, each having a first main surface and a second main surface opposite the first main surface, arranged in an upright position in a direction from the first main surface to the second main surface, the slide section 3 which slides the cassette stage 2 in the direction from the first main surface to the second main surface, an upper arm 6 provided above the cassette stage 2, a lower arm 5 provided below the cassette stage 2 and which cooperates with the upper arm 6 to hold the semiconductor wafers 15 and insert and remove the semiconductor wafers 15 from the cassette 1, a lower arm fixing section 42 which fixes a lower portion of the lower arm 5 within a guide section 4 which moves the lower arm 5 in an up and down direction, and a detection section which detects abnormal vibrations of the lower arm 5 when the semiconductor wafers 15 are inserted or removed.

Therefore, when abnormal vibration of the lower arm 5 is detected, the operation of the lower arm 5 can be stopped, thereby preventing the lower arm 5 from colliding with the semiconductor wafer 15. This makes it possible to prevent scratches from occurring on the semiconductor wafer 15 in a configuration in which the upper arm 6 and the lower arm 5 work together to take the semiconductor wafer 15 in and out of the cassette 1. As a result, the yield of semiconductor devices manufactured by the semiconductor manufacturing equipment can be improved.

The detection unit also includes a vibration meter 8 that is provided on the lower arm 5 around the lower arm fixing portion 42 within the guide portion 4. Therefore, by suppressing detection of vibrations caused by bending of the lower arm 5, false detection of abnormal vibrations in the lower arm 5 can be suppressed.

In addition, the semiconductor manufacturing equipment further includes an alarm unit that notifies the operator when the detector detects abnormal vibration in the lower arm 5, allowing the operator to easily detect abnormal vibration in the lower arm 5.

<Embodiment 2>
Next, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to a second embodiment will be described. Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a guide unit 4 constituting a part of a vertical transfer mechanism 100 provided in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the second embodiment. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing vibration waveforms in the cases where there is no abnormal vibration and where there is abnormal vibration. In the second embodiment, the same components as those described in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 7, in the second embodiment, the vertical conveying mechanism 100 is provided with a displacement meter 9 that detects the displacement of the movement path of the lower arm 5 instead of the vibration meter 8. Here, the displacement meter 9 corresponds to the detection unit.

The displacement meter 9 is provided around the lower arm 5 so as to be able to detect the displacement of the motion path of the lower arm 5. Specifically, the displacement meter 9 is provided in a position facing the upper end of the lower arm 5 when the lower arm 5 is in the lowest position. For example, the displacement meter 9 is attached to the base 30 (see FIG. 1) via a fixing member (not shown) provided on the base 30.

The displacement meter 9 is connected to an output unit (not shown) such as a PC, and the detection results of the displacement meter 9 are output to the output unit. In the output unit, waveform analysis is performed based on the detection results of the displacement meter 9. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, the vibration waveform when there is no abnormal vibration is compared with the vibration waveform detected in the detection process, and it is determined whether or not there is abnormal vibration.

As described above, in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the second embodiment, the detection unit is provided around the lower arm 5 and includes a displacement meter 9 that detects the displacement of the motion path of the lower arm 5. Therefore, in a configuration in which the upper arm 6 and the lower arm 5 work together to take the semiconductor wafer 15 in and out of the cassette 1, in addition to being able to suppress scratches on the semiconductor wafer 15, it is also possible to easily determine the time to replace parts related to the lower arm 5 based on the fluctuation range of the vibration waveform.

<Third embodiment>
Next, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to a third embodiment will be described. Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a guide unit 4 constituting a part of a vertical transfer mechanism 100 included in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the third embodiment. In the third embodiment, the same components as those described in the first and second embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 9, in the third embodiment, the vertical conveying mechanism 100 is provided with an acceleration sensor 10 that detects the movement of the lower arm 5 instead of the vibration meter 8. Here, the acceleration sensor 10 corresponds to the detection unit.

The acceleration sensor 10 is provided in the middle of the lower arm 5. By providing the acceleration sensor 10 in the middle of the lower arm 5, it is possible to check the verticality and horizontality of the lower arm 5 like a spirit level, making it easier to detect the movement of the lower arm 5.

The acceleration sensor 10 is connected to an output unit (not shown) such as a PC, and the detection results of the acceleration sensor 10 are output to the output unit. The output unit performs waveform analysis based on the detection results of the acceleration sensor 10. Specifically, as in the case of embodiment 2, the vibration waveform when there is no abnormal vibration is compared with the vibration waveform detected in the detection process, and it is determined whether or not there is abnormal vibration.

As described above, in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the third embodiment, the detection unit is provided in the middle of the lower arm 5 and includes an acceleration sensor 10 that detects the movement of the lower arm 5. Therefore, in a configuration in which the upper arm 6 and the lower arm 5 work together to take the semiconductor wafer 15 in and out of the cassette 1, in addition to being able to suppress scratches on the semiconductor wafer 15, it is also possible to easily determine the time to replace parts related to the lower arm 5 based on the fluctuation range of the vibration waveform.

The embodiments can be freely combined, modified, or omitted as appropriate.

1 Cassette, 2 Cassette stage, 3 Slide section, 4 Guide section, 5 Lower arm, 6 Upper arm, 8 Vibration meter, 9 Displacement meter, 10 Acceleration sensor, 15 Semiconductor wafer, 42 Lower arm fixing section.

Claims (5)

a cassette stage on which a cassette is placed for storing a plurality of semiconductor wafers arranged in a direction from the first main surface to the second main surface, the semiconductor wafers having a first main surface and a second main surface opposite to the first main surface, in a standing state;
a slide portion that slides the cassette stage in a direction from the first main surface toward the second main surface;
an upper arm provided above the cassette stage;
a lower arm provided below the cassette stage and configured to cooperate with the upper arm to hold the semiconductor wafer and to take the semiconductor wafer in and out of the cassette;
a lower arm fixing portion that fixes a lower portion of the lower arm within a guide portion that moves the lower arm in a vertical direction;
a detection unit that detects abnormal vibration of the lower arm when the semiconductor wafer is inserted or removed;
Equipped with
The detection unit is provided around the lower arm and includes a displacement meter that detects a displacement of a motion path of the lower arm . a cassette stage on which a cassette is placed for storing a plurality of semiconductor wafers arranged in a direction from the first main surface to the second main surface, the semiconductor wafers having a first main surface and a second main surface opposite to the first main surface, in a standing state;
a slide portion that slides the cassette stage in a direction from the first main surface toward the second main surface;
an upper arm provided above the cassette stage;
a lower arm provided below the cassette stage and configured to cooperate with the upper arm to hold the semiconductor wafer and to take the semiconductor wafer in and out of the cassette;
a lower arm fixing portion that fixes a lower portion of the lower arm within a guide portion that moves the lower arm in a vertical direction;
a detection unit that detects abnormal vibration of the lower arm when the semiconductor wafer is inserted or removed;
Equipped with
The detection unit includes an acceleration sensor provided in an intermediate portion of the lower arm to detect the movement of the lower arm. 3. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an alarm unit that, when the detector detects the abnormal vibration of the lower arm, notifies the user of the abnormal vibration. a preparation step of placing a cassette on a cassette stage, the cassette storing a plurality of semiconductor wafers arranged in a direction from the first main surface to the second main surface, the semiconductor wafers having a first main surface and a second main surface opposite to the first main surface, in a standing state;
a detection step of detecting abnormal vibration of the lower arm when the lower arm cooperates with the upper arm to hold the semiconductor wafer and to take the semiconductor wafer in and out of the cassette;
a notifying step of notifying the abnormal vibration when the abnormal vibration of the lower arm is detected in the detecting step;
Equipped with
The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device , wherein the detection step includes a step of detecting a displacement of a motion path of the lower arm by a displacement meter provided around the lower arm . a preparation step of placing a cassette on a cassette stage, the cassette storing a plurality of semiconductor wafers arranged in a direction from the first main surface to the second main surface, the semiconductor wafers having a first main surface and a second main surface opposite to the first main surface, in a standing state;
a detection step of detecting abnormal vibration of the lower arm when the lower arm cooperates with the upper arm to hold the semiconductor wafer and to take the semiconductor wafer in and out of the cassette;
a notifying step of notifying the abnormal vibration when the abnormal vibration of the lower arm is detected in the detecting step;
Equipped with
The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device , wherein the detection step includes a step of detecting the movement of the lower arm by an acceleration sensor provided in a middle portion of the lower arm .

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