JPS5994840A - Wafer conveying device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the dust adhering to the surface of a wafer, to keep products clean, and to prevent the deterioration in quality of products by a method wherein the air stream in the form of air curtain is formed on the surface of a wafer. CONSTITUTION:Dustproof covers 28 and 30 are installed in upright position along the conveying direction on both sides of a wafer conveying surface, and a chamber 32 is provided in parallel with the wafer conveying surface at the upper part of the dustproof covers 28 and 30. The wafer conveying surface is enclosed by said dustproof covers 28 and 30 and the chamber 32. A slitlike air inlet 34 is formed on the lower surface of the chamber 32 facing the wafer conveying surface, and the clean air supplied to the chamber 32 from a flower (not shown in the diagram) through the intermediary of the air intake duct located at the upper part of the chamber 32, is blown directing to the surface of the wafer 26 from the air inlet 34. Besides, slitlike air outlets 38 and 40 are formed on the bustproof covers 28 and 30, the clean air flown directing to the surface of the wafer is flown out from the air outlet 38, and it is exhausted to outside passing through the exhaust duct 42 provided at the circumferential part of the dustproof covers 28 and 30 and the chamber 32.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a wafer transport device, and more particularly to a device for transporting wafers along a transport surface.

Semiconductor devices such as LSIs go through various manufacturing processes before becoming finished products, and wafer transport equipment is generally installed to sequentially transport the urchins loaded with semiconductor components during each manufacturing process. There is.

FIG. 1 shows an example of a conventional wafer transfer device, and a second
The figure shows the conveyance state. In FIG. 1, a carrier 12 is supported on a base 10, and a drive boot I is attached to the motor shaft of a drive motor 14 attached to the base 10.
J16 is fixed.

Further, a drive boob I718 is rotatably attached to the conveyance table 12. A drive belt 20 is passed over each drive boob IJ16, 18, and the drive boob IJ1
6 has two conveyor bells as shown in Fig. 2)2
2.24 is passed along the conveyance direction. Therefore, the rotation of the drive motor 14 is caused by the rotation of the drive pulley 16. drive bell)
20. Conveyor belt 22.2 via drive pulley 18
The wafer 26 placed on the conveyor pel 22 and 24 is conveyed as shown by the arrow in FIG.

In such a process of transporting the wafer 26, the wafer 26
If dust or the like adheres to the wafer 26, it will cause a decline in the quality of the product.
It is necessary to prevent dust generated from the contact portion between the wafer 22 and the conveyor belt 22, 24 from falling and adhering to the surface of the wafer 26.

For this reason, conventionally, a high-performance dust collector is installed on the ceiling of the room where the wafer transfer device is installed so as to cover the entire device, and by blowing clean air over the entire surface of the device, dust and other particles fall and adhere to the surface of the wafer 26. Measures were taken to prevent this from happening.

However, in such conventional devices.

Since it is not possible to prevent the adhesion of localized dust and the like that flies up from the vicinity of the wafer 26, there is a drawback that the product cannot be kept sufficiently clean, resulting in defects in the product.

In addition, in the conventional apparatus, clean air must be blown onto the entire surface of the wafer transfer apparatus from a dust collector mounted on the ceiling, which has the drawback of increasing the amount of air blown by the dust collector and increasing the power required for the dust collector.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and its purpose is to provide a wafer transfer device that can reduce the amount of dust and the like adhering to the wafer surface and can reduce operating costs.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a wafer transport device that transports sea urchins along a transport surface.

- Equipped with a dust-proof cover installed on both sides of the wafer transfer surface along the transfer direction, and a chamber provided above the dust-proof cover parallel to the wafer transfer surface, and the wafer transfer surface is covered with the dust-proof cover and the chamber. It is characterized in that an air inlet is provided on the lower surface of the chamber toward the wafer transfer surface, and a slit-shaped air inlet is provided in the dustproof cover.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 3 shows a preferred embodiment of the wafer transfer device according to the present invention, and FIG. 4 shows the external appearance of the device shown in FIG. 5. The same reference numerals are used to omit the explanation.

In each figure, dustproof covers 28.30 are installed on both sides of the wafer conveyance surface along the conveyance direction.
A chamber 32 is provided above the wafer in parallel with the wafer transfer surface. These dustproof covers 28, 30 and chambers 32
The wafer transfer surface is surrounded by the wafer transfer surface.

Further, a slit-shaped air blowing port 34 is formed on the lower surface of the chamber 32 toward the wafer transport side, and an air intake duct 36 at the upper part of the chamber 32 is connected from a blower (not shown).
The clean air supplied to the chamber 32 through the air inlet 34 is blown toward the surface of the wafer 26 from the air inlet 34 . Furthermore, slit-shaped air outlets 38 and 40 are formed in the dustproof covers 28 and 30, and the clean air blown toward the surface of the wafer 26 is passed through the air outlets 38 and 30.
．． 40 and is exhausted to the outside through the dust cover 28° 30 and an exhaust duct 42 provided around the chamber 320. In this embodiment, the air outlet 38.
40 is formed at the same height as the surface of the Ueno 26, and the clean air blown from the air inlet 34 toward the surface of the Ueno 26 flows as shown by the arrow.
The air flows along the surface of the air and is blown out from the air outlet 38,40.

1. The dimensions of each part of the apparatus of this embodiment are as follows: slit width of the air blowing port 34 1o (ram), distance from the air blowing port 34 to the surface of the wafer 26 100 (mm), blowing speed from the air blowing port 34 4 [m/sec], air/
The slit width of the air outlet 38.40 is loc mm], the distance from each air outlet 38.40 to the center of the wafer 26 is 60 [
mmL air outlet 38.40 blowing speed 4 [m/sec
].

The embodiment of the present invention has the above configuration, and its operation will be explained below.

While the wafer 26 is being transported, clean air supplied from the blower to the chamber 32 through the intake duct 36 is directed toward the surface of the sea urchin 26 from the air inlet 34 at a speed of 4 [m/sec]. blown into the wafer 26
from the air outlet 38.40 at a velocity of 4
[7n/,? eC] is blown out. At this time, an air curtain airflow with a width of 5 or more is formed on the surface of Ueno 26. Therefore, if clean air from which dust of 0.3 μm or more is removed is blown toward the wafer 26,
A clean air layer is formed on the surface of the Ueno sheet 26, and it is possible to reduce the adhesion of dust and the like when the Ueno sheet 26 is transported.

In the above-described embodiment, the air inlet 34 is shaped like a slit, but it can also be shaped like a nozzle. In this case, it is preferable that the nozzle hole diameter is 5 [φ] and the distance between the nozzles is 10 Ctan, and that they are installed parallel to the transport direction of the sea urchins.26 According to the present invention, as explained above, Since the air curtain is configured to form an air flow on the surface of the ueno, there is less dust adhering to the surface of the ueno, keeping the product sufficiently clean and preventing quality deterioration. .

Further, according to the present invention, clean air is supplied toward the surface of the air blower without waste, so that the operating cost of the blower can be reduced.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is a configuration diagram showing an example of a conventional wafer conveying device.
FIG. 2 is an external view of the device shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing a preferred embodiment of the wafer/conveying device according to the present invention, and FIG. 4 is an external view of the device shown in FIG. 3. 26...Wafer 28, 30...Dust-proof cover 32...Chamber 34...Air inlet 38
．． 40...Air outlet.

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) In a wafer transport device that transports wafers along a transport surface, a dust-proof cover is provided upright on both sides of the wafer transport surface along the transport direction, and a chamber is provided above the dust-proof cover parallel to the wafer transport surface. , the dust-proof cover and the chamber surround the wafer transfer surface, and r pJ
A wafer transfer device characterized in that an air blowing port is provided on the lower surface of the chamber toward the wafer transfer surface, and a slit-shaped air suction port is provided in the dustproof covering. (2. The wafer transfer device according to claim (1), wherein the air suction port is provided at approximately the same height as the wafer surface.