JPS6227743B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] The present invention provides semiconductor wafers used for manufacturing chips in which large integrated circuits such as LSI or VLSI are embedded.
The present invention relates to a clamp device suitable for processing or etching.

Conventionally, as a process for manufacturing chips in which large integrated circuits are embedded, photoresist on a semiconductor wafer or wet etching of the surface of the semiconductor wafer has been carried out using a spray method or a dipping method. Various devices have also been proposed.

Recently, as the integration of ultra-LSIs and the like has increased, the formation of ultra-fine patterns has been required, and wafer diameters have been increasing in order to provide chips in large quantities at low cost. Therefore, it is possible to meet the above-mentioned needs by using an apparatus that continuously processes or etches the wafer with the wafer facing downward, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 55-60670 or Utility Application No. 54-174906, which was previously filed by the present applicant. It became like that.

However, even with such a device, when applying a phenomenon treatment or wet etching to a semiconductor wafer, using the previously proposed clamp device may damage or break the semiconductor wafer, or the grip may not be reliable. There are problems such as semiconductor wafers falling and being damaged. Therefore, an apparatus for clamping semiconductor wafers remains an unresolved problem.

In view of the conventional problems as described above, the present inventors
The present invention was developed to effectively solve this problem, and its purpose is to prevent the wafer from being damaged by being damaged, cracked, or dropped when processing or etching the semiconductor wafer. It is an object of the present invention to provide a clamping device that can securely clamp and perform uniform development or etching.

In order to achieve such an object, the present invention provides a method in which a pair of shafts each having a rotation operation section formed on at least one side are rotatably attached to the back surface of a wafer mounting plate, and each shaft is connected to the above-mentioned mounting plate. In addition to providing a clamping claw protruding from the formed hole, arm rods are inserted and fixed to each shaft, and these arm rods are connected via a pin or the like so that the respective shafts rotate in conjunction with each other. Furthermore, the gist is that the clamping claw is biased in the clamping direction by an elastic member.

An example of the implementation of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of a clamp device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of essential parts of the device.

In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a mounting plate for semiconductor wafers, and this mounting plate 1 has a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from above, and near the corners there are long holes 2 whose major axis direction coincides with the length direction of the mounting plate. ..., and a notch 4 is formed at one end for the operation rod 3 to enter and exit.

A holder 5 is placed near the corner of the back surface of the mounting plate 1.
... are screwed together, and a pair of shafts 6, 7 are installed between these holding bodies 5, as shown in FIG. That is, shafts 6 and 7
are inserted into holes 5a formed in the holder 5 with both ends thereof, and are held rotatably.

Further, bar-shaped clamping claws 8 are integrally attached to both sides of the shafts 6 and 7, and these clamping claws 8
... has an upper half that projects upward from a long hole 2 formed in the mounting plate 1. The shaft 6 is brought into contact with the operating rod 3 so that the shaft 6
A plate-shaped rotation operation part 9 for rotating the shaft is integrally attached, and an arm rod 1 is also provided at the intermediate part of the shafts 6 and 7.
0 and 11 are inserted with their base ends so that they rotate integrally with the shafts 6 and 7.

A hole 12 for inserting a pin 14 is formed at the tip of the arm rod 10 inserted into the shaft 6, and a long hole 13 is formed at the tip of the arm rod 11 inserted into the shaft 7. By passing the pin 14 inserted through the hole 12 through the elongated hole 13, the tips of the arm rods 10 and 11 are rotatably connected to each other.

Further, a plate spring 15 is fitted onto the pin 14. That is, the leaf spring 15 has a curved plate shape, and its lower end is rolled to form a fitting part 15a, and the fitting part 15a is fitted to the pin 14, and the upper end is attached to the mounting plate 1. The pin 14 contacts the lower surface of the pin 14 and is compressed between the pin 14 and the mounting plate 1.

The tips of the arm rods 10 and 11 are connected to the leaf spring 1.
5, and as a result, the clamping claws 8 are urged in the clamping direction.

The operation of the clamping device constructed as above will be explained based on FIG. 3 and FIG. 4.

First, when the mounting plate 1 rises, the upper surface of the rotation operation part 9 attached to the shaft 6 comes into contact with the lower end of the contact rod 3. When the mounting plate 1 further rises, the position of the tip of the rotating operation part 9 remains unchanged, so the shaft 6 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 3, and the clamp claw 8 attached to the shaft 6 is released. Rotates in the clamp direction. Simultaneously with this operation, the arm rod 10 rotates counterclockwise about the shaft 6 against the elastic force of the leaf spring 15. Further, since the arm rod 10 and the arm rod 11 are connected at their tips, as the arm rod 10 rotates, the arm rod 11 rotates clockwise about the shaft 7.
This rotation causes the shaft 7 to rotate clockwise. Therefore, the clamping claw 8 attached to the shaft 7 also rotates in the unclamping direction at the same time, resulting in a state as shown in FIG. In this state, the semiconductor wafer 16, which has been transported by a transport means (not shown), is placed on the mounting plate 1.

Next, when the mounting plate 1 is lowered, the arm rods 10,
11 is pushed down by the elastic force of the leaf spring 15, and as a result, the shaft 6 moves clockwise.
The shaft 7 rotates counterclockwise, and the clamping claws attached to the shafts 6, 7 rotate in the clamping direction to securely hold the semiconductor wafer 16 as shown in FIG.

After that, with the wafer 16 still clamped on the mounting plate 1, the mounting plate 1 rotates approximately 90 degrees to a vertical position, enters a developing tank or an etching processing tank (not shown), and then moves further in the same direction for 90 degrees. °The wafer rotates downward, and this wafer 1
6. After the development process, etc. is completed, the mounting plate 1 is raised by the reverse operation to the above.
The rotation operation part 9 comes into contact with the operation rod 3, and the wafer 16
is in the unclamped state. Thereafter, the wafer is sent to the next process such as cleaning using a transport device.

The embodiments shown in the drawings have been described above, and the clamping device of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. For example, in the illustrated example,
Although the operation rod 3 is fixed in the explanation, the clamping claw 8 can be moved by moving the operation rod 3 up and down.
In the illustrated example, a plate spring 15 is shown as the elastic member, but a coil spring or the like may also be used.Furthermore, the number of clamp claws 8 may be arbitrary.

As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, a pair of rotatable shafts, one of which is formed with a rotating operation part, is provided on the back surface of the semiconductor wafer mounting plate, and each shaft is connected to the mounting plate. A clamping claw protruding from the formed hole is attached, and an arm rod whose tips are connected to each other is inserted into each shaft, and the clamping claw is urged in the clamping direction via an elastic member. Therefore, by selecting an elastic member with an appropriate elastic force, it is possible to securely hold the wafer without damaging it, and since the clamping claw is always biased in the clamping direction, it is possible to hold the wafer reliably without damaging it. There is no risk of the wafer coming off the mounting plate. Furthermore, since the entire apparatus is efficient and efficient, its thickness can be made as thin as possible, and therefore, even if the entrance of the developer tank or the like is narrowed, development processing can be carried out without any problem. Further, since the device can be easily replaced, it has many advantages such as being applicable to semiconductor wafers of various diameters.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of a clamp device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the main parts of the device, and FIG. The figure is a longitudinal side view of the same device in an unclamped state, and FIG. 4 is a longitudinal side view of the same device in a clamped state. In the drawing, 1 is a mounting plate, 2 is a hole, 6 and 7 are shafts,
8 is a clamp claw, 9 is a rotating operation part, 10, 11
15 is an elastic member, and 16 is a wafer.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A pair of shafts are rotatably provided on the back surface of the mounting plate on which the wafer is placed, a rotation operation part is formed on one of these shafts, and a pair of shafts protruding from the holes formed in the above-mentioned mounting plate are formed on each shaft. A clamp claw that contacts the side surface of the wafer is fixed to the wafer, an arm rod is fixed to each of the above shafts, and a pin attached to one arm rod is engaged with a long hole formed in the other arm rod. A clamping device in which a shaft to which an arm rod is attached is interlocked, and the clamp claw is biased in the clamping direction by an elastic member interposed between the back surface of the placement plate and the arm rod.