JPH0649454B2 - Wafer cassette ceiling suspension transfer duct for robot - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION “Industrial field of application” The present invention relates to a wafer cassette on a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus in a process in a partial laminar flow type clean room used in the field of manufacturing VLSI, IC, etc. The present invention relates to a traveling duct used for a ceiling-mounted transfer robot for a wafer cassette that automatically loads and unloads.

“Prior Art” As is well known, vibration of a manufacturing apparatus and dust adhering to a wafer in a process of manufacturing a semiconductor element, particularly in a step of forming a circuit element on a semiconductor wafer are serious enemies, Maintaining cleanliness and not generating vibration in semiconductor manufacturing equipment directly leads to product yield. Then, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus so as to satisfy the above conditions is installed in a partial laminar flow type clean room, and as an apparatus for loading and unloading a wafer cassette to this semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is installed along with the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. A moving ceiling-mounted wafer cassette transfer robot is used.

As a conventional traveling duct provided for traveling a wafer cassette transfer robot of this type along a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, there is a wafer cassette transfer robot traveling duct as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Are known.

In the figure, reference numeral K is a partial laminar flow type clean room (hereinafter, simply referred to as "clean room"), and the ceiling portion 1 of the passage portion area T and the apparatus portion area S in the clean room K are shown.
Air supply chambers 3 and 4 which are air supply units are linearly installed in the ceiling portion 2 in a direction orthogonal to the paper surface. Below the air supply chambers 3 and 4, ULPA filters (or HEPA filters) 6 for cleaning the air supplied to the room by the blowers 3a and 4a.
6, ... are attached. On the other hand, the floor 7 is a fixed floor made of concrete in the device area S,
In addition, the passage portion region T is in a state of communicating with the underfloor free access floor 8 by having a perforated floor. A semiconductor manufacturing device (hereinafter referred to as “manufacturing device”) 9 is installed linearly in a direction orthogonal to the paper surface on the floor of the device part region S, and the device part region S is installed by a partition plate 10 by a utility. It is divided from the area U.

A traveling duct 11 extending in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the drawing is provided along the boundary between the ULPA filter 6 on the device area S and the ULPA filter 6 on the passage area T. In the duct 11, a traveling device I for driving a ceiling-suspended transfer robot (hereinafter, simply referred to as “transfer robot”) M of the wafer cassette along the travel duct 11.
Is provided. The transfer robot M includes a holding part M1 for holding the wafer cassette 12, and an arm part M2 for horizontally expanding and contracting the holding part M1 to the upper part of the manufacturing apparatus 9.
The robot main body M3 for vertically expanding and contracting and horizontally rotating the arm portion M2, and the connecting member Mr for attaching the robot main body M3 to the traveling device I are the main constituent elements. Is connected to the robot body M3 through an opening 11a formed at the side of the traveling duct 11.

On the other hand, in this clean room K, the passage area T
The clean air supplied from the upper air supply chamber 3 is ULPA.
After passing through the filter 6, it descends almost vertically from the ceiling portion to the floor portion 7 in a laminar flow state, and the clean air supplied from the air supply chamber 4 in the device section region S is ULPA.
After passing through the filter 6, an air flow that wraps around the upper parts of the manufacturing apparatuses 9 and 9 is formed to flow inside the room, and then exhausted from the perforated floor 7 and the exhaust port 13 of the partition plate 10. And
The transfer robot M moves along the traveling duct 11 by the traveling device I in the clean room K in which the air flow is formed, and also loads and unloads the wafer cassette on the predetermined manufacturing device 9. There is.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the conventional transfer duct for the transfer robot of the wafer cassette, the HEPA filter 6 in the passage portion T is used.
The laminar airflow blown out from the inside of the traveling duct 11 also flows into the inside of the traveling duct from the opening 11a of the traveling duct 11 to generate a vortex that flows along the inner wall of the duct. The turbulent flow region is generated also in this portion from 11a immediately below the HEPA filter in the passage portion.

Generally, in a vertical laminar clean room, it is known that the turbulent flow region generated at the ceiling part expands as it approaches the floor surface. Therefore, the turbulent flow area generated by the opening 11a as described above also affects the apparatus section S, and dust generated as the transfer robot M travels is once diffused into the passage section area, so that the cleanliness of the room is improved. However, there is a problem in that the wafer stored in the wafer cassette is contaminated.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and provides a traveling duct for a ceiling-suspended transfer robot for a wafer cassette that does not generate turbulence near the opening of the traveling duct and does not reduce the cleanliness of the room. It is intended to be provided.

[Means for Solving Problems] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides an air supply unit provided in an upper part of a passage part region and an air supply part provided in an upper part of a device part region. A travel provided with a groove-shaped opening formed on the side of the passage area for running the ceiling-mounted transfer robot suspended along a travel device installed inside the boundary line. A duct is provided, and a suction duct communicating with the air supply chamber of the air supply unit on the side of the device section from the groove-shaped opening is formed in the lower portion of the traveling duct, and the suction duct is provided on the bottom plate of the traveling duct. It is characterized in that a plurality of communicating slits are formed.

[Embodiment] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 shows a traveling duct for a ceiling-suspended transfer robot for a wafer cassette according to the present invention, which is an enlarged view of only the vicinity of the traveling duct shown in FIG. In FIG. 1, the same components as those shown in the prior art are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

In the clean room K shown in FIG. 1, the room is composed of a passage portion region T and a device portion region S, and an air supply chamber 3 as an air supply portion is provided above the passage portion region T at right angles to the paper surface. In addition to the above, the air supply chamber 4 is provided above the device area S in a direction orthogonal to the plane of the drawing. A blower 4a for supplying air to the room is attached to the air supply chamber 4, and a ULPA (or HE) for cleaning air is installed below the air supply chamber 4.
PA) Filter 6 is attached. Further, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 9 is installed on the floor portion of the apparatus section region S in a direction orthogonal to the paper surface.

The air supply chamber 3 in the passage area T and the device area S
A running duct 11 extending in a direction orthogonal to the plane of the drawing is disposed along the vicinity of the boundary with the air supply chamber 4. The traveling duct 11 is provided with a traveling device I that moves the transfer robot M along the traveling duct 11, and the transportation robot M is suspended by the traveling device I and travels along the traveling duct 11. A groove-shaped opening 11a is formed. Furthermore, at the bottom of the traveling duct 11,
A suction duct 15 that communicates from the opening 11a side formed on the passage portion region T side of the traveling duct 11 to the air supply portion 4 on the device portion region S side is formed, and the bottom plate 11b of the traveling duct 11 sucks suction. Slits 11c, 11 communicating with the duct 15
Multiple c, ... Are formed. The suction duct 15 has a bottom plate 11b formed so as to have an ascending slope in order from the opening 11a side toward the air supply chamber 4 side. 11e is a partition part.

Alternatively, the orifice 11d of the suction duct 15 on the side of the opening 11a may be bent inward with a predetermined curvature to form the orifice. Further, the suction duct 15 is not limited to one having an ascending slope.

As described above, one end of the suction duct 15 is formed in the opening 11a of the traveling duct 11, and the other end is communicated with the air supply chamber 4 in which the blower 4a is installed, and the inside of the air supply chamber 4 is connected by the blower 4a. Is always negative pressure, so that air is sucked from the opening 11a through the suction duct 15, and the ULPA filter 6 on the passage region T side.
Intake part of the airflow that was supplied to the room through
A laminar air curtain is formed near the front surface of the opening 11a. Further, when the transfer robot M moves, dust generated by the sliding of the traveling device I, albeit slightly, also causes slits 11c, 11 formed on the bottom plate 11b of the traveling duct 11.
After being sucked into the suction duct 15 from c, ..., It is conveyed to the air supply chamber 4.

Therefore, even if the large opening 11a for the traveling of the transfer robot M is formed immediately below the ULPA filter 6 in the passage portion region T, the turbulence of the air flow does not occur in the vicinity thereof, and a vortex flow may be generated. There is also no generation of turbulence in the room. Furthermore, even when the transfer robot M travels, it is possible to maintain a high degree of cleanliness in the room without diffusing dust into the room.

The traveling duct of the present invention is not limited to the one having the above-mentioned shape, and may be any one as long as it allows the opening side and the air supply section side to communicate with each other. It is possible to use any ceiling-mounted transfer robot that suspends the traveling device and is suspended by being inserted through the opening of the traveling duct.

[Advantages of the Invention] As described above, the traveling duct for the ceiling-suspended transfer robot of the wafer cassette of the present invention is provided with a suction duct communicating from the opening to the air supply unit at the lower part of the traveling duct,
Since a slit communicating with the suction duct is formed on the bottom plate of the traveling duct, turbulence does not occur near the opening of the traveling duct, and as a result, no eddy current is generated, which disturbs the air flow in the room. In addition, the cleanliness of the room can be maintained at a high level without diffusing dust in the room.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing the vicinity of a traveling duct for a ceiling-mounted transfer robot of a wafer cassette of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a view for explaining the present invention and a conventional technique. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a partial laminar flow type clean room, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of a traveling duct for a ceiling-mounted transfer robot of a conventional wafer cassette. T: passage area, S: equipment area, K: partial laminar flow type clean room (clean room), I: traveling equipment, M: ceiling suspension transfer robot (transfer robot), 3, 4
...... Air supply section (air supply chamber), 11 ...... travel duct, 11a ...... opening, 11b ...... bottom plate, 9 ...... semiconductor manufacturing equipment (manufacturing equipment), 15 ...... suction duct.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued Front Page (72) Inventor Hiroshi Harada 2-16-1 Kyobashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo Shimizu Construction Co., Ltd. (72) Shintaro Kobayashi 2-16-1 Kyobashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo Shimizu Construction company (72) Inventor Kenji Okamoto 2-16-1, Kyobashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo Shimizu Construction company (72) Inventor Takeshi Matsumoto 100 Takegahana-cho, Ise-shi, Mie Shinko Electric Co., Ltd. Ise factory (72) Inventor Toshio Takasu 100, Takegahana-cho, Ise-shi, Mie Shinko Electric Co., Ltd. Ise factory

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A wafer cassette ceiling in which a cassette containing a plurality of wafers is automatically attached / detached to / from a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus installed in a partially laminar flow type clean room having a passage area and an apparatus area. A traveling duct for a suspension transfer robot, which is disposed along a boundary line between an air supply unit provided at the upper part of the passage part region and an air supply part provided at the upper part of the device part region, A traveling duct having a groove-shaped opening formed on the side of the passage portion is provided for traveling a ceiling-mounted transfer robot suspended by a traveling device installed therein, and the groove is formed below the traveling duct. Forming a suction duct communicating with the air supply portion on the side of the device section from the circular opening, and forming a plurality of slits communicating with the suction duct on the bottom plate of the traveling duct. Suspension transfer robot for running duct of Hakasetto.