JP6857431B1 - Semiconductor manufacturing equipment, measuring equipment and semiconductor manufacturing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus capable of performing a predetermined process on a wafer and inspecting the state of the wafer to which the predetermined process has been performed, which is more convenient than the conventional technique and can be realized with a relatively simple configuration. provide. SOLUTION: A processing device for performing a predetermined process on a wafer in a processing chamber, a housing forming a transport chamber, a transport mechanism arranged in the transport chamber for transporting the wafer, and a housing forming the transport chamber are attached. A transport container is provided with a plurality of load ports, a transport container detachably and airtightly attached to at least one of the plurality of load ports, and a measuring instrument 35 arranged in the measuring chamber 26a, and the transport container is attached. It is equipped with a measuring device 25 that is detachably and airtightly attached to a load port 10d different from the load port and measures the state of the wafer that has been subjected to a predetermined process, and the transfer mechanism processes the wafer carried out from the transfer container. The wafer is carried into the room, and the wafer subjected to the predetermined treatment is carried out from the processing room and carried into the measuring room 26a. [Selection diagram] FIG. 12

Description

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for producing a semiconductor by subjecting a wafer to a predetermined process, a measuring apparatus used for the apparatus, and a method for producing a semiconductor.

In the semiconductor manufacturing process, a wafer is subjected to predetermined treatments such as photolithography, etching treatment, and film formation treatment to form a resist pattern, an etching structure, and a film on the wafer.

By the way, if there is a defect in the resist pattern formed on the wafer, there is a problem that the desired etching structure cannot be obtained by the etching process, a normal etching structure is not formed, or the film thickness deviates greatly from the target value. If this happens, there is a problem that the reliability of the semiconductor is lowered. Therefore, in order to inspect the state of the wafer after the treatment (for example, the presence or absence of defects in the formed resist pattern, the etching structure, and the thickness of the film), the state of the wafer may be measured after performing these treatments. is there.

As a method of measuring the state of the wafer after performing the predetermined treatment, for example, after the wafer is subjected to the predetermined treatment by the substrate processing apparatus, the wafer is transferred to a measuring apparatus installed at a place different from the substrate processing apparatus. There is a method of transporting and measuring. However, in this method, it is necessary to transfer the wafer to a measuring device away from the substrate processing device before measuring, which requires a device and work for transporting the wafer, which increases the production cost and provides feedback. Can not be obtained in a short time.

On the other hand, a method of measuring the state of the wafer in the substrate processing apparatus without transporting the wafer to the measuring apparatus installed at a distant position has also been proposed. Such a method can be realized by, for example, the substrate processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1.

The substrate processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1 is provided between two load ports on which a transport container for storing a substrate is placed, a processing unit for processing the substrate, and two load ports to provide the substrate. The inspection module to be inspected is provided on both the left and right sides of the inspection module, and is provided with two substrate transfer mechanisms for transferring the substrate to the processing unit and the transfer container mounted on each load port.

According to this substrate processing apparatus, since the inspection module is incorporated in the substrate processing apparatus, the substrate can be inspected by the inspection module without transporting the wafer to the measuring apparatus installed at a distant position.

JP-A-2019-4072

However, in the substrate processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1, an opening for mounting an inspection module is required separately from the load port. Therefore, the inspection module can be attached later to the existing substrate processing apparatus in which the opening for attaching the inspection module is not formed so that the predetermined processing on the wafer and the measurement of the state of the wafer can be performed. It is difficult and there is room for improvement in terms of convenience.

Further, in the substrate processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1, two substrate transport mechanisms are required, and the configuration of the apparatus can be complicated. More specifically, in the above-mentioned substrate processing apparatus, the inspection module located between the two load ports becomes an obstacle, and the transport container placed on the load port located on one of the left and right sides of the inspection module One board transfer mechanism for transferring the substrate to and from the processing unit and between the transfer container mounted on the load port located on the left and right sides of the inspection module and the processing unit. The configuration of the device can be complicated because it cannot be done by itself.

As described above, the conventional substrate processing apparatus has problems from the viewpoint of convenience and the complexity of the configuration of the apparatus, and it is desired to develop a technique for solving these problems.

The present disclosure has been made in view of the above circumstances, and is a technique capable of performing a predetermined treatment on a wafer and inspecting the state of the wafer to which the predetermined treatment has been performed. The purpose is to provide technology that can be realized with a simple configuration.

The inventor of the present application has focused on the progress in standardization of semiconductor manufacturing equipment in recent years, and by using the load port provided in the existing semiconductor manufacturing equipment, it is more convenient than the conventional one and has a relatively simple configuration. , The present disclosure has been completed by finding that the wafer can be subjected to a predetermined treatment and the state of the wafer to which the predetermined treatment has been applied can be inspected.

That is, one embodiment of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the present disclosure for achieving the above object is
The housing that forms the processing chamber and
A processing device that performs a predetermined process on the wafer in the processing chamber,
The housing that forms the transport chamber and
A transfer mechanism that is arranged in the transfer chamber and conveys the wafer,
A plurality of load ports attached to the housing forming the transport chamber, and
A transport container that is detachably and airtightly attached to at least one of the plurality of load ports and stores the wafer.
It is provided with a housing forming a measurement chamber, a film thickness sensor and a rotation stage arranged in the measurement chamber, and is detachably and airtightly attached to a load port different from the load port to which the transfer container is attached. A measuring device for measuring the state of the processed wafer on the rotating stage in the measuring chamber by the film thickness sensor is provided.
The transport mechanism carries the wafer carried out from the transport container into the processing chamber, carries out the wafer subjected to the predetermined treatment from the processing chamber , and carries it into the measuring chamber.
Prior to the measurement, the measuring device performs wafer alignment by measuring the amount of reflected light in a specific wavelength range by the film thickness sensor while the rotating stage rotates the wafer in a predetermined angle range .

Moreover, one embodiment of the semiconductor manufacturing method according to the present disclosure for achieving the above object is:
A process of carrying out a wafer from a transport container detachably and airtightly attached to at least one of a plurality of load ports by a transport mechanism arranged in the transport chamber, and carrying the wafer into the processing chamber of the processing apparatus. When,
A step of performing a predetermined process on the wafer by the processing device, and
The wafer that has been subjected to the predetermined treatment is carried out from the processing chamber by the transport mechanism, and the carried-out wafer is detachably airtightly attached to and detachable from a load port different from the load port to which the transport container is attached. The process of bringing the attached measuring device into the measuring room and
The step of measuring the state of the wafer on the rotating stage in the measuring chamber by the film thickness sensor provided in the measuring device , and
Prior to the measurement, a step of performing wafer alignment is performed by measuring the amount of reflected light in a specific wavelength range with the film thickness sensor while rotating the wafer in a predetermined angle range with the rotation stage .

According to the above configuration, with the transport container and the measuring device attached to different load ports, the wafer is carried from the transport container into the processing chamber, and the wafer is subjected to a predetermined process by the process device, and then a predetermined process is performed on the wafer. The treated wafer can be carried from the processing chamber into the measuring chamber of the measuring device, and the state of the wafer can be measured by the measuring device. That is, predetermined processing on the wafer and measurement of the state of the wafer can be performed in one semiconductor manufacturing apparatus.

Further, according to the above configuration, the measuring device can be detachably and airtightly attached to the load port by diverting the load port provided for attaching the transport container. Therefore, unlike the conventional case, it is not necessary to provide an opening or the like for attaching the measuring device, and the existing semiconductor manufacturing device is provided with the measuring device simply by attaching the measuring device to the existing semiconductor manufacturing device provided with the load port. Therefore, it is possible to perform a predetermined process on the wafer and a measurement of the state of the wafer in one semiconductor manufacturing apparatus in which the airtight state is maintained, which is excellent in convenience.

Further, according to the above configuration, by diverting the load port and attaching the measuring device to the load port, the transfer mechanism arranged in the transfer chamber is used in the same manner as the loading and unloading of the wafer to the transfer container. Then, the wafer is carried in and out of the measuring chamber. Therefore, unlike the case where the measuring device is attached to the opening unrelated to the load port as in the conventional case, the measuring device does not become an obstacle when the transport mechanism accesses each load port, so that the measuring device is relatively unobtrusive. With a simple configuration, wafers can be loaded and unloaded into the processing chamber, the transport container, and the measuring chamber.

As described above, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and the semiconductor manufacturing method having the above configuration can perform a predetermined treatment on the wafer and inspect the state of the wafer to which the predetermined treatment has been performed, and are more convenient than the conventional ones and relatively. It can be realized with a simple configuration.

Further, the etching shape and the thickness of the film formed on the wafer change depending on parameters such as the temperature and pressure in the processing chamber at the time of processing and the flow rate of the processing gas. Therefore, proper management of these parameters is very important for forming a desired etching shape on a wafer and forming a film having a desired thickness. Since the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and the semiconductor manufacturing method having the above configuration can perform a predetermined process on the wafer and inspect the state of the wafer to which the predetermined process has been performed, the state of the wafer is inspected and the result is fed back. Therefore, the parameters at the time of processing can be managed appropriately.

The measuring device may include a first connection portion, and the housing forming the measuring chamber may have a first opening that connects the measuring chamber and the outside of the measuring chamber.
Each of the plurality of load ports may be provided with a second connection portion, or may have a second opening for communicating the transport chamber and the outside of the transport chamber.
The first connection portion and the second connection portion are configured to be airtightly connectable so that the measurement chamber and the transport chamber communicate with each other via the first opening and the second opening. May be
The transfer mechanism carries the wafer subjected to the predetermined treatment into the measurement chamber through the first opening and the second opening, and measures the wafer whose state has been measured. You may take it out of the room.

According to the above configuration, the connection between the measuring device and the load port can be preferably realized.

The opening area of the first opening may be smaller than the opening area of the second opening.

According to the above configuration, for example, even if fine dust is present in the measurement chamber, it is possible to prevent the dust from flowing out from the measurement chamber to the transport chamber.

The transport container has a third opening that communicates the inside of the transport container and the outside of the transport container, a lid that closes the third opening, and a third connection portion that can be connected to the second connection portion. May be equipped with
The measuring device may include a lid that closes the first opening.
The shape of the first connecting portion is the same as or substantially the same as the shape of the third connecting portion, and the shape of the lid of the measuring device is the same as or substantially the same as the shape of the lid of the transport container. May be the same.

According to the above configuration, the lid of the third connecting portion and the transport container, which is conventionally configured to be connectable to the load port, and the lid of the first connecting portion and the measuring device have the same or substantially the same shape. Therefore, by diverting the functions of the conventional load port such as connection with the transport container and attachment / detachment of the lid of the transport container, it is preferable to connect the load port to the measuring device and attach / detach the lid of the measuring device. realizable.

The measuring device may include an exhaust port from which gas in the measuring chamber is exhausted.
The gas in the measurement chamber may be discharged through the exhaust port, and the air pressure in the measurement chamber may be set to be more negative than the air pressure in the transport chamber.

According to the above configuration, even if fine dust is present in the measurement chamber, the air pressure in the measurement chamber becomes more negative than the air pressure in the transport chamber, so that it is possible to suppress the outflow of dust from the measurement chamber to the transport chamber. The existing dust can be discharged together with the gas through the exhaust port.

The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus may include an exhaust apparatus connected to the exhaust port.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to suitably realize the discharge of gas from the measurement chamber.

The measuring device is
A chuck fixed on the rotating stage and fixing the wafer in a state where the wafer is placed ,
It is provided with a receiving position for receiving the wafer and a linear stage for moving the rotating stage to a measuring position for measuring the state of the wafer.
In the transport mechanism, the wafer that has been subjected to the predetermined treatment may be carried out from the processing device, and the wafer may be placed on the chuck on the rotary stage that has been moved to the receiving position.

According to the above configuration, the wafer can be suitably carried in and out of the measuring chamber. In addition, when the measuring instrument is fixed in the measuring chamber, the entire front surface of the wafer placed and fixed on the chuck on the rotating stage can be inspected by the measuring instrument in cooperation with the rotating stage and the linear stage. ..

The predetermined process may include a film forming process on the wafer.
The measuring device may include a film thickness measuring device for measuring the thickness of the film on the wafer.

According to the above configuration, a film can be formed on the wafer and the thickness of the formed film can be measured.

The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus may include a transmission apparatus that transmits data measured by the measuring apparatus to an external device.

According to the above configuration, the data measured by the measuring device can be analyzed by an external device. Therefore, for example, when a measuring device is attached to the load port of an existing semiconductor manufacturing device to measure the state of the wafer, it is not necessary to perform data analysis or the like with the control device of the existing semiconductor manufacturing device. There are advantages such as suppressing the increase in load and eliminating the need to separately install a program for data analysis.

An embodiment of the measuring device according to the present disclosure for achieving the above object is
A measuring device that can be detachably and airtightly attached to the load port of a semiconductor manufacturing device.
The housing that forms the measurement chamber and
A rotating stage arranged in the measurement chamber and
A film thickness sensor , which is arranged in the measurement chamber and measures the state of the wafer on the rotating stage, is provided .
Prior to the measurement, the film thickness sensor measures the amount of reflected light in a specific wavelength range while the rotating stage rotates the wafer in a predetermined angle range to perform wafer alignment .

According to the above configuration, it can be detachably and airtightly attached to a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus provided with a load port, and the state of the wafer can be measured by a measuring instrument arranged in the measuring chamber. That is, according to the measuring device having the above configuration, a semiconductor manufacturing device capable of performing a predetermined process on a wafer and inspecting the state of the wafer to which the predetermined process has been performed is more convenient and relatively simple than before. It is possible to realize it with a simple configuration.

The measuring device includes a housing forming the measuring chamber and a housing.
A first opening formed in the housing and communicating the measurement chamber and the outside of the measurement chamber,
The measurement chamber and the transport chamber of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus are airtightly communicated with the second connection portion provided by the load port via the first opening and the second opening provided by the load port. The first connection part that is configured to be connectable and
A lid that closes the first opening may be provided.

According to the measuring device having the above configuration, a semiconductor manufacturing device capable of performing a predetermined process on the wafer and inspecting the state of the wafer to which the predetermined process has been performed is more convenient than the conventional one and has a relatively simple configuration. It is more preferably feasible.

It is a figure which shows the schematic structure of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. It is a partial cross-sectional top view which shows a transport chamber and a load port. It is a front view which shows the load port. It is a front view which shows the transport container. It is a front view which shows the transport container with the lid removed. It is a side view which shows the transport container. It is a perspective view which shows the measuring apparatus. It is a front view which shows the measuring apparatus in the state which removed the lid body. It is a top view which shows the measuring apparatus. It is a perspective view which shows the measuring apparatus. It is a figure which shows the state which put the measuring apparatus on a load port. It is a figure which shows the state which attached the measuring device to a load port. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the installation process. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the measurement process. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the wafer alignment process. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the removal process.

Hereinafter, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and the semiconductor manufacturing method according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, and the measuring apparatus attached to the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus will be described with reference to the drawings.

[Semiconductor manufacturing equipment]
As shown in FIG. 1, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes a housing 3 for forming an airtight processing chamber 3a and a processing apparatus 2 for performing a predetermined treatment on the wafer W in the processing chamber 3a. I have. The processing device 2 and the housing 3 may be integrally configured. Further, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1 is arranged in an airtight transport chamber 6a, and has a transport mechanism 5 for transporting the wafer W and a plurality of load ports 10a, 10b, which are attached to a housing 6 forming the transport chamber 6a. It has 10c and 10d. In addition, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1 is detachably and airtightly attached to three load ports 10a, 10b, 10c out of the plurality of load ports 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, and the wafer W is stored in the airtight state. The three transport containers 17a, 17b, and 17c are provided. Further, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a measuring apparatus 25 including a housing 26 forming the measuring chamber 26a and a measuring instrument 35 arranged in the measuring chamber 26a. The measuring device 25 is detachably and airtightly attached to a load port 10d different from the load ports 10a, 10b, 10c to which the transport containers 17a, 17b, 17c are attached, and is in a state of a wafer W that has been subjected to a predetermined process. Is measured by the measuring device 35 in the airtight measuring chamber 26a.

Further, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is for exhausting the inside of the processing apparatus 2, the transport mechanism 5, the control device S for controlling the operation of the load ports 10a, 10b, 10c, and 10d, and the measurement chamber 26a. The exhaust device 40 is provided.
Further, in the present embodiment, an external device G (for example, a computer) to which the data measured by the measuring device 25 is transmitted is installed separately from the semiconductor manufacturing device 1.
In the present embodiment, there is an example in which the processing device 2 is a film forming device that performs a film forming process on the wafer W, and the measuring device 25 is a film thickness measuring device that measures the thickness of the film formed on the wafer W. Explain to.

As shown in FIG. 1, the processing apparatus 2 is arranged in the processing chamber 3a formed by the housing 3 and includes equipment (not shown) necessary for performing various processing on the wafer W. .. Although not particularly shown, the processing apparatus 2 as the film forming apparatus in the present embodiment is not particularly shown, but for example, a mounting table on which the wafer W is placed, a gas supply mechanism for supplying the forming gas into the processing chamber 3a, and the processing chamber 3a It is equipped with an exhaust mechanism that discharges gas from the inside. The housing 6 forming the transport chamber 6a and the housing 3 forming the processing chamber 3a may be provided separately or integrally.

As shown in FIG. 1, the transport mechanism 5 is arranged in the transport chamber 6a formed by the housing 6. The transport mechanism 5 is configured so that the transport chamber 6a can be moved in the vertical direction by an elevating mechanism (not shown), and can move in the transport chamber 6a in the horizontal direction along a linear rail 7 provided in the transport chamber 6a. Has been done. Further, the transfer mechanism 5 in the present embodiment is a so-called transfer robot, which includes a hand portion 5a on which the wafer W is placed and an arm portion 5b for moving the hand portion 5a back and forth, and is contained in the transfer containers 17a, 17b, and 17c. The wafer W can be transferred between the processing chamber 3a and the measuring chamber 26a. For example, in the present embodiment, the transfer mechanism 5 carries the wafer W carried out from the transfer containers 17a, 17b, and 17c into the processing chamber 3a, and processes the wafer W that has been subjected to a predetermined process (film formation process). It is carried out from the chamber 3a and carried into the measuring chamber 26a.

In the present embodiment, four load ports 10a, 10b, 10c, and 10d are provided on the outer wall along the longitudinal direction of the housing 6. Hereinafter, the configuration will be described by taking the load port 10a provided on the rightmost side of the outer wall of the housing 6 as an example, but all four load ports 10a, 10b, 10c, and 10d have the same configuration. ..

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the load port 10a has a rectangular plate-shaped frame 11 attached to the outer wall of the housing 6 and a horizontal direction from the front side of the frame 11 (downward toward the paper surface of FIG. 2). It is provided with a support base 12 provided so as to project from the support base 12 and a slide table 13 provided on the support base 12 and configured to be movable so as to approach and separate from the frame 11. Further, on the upper surface of the slide table 13, three tapered convex portions 13a for positioning and fixing the transport containers 17a, 17b, 17c placed on the slide table 13 and the measuring device 25 are provided. ..

Further, the frame 11 of the load port 10a is formed with a second opening 11a above the slide table 13 that penetrates the front and back surfaces and communicates between the inside of the transport chamber 6a and the outside of the transport chamber 6a. A second connecting portion 14 formed so as to surround the two openings 11a is provided on the front surface side. On the front side of the frame 11, the second connecting portion 14 is recessed in the rearward direction with respect to the peripheral portion thereof.

Further, the load port 10a is a lid opening / closing mechanism for opening / closing the lid 20 of the transport containers 17a, 17b, 17c and the lid 28 of the measuring device 25, which will be described later, on the back side (convey chamber 6a side) of the frame 11. 15 is provided.

The lid opening / closing mechanism 15 includes an opening / closing member 16 capable of sucking and holding the lids 20 and 28, a motor for moving the opening / closing member 16 in the vertical direction, and the like. The opening / closing member 16 is provided with a pair of levers 16a for unlocking the lids 20 and 28 on both left and right sides substantially at the center in the vertical direction on the front side. The lid opening / closing mechanism 15 unlocks the lids 20 and 28 by a pair of levers 16a, and lowers the opening / closing member 16 that attracts and holds the lids 20 and 28 by the action of a suction portion (not shown). By moving in the direction, the lids 20 and 28 are removed from the transport containers 17a, 17b and 17c and the measuring device 25.

The three transport containers 17a, 17b, and 17c are containers called FOUP (Front-Opening Unified Pods) in which a large number of wafers W are stored side by side. These three transport containers 17a, 17b, and 17c are containers conforming to the SEMI (Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International) standard. Since all of these three transport containers 17a, 17b, and 17c have the same configuration, the configuration will be described below by taking the transport container 17a as an example. In the present embodiment, of the three transport containers 17a, 17b, and 17c, the transport container 17a houses the wafer W (unprocessed wafer W) to be subjected to the film formation treatment, and the transport container 17b. Is for accommodating the wafer W which has been subjected to the film forming process and whose film thickness has been measured. Further, the transport container 17c is a spare transport container, and houses the wafer W to be subjected to the film forming process next to the wafer W in the transport container 17a.

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the transport container 17a has a substantially cubic container body 18 having a third opening 18a formed on the front surface thereof, and a front surface side of the container body 18 so as to surround the third opening 18a. A frame-shaped third connecting portion 19 and a rectangular plate-shaped lid 20 that closes the third opening 18a are provided. The third connecting portion 19 is detachably attached to the second connecting portion 14 in an airtight manner. For this airtight connection, the third connecting portion 19 and / or the second connecting portion 14 may include a sealing member for the connecting surface. Further, the lid 20 of the transport container 17a can be detachably attached to the frame of the third connecting portion 19. The lower surface of the container body 18 is provided with three positioning members (not shown) having recesses corresponding to the three convex portions 13a of the slide table 13. A plurality of shelves for holding the wafer W are integrally formed on the inner wall of the container body 18.

A lid opening / closing mechanism is provided on the front surface of the lid 20 of the transport container 17a (the surface facing the second opening 11a when the transport container 17a is placed on the slide table 13 of the load ports 10a, 10b, 10c). An unlock hole 20a in which the lever 16a is locked is formed at a position corresponding to the pair of levers 16a of 15.

When attaching these three transport containers 17a, 17b, 17c to the load ports 10a, 10b, 10c, first, the wafer W is housed in the container body 18 and the container lid 20 is attached to the slide. It is placed on the table 13 and is positioned and fixed in relation to the convex portion 13a and the concave portion of the positioning member. Then, by moving the slide table 13 toward the second opening 11a, the second connecting portion 14 and the third connecting portion 19 are connected. The third connecting portion 19 and the second connecting portion 14 are connected by a relationship between an engaging claw and an engaging hole (not shown).

In this way, in the state where the transport containers 17a, 17b, 17c are attached to the load ports 10a, 10b, 10c, the lid 20 is attracted and held by the opening / closing member 16, the lever 16a is inserted into the unlock hole 20a, and the lock is released. The lid 20 is removed from the transport containers 17a, 17b, 17c by being released and the opening / closing member 16 moving downward. As a result, the inside of the transport container 17a and the inside of the transport chamber 6a are in a state of communicating with each other through the third opening 18a and the second opening 11a.

[About measuring device]
As shown in FIGS. 7 to 12, in the measuring device 25 of the present embodiment, the first opening 26b is formed on the front surface, and the housing 26 forming the measuring chamber 26a and the first opening 26b are surrounded. A frame-shaped first connecting portion 27 provided on the front side of the housing 26 and having an opening 27a having an opening area smaller than that of the first opening 26b, and a rectangular plate-shaped lid that closes the first opening 26b. A body 28 and a measuring instrument 35 for measuring the film thickness of the wafer W are provided. The lower surface of the housing 26 is provided with three positioning members 26c having recesses corresponding to the three convex portions 13a of the slide table 13.

The first connecting portion 27 is configured to be airtightly connectable to the second connecting portion 14. Specifically, it is detachably attached to the second connecting portion 14 in an airtight manner. For this airtight connection, the first connecting portion 27 and / or the second connecting portion 14 may include a sealing member for the connecting surface. Further, the lid 28 of the measuring device 25 is detachably attached within the frame of the first connecting portion 27, and when the measuring device 25 is placed on the front surface (slide table 13 of the load port 10d). On the surface facing the second opening 11a), an unlocking hole 28a in which the lever 16a is locked is formed at a position corresponding to the pair of levers 16a of the lid opening / closing mechanism 15. That is, in the present embodiment, the shape of the first connecting portion 27 and the shape of the third connecting portion 19 are the same or substantially the same, and the shapes of the lids 20 and 28 are also the same or substantially the same. .. More specifically, in the present embodiment, the lid 28 of the measuring device 25 is diverted from the lid 20 of the transport containers 17a, 17b, 17c.

Therefore, the measuring device 25 can be attached to the load port 10d in the same manner as the transport containers 17a, 17b, 17c conforming to the SEMI standard. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 11, when the measuring device 25 is attached to the load port 10d, it is first placed on the slide table 13 with the lid 28 attached, and the convex portion 13a is attached. It is positioned and fixed in relation to the recess of the positioning member 26c. Then, by moving the slide table 13 toward the second opening 11a, the second connection portion 14 and the first connection portion 27 are connected as shown in FIG. 12, and the measuring device 25 is connected to the load port 10d. It will be in the attached state. The first connecting portion 27 and the second connecting portion 14 are connected by a relationship between an engaging claw and an engaging hole (not shown). In the present embodiment, when the measuring device 25 is attached to the load port 10d, the size in the longitudinal direction is substantially the same as the horizontal length of the support base 12, and the measuring device 25 greatly protrudes from the support base 12. I try to make it a compact size that never happens.

In this way, in the state where the measuring device 25 is attached to the load port 10d, the lid 28 of the measuring device 25 is attracted and held by the opening / closing member 16, the lever 16a is inserted into the unlocking hole 28a to release the lock, and the opening / closing is performed. The lid 28 is removed from the housing 26 by moving the member 16 downward. As a result, the inside of the measurement chamber 26a and the inside of the transport chamber 6a are in a state of communicating with each other through the first opening 26b and the second opening 11a.

In the measuring device 25 of the present embodiment, the chuck 29 on which the wafer W is placed and fixed, the rotating stage 30 on which the chuck 29 is fixed, the receiving position for receiving the wafer W, and the state of the wafer W (the present embodiment). A linear stage 31 for moving the rotary stage 30 (that is, the rotary stage 30 and the chuck 29 fixed to the rotary stage 30) is arranged in the measurement chamber 26a at the measurement position for measuring the film thickness). The receiving position is a position where the rotary stage 30 (and the chuck 29) moves to the first opening 26b side and can receive the wafer W from the transport mechanism 5, and the measuring position is on the wafer W. It is a position when measuring an arbitrary point (measurement point) of. FIG. 12 shows a state in which the chuck 29 and the rotary stage 30 are in the receiving position, and FIG. 11 shows a state in which the chuck 29 and the rotary stage 30 are in one of a plurality of measurement positions.

As the chuck 29, one that vacuum-adsorbs the wafer W or one that applies a voltage and adsorbs it by the Coulomb force generated between the electrode and the wafer W (so-called electrostatic chuck) can be used.

The rotation stage 30 is configured to rotate horizontally by a rotation drive mechanism 30a including a stepping motor or the like that can accurately control the rotation angle and rotation speed. Further, the linear stage 31 is configured to be horizontally moved so as to approach and separate from the first opening 26b by a horizontal drive mechanism 31a including a stepping motor, a ball screw, and the like.

The rotary drive mechanism 30a and the horizontal drive mechanism 31a are controlled by a stepping motor driver built in the measuring device 25. The stepping motor driver is controlled from, for example, an external device G connected by RS232C or a USB cable. The external device G controls the rotary drive mechanism 30a and the horizontal drive mechanism 31a of the measuring device 25 via the stepping motor driver, and acquires the measurement signal from the measuring device 35 to perform the measurement operation of the measuring device 25. Control.

In the present embodiment, the measuring instrument 35 is a film thickness sensor for measuring the film thickness of the wafer W, and is a light projecting unit that irradiates the wafer W with light and a light receiving unit that receives the light reflected by the wafer W. It is configured to measure the reflectance when irradiating the wafer W with light, calculate the film thickness from this reflectance, and transmit the calculated film thickness as measurement data by wire or wirelessly. ing. In the present embodiment, the measuring device 35 includes a transmitter 35a which is a transmitting device for transmitting measurement data to an external device G provided separately from the semiconductor manufacturing device 1.

In the present embodiment, the support member 36 made of sheet metal formed into a gate shape along the first connection portion 27 is fixed to the upper surface of the bottom plate of the housing 26 in the vicinity of the first connection portion 27, and the measuring instrument 35 is downward. It is attached to the support member 36 in a state where it can irradiate light toward. The top plate of the housing 26 is formed with a skylight 26d for adjusting the posture of the measuring instrument 35 attached to the support member 36.

When the reflectance of an arbitrary portion of the wafer W is measured by the measuring instrument 35 to calculate the film thickness, the arbitrary portion of the wafer W needs to be located below the measuring instrument 35. In the present embodiment, by rotating the rotary stage 30 by a predetermined angle and moving the linear stage 31 to a predetermined position, an arbitrary position of the wafer W can be positioned below the measuring instrument 35. That is, in the present embodiment, the rotation drive mechanism 30a and the horizontal drive mechanism 31a cooperate to measure an arbitrary portion of the wafer W.

Further, in the present embodiment, the bottom plate constituting the housing 26 is formed with an exhaust port 26e through which the gas in the measurement chamber 26a is exhausted so as to penetrate the front and back surfaces, and the gas in the measurement chamber 26a is exhausted. The gas is discharged into the atmosphere via the 26e, and the air pressure in the measuring chamber 26a is configured to be more negative than the air pressure in the transport chamber 6a. More specifically, in the present embodiment, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1 includes an exhaust device 40 connected to an exhaust port 26e, and the exhaust device 40 causes the air pressure in the measurement chamber 26a to be the air pressure in the transport chamber 6a. The gas in the measuring chamber 26a is discharged through the exhaust port 26e so as to have a negative pressure. As a result, even if fine dust is generated in the measurement chamber 26a, it is possible to suppress the dust from flowing out from the measurement chamber 26a to the transport chamber 6a, and the generated dust can be prevented from flowing out from the measurement chamber 26a through the exhaust port 26e. Can be discharged.

In the present embodiment, the opening area of the second opening 11a is the same as or substantially the same as the opening area of the third opening 18a. The third opening 18a needs to have a certain length in the vertical direction in order to carry out the wafer W held on the shelves in the transport containers 17a, 17b, 17c. In order to carry out from the transport containers 17a, 17b, 17c, it is necessary to have an opening area (more specifically, a length in the vertical direction) at least as large as the third opening 18a. On the other hand, the opening area of the first opening 26b does not have to be about the same as that of the second opening 11a and the third opening 18a. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the opening area of the first opening 26b is smaller than the opening area of the second opening 11a, and more specifically, the first opening 26b is larger than the second opening 11a. The length in the vertical direction is shortened. As a result, the outflow of dust from the measurement chamber 26a to the transport chamber 6a can be further suppressed.

[Semiconductor manufacturing method]
The semiconductor manufacturing method according to the present embodiment is detachably airtightly attached to at least one of a plurality of load ports 10a, 10b, 10c, and 10d by a transfer mechanism 5 arranged in the transfer chamber 6a. A step of carrying out the wafer W from the attached transfer container 17a and carrying the wafer W into the processing chamber 3a of the processing device 2, and a step of performing a predetermined process (deposition process) on the wafer W by the processing device 2. Then, the wafer W subjected to the film forming process is carried out from the processing chamber 3a by the transfer mechanism 5, and the wafer W is detachably attached to the load port 10d different from the load port 10a to which the transfer container 17a is attached. A step of carrying the wafer into the measuring chamber 26a of the measuring device 25 and a step of measuring the state (thickness) of the wafer W by the measuring device 25 are performed. Hereinafter, referring to FIGS. 13 to 16, a process of attaching the measuring device 25 to the load port 10d so that the wafer W can be carried into the measuring chamber 26a (installation process) and a film forming process by the processing device 2. The process of measuring the wafer W to which the wafer is applied (measurement process), the process of performing wafer alignment (wafer alignment process), and the process of removing the measuring device 25 from the load port 10d (removal process) will be described.

First, the installation process will be described with reference to FIG. In the installation process, the measuring device 25 is placed on the slide table 13 of the load port 10d, positioned and fixed (step # 1), and then the measuring device 25 is moved toward the second opening 11a. The second connecting portion 14 and the first connecting portion 27 are connected (step # 2). Then, the exhaust device 40 is operated to start exhausting the inside of the measuring chamber 26a (step # 3). After that, the lid 28 of the measuring device 25 is removed from the housing 26 (step # 4). As a result, the measuring device 25 and the load port 10d are airtightly connected to each other in a state where the inside of the measuring chamber 26a and the inside of the transport chamber 6a communicate with each other through the first opening 26b and the second opening 11a.

Next, the measurement process will be described with reference to FIG. The wafer W to be measured is carried out from the transport container 17a by the transport mechanism 5, carried into the processing chamber 3a to perform a film forming process, and then carried out from the processing chamber 3a by the transport mechanism 5. In the measurement process, the rotary stage 30 is moved to the receiving position (process # 10), and the wafer W that has been subjected to the film formation process carried out from the processing chamber 3a is carried into the measuring chamber 26a by the transfer mechanism 5 and placed on the chuck 29. The wafer W is placed (step # 11), the adsorption of the wafer W is started, and the wafer W is fixed on the chuck 29 (step # 12). Then, it is determined whether or not wafer alignment is necessary (process # 13), and if it is determined that it is necessary (process # 13: Yes), the process proceeds to step # 30 of FIG. If it is determined (step # 13: No), the measuring instrument 35 is moved onto a predetermined measurement point on the wafer W (that is, the rotary stage 30 is moved to the measurement position), and then the reflectance (step # 14). (Step # 15).

Then, the film thickness at a predetermined measurement point is calculated from the measured reflectance (step # 16). After that, it is determined whether or not the measurement has been completed for all the predetermined measurement points (step # 17), and if it is determined that the measurement has not been completed (step # 17: No), another measuring instrument 35 is used. When the film thickness is moved onto the measurement point and it is determined that the process is completed (step # 17: Yes), the calculated film thickness is transmitted to the external device G as measurement data (step # 18). Next, the rotary stage 30 is moved to the receiving position (step # 19), the adsorption of the wafer W is stopped (step # 20), and then the measured wafer W is moved from above the chuck 29 (step # 21). In this way, the film thickness of the wafer W that has undergone the film forming process is measured by the processing device 2. The measured wafer W is carried into the transport container 17b by the transport mechanism 5.

Depending on the type of processing apparatus 2, the wafer W may have notches aligned in one direction or may have notches in different directions. In general, many batch processing devices have different wafer notch directions, and many single-wafer processing devices have wafer notch directions aligned in a fixed direction. The processing apparatus 2 may be a batch type or a single-wafer type. When the notch direction of the wafer is not aligned in a certain direction (for example, in the case of a batch type), the measuring device 25 detects the notch direction of the wafer, corrects the coordinates, and then performs the mapping measurement. Thereby, mapping management can be preferably performed.

Next, the wafer alignment process will be described with reference to FIG. In the wafer alignment process, after moving the measuring instrument 35 onto the edge of the wafer W (step # 30), the amount of light in a specific wavelength range is measured while rotating the wafer W in a predetermined angle range (step # 31). .. Here, when the notch directions are different (for example, when the processing device 2 is a batch type), the wafer W is rotated in the range of −180 degrees or more and +180 degrees or less. On the other hand, when the notch directions are relatively aligned (for example, when the processing device 2 is a single-wafer type), for example, the rotation is performed in the range of -5 degrees or more and +5 degrees or less or -10 degrees or more and +10 degrees or less. ..

Next, the notch angle position is calculated from the angle position of the valley of the light amount in the predetermined angle range (step # 32), and the wafer eccentricity amount is calculated from the amplitude amount of the light amount (step # 33). Then, the wafer center position is corrected based on the calculated notch angle position and eccentricity (step # 34). After correcting the wafer center position, the process proceeds to step # 14 of FIG. The reflectance for each wavelength changes depending on the thickness of the film formed on the wafer W. In order to measure the reflected light stably, it is necessary to acquire a signal with a light amount in a relatively wide wavelength range. For example, light having a visible wavelength range of 430 nm or more and 700 nm or less is used for notch angle detection.

The processes shown in FIGS. 14 and 15 are executed, for example, by the control of the control device S or the external device G.

Next, the removal process will be described with reference to FIG. In the removal process, after the lid 28 is attached to the housing 26 (step # 40), the exhaust device 40 is stopped to stop the exhaust in the measuring chamber 26a (step # 41). Then, after disconnecting the second connecting portion 14 and the first connecting portion 27 and separating the measuring device 25 from the second opening 11a (step # 42), the measurement is performed from the slide table 13 of the load port 10d. The device 25 is detached (step # 43).

As described above, according to the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1, the measuring apparatus 25, and the semiconductor manufacturing method according to the present embodiment, the transport containers 17a, 17b, 17c and the measuring apparatus 25 have different load ports 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, respectively. The wafer W is carried into the processing chamber 3a from the transport container 17a, the wafer W is subjected to the film forming process by the processing apparatus 2, and then the wafer W subjected to the film forming process is transferred to the processing chamber 3a. The wafer W can be carried into the measuring chamber 26a of the measuring device 25 from the inside, and the film thickness of the wafer W can be measured by the measuring device 25.

[Another Embodiment]
[1] In the above embodiment, the processing device 2 is a film forming device and the measuring device 25 is a film thickness measuring device, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the processing device includes an etching device or a chemical machine. A polishing device may be adopted, or a defect inspection device equipped with various microscopes or the like may be adopted as the measuring device.

[2] In the above embodiment, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1 is provided with the exhaust device 40. However, for example, a vacuum line pre-built in the manufacturing facility may be used, or a small exhaust device may be used. May be attached to the measuring device 25.

[3] In the above embodiment, four load ports 10a, 10b, 10c, and 10d are provided, but the number of load ports may be two or more.

[4] In the above embodiment, the measuring device 25 is attached to the load port 10d, but the present invention is not limited to this, and any load port other than the load port to which the transport container is attached is used. It may be attached to the load port.

[5] In the above embodiment, the three transport containers 17a, 17b, 17c are attached to the load ports 10a, 10b, 10c, and the measuring device 25 is attached to the load port 10d, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, only one transport container is attached to the load port, a measuring device is attached to another load port, and the wafer W carried out from the transport container is carried into the processing chamber 3a to perform film thickness processing. The wafer W after the film treatment is carried out from the processing chamber 3a and carried into the measuring chamber 26a to measure the film thickness, and the wafer W after the film thickness measurement is carried out from the measuring chamber 26a and stored in the original transport container. May be good. Also, a spare transport container may not be attached to the load port.

[6] In the above embodiment, the measuring instrument 35 is attached to the support member 36 made of a sheet metal shaped into a gate shape, but the present invention is not limited to this. As a means for arranging the measuring instrument 35 at a predetermined position in the measuring chamber 26a, for example, a block-shaped support may be provided on the back surface of the first connecting portion 27, and the measuring instrument 35 may be attached to the support. Good. Further, a support column extending in the vertical direction from the bottom surface of the housing 26 may be provided, a support extending in the horizontal direction from the support column may be provided, and then the measuring instrument 35 may be attached to the support body.

[7] In the above embodiment, after connecting the second connection portion 14 and the first connection portion 27 in the installation process, the exhaust device 40 is operated, and the lid body 28 is attached to the housing 26 in the removal process. Although the exhaust device 40 was later stopped, the timing of operation / stop of the exhaust device 40 is not limited to this, and the exhaust device 40 may be started / stopped at an appropriate timing as needed.

[8] In the above embodiment, in the measurement process, the wafer W having been film-deposited is placed on the chuck 29 and then the wafer W is started to be adsorbed. However, the wafer W may be adsorbed at all times. ..

[9] In the present disclosure, unlike the substrate processing device described in Patent Document 1, since the measuring device 25 is stored in the load port 10d, it is not necessary to provide a plurality of transport mechanisms 5. Therefore, in the above embodiment, the transport mechanism 5 shows one example. However, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1 may include a plurality of transport mechanisms 5.

The configurations disclosed in the above embodiments (including other embodiments) can be applied in combination with the configurations disclosed in other embodiments as long as there is no contradiction, and are disclosed in the present specification. The embodiment described is an example, and the embodiment of the present disclosure is not limited to this, and can be appropriately modified without departing from the object of the present disclosure.

The present disclosure can be applied to a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, a measuring apparatus used therein, and a semiconductor manufacturing method.

1: Semiconductor manufacturing device 2: Processing device 3a: Processing chamber 5: Transfer mechanism 6a: Transfer chamber 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d: Load port 11a: Second opening 14: Second connection portion 17a, 17b, 17c: Transfer Container 18a: Third opening 19: Third connection 20: Lid 25: Measuring device 26a: Measuring chamber 26b: First opening 27: First connection 28: Lid 29: Chuck 30: Rotating stage 31: Linear stage 35: Measuring instrument 35a: Transmitter (transmitter)
40: Exhaust device W: Wafer

Claims (12)

The housing that forms the processing chamber and
A processing device that performs a predetermined process on the wafer in the processing chamber,
The housing that forms the transport chamber and
A transfer mechanism that is arranged in the transfer chamber and conveys the wafer,
A plurality of load ports attached to the housing forming the transport chamber, and
A transport container that is detachably and airtightly attached to at least one of the plurality of load ports and stores the wafer.
It is provided with a housing forming a measurement chamber, a film thickness sensor and a rotation stage arranged in the measurement chamber, and is detachably and airtightly attached to a load port different from the load port to which the transfer container is attached. A measuring device for measuring the state of the processed wafer on the rotating stage in the measuring chamber by the film thickness sensor is provided.
The transport mechanism carries the wafer carried out from the transport container into the processing chamber, carries out the wafer subjected to the predetermined treatment from the processing chamber , and carries it into the measuring chamber.
The measuring device is a semiconductor manufacturing device that performs wafer alignment by measuring the amount of reflected light in a specific wavelength range by the film thickness sensor while the rotating stage rotates the wafer in a predetermined angle range before the measurement. .. The measuring device includes a first connection portion.
The housing forming the measurement chamber has a first opening for communicating the measurement chamber and the outside of the measurement chamber.
Each of the plurality of load ports is provided with a second connection portion, and has a second opening for communicating the transport chamber and the outside of the transport chamber.
The first connection portion and the second connection portion are configured to be airtightly connectable so that the measurement chamber and the transport chamber communicate with each other through the first opening and the second opening. Ori,
The transport mechanism carries the wafer subjected to the predetermined treatment into the measurement chamber through the first opening and the second opening, and measures the wafer whose state has been measured. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, which is carried out from the room. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the opening area of the first opening is smaller than the opening area of the second opening. The transport container has a third opening that communicates the inside of the transport container and the outside of the transport container, a lid that closes the third opening, and a third connection portion that can be connected to the second connection portion. With and
The measuring device includes a lid that closes the first opening.
The shape of the first connecting portion is the same as or substantially the same as the shape of the third connecting portion, and the shape of the lid of the measuring device is the same as or substantially the same as the shape of the lid of the transport container. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, which is essentially the same. The measuring device includes an exhaust port from which gas in the measuring chamber is exhausted.
The invention according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the gas in the measurement chamber is discharged through the exhaust port, and the air pressure in the measurement chamber is negative pressure higher than the air pressure in the transport chamber. Semiconductor manufacturing equipment. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising an exhaust device connected to the exhaust port. The measuring device is
A chuck fixed on the rotating stage and fixing the wafer in a state where the wafer is placed ,
It is provided with a receiving position for receiving the wafer and a linear stage for moving the rotating stage to a measuring position for measuring the state of the wafer.
The transfer mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the wafer subjected to the predetermined processing is carried out from the processing apparatus, and the wafer is placed on the chuck on the rotating stage which has been moved to the receiving position. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to item 1. The predetermined process includes a film forming process on the wafer.
The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the measuring apparatus includes a film thickness measuring apparatus for measuring the thickness of a film on the wafer. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising a transmitting device for transmitting data measured by the measuring device to an external device. A measuring device that can be detachably and airtightly attached to the load port of a semiconductor manufacturing device.
The housing that forms the measurement chamber and
A rotating stage arranged in the measurement chamber and
A film thickness sensor , which is arranged in the measurement chamber and measures the state of the wafer on the rotating stage, is provided .
A measuring device that performs wafer alignment by measuring the amount of reflected light in a specific wavelength range by the film thickness sensor while the rotating stage rotates the wafer in a predetermined angle range before the measurement. The housing has a first opening that connects the measurement chamber and the outside of the measurement chamber.
The measurement chamber and the transport chamber of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus are airtightly communicated with the second connection portion provided by the load port via the first opening and the second opening provided by the load port. The first connection part that is configured to be connectable and
The measuring device according to claim 10, further comprising a lid that closes the first opening. A process of carrying out a wafer from a transport container detachably and airtightly attached to at least one of a plurality of load ports by a transport mechanism arranged in the transport chamber, and carrying the wafer into the processing chamber of the processing apparatus. When,
A step of performing a predetermined process on the wafer by the processing device, and
The wafer that has been subjected to the predetermined treatment is carried out from the processing chamber by the transport mechanism, and the carried-out wafer is detachably airtightly attached to and detachable from a load port different from the load port to which the transport container is attached. The process of bringing the attached measuring device into the measuring room and
The step of measuring the state of the wafer on the rotating stage in the measuring chamber by the film thickness sensor provided in the measuring device , and
A semiconductor manufacturing method in which a wafer alignment step is performed by measuring the amount of reflected light in a specific wavelength range with the film thickness sensor while rotating the wafer in a predetermined angle range by the rotation stage before the measurement. ..

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