JPH03214645A - Housing and transfer apparatus of semiconductor wafer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily transfer and store a wafer between semiconductor treatment apparatus without being exposed to the air and to eliminate that the surface of the wafer is contaminated with dust particles produced inside a vacuum apparatus by a method wherein a jig used to, at the inside of a load-lock chamber, open and shut a lid which airtightly closes a semiconductor-wafer taking-out and carrying-into port is installed at the load-lock chamber. CONSTITUTION:A semiconductor-wafer housing and transfer container 10 is structured in such a way that it can be attached to and detached from a load- lock chamber 2; a jig 8 is installed in such a way that a lid 11 of a semiconductor-wafer taking-out and carrying-into port of the semiconductor- wafer housing and transfer container 10 can be opened and shut at the inside of the load-lock chamber 2. Consequently, a wafer can be transferred between treatment apparatus in a vacuum or in an inert-gas atmosphere. Thereby, it is possible to eliminate that the surface of the wafer is contaminated with dust particles produced inside a vacuum treatment apparatus and that the wafer is contaminated when it is transferred or stored in the air.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a semiconductor wafer storage and transport device.

[Conventional technology]

Fig. 4 shows a conventional cow conductor device conveyance device. 4 is a wafer, 5 is a wafer case, and 6 is a vacuum pump.

Next, the operation of the conventional device will be explained. The wafer 4 or the wafer case 5 containing the wafers 4 is set in the load lock chamber 2 by opening and closing the door 3 of the load lock chamber 2 from the atmosphere. After this, in the case of a vacuum processing apparatus, the inside of the loadronk chamber 2 is evacuated using a vacuum pump 6. After the inside of the loadronk chamber 2 reaches a predetermined degree of vacuum, the wafer 4 is transferred to the processing chamber 1. After the wafer processing is completed, the wafer 4 is returned to the loadronk chamber 26, the inside of the loadronk chamber 2 is returned to atmospheric pressure, and the wafer 4 or wafer case 5 is
Take out.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

Since the conventional semiconductor wafer storage/transfer device is constructed as described above, it is necessary to draw a vacuum and break the vacuum each time a wafer or a wafer case is taken in or taken out. At this time, the dust accumulated in the vacuum apparatus flies up and contaminates the wafer surface. In addition, due to the inevitable exposure to the atmosphere during wafer transfer between devices, impurity atoms mixed in the atmosphere may be adsorbed.
There is a problem of contaminating the wafer surface.

This invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is possible to easily transport and store wafers between semiconductor devices without exposing them to the atmosphere. The object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor wafer storage/transfer device that can eliminate contamination of semiconductor wafers.

[Means to solve the problem]

The semiconductor wafer storage/transfer device according to the present invention has a structure that allows the semiconductor wafer storage/transfer container to be attached to and removed from the load lock chamber, and the lid of the semiconductor wafer inlet/outlet of the semiconductor wafer storage/transfer container is attached to the load lock chamber. It is equipped with a jig that can be opened and closed inside.

[Effect]

By using the wafer storage and transfer device of the present invention, wafers can be transferred between processing devices in a vacuum or in an inert gas atmosphere. Therefore, transfer and storage without contaminating the wafer surface is possible.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1st
The figure shows a semiconductor wafer storage/transport container of the present invention. In the figure, 10 is a wafer storage/transport container, 4 is a wafer, 11 is a lid of the wafer storage/transport container 10, L is an opening for loading and unloading the wafer 4, 14 is an O-ring for maintaining airtightness when attaching the wafer storage/transfer container 10 to the load lock chamber 2; It is a 0 ring.

In FIG. 2A, the opening is a front view and a plan view of the wafer storage/transfer container 10, and 7 is a guide for holding the wafers.

FIG. 8 shows a state in which the semiconductor wafer storage/transfer container 10 is attached to the loadronc chamber 2. As shown in FIG.

In the figure, 1 is a processing chamber of the wafer assembly, 2 is a load chamber for semiconductor devices, 8 is a t-th holder for opening and closing the lid 11 of the wafer storage/transfer container 10, 6 is a vacuum pump, and 9 is an N This is a similar inert gas supply valve.

Next, the operation of the present invention will be explained. A wafer storage/transfer container 1 in which wafers 4 are stored in a vacuum state in advance.
0 is placed at a predetermined location in the semiconductor device 41 drone chamber 2. In order to set the wafer storage/transfer container ER10 with good airtightness, a part of the container is placed in the Drunk chamber 2.
Fit it into place and secure it with a magnet on the side of the container, for example. After setting the wafer storage/transfer container lO, vacuum bomb 6
The inside of the loadronc chamber 2 is evacuated to a predetermined degree of vacuum. Thereafter, using the jig 8, the lid 11 of the wafer storage/transfer container 10 is removed. In this state, the wafer 4 is taken out from the wafer storage/transport container IO and transported to the processing chamber 1. After the processing in the processing chamber 1 is completed, the wafer 4 is returned to the wafer storage/transfer container IO, and the lid 11 is closed by the jig 8.

In this state, destroy the vacuum in Lordronk Champer 2. The lid 11 is attracted by the pressure difference and maintains the degree of vacuum inside the wafer storage/transfer container IO, but it may also be fixed using a magnet or the like.

The wafer storage/transport container 10 according to the present invention is not limited to one that stores one wafer, but may have a similar structure and store a plurality of wafers. In addition, in the case of a device other than a vacuum device, inert gas is supplied in the chamber 2 by opening and closing the valve 9, and after the chamber 2 is surrounded by an inert gas atmosphere, the wafer 4 can be taken out and taken out from the wafer storage/transfer container 10. Bye.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, the present invention uses a wafer storage/transfer container that can be easily attached to and detached from a semiconductor device, and maintains the inside of the container in a vacuum state.
Since the wafer is configured so that it can be maintained in an inert gas atmosphere, the problem of contamination of the wafer surface due to dust generation within the vacuum processing apparatus or contamination caused by transporting or storing the wafer in the atmosphere can be solved.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows the storage and storage of semiconductor wafer/1 in one embodiment of the present invention.
Figures 2 and 2b are perspective views showing a transport container; Figure 8 is a front view and plan view thereof; Figure 8 is a perspective view of a route showing an example of the present invention; Figure 4 is a conventional semiconductor wafer storage and transport device. It is a route perspective view showing. In the figure, l is a conductor processing chamber, 2 is a load lock chamber, 4 is a semiconductor wafer, 6 is a vacuum bomb, 7 is a guide, 8 is a jig for opening and closing the lid, 9 is a valve, and 1O is a container for storing and transporting semiconductor wafers. , l1 is a lid, l is a semiconductor wafer loading/unloading opening, and 13 and l5 are O-rings. Note that the same reference numerals in the figures indicate the same or corresponding parts.

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a storage/transfer container for semiconductor wafers that is airtightly installed and removed so that the semiconductor wafer loading/unloading port communicates with a load-lock chamber that is adjacent to the semiconductor processing chamber and has a vacuum or inert gas atmosphere inside, the semiconductor wafer loading/unloading port is 1. A semiconductor wafer storage/transport device, characterized in that the load lock chamber is provided with a lid that airtightly closes the lid, and a jig for opening and closing the lid in the load lock chamber.