JPS61131522A - Semiconductor processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To raise the yield and the productive efficiency in semiconductor processing by evaluating the amount of dust generation in any processing room using a method to compare the amount of dust on a unprocessed semiconductor sample with that of the same sample after processing which has been retrogres sively conveyed using a bilaterally transportable system, at the same position in the entrance side of the apparatus. CONSTITUTION:Transportation devices, 7a, 7b and belt conveyers 26a, 26b are all arranged to transport a sample also in the backward direction. A semiconductor sample A. the dust loaded on which has been observed with a microscope at the cassette position 27 is returned from the exit of the first processing room to the position 27 and again subjected to the same observation as before to exactly evaluate the amount of dust attached at this room. This method is applicable also to any other room.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to semiconductor processing equipment, and more particularly to a semiconductor processing equipment that is capable of ascertaining the state of dust generation in each processing chamber of a semiconductor processing equipment having a plurality of processing chambers. Regarding.

(Technical background of the invention and its problems) In recent years, semiconductor processing equipment has become completely automated, and vacuum processing is performed through multiple processing chambers from the inlet side cassette to the outlet side cassette, eliminating the need for human intervention in the process. Processing equipment has been developed. This is intended to shorten processing time and prevent dust generation.

In the above-mentioned apparatus, there is a problem in that when dust adheres to the object to be processed, problems such as abnormal etching occur, leading to a decrease in product reliability and yield. Possible causes of the above dust include dust from the moving parts of the equipment, contamination of foreign matter from the gas inflow system, or chemical products, but in which part of the semiconductor processing process does such dust adhere? It is extremely important to understand what is going on.

However, in conventional semiconductor processing equipment, the final amount of dust adhesion can only be determined when all processing steps in multiple processing chambers are completed, and it is not possible to determine the amount of dust adhesion during the processing steps. could not.

[Purpose of the invention]

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor processing apparatus that can easily and reliably determine the amount of dust attached to each processing chamber.

[Summary of the invention]

In order to achieve the above object, a semiconductor processing apparatus according to the present invention includes a plurality of processing chambers for performing various vacuum processes, and a semiconductor processing apparatus equipped with a transport device for sequentially transporting a workpiece to each of the processing chambers. The above-mentioned transport device is configured to be able to transport the workpiece in the opposite direction, and the workpiece transported to any of the processing chambers can be freely transported back to the entrance of the device. .

(Embodiments of the invention) Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.
I will refer to and explain.

FIG. 1 shows an etching apparatus according to the present invention.
A first processing chamber 1, a second processing chamber 2, and a third processing chamber 3 are successively provided.
is provided. Below this electrode 4, a pusher bin 6 is disposed which is moved up and down through the electrode 4 by an air cylinder 5, and inside the first processing chamber 1 and the third processing chamber 3, a transfer device 7a is provided. , 7b are arranged.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, this conveyance device 7
Drive shafts 9a, 9b are fixed to the lower surfaces of one ends of the two first arms 8a, 8b, and these drive shafts 9a, 9b1. :
Gears 10a and 10b are coaxially attached. The first arms 8a, 8b are arranged symmetrically so that the gears 10a, 10b mesh with each other, and the drive shafts 9a, 9
b is rotatably supported on the support base 11,
Each first arm 8a, 8b is configured to rotate symmetrically about each drive shaft 9a, 9b.

Further, at the other end of each of the first arms 8a, 8b, there is a second arm 12a having the same length as the first arm.

12b are connected to each other via rotating shafts 13a, 13b fixed to the lower surface side of one end of the second arms 12a, 12b, and each of the second arms 12a, 12b is connected to the first arm 8.
It is configured to rotate around rotational axes 13a and 13b in parallel to a and 8b. Furthermore, each 2'7-ml
Gears 14a, 14b are fixed to the other ends of the second arms 12a, 12b, and the other ends of the second arms 12a, 12b are used to place objects to be processed so that the gears 14a, 14b mesh with each other. It is rotatably connected to the plate 15.

Further, in this embodiment, the drive shaft 9a of the first arm 8a (on the left side in the figure) passes through the support base 11 and is connected to a rotational drive source 16 such as a motor. Drive shaft 9 connected to rotational drive source 16
A fixed wheel 17 is provided coaxially with a. Furthermore, a rotating wheel 18 having a diameter of 172 mm, which is the diameter of the fixed wheel 17, is attached to the lower end of the rotating shaft 13a of the second arm 12a connected to the first arm 8a. 18, a belt 19 is hung as a power transmission mechanism,
The rotational movement of the first arm 8a is transmitted to the second arm 12a.

In this embodiment, when the rotary drive source 16 is operated and one drive shaft 9a is rotated, the gear 10a is rotated.

10b causes the other drive shaft 9b to simultaneously rotate in the opposite direction, and each first arm 8a, 8b rotates symmetrically. On the other hand, the rotation of the first arm 8a causes the rotary wheel 18 to rotate via the belt 19, causing the second arm 12a to rotate in the opposite direction to the first arm 8a, and the other second arm to rotate simultaneously by the gears 14a and 14b. do. This rotational movement allows the object to be processed placed on the mounting plate 15 to be transported linearly.

Matc, above 8 places 11!1.2.3+7) [J5J: and Fl.

Gate valves 20a, 20b, 20c, and 20d are provided between the third processing chambers 1 and 3 and the outside, respectively, so as to be openable and closable. 1.2.3 each have a valve 21.2
Exhaust pipes 22 and 23 connected to a vacuum pump (not shown) are connected through 1.21. Furthermore, the above vacuum,
Outside the processing device, the first and third processing chambers 1.3
In the vicinity of the gate valves 20a and 20b, there are pusher bins 25 that can be raised and lowered by air cylinders 24a and 24b, respectively.
A belt conveyor 26a with a, 25b.

26b, and an entrance side cassette 27 and an exit side cassette 28 are provided at one end of each belt conveyor so as to be vertically movable.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained.

First, the inlet side cassette 27 is lowered, the object to be processed A is placed on the upper surface of the belt conveyor 26a, and the
The object to be processed A is moved above the bushing pin 25a by driving the object A. Then, the belt conveyor 26a is stopped, the shovel bin 25a is raised to lift the object A, the gate valve 20a is opened, and the conveyance device 7a is driven to position the mounting plate 15 below the object A. after that,
Lower the shovel bin 25a and place the workpiece A on the mounting plate 1.
5, and the object to be processed A is placed in the first processing '□ chamber 1.
Transport to.

Next, the gate valve 20b on the second processing chamber 2 side is turned on, and the object to be processed A is sent to the second processing chamber 2, and the object to be processed A is lifted above the placing plate 15 by the upper front of the shovel bin 6. and,
The transfer device 7a returns to the first processing chamber 1 while the busher bin 6
is lowered and the object to be processed A is placed on the upper surface of the electrode 4. In this state, the object A is etched, and after the processing path r, the scrubbing bin 6 is raised again to lift the object A.

Then, after opening the gate valve 20c on the third processing v3 side and positioning the mounting plate 15 of the transport device 7b below the object to be processed A, the bushing bin 6 is lowered and placed on the mounting plate 15 of the transport device 7b. The object to be processed is placed on it.

After transporting the workpiece A to the third processing chamber 3, the workpiece A is sent to the outlet side cassette 28 by the reverse procedure of the above-mentioned carrying-in procedure.

In this embodiment, the transport devices W7a, 7b and the belt conveyors 26a, 26b are each configured to transport the workpiece A in the opposite direction, so that the workpiece A sent to the first processing chamber 1 can be transported again. By returning the workpiece A to the entrance side cassette 27, the amount of dust on the workpiece A before being sent to the first processing chamber 1 is observed with a microscope in advance, and the amount of dust at this time and the workpiece A returned to the entrance side cassette are compared. By comparing the amount of dust A with the amount of dust, it is possible to grasp the amount of dust attached in the first processing chamber 1.

In addition, by returning the processed material A transported to the second processing v2 to the entrance side cassette 27 by the transport device 27a and the belt conveyor 26a, and subtracting the amount of dust adhering observed in advance and the amount of dust adhering in the first processing chamber 1, ,
The amount of dust attached in the second processing chamber 2 can be grasped. Similarly, even if you have a third processing chamber 3 or more processing chambers, each process will be handled differently! ! It is possible to reliably grasp the amount of dust adhering in the room.

In the above embodiment, only the case of an etching apparatus was shown, but a sputtering apparatus, a plasma carbon
It can be applied to any vacuum processing apparatus such as a VD apparatus or a vapor deposition apparatus.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, the semiconductor processing equipment according to the present invention is configured such that the workpieces transported to any processing chamber can be transported back to the equipment entrance side, so the amount of dust on the workpieces can be observed in advance. By comparing the amount of dust on the object to be processed which has been transported to an arbitrary processing chamber and sent back, the amount of dust generated in an arbitrary processing chamber can be easily and reliably grasped. As a result, it is possible to deal with dust prevention such as cleaning of the processing chamber, and it is possible to achieve effects such as being able to improve yield and production efficiency.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 to 3 each show an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are a plan view and a front view, respectively, of the conveying device shown in FIG. 1. It is. 1.2.3...processing chamber, 4...electrode, 5.24...
・Air cylinder, 6.25...butsushabin, 7...
・Transport device, 8... First arm, 9... Drive shaft, 4
．． 14...Gear, 11...Support base, 12...
2nd arm, 13...rotating shaft, 15... mounting plate, 1
6... Rotation drive source, 17... Fixed wheel, 18.
...Rotating wheel, 19...Belt, 20...Gate valve, 21...Valve, 22.23...Exhaust pipe, 2
6... Belt conveyor, 27.28... Cassette.

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a semiconductor processing device that has a plurality of processing chambers for performing various vacuum processes and is equipped with a transport device that sequentially transports the workpiece to each of the processing chambers, the transport device can transport the workpiece in the opposite direction. 1. A semiconductor processing apparatus characterized in that the object to be processed that has been transported to any of the processing chambers can be freely transported back to the entrance of the apparatus.