KR100309420B1 - Semiconductor Module Manufacturing System - Google Patents

Abstract

It is about the design, composition, method and structure of semiconductor manufacturing plants and other compatible product manufacturing.

The plant includes at least one modular process apparatus and a wafer / product transfer system. The modular process unit may comprise independent clean rooms and / or environmental control rooms, semiconductor / manufacturing process equipment, intra module wafer / product transfer systems, wafer / product pick-up robots, computer control units, maintenance units, and Including all necessary pipe systems.

One or more modular process units are flexibly assembled and connected to each other by rail and bridge connection systems to form a large production system for obtaining various production capacities.

Wafer / product transfer systems include wafer / product cassettes, transfer cassettes, and rails and bridges.

The retaining device is installed to assist with the modular process unit for repair and maintenance work.

Description

Semiconductor Module Manufacturing System

1 is a plan view of a modular process unit according to the invention.

2 is a side view of a modular process unit according to the invention.

3 is a perspective view of a semiconductor smart wafer cassette placed in a magnetic levitation or equivalent electro-mechanical wafer transfer system.

4 is a cross-sectional view of the smart wafer cassette.

5 is an exploded cross-sectional view of the smart wafer cassette.

6 is a plan view of a large open end automated semiconductor manufacturing plant constructed by modular process units and rapid transfer systems of the present invention.

7 is a perspective view of FIG.

8 is a schematic plan view of another embodiment of the present invention.

9 is a perspective view of FIG.

The present invention relates to the design, architecture, method and structure of the manufacture of semiconductor production plants and other compatible products.

The design of a conventional semiconductor production plant is to build such a plant that accommodates all production equipment and equipment to achieve the planned production capacity. The plant is usually a very large building and has a clean area called a "ball room". Inside the ballroom or clean room, temperature, humidity and cleanness are strictly controlled. All production facilities are housed in the ballroom and cleanroom. The upper part of the ballroom is usually arranged with an air conditioner, a clean room air supply, an air filter, and the like. The two vertical planes of the ballroom serve as air return passages. At the bottom of the ballroom is a grid floor, all other plant service systems, and a supply pipe system. To facilitate the repair and maintenance of production equipment, ballrooms are usually divided by parallel service cores. The service core is often an obstacle to the movement of wafers and products, thus increasing the ratio of plant operation and construction.

The life cycle of semiconductor products is generally very short. The production and processes of the product must be improved and changed frequently. Production equipment and equipment must also be retrofitted and replaced. Existing factory buildings and designs do not effectively adapt to these changes, disrupting production. Retrofitting existing plant structures is costly. Building a new factory is more expensive and takes a long time. The lack of flexibility and short life cycles of existing semiconductor factories are a big problem in the industry.

Finding a better way to design a new factory structure for semiconductor manufacturing is increasingly an issue, which must meet the needs of the industry as a highly flexible, easily scalable, relatively low-cost semiconductor manufacturing factory. do.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a design, method and structure of a factory for semiconductor manufacturing and or other compatible products.

In accordance with the present invention, a plant is divided into a number of closely related modular process units (hereinafter referred to as "MPUs"). MPUs are linked together in a rapid transfer system to form a high flexibility and low manufacturing cost structure. Each MPU has its own independent clean room, process equipment, wafer transfer system (including wafer pick-up robot), computer control system, factory service pipe system, and an interface between these systems. Multiple MPUs can be assembled together to form a sub-assembly of a production system. The MPUs in the subassembly system are connected together by a rapid transfer system to connect the connection systems. With the above design and construction, the plant can be easily adapted and expanded to meet the needs of other processes or production capacities.

In addition to semiconductor products, the present invention can be readily applied to other compatible products.

The modular process unit (MPU) has an independent clean room, semiconductor process equipment, an intra MPU wafer transfer system, a wafer pick-up robot, a computer control unit, and a maintenance device connection system ( maintenance unit linking system) and pipe system. A plurality of MPUs may be connected in a process assembly to form a cluster. MPUs usually house one or more semiconductor process equipment.

In a typical semiconductor production process, steppers, photoresist coaters and photoresist developers can be housed in MPUs because of the demand for continuity and sensitivity of the process to temperature and humidity. Other MPUs may contain an etcher and photoresist stripper. Implanters and photoreceptors can be housed in another MPU. In the MPU, since more than one equipment is installed, an intra-MPU wafer transfer system is required for wafer movement inside the MPU.

An MPU for a typical semiconductor process in accordance with the present invention is shown in FIG. 1, with a high speed transfer system link 1, a wafer transfer tunnel 2, a smart wafer cassette 3, an input buffer 4, a periphery. Process equipment (e.g. vacuum pumps) (5A, 7A, 8A and 10A), Process chambers (5B, 7B, 8B and 10B), wafer pick-up robots 6 and 9, output buffers ( 11), high speed transfer system link 12, gas chemical and electric feedthroughs 13, computer control unit 14, weather seal tunnel 15, retainer ( A maintenance unit 16, an exhaust pipe system 17, and a clean process zone 18 are shown. The smart wafer cassette 3 is conveyed by a high speed transfer system and a transport duct. MPUs are sized in existing containers to facilitate transport.

Referring to FIG. 2, the MPU includes a hepafilter system 20, gas chemical and electric feedthroughs 21, heat transfer walls 22, and corrugated steel. shell 23, smart wafer cassette 24, monorail 25 for the transfer of wafer cassettes, magnetically levitated or even electromechanical carts 26, grid floors 27 and I Beam foundation structure 28.

Pipe systems include gas supply pipe systems, chemical supply pipe systems, electrical pipe systems, waste piping systems, deionized water piping systems, and discharge pipe systems.

Wafer transfer systems include smart wafer cassettes, transfer carts and monorails. This transfers the wafer between two MPUs. The semiconductor wafer is transferred without human intervention.

3 shows a magnetically levitated wafer transfer system, which includes a magnetic leash rail 30, a magnetic leash cart 31, and a magazine seat 32. Other high speed transfer systems may be used for the same purpose.

4 and 5 show the structure of the smart wafer cassette. This includes a quarter turn release mechanism seat (1/4 turn quick release mechanical action seat), valve (34) and O-ring or equivalent vacuum sealing gasket (35) and mechanical open / close slot (36). I / O port 37 and smart IC chip 38 are included. An input / output port 37 (I / O port) provides a storage and transmission link for the process associated with the information between the smart IC chip and the interface system such as the dispatching terminal.

Referring to FIG. 1, the holding device 16 is also housed in an existing container sized MPU. It is mobile and can be attached to the MPU regardless of the weather conditions or the surrounding environment for the repair or maintenance work of the MPU. If the repair or maintenance work is not completed online, the MPU may be replaced with a new one in a short time.

6 shows an architectural design of a semiconductor manufacturing plant having a bridge connection system connecting multiple MPU rings for large scale production. The bridge connection system can provide intra-MPU ring wafer transfer. It can be flexibly configured depending on the process or capacity required. For example, to increase monthly production capacity from 20,000 wafers to 25,000 wafers, two MPUs can be added. The MPU ring consists of eight or more MPUs. The MPUs mentioned above can each be prepared and setup. They are connected to the existing system, producing 25,000 wafers per month. Individual MPUs can be added, removed or bypassed depending on the manufacturing process requirements.

Increasing wafer size to reduce production costs and improve productivity is an industry trend. For example, from 1985 to 1995, the size of wafers produced in Taiwan increased from 4 inches to 8 inches. The total die of the same chip size IC on the wafer has been quadrupled and the unit cost of each chip has been quadrupled. The production of large wafers requires a high speed wafer transfer system to reduce the process cycle time and increase production. The present invention utilizes a monorail magnetically levitated wafer transfer system or equivalent thereof to perform this function. In general, the present invention provides an open end automated semiconductor fabricator consisting of a computer controlled MPU assembly and a high speed wafer transfer system. This greatly increases the flexibility of capacity expansion and process improvement and ease of maintenance. By applying the present invention, the plant construction cost is greatly reduced and the plant construction time is much shorter than that of the conventional semiconductor plant.

6 and 7 show an embodiment of a large open end automated semiconductor fabrication plant comprised of an MPU and a high speed wafer transfer system in accordance with the present invention. It includes an integrated modular process unit, a transport overpass 144, a high speed internal module transport system 136 and 138, a running maintenance module 161 and an intra-module wafer carrier 150 And a photolith module 157 composed of a plurality of MPUs connected to the factory control center 110.

6 and 7, an embodiment of a semiconductor manufacturing plant may include a factory control center 110, a first circular zone 112 and a second prototype provided around a factory control center 110 that is surrounded and centered around a circle. Two circular zones, the second circular zone 114 being outside of the first circular zone 112.

The first circular zone 112 and the second circular zone 114 include a plurality of MPUs 116 and 118, respectively. MPU 116 has two opposing side walls 119 and 120 and two opposing end walls 121 and 122. MPU 118 has two opposing side walls 124 and 125 and two opposing end walls 126 and 127. MPUs 116 and 118 are continuously disposed around factory control center 110 with sidewalls 119, 120, 124, 125 radially located in factory control center 110.

Two circular zones 112, 114 correspond to MPUs 116, 118 and two adjacent module transport systems-first module transport system 136 are adjacent to MPUs 116 of first circular zone 112. Positioned inwardly and the second module transport system 138 is located adjacent to and outwardly of the MPUs 116 of the second circular zone 114. There are two passages 140, 141 provided for the connection between the MPU 116 and the module transport system 136, the passage 140 being recognized as an incoming passage 140, for example. It may be recognized as the exit passage 141 and vice versa. Similarly, there are two passages 142, 143 provided for the connection between the MPU 118 and the module transfer system 138, the passage 142 being recognized as an incoming passage 142, for example, and the other. The side may be recognized as the exit passage 143 and vice versa. In order to make a connection between the first circular zone 112 and the outer second circular zone 114, a plurality of first transfer expensive facilities 144 are provided with the first module transfer system 136 and the second module transfer system. 138 is provided to connect between. In order to establish a connection between the first circular zone 112 and the factory control center 110, a plurality of second transfer expensive facilities 146 connect between the first module transfer system 136 and the factory control center 110. Is provided.

8 and 9 show another embodiment according to the present invention. It includes a fabricator control room 56 and a photolith module 57 and a plurality of MPUs located on the factory floor. The MPU may be configured as shown at 58 horizontally or vertically. The intra module transfer means 59 may comprise a lift and is installed for rapid wafer transfer.

The invention can be applied to any manufacturing plant that requires a flexible modular structure and a high speed transfer system of inter modules.

The structure of the plant may have the shape of a square (FIG. 9) or a suitable polygon such as hexagon or octagon.

Claims (6)

Independent clean room, semiconductor process equipment, intra module product transport system, product pick-up system, computer control, retainer connection system and pipe system, each external specification is a standard or integral multiple of existing containers A plurality of modular process units in which at least two form a production assembly; A product conveying system comprising a rail, a cart and a product cassette, the product conveying system being positioned between two module processing units to transfer product between two modular process units; Housed inside or attached to each module process unit to perform repair and maintenance work inside or outside of each device, the holding device being movable, such as an external specification of an existing container; A plurality of transfer expensive facilities connected between said product transfer systems or between said product transfer system and a factory control center; And a passage provided for a connection between the module process units and the product transport system. The semiconductor module manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor module manufacturing system is used to manufacture a wafer. The semiconductor module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the semiconductor manufacturing equipment is equipment required for manufacturing a semiconductor wafer such as a stepper, a photoresist coater, a photoresist developer, an etcher, a photoresist remover, a low pressure chemical vapor deposition equipment (LPCVD), a chemical station, and the like. Manufacturing system. The semiconductor module manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the pipe system comprises a gas pipe system, a chemical pipe system, an electrical pipe system, a waste pipe system, a pure water pipe system, and a discharge pipe system. The semiconductor module manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the product cassette is a wafer cassette including an input / output port for storing and transmitting IC chips, process, and logic control data. The semiconductor module manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the product transport system uses the magnetic levitation principle and / or equivalent electro-mechanical device for the cassette and the rail.