KR20040006440A - Wafer carrier - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A wafer carrier is provided to be capable of preventing the warpage of a wafer and restraining the contamination of an adjacent wafer due to the particles generated from the back side of the wafer by vertically loading and unloading the wafer. CONSTITUTION: A wafer carrier is provided with a case(110) having an inner space(112) for storing a plurality of wafers(W) and a plurality of holding parts installed at the upper and lower portions of the inner space corresponding to each other for vertically holding the wafers. Preferably, each holding part includes a pair of grips(120). Preferably, the wafer carrier further includes a moving part for horizontally moving one pair of grips. Preferably, the moving part includes a motor, a lead screw connected with the motor, and a transfer part for connecting the lead screw to the grip.

Description

Wafer Carrier {WAFER CARRIER}

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a semiconductor wafer carrier, and more particularly, to a semiconductor wafer carrier capable of storing and transporting a wafer in a vertical direction so as to prevent wafer sag due to large diameter of the wafer.

Wafers in which various semiconductor devices are formed must maintain the best physical and chemical state consistently during transportation, storage and processing. If the wafer is exposed to more than a limited amount of dust or other contaminants, the defect rate of the semiconductor device is increased. Therefore, the semiconductor manufacturing site uses a carrier for storing the wafer and a carrier box for storing the wafer as a separate wafer management device for protecting the wafer during transportation, storage and processing. Recently, many carriers in which the carrier and the carrier box are integrally formed are used. In particular, in the trend that the size of the wafer is large and highly integrated, for 12-inch wafers, contaminants are directly connected to the productivity of semiconductor devices, so careful management of the carrier is performed. Is required.

Referring to FIG. 1, the FOUP carrier 12 is placed in the load port 16 of the 300 mm semiconductor facility 14, and the wafers w stored in the FOUP carrier 12 are stored in the EFEM ( It is transferred to the process chamber 20 through the Equipment Front End Module (18). As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the wafer w is stored horizontally in the FOUP carrier 12 and then moved horizontally by the transfer robot 22 disposed in the EFEM. At this time, particles due to vortex down the wafer are generated by the downflow in the EFEM 18, which adversely affects the transition to the wafer process surface and subsequent wafers.

In addition, the FOUP carrier 12 is normally stored and transported in a state where the wafer w is horizontal, as shown in Fig. 3, when the carrier itself is carried or stored, and the wafer in the carrier 12 for processing. When (w) was to be taken out or inserted, the wafer w was loaded and unloaded in a horizontal state.

However, when a large-diameter (12 inches or more) wafer is loaded on the carrier 12 having the above structure, deflection occurs at the center portion of the wafer w as shown in FIG. As a result, the surface stress of the wafer w is increased. At this time, the degree of deflection at the middle portion of the wafer (w) is about 0.2 mm for the 8-inch wafer, and about 2 to 3 mm for the 12-inch wafer.

Therefore, when the wafer is inserted into the slot due to the surface tension of the wafer w and the deflection of the wafer, interference (collision) occurs between the adjacent wafer and the arms of the transfer robot, and the wafer loading and unloading operations are not smooth. The problem of damage is occurring. In addition, since the wafer is horizontally positioned during loading and unloading of the wafer, it is easy to contaminate the surface of the wafer by particles, and the carrier is sided to the loader in order to vertically transport or mount the required wafer in a large diameter wafer. There was a problem unsuitable for mounting.

The present invention is to solve such a conventional problem, its purpose is to enable loading and unloading in the state that the wafer is standing in the vertical direction to solve the problem caused by the deflection of the wafer, by the particles falling from the wafer back There is provided a semiconductor wafer transport carrier capable of reducing contamination of adjacent wafers.

1 is a view showing a process in which a wafer is transferred from a conventional wafer carrier to a process chamber through an equipment front end module (EFEM) of a semiconductor facility;

2 is a view for explaining the vortex phenomenon generated in the wafer transported in a horizontal state on the EFEM;

3 is a front sectional view of a conventional wafer carrier;

4 is a front sectional view of a wafer carrier in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

5A and 5B show an operating state of a grip for holding a wafer in the wafer carrier shown in FIG. 4;

6 is a view illustrating a process in which a wafer is transferred from a wafer carrier to a process chamber through an equipment front end module (EFEM) of a semiconductor device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

* Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawings *

110: case

112: interior space

117: pedestal

118: handle

120: grip

130: moving device

132: stepping motor

134: lead screw

136: transfer unit

According to a feature of the present invention for achieving the above object, the wafer carrier is formed with an entrance to the wafer is loaded and unloaded, and has a case having an inner space that can accommodate a plurality of wafers; And means for holding the wafers installed on the upper and lower surfaces of the inner space corresponding to each other in a vertical state.

In the present invention, the holding means comprises a pair of grips installed on the upper and lower surfaces. In the present invention, the wafer is positioned between the pair of grips, and either one of the pair of grips is moved horizontally to hold the wafer.

The wafer carrier of the present invention has a device for horizontally moving any one of the pair of grips to hold a wafer located between the pair of grips. The horizontal moving device includes a motor; A lead screw rotating by the motor; It is connected to the grip, and coupled to the lead strip has a conveying portion which is horizontally moved by the rotation of the lead screw.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are given to components that perform the same function.

4 is a front sectional view of a wafer carrier according to an embodiment of the present invention. 5A and 5B are views showing an operating state of a grip for holding a wafer in the wafer carrier shown in FIG. 6 is a view illustrating a process in which a wafer is transferred from a wafer carrier to a process chamber through an equipment front end module (EFEM) of a semiconductor device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 4, the wafer carrier 100 according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a hollow case 110 having an approximately rectangular parallelepiped and an open front portion thereof. A handle 118 that can hold the wafer carrier 100 by a worker's hand protrudes upward from an upper surface of the case 110. Pedestal 117 protrudes downward on the outer lower surface of the case 110. Of course, the handle 118 may be formed on both sides of the case. Although not shown, the wafer carrier is preferably made of a front open type including a door for opening and closing the entrance and exit of the case. The structure for opening and closing the door has the same structure as a conventional FOUP carrier.

As shown in FIG. 4, a pair of grips are held on the upper surface 114a and the lower surface 114b of the inner space 112 of the case 110 to hold the wafer w vertically one by one. 120 are installed.

5A and 5B, any one of the pair of grips 120 may be moved by the moving device 130 to hold or non-hold a wafer w positioned between the pair of grips. It can be. The wafer carrier 100 may be disposed to face the polishing surfaces w1 of the wafer w.

The moving device 130 for moving the grip 120 applies a conventional driving method including a stepping motor 132, a lead screw 134, and a transfer unit 136 connected to the grip 120.

Referring to FIG. 6, the wafer carrier 100 is placed in a load lock port 16 of the semiconductor facility 14, and the wafers w stored vertically in the wafer carrier are EFEMs of the semiconductor facility. It is transferred to the process chamber 20 through the Equipment Front End Module (18). As shown in FIG. 6, the wafer w is accommodated in a state perpendicular to the wafer carrier 100, and then moved in a state perpendicular to the transfer robot 22 disposed in the EFEM. Since the wafer w is transferred in a vertical state, no vortices due to downflow in the EFEM 18 are generated at all during wafer transfer. Therefore, it is possible to prevent wafer contamination due to eddy currents generated during wafer transfer.

The structural feature of the present invention is that it has a pair of grips that can hold the wafer in a vertical position and hold the wafer.

In the above, the configuration and operation of the wafer carrier according to the present invention have been shown in accordance with the above description and drawings, but this is merely an example, and various changes and modifications are possible without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention. to be.

According to the wafer carrier of the present invention, the wafer can be loaded and unloaded while standing in the vertical direction to solve the problem of sagging of the wafer and to reduce contamination of adjacent wafers by particles falling from the wafer back surface. Can be.

Claims (6)

In the wafer carrier: A case having an entrance through which the wafer is loaded and unloaded, the case having an inner space for accommodating a plurality of wafers; And means for holding the wafers installed on the upper and lower surfaces of the inner space corresponding to each other and held in the vertical space in a vertical state. The method of claim 1, The holding means Wafer carrier, characterized in that consisting of a pair of grips installed on the upper, lower surfaces. The method of claim 2, The wafer is positioned between the pair of grips, Any one of the pair of grips is moved horizontally to hold the wafer. The method of claim 2, The wafer is positioned between the pair of grips, And a device for horizontally moving any one of the pair of grips to hold a wafer positioned between the pair of grips. The method of claim 4, wherein The horizontal moving device A motor; A lead screw rotating by the motor; And a transfer part connected to the grip and coupled to the lead screw to move horizontally by the rotation of the lead screw. The method of claim 1, Wafer carrier, characterized in that the front open type including a door that is opened and closed by the opener at the entrance.