Positioning device, processing system and positioning method

Abstract

The present invention provides a positioning device, a processing system, and a positioning method capable of positioning a substrate and an edge ring. A positioning device in one embodiment of the present invention includes: a substrate holding table for holding a substrate; a first holding pin for holding an edge ring; a second holding pin provided in addition to the first holding pin for holding the edge ring; a rotating mechanism for rotating the substrate holding table and the first holding pin; a lifting mechanism for lifting and lowering at least one of the first holding pin and the second holding pin; and a detection mechanism for detecting the position of the outer periphery of the substrate held on the substrate holding table and the position of the inner periphery of the edge ring held on the first holding pin.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a positioning device, a processing system and a positioning method. Background Art

[0002] There is known a substrate positioning device which is configured to detect the position of the peripheral portion of a semiconductor wafer while rotating the semiconductor wafer, detect the positions of an orientation flat and a notch, and detect the deviation of the wafer center from the rotation center to perform positioning (for example, see Patent Document 1).

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-47654 Summary of the invention

[0006] Technical problem to be solved by the invention

[0007] The present invention provides a technique that enables positioning of the substrate and edge ring.

[0008] Technical solutions for solving technical problems

[0009] A positioning device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes: a substrate holding table for holding a substrate; a first holding pin for holding an edge ring; a second holding pin provided separately from the first holding pin for holding the edge ring; a rotating mechanism for rotating the substrate holding table and the first holding pin; a lifting mechanism for lifting and lowering at least one of the first holding pin and the second holding pin; and a detection mechanism for detecting the position of the outer periphery of the substrate held on the substrate holding table and the position of the inner periphery of the edge ring held on the first holding pin.

[0010] Effects of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, the substrate and the edge ring can be positioned. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Figure 1 It is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a processing system according to an embodiment.

[0013] Figure 2 This is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the control device.

[0014] Figure 3 This is a diagram showing an example of a wafer.

[0015] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing an example of an edge ring.

[0016] Figure 5It is a diagram showing an example of an aligner.

[0017] Figure 6 This is a process diagram (1) showing an example of a method for positioning an edge ring.

[0018] Figure 7 This is a process diagram (2) showing an example of a method for positioning an edge ring.

[0019] Figure 8 This is a process diagram (3) showing an example of a method for positioning an edge ring.

[0020] Fig. 9 This is a process diagram (4) showing an example of a method for positioning an edge ring.

[0021] Fig.10 This is a process diagram (5) showing an example of a method for positioning an edge ring.

[0022] Fig.11 This is a diagram for explaining an example of a detection signal when detecting the inner circumference of the edge ring.

[0023] Fig.12 This is a process diagram (1) showing an example of a wafer positioning method.

[0024] Fig.13 This is a process diagram (2) showing an example of a wafer positioning method.

[0025] Fig.14 This is a process diagram (3) showing an example of a wafer positioning method.

[0026] Fig.15 This is a process diagram (4) showing an example of a wafer positioning method.

[0027] Fig.16 This is a diagram for explaining an example of a detection signal when detecting the outer periphery of a wafer.

[0028] Description of Reference Numerals

[0029] 62 Wafer holder

[0030] 63b FR retainer

[0031] 64b FR lift pin

[0032] 66 Rotating mechanism

[0033] 67 Lifting mechanism

[0034] 68 Testing Agency

[0035] FR Edge Ring

[0036] W chip. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] Hereinafter, non-limiting exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In all the drawings, the same or corresponding components or parts are denoted by the same or corresponding reference numerals, and repeated descriptions are omitted.

[0038] [Processing system]

[0039] Reference Figure 1 , an example of a processing system is described. Figure 1 It is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a processing system according to an embodiment.

[0040] The processing system 1 includes a transfer block 10, a processing block 20, a loading block 30, a load lock block 40, and a control device 100. In this embodiment, there are four processing blocks 20 and two load lock blocks 40, but the number of processing blocks 20 and load lock blocks 40 is not particularly limited.

[0041] The transfer block 10 has a substantially hexagonal shape when viewed from above. The transfer block 10 is composed of a vacuum chamber and has a conveying device 11 disposed therein. The conveying device 11 is formed by a multi-jointed arm that can be extended, lifted, and rotated at a position that can enter the processing block 20 and the load lock block 40. The conveying device 11 has two pickers 12 that can be extended and retracted independently in opposite directions, and can convey two wafers W at a time. In addition, the conveying device 11 is not limited to any one of the following as long as it can convey the wafer W between the processing block 20 and the load lock block 40. Figure 1 The structure shown.

[0042] The processing block 20 is radially arranged around the transfer block 10 and connected to the transfer block 10. The processing block 20 is composed of a processing chamber, and has a cylindrical mounting table 21 inside for mounting a wafer W. In the processing block 20, various semiconductor manufacturing processes are performed on the wafer W mounted on the mounting table 21. The semiconductor manufacturing process includes, for example, various process treatments for manufacturing semiconductors such as film forming treatment, etching treatment, and heat treatment. The transfer block 10 and the processing block 20 are separated by a gate valve 22 that can be opened and closed.

[0043] The loading block 30 is arranged opposite to the conveying block 10. The loading block 30 is a rectangular parallelepiped and is an atmospheric conveying chamber maintained at atmospheric pressure. A conveying device 31 is arranged in the loading block 30. The conveying device 31 is supported on a guide rail 32 so as to be slidable and movable. The guide rail 32 is arranged to extend along the long side at the center of the loading block 30 and has a built-in linear motor (not shown) with an encoder, for example. The conveying device 31 is moved along the guide rail 32 by driving the linear motor.

[0044] The conveying device 31 has two multi-joint arms 33 arranged in two layers, one above the other. A picker 34 formed in the shape of two legs is installed at the front end of each multi-joint arm 33. The wafer W is held on each picker 34. Each multi-joint arm 33 is formed to be able to extend and retract from the center in a radial direction and to rise and fall. The extension and retraction action of each multi-joint arm 33 can be controlled independently. Each rotation axis of the multi-joint arm 33 is connected in a manner that allows it to coaxially rotate relative to the base 35, for example, to rotate integrally in a rotation direction relative to the base 35. The guide rail 32 and the multi-joint arm 33 function as a driving mechanism for moving the picker 34. The conveying device 31 conveys the wafer W between the load lock block 40, the conveying container 51 and the aligner 60 described later. In addition, the conveying device 31 is not limited to any one of the load lock block 40, the conveying container 51 and the aligner 60 as long as it can convey the wafer W between the load lock block 40, the conveying container 51 and the aligner 60. Figure 1 The structure shown.

[0045] Two load lock blocks 40 are connected to one side of the loading block 30 along the long side. On the other hand, one or more inlets 36 for introducing wafers W are provided on the other side of the loading block 30 along the long side. In the example shown in the figure, three inlets 36 are provided. An openable and closable door 37 is provided at each inlet 36. In addition, a loading port 50 is provided corresponding to each inlet 36. A transport container 51 for storing and transporting wafers W is placed on the loading port 50. The transport container 51 may be a FOUP (Front-Opening Unified Pod) that stores a plurality of wafers W (for example, 25) at predetermined intervals and in a multi-layered manner.

[0046] An aligner 60 is connected to a side surface along a short side of the loading block 30. The aligner 60 positions the wafer W and the edge ring FR. The aligner 60 has a wafer holding table 62. The wafer holding table 62 is configured to have a diameter smaller than that of the wafer W, and is rotatable with the wafer W placed on the upper surface. A detection mechanism 68 for detecting the outer periphery of the wafer W and the inner periphery of the edge ring FR is provided on the outer periphery of the wafer holding table 62. The aligner 60 positions the wafer W by detecting the outer periphery of the wafer W using the detection mechanism 68, and positions the edge ring FR by detecting the inner periphery of the edge ring FR. In addition, Figure 1 2 shows a state where a wafer W is placed on the upper surface of the wafer holding table 62. The aligner 60 will be described in detail later.

[0047] The load lock block 40 is disposed between the transfer block 10 and the loading block 30. The load lock block 40 is composed of a variable pressure chamber capable of switching the interior between vacuum and atmospheric pressure, and has a cylindrical mounting table 41 on which the wafer W is mounted. The mounting table 41 has a diameter smaller than the diameter of the wafer W. When the wafer W is transferred from the loading block 30 to the transfer block 10, the load lock block 40 maintains the interior at atmospheric pressure, receives the wafer W from the loading block 30, and then depressurizes the interior to transfer the wafer W to the transfer block 10. When the wafer W is transferred from the transfer block 10 to the loading block 30, the interior is maintained at vacuum, receives the wafer W from the transfer block 10, and then increases the interior pressure to atmospheric pressure to transfer the wafer to the loading block 30. The load lock block 40 is separated from the transfer block 10 by an openable and closable gate 42. In addition, the load lock block 40 is separated from the loading block 30 by an openable and closable gate 43.

[0048] The control device 100 controls the operation of each component of the processing system 1. Figure 2 The computer shown in the figure has a drive device 101, an auxiliary storage device 102, a storage device 103, a CPU 104, an interface device 105, etc., which are connected to each other via a bus B. The program for realizing the processing in the control device 100 is provided by a recording medium 106 such as a CD-ROM. When the recording medium 106 storing the program is placed in the drive device 101, the program is installed from the recording medium 106 to the auxiliary storage device 102 via the drive device 101. However, the installation of the program does not necessarily have to be performed from the recording medium 106, and it can also be downloaded from other computers via the network. The auxiliary storage device 102 stores the data required for the installed program, scheme, etc. The memory device 103 reads the program from the auxiliary storage device 102 and stores it when there is an instruction to start the program. The CPU 104 implements the functions of the processing system 1 according to the program stored in the memory device 103. The interface device 105 is used as an interface for connecting to the network.

[0049] [Wafer and edge ring]

[0050] Reference Figure 3 , an example of a chip W is described. Figure 3 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a wafer W. FIG. Figure 3 (a) is a top view of the wafer W, Figure 3 (b) means in Figure 3 The cross section of the wafer W is shown along the cutting line AA in (a).

[0051] The wafer W may have a disk shape, for example, a semiconductor wafer such as a silicon wafer. A position determining portion P1 indicating the crystal axis direction is provided on the outer periphery of the wafer W. In the present embodiment, the position determining portion P1 is a notch (cut), but the position determining portion P1 may also be a straight portion (Orientation flat).

[0052] Reference Figure 4 , an example of the edge ring FR is described. Figure 4 It is a diagram showing an example of the edge ring FR. Figure 4 (a) is a top view of the edge ring FR, Figure 4 (b) means in Figure 4 The cross section is when the edge ring FR is cut along the cutting line BB in (a).

[0053] The edge ring FR has a circular plate shape and is formed of, for example, the same material as the wafer W. The edge ring FR is arranged on the mounting table 21 in the processing block 20 so as to surround the wafer W. The edge ring FR improves the uniformity of the plasma treatment (for example, etching treatment) on the surface of the wafer W. A position determination portion P2 is provided on the inner periphery of the edge ring FR. In the present embodiment, the position determination portion P2 is a straight portion (orientation flat surface), but the position determination portion P2 may also be a notch (cutout).

[0054] [Alignment]

[0055] Reference Figure 5 , an example of the aligner 60 of the processing system 1 is described. Figure 5 1 is a diagram showing an example of the aligner 60 . Figure 5 (a) is a diagram showing the aligner 60 as viewed from above. Figure 5 (b) shows a cross section of the aligner 60. Figure 5 In (a), for the sake of convenience of explanation, the top of the shell 61 is omitted.

[0056] The aligner 60 includes a housing 61 , a wafer holding stage 62 , an FR holding portion 63 , an FR lifting portion 64 , a drive shaft 65 , a rotating mechanism 66 , a lifting mechanism 67 , a detection mechanism 68 , and a control portion 69 .

[0057] The housing 61 has a positioning chamber R formed therein that can accommodate the wafer W and the edge ring FR. An opening 61a for carrying in and out the wafer W and the edge ring FR is formed on the side wall of the housing 61. In addition, the housing 61 has a partition plate 61b for separating the first chamber R1 and the second chamber R2. The first chamber R1 is a chamber for positioning the wafer W and the edge ring FR. The second chamber R2 is provided below the first chamber R1 and is provided with a rotating mechanism 66 and a lifting mechanism 67.

[0058] The wafer holding table 62 holds the wafer W on the upper surface. The wafer holding table 62 has a cylindrical shape with a diameter smaller than the diameter of the wafer W. The lower surface of the wafer holding table 62 is connected to the rotating mechanism 66 via a driving shaft 65. On the upper surface of the wafer holding table 62, a plurality of (for example, three) pads 62a are provided at equal intervals near the peripheral edge of the wafer holding table 62. The pads 62a are, for example, O-rings, which are embedded in a groove (not shown) formed on the upper surface of the wafer holding table 62 and are fixed to the wafer holding table 62 in a detachable state.

[0059] The FR holding portion 63 includes three FR holding tables 63a and three FR holding members 63b. Each FR holding table 63a has an arm shape extending outward from the outer peripheral surface of the drive shaft 65, and one end is connected to the drive shaft 65. Thus, the FR holding table 63a rotates integrally with the wafer holding table 62 through the rotating mechanism 66. The three FR holding tables 63a are evenly arranged in the circumferential direction of the drive shaft 65. The FR holding member 63b is provided on the upper surface of the other end of the FR holding table 63a so as to protrude upward, and holds the edge ring FR with the upper end. The FR holding member 63b is preferably located at a position where the upper end is lower than the upper surface of the wafer holding table 62. Thus, when the wafer W is held on the wafer holding table 62 in a state where the center of the wafer W is offset from the center of the wafer holding table 62, or when the wafer W moves in the horizontal direction due to the rotation of the wafer holding table 62, the FR holding member 63b can be prevented from interfering with the wafer W. In addition, in the present embodiment, three FR holding tables 63 a are connected to the drive shaft 65 , but four or more FR holding tables 63 a may be connected to the drive shaft 65 .

[0060] The FR lifting unit 64 includes a lifting plate 64a and four FR lifting pins 64b. The lifting plate 64a is connected to the lifting mechanism 67 and is lifted and lowered by the lifting mechanism 67. The FR lifting pins 64b are provided on the upper surface of the lifting plate 64a so as to protrude upward, and hold the edge ring FR with the upper end. The FR lifting pins 64b are configured to be able to be lifted and lowered in a manner that the upper end includes the height position of the upper end of the FR holder 63b. In addition, the FR lifting pins 64b are preferably able to be lifted and lowered in a manner that the upper end is located below the upper surface of the wafer holding table 62. Thus, when the wafer W is held on the wafer holding table 62 in a state where the center of the wafer W is offset from the center of the wafer holding table 62, or when the wafer W moves in the horizontal direction due to the rotation of the wafer holding table 62, the FR lifting pins 64b can be prevented from interfering with the wafer W. In addition, in the present embodiment, four FR lifting pins 64b are provided on the lifting plate 64a, but three FR lifting pins 64b may be provided on the lifting plate 64a, or five or more FR lifting pins 64b may be provided.

[0061] The upper end of the drive shaft 65 is connected to the lower surface of the wafer holding table 62, and the lower end is connected to the rotating mechanism 66. The drive shaft 65 transmits the rotational force of the rotating mechanism 66 to the wafer holding table 62. The FR holding table 63a is connected to the outer peripheral surface of the drive shaft 65, and the drive shaft 65 transmits the rotational force of the rotating mechanism 66 to the FR holding table 63a. That is, the drive shaft 65 holds the wafer holding table 62 and the FR holding portion 63 in a manner that allows the wafer holding table 62 and the FR holding portion 63 to rotate.

[0062] The rotating mechanism 66 integrally rotates the wafer holding table 62 and the FR holding portion 63 via the driving shaft 65. The rotating mechanism 66 is disposed in the second chamber R2.

[0063] The lifting mechanism 67 lifts the FR lifting pin 64b via the lifting plate 64a. The lifting mechanism 67 is disposed in the second chamber R2.

[0064] The detection mechanism 68 detects the outer peripheral position of the wafer W held on the wafer holding table 62 and the inner peripheral position of the edge ring FR held on the FR holding member 63b. The detection mechanism 68 includes a light projecting unit 68a and a light receiving unit 68b. The light projecting unit 68a is a light source such as a light emitting diode (LED). The light receiving unit 68b is a CCD sensor or the like, and is arranged in a manner opposite to the light projecting unit 68a from top to bottom. In the detection mechanism 68, part of the light from the light projecting unit 68a is blocked by the wafer W or the edge ring FR, and the remaining light is incident on the light receiving unit 68b. The detection mechanism 68 sends the detected detection signal to the control unit 69.

[0065] The control unit 69 is constituted by, for example, a CPU. The control unit 69 rotates the wafer W approximately one revolution through the rotating mechanism 66, and detects the position determination portion P1 formed on the outer periphery of the wafer W based on the change in the amount of light incident on the light receiving portion 68b of the detection mechanism 68 at this time. In addition, the control unit 69 detects the deviation (eccentricity) of the center of the wafer W from the rotation center of the wafer holding table 62 based on the above-mentioned change in the amount of light. In addition, the control unit 69 rotates the edge ring FR approximately one revolution through the rotating mechanism 66, and detects the position determination portion P2 formed on the inner periphery of the edge ring FR based on the change in the amount of light incident on the light receiving portion 68b of the detection mechanism 68 at this time. In addition, the control unit 69 detects the deviation (eccentricity) of the center of the FR edge ring FR from the rotation center of the FR holding portion 63 based on the above-mentioned change in the amount of light. In addition, in the present embodiment, the case where the control unit 69 controls each part of the aligner 60 is described, but, for example, the control device 100 of the processing system 1 may control each part of the aligner 60 instead of the control unit 69.

[0066] [Edge ring positioning method]

[0067] Reference Figure 6 to Figure 11An example of the edge ring FR positioning method of the embodiment will be described. The edge ring FR positioning method of the embodiment is performed when the edge ring FR used in the processing block 20 is replaced with a new edge ring FR. Figure 6 to Figure 10 This is a process diagram showing an example of a method for positioning the edge ring FR. Figure 6 to Figure 10 In FIG. 6 , FIG. (a) is a diagram showing the aligner 60 when viewed from above, and FIG. (b) shows a cross section of the aligner 60. Figure 6 to Figure 10 In the figure, for the convenience of explanation, the housing 61, the lifting plate 64a, the rotating mechanism 66, the lifting mechanism 67 and the control unit 69 are omitted.

[0068] First, the control unit 69 controls the rotating mechanism 66 to rotate the FR holding unit 63 via the driving shaft 65, thereby allowing the FR holding member 63b to avoid a position where it does not interfere with the picker 34 of the conveying device 31 entering the aligner 60. In addition, when the FR holding member 63b is in a position where it does not interfere with the picker 34, the action of rotating the FR holding member 63b can be omitted.

[0069] Next, the control device 100 controls the conveying device 31 to extend the multi-joint arm 33, thereby allowing the picker 34 holding the edge ring FR to enter the aligner 60 ( Figure 6 ) In the present embodiment, the edge ring FR is placed on the picker 34, and the outer periphery is held by four claws 34a.

[0070] Next, the control device 100 controls the conveying device 31 to lower the picker 34 in the aligner 60, thereby placing the edge ring FR on the upper end of the FR lifting pin 64b ( Figure 7 ).

[0071] Next, the control device 100 controls the conveying device 31 to retract the multi-jointed arm 33, thereby moving the picker 34 to the outside of the aligner 60 ( Figure 8 ).

[0072] Next, the control unit 69 controls the lifting mechanism 67 to lower the FR lifting pin 64b until the upper end of the FR lifting pin 64b is located below the upper end of the FR holder 63b, thereby delivering the edge ring FR to the FR holder 63b ( Fig. 9 ).

[0073] Next, the control unit 69 controls the rotating mechanism 66 to rotate the FR holding unit 63 via the driving shaft 65, thereby rotating the edge ring FR approximately one revolution ( Fig.10). In addition, the control unit 69 detects the position determination portion P2 formed on the inner circumference of the edge ring FR based on the change in the amount of light incident on the light receiving portion 68b of the detection mechanism 68 when the edge ring FR is rotated approximately one circle. In addition, the control unit 69 detects the deviation (eccentricity) of the center of the edge ring FR from the rotation center of the FR holding portion 63 based on the above-mentioned change in the amount of light.

[0074] Fig.11 This is a diagram for explaining an example of a detection signal when the inner circumference of the edge ring FR is detected. Fig.11 In FIG. 1 , the vertical axis represents the detection value of the detection signal, and the horizontal axis represents the rotation angle [degrees] of the edge ring FR. When the edge ring FR is placed on the FR holder 63b in a state where the center of the edge ring FR is offset from the rotation center of the FR holder 63, the signal detected by the detection mechanism 68 changes like a sine waveform when the edge ring FR is rotated approximately one circle ( Fig.11 ). In addition, the signal detected by the detection mechanism 68 shows a change that is offset from the sine waveform due to the position determination portion P2 of the edge ring FR. In addition, the circumferential position of the edge ring FR is detected by, for example, detecting the rotational position of the drive shaft 65 using an encoder (not shown). And, the control unit 69 calculates the position (rotational position) of the position determination portion P2 and the eccentricity and eccentricity direction of the center of the edge ring FR from the rotational center of the FR holding portion 63 based on the detection signal from the detection mechanism 68 as described above.

[0075] Next, the control unit 69 rotates the edge ring FR so that the position determination portion P2 of the edge ring FR faces a predetermined direction. In addition, the control unit 69 transmits the calculated eccentricity amount and eccentricity direction to the control device 100 .

[0076] Next, the control unit 69 controls the lifting mechanism 67 to lift the FR lifting pins 64b until the upper ends of the FR lifting pins 64b are located above the upper end of the FR holder 63b, thereby transferring the edge ring FR from the FR holder 63b to the FR lifting pins 64b.

[0077] Next, the control unit 69 controls the rotating mechanism 66 to rotate the FR holding unit 63 via the driving shaft 65, thereby allowing the FR holding member 63b to avoid a position where it does not interfere with the picker 34 of the conveying device 31 entering the aligner 60. In addition, when the FR holding member 63b is located at a position where it does not interfere with the picker 34, the action of rotating the FR holding member 63b can be omitted.

[0078] Next, the control device 100 corrects the entry position of the picker 34 relative to the aligner 60 so that the center of the conveyor 31 coincides with the center of the edge ring FR based on the eccentricity amount and eccentricity direction received from the control unit 69. Then, the control device 100 causes the picker 34 of the conveyor 31 to enter the corrected entry position in the aligner 60, and receives the edge ring FR held by the FR lift pins 64b with the picker 34.

[0079] Next, the control device 100 controls the conveying device 31 to retract the multi-jointed arm 33 , thereby moving the picker 34 holding the edge ring FR to the outside of the aligner 60 , thereby delivering the edge ring FR from the aligner 60 .

[0080] In this way, the edge ring FR can be positioned using the aligner 60 according to the positioning method of the edge ring FR. In addition, in the present embodiment, the edge ring FR held by the pickup 34 is placed on the FR lifting pins 64b and then transferred from the FR lifting pins 64b to the FR holder 63b, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the edge ring FR held by the pickup 34 may be directly transferred to the FR holder 63b.

[0081] [Wafer positioning method]

[0082] Reference Figure 12 to Figure 16 An example of the method for positioning the wafer W according to the embodiment will be described. The method for positioning the wafer W according to the embodiment is performed, for example, before the wafer W processed in the processing block 20 is transported to the load lock block 40 . Figure 12 to Figure 15 FIG. 1 is a process diagram showing an example of a method for positioning a wafer W. Figure 12 to Figure 15 In FIG. 6 , FIG. (a) is a view showing the aligner 60 from above, and FIG. (b) shows a cross section of the aligner 60. Figure 12 to Figure 15 In the figure, for the convenience of explanation, the housing 61, the lifting plate 64a, the rotating mechanism 66, the lifting mechanism 67 and the control unit 69 are omitted.

[0083] First, the control unit 69 controls the rotating mechanism 66 to rotate the FR holding unit 63 via the driving shaft 65, thereby allowing the FR holding member 63b to avoid a position where it does not interfere with the picker 34 of the conveying device 31 entering the aligner 60. In addition, when the FR holding member 63b is located at a position where it does not interfere with the picker 34, the action of rotating the FR holding member 63b can be omitted.

[0084] Next, the control device 100 controls the conveying device 31 to extend the multi-joint arm 33, thereby allowing the picker 34 holding the wafer W to enter the aligner 60 ( Fig.12In the present embodiment, the wafer W is placed on four pads 34 b provided on the upper surface of the pickup 34 .

[0085] Next, the control device 100 controls the conveying device 31 to lower the picker 34 in the aligner 60, thereby placing the wafer W on the holder 62a provided on the upper surface of the wafer holding table 62 ( Fig.13 ).

[0086] Next, the control device 100 controls the conveying device 31 to retract the multi-jointed arm 33, thereby moving the picker 34 to the outside of the aligner 60 ( Fig.14 ).

[0087] Next, the control unit 69 controls the rotating mechanism 66 to rotate the wafer holding table 62 via the drive shaft 65, thereby rotating the wafer W approximately one revolution ( Fig.15 ). In addition, the control unit 69 detects the position determination portion P1 formed on the outer periphery of the wafer W based on the change in the amount of light incident on the light receiving portion 68b of the detection mechanism 68 when the wafer W is rotated approximately one circle. In addition, the control unit 69 detects the deviation (eccentricity) of the center of the wafer W from the rotation center of the wafer holding table 62 based on the above-mentioned change in the amount of light.

[0088] Fig.16 FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an example of a detection signal when the outer periphery of a wafer W is detected. Fig.16 In FIG. 1 , the vertical axis represents the detection value of the detection signal, and the horizontal axis represents the rotation angle [degrees] of the wafer W. When the edge ring FR is placed on the wafer holding table 62 in a state where the center of the wafer W is offset from the rotation center of the wafer holding table 62, the signal detected by the detection mechanism 68 changes like a sine waveform when the wafer W is rotated approximately one circle ( Fig.16 ). In addition, the signal detected by the detection mechanism 68 shows a change that is offset from the sine waveform due to the position determination portion P1 of the wafer W. In addition, the circumferential position of the wafer W is detected by, for example, detecting the rotational position of the drive shaft 65 using an encoder (not shown). And, the control unit 69 calculates the position (rotational position) of the position determination portion P1 and the eccentricity and eccentricity direction of the center of the wafer W from the rotational center of the wafer holding table 62 based on the detection signal from the detection mechanism 68 as described above.

[0089] Next, the control unit 69 rotates the wafer W so that the position determination portion P1 of the wafer W faces a predetermined direction. Furthermore, the control unit 69 transmits the calculated eccentricity amount and eccentricity direction to the control device 100 .

[0090] Next, the control device 100 corrects the entry position of the picker 34 relative to the aligner 60 based on the eccentricity amount and eccentricity direction received from the control unit 69 so that the center of the conveying device 31 coincides with the center of the wafer W. Then, the control device 100 causes the picker 34 of the conveying device 31 to enter the corrected entry position in the aligner 60, and receives the wafer W placed on the wafer holding table 62 with the picker 34.

[0091] Next, the control device 100 controls the transport device 31 to retract the multi-joint arm 33 , thereby moving the picker 34 holding the wafer W to the outside of the aligner 60 , thereby delivering the wafer W from the aligner 60 .

[0092] In this way, according to the method of positioning the wafer W, the wafer W can be positioned using the aligner 60 .

[0093] The aligner 60 described above includes: a wafer holding table 62 for holding a wafer W; an FR holding member 63b for holding an edge ring FR; and FR lifting pins 64b provided separately from the FR holding member 63b for holding the edge ring FR. In addition, the aligner 60 includes: a rotating mechanism 66 for rotating the wafer holding table 62 and the FR holding member 63b; and a lifting mechanism 67 for lifting the FR holding member 63b. In addition, the aligner 60 has a detection mechanism 68 for detecting the position of the outer periphery of the wafer W held on the wafer holding table 62 and the position of the inner periphery of the edge ring FR held on the FR holding member 63b. Thus, the wafer W and the edge ring FR can be positioned using one aligner 60. As a result, space efficiency is improved.

[0094] In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the chip W is an example of a substrate, the chip holding table 62 is an example of a substrate holding table, the FR retainer 63b is an example of a first retaining pin, the FR lift pin 64b is an example of a second retaining pin, and the aligner 60 is an example of a positioning device.

[0095] The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and should not be construed as limiting. The above embodiments may be omitted, replaced, or modified in various forms without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

[0096] In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the case where the FR lift pin 64b is lifted and lowered by the lifting mechanism 67 is described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the drive shaft 65, the wafer holding table 62, and the FR holding part 63 may be configured to be lifted and lowered integrally by the lifting mechanism 67. In this case, the FR holding member 63b is configured to be able to be lifted and lowered in a manner including the height position of the upper end of the FR lift pin 64b.

Claims

1. A positioning device, characterized in that: include: a substrate holding table for holding a substrate; a first retaining pin retaining the edge ring; A second retaining pin provided in addition to the first retaining pin for retaining the edge ring; a rotating mechanism for rotating the substrate holding table and the first holding pin; a lifting mechanism for lifting and lowering at least one of the first holding pin and the second holding pin; as well as a detection mechanism that detects a position of an outer periphery of the substrate held on the substrate holding table and a position of an inner periphery of the edge ring held on the first holding pin, The first holding pin can be raised and lowered in such a manner that the upper end thereof is located below the upper surface of the substrate holding table. The second holding pins can be raised and lowered so that the upper ends thereof are located below the upper surface of the substrate holding table.

2. The positioning device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first holding pin rotates integrally with the substrate holding stage.

3. The positioning device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: A drive shaft is also included which holds the substrate holding table and the first holding pin in a manner such that the substrate holding table and the first holding pin are rotatable.

4. The positioning device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The lifting mechanism lifts and lowers the second holding pin relative to the first holding pin.

5. The positioning device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The second holding pin can be raised and lowered so that the height position of the upper end of the second holding pin includes the height position of the upper end of the first holding pin.

6. The positioning device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The lifting mechanism lifts and lowers the substrate holding table and the first holding pins integrally with each other relative to the second holding pins.

7. The positioning device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The first holding pin can be raised and lowered so that the height position of the upper end of the first holding pin includes the height position of the upper end of the second holding pin.

8. The positioning device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: Position determining portions are provided on the outer periphery of the substrate and the inner periphery of the edge ring.

9. The positioning device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The position determining portion provided on the outer periphery of the substrate is a notch, The positioning portion provided on the inner circumference of the edge ring is a straight line portion.

10. A processing system, characterized in that: include: Processing room; as well as a positioning device for positioning the substrate and the edge ring transported into the processing chamber, The positioning device comprises: a substrate holding table for holding the substrate; a first retaining pin retaining the edge ring; A second retaining pin provided in addition to the first retaining pin for retaining the edge ring; a rotating mechanism for rotating the substrate holding table and the first holding pin; a lifting mechanism for lifting and lowering at least one of the first holding pin and the second holding pin; and a detection mechanism that detects the position of the outer periphery of the substrate rotated by the rotation mechanism and the position of the inner periphery of the edge ring, The first holding pin can be raised and lowered in such a manner that the upper end thereof is located below the upper surface of the substrate holding table. The second holding pins can be raised and lowered so that the upper ends thereof are located below the upper surface of the substrate holding table.

11. A positioning method using a positioning device, characterized in that: The positioning device comprises: a rotatable substrate holding table for holding a substrate; a rotatable first retaining pin that retains the edge ring; A second retaining pin provided in addition to the first retaining pin for retaining the edge ring; and a detection mechanism for detecting the position of the outer periphery of the substrate and the position of the inner periphery of the edge ring, The first holding pin can be raised and lowered in such a manner that the upper end thereof is located below the upper surface of the substrate holding table. The second holding pin can be raised and lowered in such a manner that the upper end thereof is located below the upper surface of the substrate holding table. The positioning method comprises: A step of detecting a position of an outer periphery of the substrate by the detection mechanism while rotating the substrate while the substrate is held by the substrate holding table; and A step of detecting a position of an inner circumference of the edge ring by the detection mechanism while rotating the edge ring in a state where the edge ring is held by the first holding pin.

Images